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Katrina Survivors in Echo Park Tuesday, September 6, 2005, 6:44PM

I spent some of yesterday with the most recent arrivals to Los Angeles from the devastation along the Gulf Coast. The Dream Center in Echo Park is doing an amazing job re-settling these displaced persons who are now our neighbors. I gave them all my card and today two called and asked for help finding jobs and size 8 1/2 shoes (male) and 9 shoes (female) because these hadn't been donated to the Dream Center and they were walking around in their socks. We are going to bring them some shoes and get them connected with the Hollywood Worksource Center tomorrow. For more on yesterday's events, visit www.cd13.com.

Halfway Around the World Monday, August 22, 2005, 8:22PM

(this is my first entry, which I am typing in from a hotel room in Tbilisi, Georgia--it is my first handy internet connection when I have had a moment to come up for air. I am in Georgia for two days, but returning to Armenia later today, where I hope to download some photos and write a couple more entries that cover the first three days in Armenia--check out the comments section of the last posting for some links that others have put on the blog.)

On early Friday morning, after an exhausting 23 hours of travel, we touched down exactly halfway around the world from Los Angeles in Yerevan, Armenia. (since Yerevan is twelve time zones from Los Angeles, I didn't have to change the time on my watch!). At the airport, a television camera waited for us until 3 in the morning, and there was a table set out with fresh fruit and cognac (I opted for the former, considering the hour). While British Airways lost two pieces of our party's luggage, we were mostly intact. I did a quick interview with the television camera bringing greetings from the world's second-largest Armenian city, Los Angeles and setting out our trip's goal of establishing a Sister City relationship with Yerevan, no easy feat after almost a day of travel.

The Yerevan airport is an architectural marvel--it is like a giant octagonal beehive, with arrivals in the center and departures leaving from above. Built in Soviet times, it is a cement sculpture. The airport is currently expanding and the operations are being handed over to a foreign company in an ongoing wave of privatization.

On the way into town, we saw many casinos with names like Caesar's and Hollywood Casino, which we learned have been banished from the city center to the outskirts of town. On the road from airport, they have formed a kinda Yerevan Strip. We also passed the brand-new American Embassy, built on one of the biggest pieces of land of any American Embassy abroad. It was impressive.

We drove through the city center in the waning hour of the night, but it's stateliness was easily apparent--a seemingly well-planned center, with a real European feel. There were cafes everywhere (some folks still out at 4am, wide boulevards, and a video screen up where the statue of Lenin once stood in the main square.

We settled into our hotel and prepared for the next day's meetings with government officials and Yerevan representatives.

Migrating the blog Wednesday, August 3, 2005, 12:45PM

After trying to keep two blogs going, I am going to merge the two together, to try and get the feed going from my cd13.com blog on my personal site here and vice-versa. In the meantime, I've been posting many entries at the www.cd13.com site, so check it out there. Hope to have the transition done by the end of the month. Preview of coming attractions this month:

I will be going on a trip to Armenia during the council recess along with, among other folks, local Armenian-American leaders and American political leaders including Howard Dean, who will join us for a couple of days in Yerevan. We will be laying down the groundwork (and possibly finalizing the agreement) for a sister city relationship between Yerevan and Los Angeles. Cambridge, Massachusetts, has been kind enough to share Yerevan with us (they have a pre-existing sister city relationship), and we plan to use the trip to promote tourism, economic development, and cultural exchange between our cities.

After that, I will be in Lebanon, where I will spend time in Beirut, which has also reached out to us to form a sister city relationship, too. It will give me the chance to see what is happening in Lebanon, where recent elections and political developments have opened up the chance for some real reform in that country.

I plan on blogging as I can during the trip. So stay tuned...

Get off your lazy &$@! Thursday, July 28, 2005, 2:06PM

For the second in my continuing "Best of CD13" series, here are my top ten picks for recreating in the Thirteenth Council District.

1. Walk through Elysian Park and explore the trees in Chavez Ravine Arboretum.
2. Get on a bicycle and take in some nature along the Los Angeles River Bikeway, including the Alex Baum Bicycle Bridge,
3. Climb one of the public staircases in Silver Lake/Echo Park--I'm partial to the Baxter St. stairs (all 231 of them!)
4. Take your skateboard over to Lake Street Park and hit the half-pipes
5. Bring your children/grandchildren/nephews/nieces/cousins/little sister or brother/other young friend to the splash pad at Juntos Park in Glassell Park.
6. Get on a horse and cross the Los Angeles River from Atwater Village and take in a sunset atop Mt. Hollywood in Griffith Park.
7. Jog around Silver Lake Reservoir with your dog, then let him/her socialize at Silver Lake Dog Park.
8. Get a plot at a community garden and start cultivating. Two good ones in CD13 are the Jardin Del Rio in Elysian Valley and the Rosewood Community Garden in East Hollywood.
9. Get on a paddle boat in Echo Park Lake.
10. Hoop it up at the Hollywood YMCA--these are some of the best and most serious pickup games in the district.

Your favorites?

Bracelets Tuesday, July 12, 2005, 12:17PM

There is something strangely satisfying about Lance Armstrong's 2nd-place finish today that positions him well for a seventh victory in a row at the Tour de France. It's kinda turning into Kabuki Theater: he has a plan and he sticks to it, plays the same mental games (going after his own team was a new twist this year), but he comes through. In an era of Dodgers trailing, Lakers flailing, and little consistency in professional sports, it's good to have something that delivers as promised. Even if it is the Discovery Channel instead of the Post Office that we are supposed to cheer for this year.

I don't wear a yellow Armstrong bracelet, but Cybele gave me a sweet candy bracelet watch that provided me with dinner at the blogging.la gathering at the Golden Gopher last night. Great evening, quality people, and it was very good to put some faces with names. And Cybele, I still have the candy watch face preserved--I couldn't bring myself to eat that last piece. Now if I could only get a bunny above...

P.S. We won the Dragon Boat races at the Lotus Festival

I'm hungry Saturday, July 9, 2005, 9:03AM

In the last posting, I said I was inspired to make a list of the top 30 places to visit in the Thirteenth Council District (and Will Campbell made a great list already), but as I started making the list, I realized that I should split my favorites into a few different categories: best recreational places, best palces to eat, best nightlife spots, etc. We'll start with food.

I have the great fortune of representing neighborhoods with some of the best food in the city. By my rough estimate, there are at least 1200 eating establishments in the Thirteenth District. I hope to eat at as many of them as possible. Tough work, but someone's gotta do it.

Standard disclaimer: I could not include some of my favorites that are just outside the district (Nicky D's clam, garlic and bacon pizza, Siete Mares' shrimp tacos, etc.) Also, if you are looking for authenticity, there are places more authentic then some of my picks (Ruen Pae for Thai is more authentic than Rambuthan, for instance), but my choices are based on my favorite dishes. Lastly, for all my friends who run restaurants not on the list (from Off Vine to Cirxa, Panos Pastry to Gran Burrito), I still love you, too.

So with that, here is my list of the top 31 dishes at restaurants in CD13. Feel free to add your own picks.

1. Shibucho—Chef’s Choice (Hi-Fi)
2. India Sweets and Spices—Burfi (Atwater Village)
3. Spain Restaurant—Chicken Empanadas and Garlic Olives, washed down with Inca Kola (Echo Park)
4. Brite Spot—Waffles with a side of chorizo (Echo Park)
5. Eat Well-- Turkey Burger (Silver Lake)
6. Dusty’s—Steak Sandwich (Silver Lake)
7. Ajax Falafel—Falafel (Little Armenia)
8. Gingergrass—Pork Banh Mi (Silver Lake)
9. Rambuthan Thai—Curry Dumplings (Silver Lake)
10. Brooklyn Bagels—Poppyseed bagel (Hi-Fi)
11. Picholine Chocolatier—Truffles (Hi-Fi/Wilshire Center)
12. El Caserío—Saltado de Camarones (Virgil Village/Wilshire Center)
13. Cha Cha Cha—Jerk Chicken Pizza (best chased with a drink from Smog Cutters) (Virgil Village)
14. Tigeorges’ Chicken—Chicken and acra (Echo Park/Hi-Fi)
15. Silver Lake Wine—Almost anything that Randy suggests (Silver Lake)
16. Renaissance Hotel restaurant—Tuna tacoshimi crisps (Hollywood)
17. The Hungry Cat—Clams with garbanzo and chorizo (Hollywood)
18. Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles—Carol C. Special (#13) (Hollywood)
19. LA Bread—Pumpkin Bread (Atwater Village)
20. El Rodeo Grill—Huevos Rancheros (Echo Park)
21. Santa Fe Tortilleria—Menudo (Echo Park)
22. Taix—Any of the soups (Echo Park)
23. Tam O’Shanter—Weekend sandwich bar (Atwater Village)
24. Baracoa—Pressed ham and cheese Cuban sandwich (Atwater Village)
25. Café Tropical—Pan Au Chocolat (Silver Lake)
26. Netty’s—Flank steak (Silver Lake)
27. Tommy’s—Chili burger (Hi-Fi)
28. Skooby’s—Original hot dog (Hollywood)
29. Mornings and Nights—Chocolate chip rugelach (Silver Lake)
30. Alegria—Enchiladas de Mole (Silver Lake)
31. Zankou Chicken—Whole chicken, pickles (Little Armenia)

30 Sites in LA Wednesday, July 6, 2005, 12:27PM

It was great to read this month's National Geographic Traveler, IMHO the best travel magazine available, which included a feature this month called "Insider's Los Angeles: 30 Reasons to Love the City of Angels". The article lists the author's 30 best things to do/sites to see in L.A. As someone who religiously reads 1000 Places to See Before You Die, it was good to get a more local list.

I saw that Franklin Avenue (which points out the huge omissions, like the Valley and Harbor) and blogging.la have blogged this as well. I have visited 28 out of 30 sites, missing only One Spa at Shutter's (never knew of it and not much of a spa person) and Adamson House in Malibu.

I'll get to work on the top 30 sites in Council District 13. What are your favorites in LA and CD13?

Your Councilmember Welcome Message About Eric Eric's Agenda Eric's Record Get Involved Host a Coffee with Eric Get involved in the District Register to Vote Your District District Map District Profile Eric's Guide to CD13 Stay Informed News/Photos/Speeches Sign Up for E*Updates Blog Contact Eric	Welcome to the Eric Garcetti Blog. Katrina Survivors in Echo Park Tuesday, September 6, 2005, 6:44PM I spent some of yesterday with the most recent arrivals to Los Angeles from the devastation along the Gulf Coast. The Dream Center in Echo Park is doing an amazing job re-settling these displaced persons who are now our neighbors. I gave them all my card and today two called and asked for help finding jobs and size 8 1/2 shoes (male) and 9 shoes (female) because these hadn't been donated to the Dream Center and they were walking around in their socks. We are going to bring them some shoes and get them connected with the Hollywood Worksource Center tomorrow. For more on yesterday's events, visit www.cd13.com. Halfway Around the World Monday, August 22, 2005, 8:22PM (this is my first entry, which I am typing in from a hotel room in Tbilisi, Georgia--it is my first handy internet connection when I have had a moment to come up for air. I am in Georgia for two days, but returning to Armenia later today, where I hope to download some photos and write a couple more entries that cover the first three days in Armenia--check out the comments section of the last posting for some links that others have put on the blog.) On early Friday morning, after an exhausting 23 hours of travel, we touched down exactly halfway around the world from Los Angeles in Yerevan, Armenia. (since Yerevan is twelve time zones from Los Angeles, I didn't have to change the time on my watch!). At the airport, a television camera waited for us until 3 in the morning, and there was a table set out with fresh fruit and cognac (I opted for the former, considering the hour). While British Airways lost two pieces of our party's luggage, we were mostly intact. I did a quick interview with the television camera bringing greetings from the world's second-largest Armenian city, Los Angeles and setting out our trip's goal of establishing a Sister City relationship with Yerevan, no easy feat after almost a day of travel. The Yerevan airport is an architectural marvel--it is like a giant octagonal beehive, with arrivals in the center and departures leaving from above. Built in Soviet times, it is a cement sculpture. The airport is currently expanding and the operations are being handed over to a foreign company in an ongoing wave of privatization. On the way into town, we saw many casinos with names like Caesar's and Hollywood Casino, which we learned have been banished from the city center to the outskirts of town. On the road from airport, they have formed a kinda Yerevan Strip. We also passed the brand-new American Embassy, built on one of the biggest pieces of land of any American Embassy abroad. It was impressive. We drove through the city center in the waning hour of the night, but it's stateliness was easily apparent--a seemingly well-planned center, with a real European feel. There were cafes everywhere (some folks still out at 4am, wide boulevards, and a video screen up where the statue of Lenin once stood in the main square. We settled into our hotel and prepared for the next day's meetings with government officials and Yerevan representatives. Migrating the blog Wednesday, August 3, 2005, 12:45PM After trying to keep two blogs going, I am going to merge the two together, to try and get the feed going from my cd13.com blog on my personal site here and vice-versa. In the meantime, I've been posting many entries at the www.cd13.com site, so check it out there. Hope to have the transition done by the end of the month. Preview of coming attractions this month: I will be going on a trip to Armenia during the council recess along with, among other folks, local Armenian-American leaders and American political leaders including Howard Dean, who will join us for a couple of days in Yerevan. We will be laying down the groundwork (and possibly finalizing the agreement) for a sister city relationship between Yerevan and Los Angeles. Cambridge, Massachusetts, has been kind enough to share Yerevan with us (they have a pre-existing sister city relationship), and we plan to use the trip to promote tourism, economic development, and cultural exchange between our cities. After that, I will be in Lebanon, where I will spend time in Beirut, which has also reached out to us to form a sister city relationship, too. It will give me the chance to see what is happening in Lebanon, where recent elections and political developments have opened up the chance for some real reform in that country. I plan on blogging as I can during the trip. So stay tuned... Get off your lazy &$@! Thursday, July 28, 2005, 2:06PM For the second in my continuing "Best of CD13" series, here are my top ten picks for recreating in the Thirteenth Council District. 1. Walk through Elysian Park and explore the trees in Chavez Ravine Arboretum. 2. Get on a bicycle and take in some nature along the Los Angeles River Bikeway, including the Alex Baum Bicycle Bridge, 3. Climb one of the public staircases in Silver Lake/Echo Park--I'm partial to the Baxter St. stairs (all 231 of them!) 4. Take your skateboard over to Lake Street Park and hit the half-pipes 5. Bring your children/grandchildren/nephews/nieces/cousins/little sister or brother/other young friend to the splash pad at Juntos Park in Glassell Park. 6. Get on a horse and cross the Los Angeles River from Atwater Village and take in a sunset atop Mt. Hollywood in Griffith Park. 7. Jog around Silver Lake Reservoir with your dog, then let him/her socialize at Silver Lake Dog Park. 8. Get a plot at a community garden and start cultivating. Two good ones in CD13 are the Jardin Del Rio in Elysian Valley and the Rosewood Community Garden in East Hollywood. 9. Get on a paddle boat in Echo Park Lake. 10. Hoop it up at the Hollywood YMCA--these are some of the best and most serious pickup games in the district. Your favorites? Bracelets Tuesday, July 12, 2005, 12:17PM There is something strangely satisfying about Lance Armstrong's 2nd-place finish today that positions him well for a seventh victory in a row at the Tour de France. It's kinda turning into Kabuki Theater: he has a plan and he sticks to it, plays the same mental games (going after his own team was a new twist this year), but he comes through. In an era of Dodgers trailing, Lakers flailing, and little consistency in professional sports, it's good to have something that delivers as promised. Even if it is the Discovery Channel instead of the Post Office that we are supposed to cheer for this year. I don't wear a yellow Armstrong bracelet, but Cybele gave me a sweet candy bracelet watch that provided me with dinner at the blogging.la gathering at the Golden Gopher last night. Great evening, quality people, and it was very good to put some faces with names. And Cybele, I still have the candy watch face preserved--I couldn't bring myself to eat that last piece. Now if I could only get a bunny above... P.S. We won the Dragon Boat races at the Lotus Festival I'm hungry Saturday, July 9, 2005, 9:03AM In the last posting, I said I was inspired to make a list of the top 30 places to visit in the Thirteenth Council District (and Will Campbell made a great list already), but as I started making the list, I realized that I should split my favorites into a few different categories: best recreational places, best palces to eat, best nightlife spots, etc. We'll start with food. I have the great fortune of representing neighborhoods with some of the best food in the city. By my rough estimate, there are at least 1200 eating establishments in the Thirteenth District. I hope to eat at as many of them as possible. Tough work, but someone's gotta do it. Standard disclaimer: I could not include some of my favorites that are just outside the district (Nicky D's clam, garlic and bacon pizza, Siete Mares' shrimp tacos, etc.) Also, if you are looking for authenticity, there are places more authentic then some of my picks (Ruen Pae for Thai is more authentic than Rambuthan, for instance), but my choices are based on my favorite dishes. Lastly, for all my friends who run restaurants not on the list (from Off Vine to Cirxa, Panos Pastry to Gran Burrito), I still love you, too. So with that, here is my list of the top 31 dishes at restaurants in CD13. Feel free to add your own picks. 1. Shibucho—Chef’s Choice (Hi-Fi) 2. India Sweets and Spices—Burfi (Atwater Village) 3. Spain Restaurant—Chicken Empanadas and Garlic Olives, washed down with Inca Kola (Echo Park) 4. Brite Spot—Waffles with a side of chorizo (Echo Park) 5. Eat Well-- Turkey Burger (Silver Lake) 6. Dusty’s—Steak Sandwich (Silver Lake) 7. Ajax Falafel—Falafel (Little Armenia) 8. Gingergrass—Pork Banh Mi (Silver Lake) 9. Rambuthan Thai—Curry Dumplings (Silver Lake) 10. Brooklyn Bagels—Poppyseed bagel (Hi-Fi) 11. Picholine Chocolatier—Truffles (Hi-Fi/Wilshire Center) 12. El Caserío—Saltado de Camarones (Virgil Village/Wilshire Center) 13. Cha Cha Cha—Jerk Chicken Pizza (best chased with a drink from Smog Cutters) (Virgil Village) 14. Tigeorges’ Chicken—Chicken and acra (Echo Park/Hi-Fi) 15. Silver Lake Wine—Almost anything that Randy suggests (Silver Lake) 16. Renaissance Hotel restaurant—Tuna tacoshimi crisps (Hollywood) 17. The Hungry Cat—Clams with garbanzo and chorizo (Hollywood) 18. Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles—Carol C. Special (#13) (Hollywood) 19. LA Bread—Pumpkin Bread (Atwater Village) 20. El Rodeo Grill—Huevos Rancheros (Echo Park) 21. Santa Fe Tortilleria—Menudo (Echo Park) 22. Taix—Any of the soups (Echo Park) 23. Tam O’Shanter—Weekend sandwich bar (Atwater Village) 24. Baracoa—Pressed ham and cheese Cuban sandwich (Atwater Village) 25. Café Tropical—Pan Au Chocolat (Silver Lake) 26. Netty’s—Flank steak (Silver Lake) 27. Tommy’s—Chili burger (Hi-Fi) 28. Skooby’s—Original hot dog (Hollywood) 29. Mornings and Nights—Chocolate chip rugelach (Silver Lake) 30. Alegria—Enchiladas de Mole (Silver Lake) 31. Zankou Chicken—Whole chicken, pickles (Little Armenia) 30 Sites in LA Wednesday, July 6, 2005, 12:27PM It was great to read this month's National Geographic Traveler, IMHO the best travel magazine available, which included a feature this month called "Insider's Los Angeles: 30 Reasons to Love the City of Angels". The article lists the author's 30 best things to do/sites to see in L.A. As someone who religiously reads 1000 Places to See Before You Die, it was good to get a more local list. I saw that Franklin Avenue (which points out the huge omissions, like the Valley and Harbor) and blogging.la have blogged this as well. I have visited 28 out of 30 sites, missing only One Spa at Shutter's (never knew of it and not much of a spa person) and Adamson House in Malibu. I'll get to work on the top 30 sites in Council District 13. What are your favorites in LA and CD13?	Blog Index


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