Hola Boyle Heights! Your community reporter, Alex Medina, is here to share some happenings in and around the neighborhood to get you out and about this spooky season.
Check out the latest from your local news source!
How these GenZers turned a passion into a side hustle to get by
I’m sure we’re all feeling it — life is getting EXPENSIVE. That’s why many in my generation have been turning to side hustles and small businesses to help stay afloat. Thanks to the popularity of social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, many people have been able to sell their services and products online all while generating income as “creators” too. We spoke with three young entrepreneurs from Boyle Heights to learn more.
Boyle Heights Community Plan promises more affordable housing and new zoning
The L.A. City Council voted unanimously last week to adopt proposals to update the Boyle Heights Community Plan, a blueprint for the neighborhood’s growth that hasn’t received an update since 1998. The update commits to addressing the housing needs of current and future residents and moves to update zoning regulations adjacent to the L.A. River and Pico-Aliso neighborhoods. It also moves to implement a series of amendments introduced by Kevin de León that establish incentives for mixed-income projects that will require affordable housing.
Boyle Heights-raised author recounts beating the odds in new memoir
Adriana Martínez was 3 years old when she and her family moved from Pico-Union to Boyle Heights in 1974. They settled in Aliso Village, an underfunded and neglected low-income housing development notoriously known for its gang activity in the 1980s. Martinez recounts how her struggles growing up helped fuel her successes in her first self-published memoir, “Reclaiming Me: Lessons from a First-Generation MexiCAN Daughter,” released last month.
As always, make sure to keep an eye on our website and social media channels for more of the latest from your local news source.
Happenings in the Heights
Thursday, Oct. 3
LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes is hosting a free “Malfora” Mixer and Mercado in collaboration with the Queer Mercado in celebration of the lesbian community. There will be music, empowerment, visibility, a marketplace and more to enjoy from 6 to 10 p.m. Space is limited, so make sure to RSVP to attend.
A newly created bilingual Spanish-English production of ¡Celebramos! is coming to Cal State L.A.’s University Student Union outdoor plaza. ¡Celebramos! is a showcase of Puerto Rican artist Luis Palés Matos’ Afro-Antillano poetry supported by music and dance inspired by Puerto Rican and Cuban traditions. Learn more about how to catch this beautiful display of culture here. The show starts at 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 4
The Elegy Ensemble and Born for Burning are bringing a night of heavy metal to Don Quixote. Featuring Japan’s SABBAT and Brazil’s POWER FROM HELL, as well as the band Death Rites, it’s the perfect event for those looking for metal beats. Doors for the all-ages event open at 8 p.m. You can grab a ticket for $30.
Over at the Paramount, catch Suzi Sabotage on her U.S. tour. A Finish songstress, her music seamlessly fuses the genre of dark coldwave with synthpunk. Bands Lost Tapes and I Speak Machine will be there as well for the all-ages show. You can grab tickets online for about $25.
Both these venues have more shows coming this weekend and later throughout the month, so make sure to check out the websites of The Paramount and Don Quixote to stay up to date.
As a heartfelt tribute to Tony Bennett, the Carnegie Hall Ensemble and Luckman Jazz Orchestra will support Michael Feinstein in bringing the legendary artist’s songs to life in a symphony of sound at the Luckman Fine Arts Complex at Cal State L.A. The performance will feature hits including “Because of You,” “Rags to Riches” and many more. The concert is set to start at 8 p.m. You can learn more about the event here.
Saturday, Oct. 5
Over at Ascot Hills in El Sereno, North East Trees is hosting a transplanting and seed processing event dedicated to the Hollyleaf Cherry. The event is one of the organization’s monthly volunteer actions, held every first Saturday of the month. Snacks and water will be provided for the effort, which runs from 9 a.m. to noon. You can RSVP to attend here.
Alma Family Services is hosting a “Salud y Paz” community resource fair at its Boyle Heights hub. There will be free food, workshops, raffles, fun activities and 300 food bags available for distribution. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Spirit Well is heading to Latinx with Plants for those looking for a fall reset. There will be morning yoga, a guided journaling session, sound healing and more to enjoy from 9:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tickets are available online for $15-45.
A partnership between the East L.A. Film Festival, Intl. Cine Sin Cines Elpidia Carrillo and Panamanian Intl. Film Festival Los Angeles, TAKE 3 is an all day film fest running from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the Secret Movie Club. There will be a lot going on throughout the day, from movie showings, workshops to even a meet-and-greet with “Blood In, Blood Out” actor Carlos Carrasco. A full agenda for the event is available for viewing here, and you can grab tickets online here.
For folks interested in canvassing ahead of the upcoming election, InnerCity Struggle is hosting a volunteer effort to inform the local community about propositions on the ballot. Come to the nonprofit’s community hub at 10:30 a.m. and hit the streets of the neighborhood through 3 p.m. You can RSVP to participate here.
Plaza de la Raza is hosting a free family event and resource fair in collaboration with the organization Moms Demand Action. There will be various speakers, giveaways, activities, food and merch vendors, art showings, music and a special Día de Los Muertos altar honoring lives lost to gun violence. The free event runs from 1 to 4 p.m.
It’s going to be a celebration of the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes as the community hub hosts a performance of the Mariachi Lindas Mexicanas ahead of a screening of the 1952 Mexican film “El Rebozo de Soledad.” In case you’ve never seen it before, the movie’s about an idealistic city physician who falls for a farmworker in a rural community run by macho customs and feudalistic landowners. The full program runs from 6 to 10 p.m. and you can read more about the event here.
Sunday, Oct. 6
The 10th Annual East L.A. Classic Beef Bowl luncheon will be held at Steven’s Steak and Seafood House in Commerce. A collaboration between the alumni foundations for Roosevelt and Garfield high schools, the event promotes sportsmanship amongst both football teams ahead of this year’s East L.A. Classic. For $35, you can sponsor players at the luncheon. A limited number of tickets to attend the event are also available to the general public for $40. You can sponsor through Zelle: Send to roughrider@rhsrider.net to support a Rough Rider, or to (323) 266-0100 to support a bulldog. For more information, you can reach out to Lance Holiday at (909) 477-9588 or Dr. Yolanda Aguerreberre at (714) 240-4659.
Looking ahead
A set of community play readings of “El Traficante de Historias” is coming to libraries in Boyle Heights this October. The play, presented in Spanish, is about a man who sells small theatrical librettos facing off against a desperate theater director trying to steal his ideas. The production will be shown here:
- Benjamin Franklin Library, Thursday, Oct. 10, 4 – 5:30 p.m.
- Malabar Library, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2 – 3:30 p.m.
- Robert Louis Stevenson Library, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 6 – 7:30 p.m.
As always, please let us know what you think of this newsletter and send us your events to include in future editions. Hope you have an amazing weekend!
