Gentrification, USC, and U.N.I.D.A.D. (Part 2) // Parallels to Downtown LA

Photos of the press conference on March 14 may be found here.

I wonder how the second night of the hearings went. It seems that the bulk of the mobilization was for last night. 

This was the first public hearing I've ever been to and I wonder what percentage of these hearings contain as many impassioned testimonies as I heard last night. The question of displacement and the need for affordable housing are issues that I engage with daily as a case manager in Skid Row. While the new shops and art certainly contribute to life in Downtown Los Angeles, the expansion of development seems to be missing one crucial factor: a focus on the rehabilitation of the people (and the system!) who previously occupied many of those streets. The development has steadily moved eastward, from Broadway, to Spring, to Main, and, now, to Los Angeles. 

Changes in the Baltomore are already in motion. 3/12/12

In the case of this most recent development, law-abiding folks who live in Baltimore, Leland, and King Edward hotels will be protected by a moratorium on market-rate conversions. What protections against displacement do the families living in the West Adams and Exposition Park areas have in the face of USC expansion? (This is a completely honest question to which I hope to find an answer.)

V-Day Event! Q-Team Presents Night of Bad (Performance Art)

"You don't have to date us, just commit to 1 night..."

Q-Team provides "a space for trans and queer youth of color, ages 12 -25 years old to showcase their experience, creativity, and struggles."


I'll be reading some poetry in a short 5-minute set.

My last encounter with Q-Team was when they held an event in a space downstairs from the Da Capo buildings on Main Street in 2008 (when I lived there).

qteam's founding members include youth who identify as immigrants, refugees, poor and working class, womyn (born and self identified), differently abled, and spiritual. qteam exists to challenge and resist the many interlocking systems of oppressions through multi-issue, grassroots organizing. qteam is committed to building and sustaining safe physical and political spaces for the empowerment of young people by advancing and supporting their natural leadership abilities through education and the promotion of wellness and self-care.

I'm looking forward to connecting and community with queer & trans youth of color at this event. Such spaces, I believe, are revolutionary.




What:
Night of Bad (Shifting Cultures, One Bad* Performance at a time)


Where:
Minority AIDS Project
5147 W. Jefferson blvd.
90016

When:
Sunday, February 14, 2010
5:30PM

*Bad as defined by Urban Dictionary definition #2!

23rd Street Cafe Has A New Look

When I was working at ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, 23rd Street Cafe was one of my go-to spots for a quick lunch. The cafe offers Mexican, Indian, and American food, all more than serviceable. Maybe good value make things taste better? I'm not sure, but you can take a look at 23rd's Yelp page for more opinions.

It has been nearly a year after I left SoDo and the Cafe is now under new ownership, but it seems to be the same great cafe with a slight, bright, cosmetic makeover.

The once-white walls have been replaced by a deep saffron and burgundy (?):


The sign above the door looks the same, perhaps slightly better-tended:

The fragrant, hardy rosemary bushes still line the outer patio area. (I used to pick off a sprig or two for cooking...shhh.)

As always, the mango lassi was fresh and tangy, and I was only able to finish one of the two large samosas I ordered ($1.99!).

It's good to see that some of the good things never change. West Adams may not be the fashionable district it was when LA was younger, but there are still many humble little jewels to be found there.

Jean P's 99-cent Soul Food Express

[Update: Jean P's was closed, sadly, sometime in early 2009. Alas.]

After seeing Big City Poz's photo of the blue-plate special he whipped up for himself, I was inspired to share this fabulous meal that has a similar combination of protein, starch, and green:


The meal is from Jean P's Soul Food Express, which is on the corner of Adams and Figueroa, tucked into a plaza that is dominated by 7-Eleven and Popeye's Chicken. I had ridden my bike past it numerous times, and was always intrigued by the rusting barbecue grill that they keep in the parking lot. I was skeptical, though, of a place that advertised 99-cent food, so I assuaged my fears first by reading reviews of the place on Yelp.com (oh Yelp, where would we be without ye?).

I walked in at about one in the afternoon and the place was nearly empty. The place is very small, with room for approximately 10 people in the dining area. The buffet was piled with southern food: collard greens, macaroni and cheese, hot links, and many other things that I can't recall at the moment. There was one other person ahead of me, and when I went to order, the woman behind the counter said "Wait a minute, baby." Something about Southern women allows them to get away with calling anyone "baby," I love it.

The meal came to about $8.00 and was actually enough for both a satisfying lunch and dinner for me. The collard greens were some of the best I've had 'round these parts, and the macaroni and cheese was fantastic, creamy and cheesy but still not overwhelmingly rich. The fried chicken was not the most spectacular I've had (which was at Babe's & Ricky's Inn on a Monday night), but it was good, especially with the Louisiana-style hot sauce.

Next time I go, I'll have to actually try some of that barbecue that comes from their parking lot grill!

Jean P's Soul Food Express
2540 S. Figueroa St.
90007