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Alvaro Parra

aparra

Associate Producer, Departures

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For many youth east of the L.A. punk scene the suburban backyard became the ideal venue for a neighborhood gig.
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In 1860, this boom town was thriving along the San Gabriel Rivers East Fork, boasting general stores, black smith shops, and more than a few saloons.
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Crenshaw Boulevard, the 'Shaw', the Crenshow -- though it may lack the global appeal of its Hollywood cousins, the iconic thoroughfare is best known to many Angelenos as the cultural and commercial spine of black L.A.
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We travel to a corner of Northeast L.A. in an effort to unearth the story behind Via Marisol, which is more complicated than its seemingly simple name may suggest.
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You may have come across Bonnie Brae Street and wondered, who exactly was Bonnie? A silent film actress perhaps? The daughter of a city founder?
Olvera Steet, 1978. Image: William Reagh, courtesy of Los Angeles Public Library
The first installment in a new series exploring the names of L.A. streets takes a look at the converted alley considered by some to be the heart of Mexican L.A.
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Since the 1980s Leimert Plaza has been a go-to community space for the African American community.
Portraits of Elias Jackson Baldwin through the years. Images: Los Angeles Public Library
More than a century after his death, his name still echoes throughout the Southland: Baldwin Park, Baldwin Lake, Baldwin Avenue, and Baldwin Hills.
A group of laborers and their children at Santa Anita Ranch, ca 1886. Image: Courtesy of Los Angeles Public Library
More than likely, Elias Jackson "Lucky" Baldwin's decision to hire such a multicultural labor force was merely a shrewd business decision, allowing him to pay low wages.
Portrait of Tomás Sanchez | Courtesy of the USC Libraries California Historical Society Collection
Tomás Avila Sanchez inherited Rancho La Cienega o Paso de La Tijera from his grandfather Vicente Sanchez, a powerful and cantankerous old Don from the Pueblo days
Image: loststatesblogspot.com
Tomás Sanchez once owned the land of present day Baldwin Hills and Leimert Park. While deep in the throes of research, a small aspect of this man's life struck a chord: his need to secede.
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To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the opening of the light rail line that connected Pasadena to South East L.A. let's take a brief look at its history.
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