Photo by Zach Behrens/LAist After a packed-to-the-brim soft opening over the weekend, Stories in Echo Park is now open. The new & used bookstore with a cafe took over the old Sea Level Records space on Sunset Blvd. next to 826's Echo Park Time Travel Mart and near The Echo, where Stories co-owner Liz Garo books music acts for shows. There's free wifi, locally themed books, Raven's Brew coffee and Breadbar baked goods (sandwiches,......

We haven't seen a Sunday like this since the summertime. We've got Athens-based new wave rock band the B-52's performing at Club Nokia in Downtown. Seattle's own experimental rockers Minus the Bear will be coming through the Henry Fonda Music Box with our favorite Raleigh-based indie pop group, the Annuals. LA locals Tigers Can Bite You are slated to rock at the Alterknit Lounge at the Knitting Factory. And, lastly, singer-songwriter Charlie Wadhams will be continuing his month-long Sunday Night Residency at Tangier. Word on the street is that Tangier will be closing its doors soon due to financial woes. But how could anyone turn down the Part Time Punks Festival at the Echo and Echoplex compound? Not only will some of LA's prominent fringe acts be playing (The Muslims, Mika Miko, Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti), but living legends like Manchester's A Certain Ratio will be headlining the predominantly punk-tinged extravaganza. It will be the band's first performance in the US since 1985—the year I was born....

A reader writes in about Logan Street Elementary School in Echo Park and to remember to check your color code. "There are two precincts voting here, so make sure you know if you are ORANGE or GREEN (it is next to your address on your Official Sample Ballot - or they can tell you there). Cross your fingers for green, as the orange line is much longer." Save for some power outages, voting problems across......

Reader Gina Piccalo writes from Echo Park: Hi there. Just wanted to let you know - I waited in line for 30 minutes at the Allesandro polling spot alongside about 40 other (mostly hipster) neighbors. By 8:30, the machine that tallies the ballots had jammed and the polling staffer took great pains to show everyone she hadn't tampered with it. She had to feed the ballots manually. Not sure how that will impact counting votes........

Genevieve, owner of Delilah Bakery, puts out free mini cupcakes and gear with a patriotic Election Day theme | Photo by Lisa Borodkin/LAist There have been bake sales and Dem versus Rep chocolates, and now Echo Park's Delilah Bakery is putting the frosting on the upcoming election, so to speak, with her free mini-cupcakes in patriotic red-white-and-blue. Head over this weekend to get a bite for yourself! Delilah Bakery 1665 Echo Park Ave. |......

Last Sunday was the inaugural edition of Kidrockers, hosted by comedians Patton Oswalt (MySpace) and Seth Herzog (MySpace), with performances by locals The Afternoons (MySpace) and The Deadly Syndrome (MySpace). As Melissa Moore described the event in her preview: It was only a matter of time before hipster boys and girls grew up to have boys and girls of their own, and were left with the dilemma of how to reconcile a live music......

Over the past two years, three children have been killed by guns in Echo Park with police not capturing the assailants in the separate cases. Jesus Sanchez at The Eastsider LA reflects upon the murders and talks to police about the cases. Interestingly enough, the shooter in the 2007 murder of 9-year-old Charupha Wongwisetsiri was caught and released "because he had fired in self defense when shot at from a passing car. Police are going......

Five years ago today, on October 21, 2003, Elliott Smith died. The intentions behind his death still not been confirmed, but some time that day, Elliott met the Big Nothing. Born Steven Paul Smith in Omaha, Nebraska, he grew up in Texas and Oregon. In high school, he began calling himself, "Elliott" as he felt that Steven was too "jock-like." The changing of his name was a pattern that he repeated throughout his life. He......

Map of LAPD's Northeast Division | View larger image here or download a PDF In an effort to further community relations, LAPD's Northeast Division is hosting their community open house today from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Along with meeting officers and councilmembers, there will be displays by the Bomb Squad, K-9 Unit, LAPD Dispatch Communications, SWAT and others. And at the very least, if you didn't know that you lived within the Northeast......

Has parking been easier in your neighborhood recently? It has been for one Echo Park resident who has noticed this trend, via The Eastsider LA: "As if following the financial markets, parking began to appear right as we approached the bail (fail) out and credit crisis. Each day more space, even at night. Now I see spaces in front as the Dow dips below 10,000 with each dive. Could Laguna Ave. be some kind of......

It looks like the LA graffiti artist that goes by the names MakeOne/LoveGalo/Galo Make Canote wanted to bring some Dodger pride to the streets in preparation for the National League Championship Series that begins tonight. It went up Tuesday and can be found on Sunset Blvd and Sutherland in Echo Park near Dodger Stadium. Now let's kick some Philly ass!......

Photo by susan catherine via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr And when you hear that, you might find yourself asking which Realtor came up with that ranking. Luckily, this time there is some creditability behind the designation: the American Planning Association. They "singled out Echo Park because of its breathtaking topography set in the hills above downtown, historic architecture, pedestrian-oriented streets and stairways, and engaged residents who, over the years, have gone to great......

Along with his billboard motions today, City Council President Eric Garcetti introduced a motion to create an Echo Park Film District "to help promote cooperation between film companies and the neighborhood’s local businesses and residents," as a press release states. "The creation of the Echo Park Film District would set special conditions and guidelines to give the surrounding community and the City Council office more information and notice about productions in Echo Park neighborhood. The......

Last Thursday, artist/director Vena Virago (MySpace) celebrated the release of her new Vivid-Alt (MySpace) movie Honey Bunny, her second directorial effort for the imprint, with a party at Little Joy in Echo Park. With Honey Bunny, "Virago offers a unique insight into her own persona as artist and pornographer, delivering a multifaceted work that exists as a film, a performance piece and an art show." In attendance were stars Adrianna Nicole (MySpace), Max Mikita,......

More than 40 paddleboat teams took to Echo Park Lake last weekend to raise money for 826LA. Teams were required to raise at least $100 for entry and some teams raised well above and beyond to generate an estimated $20,000 in funds for one-on-one writing tutorials and workshops for students age 6-18. 826LA's two locations (in Venice and Echo Park) are staffed entirely by volunteers dedicated to teaching and inspiring students to write creatively. The......

That was fast. I guess this proves that billboards and a massive, massive, massive amount of flyers put around the neighborhood can get your dog back. For background on Hedkayce (that's the dog's name), check out yesterday's story.......

Update: Hedkayce, the dog, has been found.The Silver Lake and Echo Park area was slammed with flyers this weekend showing this dog, pictured above. And if flyers were not enough, two billboards, back-to-back, at Sunset and Alvarado featured the cute dog asking anyone who has seen it or has found it to contact the owner. And who could afford such an effort? The one and only Dov Charney of American Apparel. One of the flyers......

Submitted & Authored by Emily Lerman Photo by stu_spivack via Flickr LOOKING FOR SOMETHING MORE DIY? START A BURRITO PROJECT: Yes, an LA Burrito Project may already exist, and many people may already be familiar with this low-profile group that seeks to remain a "no fame, no faces organization with no leader or head quarters", but that is not to stop one from starting another one; LA is a big city. In January 2006 two......

Just like LA Weekly's Detour Festival announcement from earlier today, F Yeah Fest, which takes place on August 30 and 31 in the Echo Park area, has recently done the same with their announcement. In addition to a taco eating contest, comedy and art, the first day's line up includes No Age, Negative Approach, Matt & Kim, Fucked Up, Two Gallants, Ladyhawk, David Vandervelde, Glass Candy, High Places, Mika Miko. Monotonix, The Strange Boys, Abe......

Driving or Walking from the streets of Santa Monica to the Beach Yesterday, Google introduced a new Google Maps feature: directions when on foot. "Starting today, you can tell Google Maps that you want walking directions, and we'll try to find you a route that's direct, flat, and uses pedestrian pathways when we know about them," explained Andy Schwerin, Software Engineer, on Google's blog dedicated to maps. "Just get directions as you normally would.......

KarmaloopTV visits Shepard Fairey, Amanda Fairey, to talk up their new Subliminal Projects gallery in Echo Park. We visited opening night when Blek Le Rat was showing and found it to be one of most exciting gallery spaces in Los Angeles.......

Part of an ongoing series. Earlier this year, local band Rocket (MySpace) performed at Spaceland (MySpace) in Silver Lake and The Echo (MySpace), before embarking on a nationwide tour. Tonight, they perform at The Viper Room (MySpace) in West Hollywood, and it will be their final one for the next two months, as they are returning to the studio to record new material.......

It was a normal day on Twitter. New Media and Interactive Consultant Kyra Reed was going about her day (it was Reed who turned The Roxy into a Web 2.0 success story). On Twitter, she chatted with friends as she was at home. Then, all of the sudden at 5:02 p.m., Ron Myers at the Los Angeles Fire Department tweets a structure fire on the 1000 block of Laguna Ave. "Single family home with fire......

Part of an ongoing series. Last month, local band The Airborne Toxic Event (MySpace) returned to Spaceland (MySpace) in Silver Lake to headline a show that included The Deadly Syndrome (MySpace), and The Henry Clay People (MySpace) with support from I Make This Sound (MySpace) and Le Switch (MySpace). As aptly described by Mouse from Classical Geek Theatre, "Before a mixed-crowd of longtime fans and recent, true-believing converts, The Airborne Toxic Event rewarded ticket......

Last Thursday, Echo Curio (MySpace) presented a show with local artist Ronald Dzerigian (MySpace) and local band The Pity Party (MySpace). Much of The Pity Party's merchandise showcases Dzerigian's artwork, and this evening featured their free limited-edition show-exclusive Rubbish EPs with hand-drawn art by Dzerigian on unused vinyl billboard material (which was also used for their recent Orgy Porgy EP). As described by Wikipedia, "[Dzerigian] has been characterized as a neo-Dadaist, although there are......

The 31st annual Echo Park Lotus Festival is only two weeks away, but something--something central to the event--is missing: The Lotus. The past few years have seen a disturbing and rapid decline in the lotus blooms and leaves that typically spring up in the lake and bathe the water's surface in beautiful pinks and whites. But it's not just a temporary stall in flowering--some believe that the lotus will not be back, and the Lotus......

Despite the older generation's lingering fear that even stepping outside of your car in Echo Park will somehow get you assaulted or shot or worse (suburban Boomers, I'm looking in your direction!), this increasingly gentrified neighborhood has become a new mecca for intelligent, classy dining. Joining Lot 1 and Masa is Restaurant 15, a hip spot with a cool interior, but also a menu that still seems to be a work in progress. 15's......

Earlier this month, local band The Sweet Hurt (MySpace) celebrated the release of their In the Shade of Dreams EP with a release party at Pehrspace (MySpace) in Echo Park, with Evan Slamka from Marjorie Fair (MySpace), Liz Pappademas (MySpace), and Alex Lilly from Obi Best (MySpace), formerly known as Colorforms (MySpace). The recent amount of local music blogger press about The Sweet Hurt leading up to the show -- at LA-Underground, Rock Insider,......

One week after mysteriously canceling his gig at the Echo, Beck and his brand new band appeared undercover and treated a full house of 300+ to an hour-long set of oldies, goodies, and tunes which remain unreleased. And no, Danger Mouse did not make an appearance.... But here's a song we've never heard before: Beck and the gang are off to Europe for the summer but catch 'em late summer at the Hollywood Bowl (w/......

Last month, the singer-songwriter supergroup trio The Living Sisters (MySpace), comprised of The Bird and the Bee (MySpace)'s Inara George (MySpace), Eleni Mandell (MySpace), and Lavender Diamond (MySpace)'s Becky Stark, performed at the 35th Annual Topanga Days Festival (MySpace). George's upcoming shows are on July 16th and 23rd at Tangier in Los Feliz, debuting a new collaboration with Van Dyke Parks (MySpace). And Mandell's upcoming shows are on June 11th and 18th at Tangier.......