The sign outside Mohawk Bend on Sunset and Alvarado in Echo Park has promised “Opening soon.  Very soon” for a few weeks now, and I’m very, very excited that it will finally open at 5pm today.  Mohawk Bend comes courtesy Tony Yanow, so if you’ve been to his excellent Tony’s Darts Away bar in Burbank, you’ll know what we can expect here: vegan-friendly eats and a damn great craft beer selection.

The bar is located in an old movie theater, completely rehabbed so what was once the lobby now houses a long bar, communal and non-communal tables, and an open kitchen.  Tony is vegan, so the menu is too (“60 percent vegan, 20-percent lacto/ovo vegetaria, and 20 percent meat” is how the press release describes it).  It’s dinner service only for now, but they hope (as do I) that they’ll start a brunch and lunch service soon.

Most important, though, is that beer.  There are 65 California craft beers on tap, 5 from out of state breweries, and a two-firkin cask system for those of you who are uber-serious about your ales.  And sweet, kind people behind the bar who can patiently explain the differences between an IPA and non-IPA and help you decide which pint(s) to try.

I was lucky enough to attend a preview event of the space two weeks ago and, believe you me, the space and the beer selection is fantastic.  See their photos of the space here, and see you there, soon.

Mohawk Bend, 2141 W. Sunset Blvd. in Echo Park; (213) 483-2337.

I just want to take a moment to exploit this public forum to send out some very personal gratitude to the LAFD’s emergency responders.

Thankfully, it was only water spurting out under high pressure this morning and not blood, but the intrepid (and so handsome!) dudes appeared in a jiffy and had the situation under control in short order.

Did I mention they were gorgeous? And that after battling the water I looked like a drowned rat?

Oh and before you downgrade my IQ by 50 points you should know that They couldn’t find the water shutoff to the house either.

In fact, now that daylight is upon us and calm is restored, I’d really like to know where that shutoff is….

(and PS, kids: if you’re gonna sleep naked, maybe have some clothes in your handy emergency kit. Just sayin.)

Want some really great Vietnamese food?

It’s cheap, yummy, and for the love of god It Has Parking!

(maybe I should save this as a draft until I eat there a few more times)

Compromise: I just won’t post the address – D’oh!

Driving down Sunset today (I got the Sad Foot, by the way, and indeed:), I saw that Uncle Jer’s, that little shop of curiousities and knicknacks and randomness across the street from the Vista Theater, was having an “End of an Era” sale.  I got home and checked: yup, sadly, Uncle Jer’s will be closing after 10 years.  Owners Rob and Cassandra simply say they want to spend more time with their two young sons and so it was time to move on.  There is a storewide 20% clearance sale from now until they close their doors at the end of the month.  They plan to have some sort of online presence after they close the shop, but those are tentative for now.

Sorry to see this little shop go – it was always such a delightful way to kill some time before catching a movie across the street.  Oh, sad foot.

Photo courtesy Lush Bunny and used under a Creative Commons license.

Salon has a great piece today about the urban lore behind the rotating Happy Foot/Sad Foot sign on Sunset in Echo Park.  For future reference, if you’re driving the street and see the happy foot side, you’re in for a great day; if you see the sad foot side, you should stay in bed.  The sign has inspired several writers, including Jonathan Lethem and David Foster Wallace, to incorporate this symbol of chance and fate into their novels:

The Happy Foot/Sad Foot sign became better known to readers outside the Los Angeles area when it appeared in Jonathan Lethem’s 2007 novel, “You Don’t Love Me Yet.” In that book, the main character, a musician named Lucinda, can see the sign from the window of her apartment: “The two images presented not so much a one-or-the-other choice as an eternal marriage of opposites, the emblem of some ancient foot-based philosophical system. This was Lucinda’s oracle: one glance to pick out the sad or happy foot, and a coin was flipped, to legislate any decision she’d delegated to the foot god.”

The article tracks down a few other pop culture references, which I found fascinating.  You probably don’t want to let a sign play footsies with your fate (ha ha), but it is a fun thing to watch out for when you’re headed down Sunset.

Photo courtesy rachelkramerbussel and used under a Creative Commons license.

For the love of god, get thee to a Gelson’s (or a Mayfair), and get a hold of about the only yummy thing on the Seder plate!

Don’t just use it for that though – put it in your oatmeal – an excuse to have wine for breakfast!

I’ve come to consider last October’s inaugural CicLAvia something of the Los Angeles cycling community’s Woodstock, both in the fact that it was a defining and shining moment for our city and also because as the years go by I get the feeling that a lot more people are going to say they were there than actually were.

Whether you were or you weren’t a part that street party spanning between East Hollywood and Boyle Heights, your chance to get out and enjoy the second CicLAvia is imminent. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. this Sunday, April 10, the same 7.5-mile route as the first one will be closed to vehicular traffic and open to all manner of self-propellers. Be it bike, skateboard or just your feet you really should set aside some time to soak up what is such a unique and sensational experience.

Here’s a slightly remodeled version (higher res with an original soundlayer I created with the iPhone Bloom app) of the timelapse I made during part of my CicLAvia’ings from Boyle Heights back to East Hollywood:

A family that dances together is…embarrassed together? As a new Mom, I am forced to do all sorts of things I would have stayed a mile away from pre-child, couple that with Los Angeles having weather issues, and this party at The Echo Center seems like a fun idea!

If you don’t see yourself performing a few disco moves, there are plenty of other things to do: Art Activities, Face Painting, Hula-hoops, Scarves, Healthy Snacks, Drinks, and Music.

The doors are open to all ages, so bring your toddlers, teenagers and grampa too. Keep in mind that this is for FAMILY so you can’t just drop your kid and take off.

Here are the deets:

The Echo Center
1226 N Alvarado St, Los Angeles, CA 90026
Date: February 19, 2011
Time: 4:00pm–7:00pm
EAT, LAUGH & DANCE!

Admission:
$20 per family (but if you can’t afford it, you will still be welcome!)

Going to a Valentine’s Weekend Vendor Fair at a local BDSM Fetish club, one might expect to find some surprises, but the real surprises are the down to earth, common sense options that may be useful all year to any Consenting Adult.

My friends at The Bordello of Decadence had a Vendor’s Fair Friday night for much the same reason Blogging.LA is doing this series; to help find playthings for Valentine’s Day. Sure, there were all manner of floggers, whips and paddles to be found, plenty of toys in an environment whose very accessibility may be surprising to some, but leave it to the Truly Kinky to think of some things that most people wouldn’t think of, but I think most people can use.
Innovation from the Extraordinary.

Do you need an IT guy who won’t react like Seth Rogan in 40 Year Old Virgin when he see’s what’s on your Hard Drive? Maybe you need to scrub things clean before you give your old computer to someone who doesn’t need to know just where you spent your extracurricular browsing time. You really wanna take your porn to some College kid at Best Buy?

You want EP Consulting, “The Kinky IT Guy.”
13 years in the business, discreet, reliable, understanding and a great guy. And he has constructed his own “Cat 5 of 9 Tails.” (It could only get geekier if it were used on Seven of Nine.) Go to www.epconsultingco.com.

Okay, maybe that’s not exactly romantic. Might not be a Valentine’s Day thing, useful though it is. Maybe you want to Pretty up the Package that contains your real gift. Perhaps you want the Box that Special Present is in to look extra nice. Maybe that whole process can be part of the fun.

Let me introduce Miss Jenny, the Waxinatrix. Manscaping, waxing, anywhere there’s hair there, Domme and Master Esthetician Miss Jenny can make the process as comfortable or excruciating as you wish. Everyone is welcome, couples included, and believe me, that can be a lot of fun. Find her at fetlife.com/MissJenny or shoot her an email at  stiffler’s_mom666@yahoo.com. She also has a wicked love of puns. Enjoy.

Of course, there was no shortage of fine, handmade instruments of delight and torture, with standouts from Big Daddy BD, Ivan Beast (owners and operators of the venue) and Black Cat Whips. “Leggs” provided kinky undies, vibrators and chocolate flavored edible body paint. (Razzgasm!) Ivan also makes incredible furniture, beds, cages, St Andrews Crosses and so much more, if you’re ready for that big kinky purchase. (Contact the Bordello of Decadence for more info on any of the above.) But what do you get for that deviant Star Wars Fan?

If Slave Girl Leia was really a big influence on you or that special someone, you need to shop the wares of The Kinky Geek. Dragontails, floggers and whips with lightsaber handles. Yeah. He has, on special order, even made a couple of double sided, detachable, Darth Maul-type toys. Go to www.thekinkygeek.com. Excite you, they will.

So, it may be a little late to get any of this stuff for this year, but if your Valentine misbehaves, I guarantee there’s something here to back up your promise of retribution. Now that’s Love.

The Bordello of Decadence is still working of their website, but for informationon when and where they have their parties, and/or info on any of the vendors mentioned, shoot them an email at bordelloofdecadence@gmail.com.

This post is part of the We’ve Got Valentine’s Day Licked series of posts.

As much as I like to bike around Los Angeles whenever possible, I’m occasionally known to and prone to taking long walks around and across town. Aside from joining in the last four of  the awesome annual Great LA Walks organized by Franklin Avenue Blog’s Michael Schneider, I’ve gone on ferthehelluvit strolls over the full length of Cesar Chavez/Sunset Boulevard from Union Station to Gladstones in February 2007, and the whole stretch of Western Avenue from Griffith Park to land’s end in October 2008 (with fellow Blogging.la’er Julia, among others). Last year, I went on my first March March by going from USC to the top of Baldwin Hills Overlook State Park and back, primarily along Jefferson and Adams boulevards.

So with March coming up again fast, I figure it’s high time I put the word out where I’ll be marching next in case any like-minded crazies wanted to join me — and you should because on March 5 I’ll be heading east to explore an historic and amazing  thoroughfare I’ve pushed bike and gas pedals over many times, but until now have never pedestrianated upon: Whittier Boulevard.

We’re doing things a bit different this time. Instead of an out-and-back all on foot, we’ll be multimodaling by gathering at Union Station for a 10 a.m. departure to board the Gold Line out to East Los Angeles. Along the way we’ll be detraining at a few stations for quick loops and looks around those stops’ vicinities. Eventually we’ll reach the end of the line at Atlantic Boulevard and from there we’ll then head south to Whittier and begin the return trip westward until we cross the historic 6th Street viaduct. We’ll then cut up through the Arts District and make our way into downtown and back to Union Station via Los Angeles Plaza and Olvera Street.

With the inclusion of the Gold Line getting us east, this walk’s total distance will depend in part on the number of tangents we take. The main stretch back to Union Station from East Los Angeles through Boyle Heights is about 7.5 miles, so the total will probably fall somewhere between the 10- to 14-mile range. If I had to guesstimate a more specific number I’d say 12 miles.

So, to recap:

• What: 2nd-Annual March March — Whittier Boulevard
• Starts/Ends: Union Station (main entrance)
• When: March 5, departing at 10am (if raining that day we’ll try again March 12, 10am rain or shine)
• Costs: Bring money for food/drinks and a $6 Metro Day pass is highly recommended
• How far: About 12 miles, give or take
• How long: Approximately 5 hours. Could be longer, could be shorter.

Any questions, drop them in the comments or tweet me @wildbell. Hope you’ll come along for the stride.

Pictured above leading a charge westward toward downtown across the 4th Street Viaduct during CycLAvia last October is Highland Park-based blogger Waltarrrr. I find this image I captured of him on that glorious day rather iconic in that for the past 4.5 years he’s been trumpeting to greater Los Angeles all about the present and past of the multifaceted communities of Northeast Los Angeles. And I present it to you today so that you can join me in saying goodbye not to him, but rather to his indispensable 90042 blog, whose hibernation he announced yesterday:

What I can say is this blog is going to sleep for a while. The weekly posts just won’t be there anymore. Instead, I plan to focus on my first love, Art. I’m a painter by trade. As a byproduct of putting my efforts into writing and researching this blog, I haven’t actually made a painting in some time. In my studio sits a pile of blank canvases awaiting my attention. This year I resolved to start painting rather than writing, to start sketching rather than tweeting. I’m a craftsperson, a maker. At this juncture I need to create tangible objects more than web posts.

It has been a fun trip, but the time has come to put the blog to rest. Thanks for sharing the ride.

I’ve had the pleasure of his company on numerous bike rides and various long walks. The favorite story I like to tell about him happened in October 2008 when I’d planned to walk the entire length of Western Avenue from Griffith Park to the land’s end. Waltarrrr was very much looking forward to it, but as the day approached a conflict arose that prevented him from joining us. So he did the entire thing himself a week earlier than us, adding untold distance by venturing off on explorations down countless side streets until he was forced to stop around Torrance. Set on completing the journey, he returned the next day to where he’d turned back by the 405 Freeway and walked the rest of the way to the sea. His Flickr photoset of the two-day trek is here.

While I’m going to miss 90042 immensely, I’m also going to hope there’s ultimately a parallel to draw between his amazing journey and his blogging: he knew when to quit but came back to where he left off and kept going.

One of the things I love about living in Los Angeles is the constant discovery of new-to-me things. I recently visited a friend in Silver Lake. I parked on St. George Street near Rowena, as I almost always had, but saw something I’d never seen before. (I think it was always dark). What caught my eye was the Rowena Reservoir, referred to as “Fantasy Island” by locals. It’s beautiful! I drove around it to see where to enter and found the gate. It was locked as the public is not allowed into this oasis.

How did I not know about this??  For those not in the know, Gymkhana is a sport that has grown in popularity lately thanks to the efforts of rally driver Ken Block.  Block released a series of web videos showcasing his amazing talents at this incredibly entertaining sport.

This is what I’m talking about:

I love that I just found this video.  I hadn’t seen it yet and (perfect for my post on here) it takes place in Long Beach!

Back to this invitational.  From what I can get off their awful website, it is a competition containing a Gymkhana style course.  I wish I had know about this earlier, I think it would be a blast.  If you like cars and you’re free tomorrow.  I suggest you make your way over to Irwindale Speedway.

Starting TONIGHT, you can hang out on the streets of Silver Lake and listen to live musical performers including carolers, nom on some tasty treats, bid on live auctions, vote for your favorite window display, patronize the shops, and get to know your neighbors.

This first annual holiday block party runs for the next three Fridays – Dec. 3rd, 10th, and 17th from 6-9pm on Sunset, Hyperion, Rowena, Glendale and Silver Lake.

Hop over to the Silver Lake Chamber of Commerce website for all the deets.

This morning these little flyers were taped on walls and telephone poles around Sunset Junction. I snapped a quick picture of one on a short walk to get coffee thinking I’d count how many I saw on the walk back, but within the hour they seem to have all been pulled down. Anyone know anything about this? The lack of contact information or anyone taking credit for the flyer seems a little suspicious.