Gwyneth Paltrow Knows Highland Park Exists!
Ξ December 15th, 2009 | → | ∇ 90042, Food, Highland Park, Press |
Unfortunately she confuses us with Eagle Rock and moves us about 16 miles southeast. On her lifestyle blog, GOOP.com, the actress reports on the best places to dine in Los Angeles. Among the usual list of popular restaurants is the Tacos La Estrella on Colorado and Highland View with this added note:
A little off the map in Highland Park (it’s east of East LA) La Estrella offers some of the best al pastor tacos. Worth a little drive after the trip to the Griffith Park or a Dodger’s Game.
There’s so much wrong here that my sense of indignation is about to cause me to have a conniption. Is it possible that the editorial staff at GOOP, by which I of course mean Gwyneth, simply copied this erroneous entry in the LA Times’ Guide? In any event, maybe Mrs. Martin can afford a map with her proceeds from Iron Man 2. Therefore, on behalf of every neighborhood east of La Brea, I would like to formally invite Gwyneth and Apple to have a taco al pastor in Highland Park. I’ll even stop at Cinnamon to pick up some vegan tamales for Chris.
on December 15th, 2009 at 3:05 pm
Great, now I have to move.
on December 16th, 2009 at 12:26 am
pssst, *in hushed voice* Her cousin has lived here for 15 years and owns a boutique on Figueroa.
on December 16th, 2009 at 9:23 am
Are you implying that Gwyneth doesn’t write her own GOOP articles?
on December 16th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
There are ’boutiques’ on Fig? Now I really gotta move.
on December 17th, 2009 at 8:09 am
Yeah, it’s all about El Sereno now. I got out of HLP just in time - a month before ‘Cafe La Leche’ opened…..they didn’t even consult the web for a correct translation…..maybe they have changed it by now, but that’s what they were calling it…
My dad had a name for people like that….Dense.
on December 18th, 2009 at 12:34 am
I understand your passion for proper neighborhood identification!
on December 21st, 2009 at 6:27 pm
Cafe La Leche is a Nicarguan expression I believe. The woman who runs the place is nicaraguan/american i think, and the expression is correct and common in Nicaraguan spanish from what i understand. I like the place a lot and have always found the people to be very nice to everyone who comes in. Gwyneth well i don’t think she’s the brightest and wouldn’t mind if she had no idea where highland park or eagle rock was.
on December 21st, 2009 at 8:25 pm
Wine wine wine,what a bunch of puss. Why is it necessary to display such arrogance and utter self righteousness. What are you guys such up in arms about or threatened about? I myself could give a sh.t. But this utter east side elitism is a bit much.
on December 22nd, 2009 at 12:32 am
Amen rew and Alex… what kind of hipster bullshit trolls the internet (and even writes their own blogs for that matter) only to complain about the gentrification that they themselves are a part of.
“Oh no, a celebrity possibly dines in the neighborhood that I associate my minority-tolerant identity with… now my friends will never believe that I live in a diverse enough location to prove that I am willing to accept other cultures.”
What are you trying to prove?
on December 22nd, 2009 at 8:11 am
I grew up in Highland Park……got tired of hi-brow businesses taking over the bars and eating establishments that were here long before…..The Dragon, the 50/50, Topper’s (ER), Richard’s Hofbrau….etc…..
Try finding a beer for less than 6 or 7 bucks in HLP now………..
on December 22nd, 2009 at 9:25 am
I grew up in HLP….just got tired of hi-brow joints coming in and displacing the ones that had been here forever …..The Dragon, Richard’s Hofbrau, Topper’s (ER) etc……try finding a beer for less than 6 or 7 bucks now.
on December 22nd, 2009 at 10:10 am
Did they really take them over or did they go out of business on there own? Your statement implies theses new spots forced them out or the landlords of the previous establishment worked in conjunction to force them out. Soom of these business you speak of died years ago and the store fronts sat empty for years before some of these new businesses opened up shop. Its call economic progress,many failed for various reasons. You should be praising the fact that someone decided to reinvest in our neighborhood. I realize these may not be establishments that speaks to your taste but empty building only encourage urban blight and crime. Don’t be such an purest or not see the forest for the tree. Many people have been investing in our neighborhood for the pass few years buying homes and opening new businesses. Some of theses places include produce “Figueroa Produce”,”Farmers Market”, restaurants some with local flavors some not,coffee shops etc. etc. I for one welcome these joints and am tired of the old rant on what HLP used to be give me a break. HLP was also a crime invested area I guess in your nostalgic look back you conveniently gloss over that. Besides why can’t these places coexist there is still older establishments which are doing just fine and still have a strong cliental. Please stop the whining it’s getting really old and tiresome.
on December 22nd, 2009 at 4:17 pm
I don’t think any I mentioned sat vacant or went out of business on their own….I could be wrong on one…..
HLP is still a “crime invested” area….I doubt that will ever change.
on December 23rd, 2009 at 11:59 am
I can never decide what I miss most about Toppers… The occasional stabbing? The used needles and condoms in the parking lot? Probably the karaoke.
While not a huge fan of the Black Boar let’s be realistic about the obvious improvement. Same goes for the Wild Hare. That place was a depressing shit hole whereas the York (which I am a fan of) has brought out a vibrant night life along that stretch. And I still see plenty of old-timers/locals enjoying themselves and drinking there too.
on December 23rd, 2009 at 3:19 pm
It’s the Highland Park/Eagle Rock area….there will always be the occasional stabbing or shooting…..read the crime pages…there was a shootout in HLP 2 months ago where 6 people were shot…….
Not sure about needles but there are/is much more condoms, piss and puke on lawns and driveways near the Chalet - now the Black Boar…..it’s improved by opening late in the day, not letting bands play and jacking up prices?
The Wild Hare sucked….but the Dragon that was there before it w/the free Chinese food buffet was great…..
I never see any of the old-timers and locals from Topper’s or the Dragon at any of the new bars…
on January 7th, 2010 at 2:24 pm
“A little off the map in Highland Park . . . .”
I’m not going to get all East Side elitist here, but that is so fucking condescending. It presumes that the “maps” of all of her readers end somewhere around Silverlake or Echo Park, and east of that it says “MONSTERS BE HERE” or some shit. She’s obviously very proud of herself for bushwacking into the wilds and going STRAIGHT TO THE SOURCE like she’s Claude Levi-Strauss or something. Hooray, Gwyneth! Someone drove you to the East Side!
on January 13th, 2010 at 11:45 am
If you like what HLP used to be and don’t like the change move to Huntington Park, seriously, I love that Eagle rock has new places, besides burger joints, I dont have to leave the city as often to eat out, I mean you can only eat so much tommys.
on January 15th, 2010 at 10:12 pm
I’m so elitist I consider everything the other side of Aldama to be on that part of the map marked by wind-gods and sirens. York Blvd? That’s the North Pole, or worse, yet, 90041 for all I know. I’m also getting “NIMBY” tatoo’d on me in big Gothic script. (No, I’m not kidding.)
I will, I must say, buy Gwyneth some chicharrón pupusas at Cazuelas next time she’s in town. If she pushes the little doorbell thing, tho, I’ll be mortified. She loves those things.