In the short months that I spent living in El Sereno, I found a warm, happy home at Antigua Cultural Coffeehouse. It was a place that was vibrant with community, with a commitment to social justice and to good, fair trade, beautifully roasted coffee. I was drawn to the bright yellow and green interior from the first time I drove by, and when I finally entered, I was amazed by quality of the coffee there. Antigua was where I performed spoken word for the very first time in Los Angeles in November, during a benefit for AB540 students that was organized by the Coalition for Latino Advancement. Months after seeing him perform at UC Irvine, I ran into Quese IMC while he was taking advantage of the Wi-Fi in the cafe. Antigua was always filled with good people and good energy.
I am extremely disappointed that the property owners have deigned not to extend a lease renewal to Antigua. El Sereno will be no longer be home to one of LA's best coffeehouses and a three-year-old community hub. The bright side: another location will be opening in Cypress Park.
Antigua Cultural Coffee House
4386 Huntington Drive South
90032
That is too bad, but you can still have a beer in El Sereno. Don't forget about the mostly lesbian Plush Pony. It's not the fanciest place around, even in El Sereno, but the beer is cold and it's a funky relic of an old-school lesbian/gay bar.
ReplyDeleteGoing there will also be an excuse to rat your hair up really high!
Cold beer and old-school dive-ness is just my cup o' tea. Or beer. I'll have to check the place out sometime!
ReplyDelete....and if the Plush Pony leaves you wanting more in the way of lesbian dive bars, then try Red Head (Redz) in East Los Angeles and tiny dump Sugar Shack in El Monte (yes, it's a real shack), which features pitcher beer, a juke box and a pool table!
ReplyDelete"Hey there lonely girl, lonely girl
Let me make your broken heart like new"