The NYT article

[Chris]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/26/fashion/26eaglerock.html

Am I right to feel annoyed by this article, or overreacting? (Not so much by the points it raises as the ones it leaves out.)

[johng]

It was a disheartening read.  I admit I'd been hoping for the next (lower-priced) Silver Lake when I moved here last year, but am trying to appreciate the anomaly of a small, unpretentious village at the edge of the city, and telling myself that a lot can happen over the next ten years or so.  Also, I've been consciously shopping and eating in local places as much as possible, if only so the owners can see another body in the place.  We have to do the best we can to help Eagle Rock weather this miserable recession.

[Renton]

Chris, you aren’t the only one that is annoyed by this article.

The article was really about mom and pop stores closing due to the slumping economy.  It could have been written about any town in the country.  Small business owners have closed up shop in Eagle Rock, but it’s not to go move to some “hotter” spot in Los Angeles.

In other words, it’s not that Eagle Rock has ceased to become the hot spot, or has lost it’s cool factor (relative to other neighborhoods), it’s the recession, which isn't discriminatory.

Has the sun set on Eagle Rock?  Maybe… maybe not.  But, the author of this article leaps to the following conclusion:

---
“Indeed, Eagle Rock will probably return to being a neighborhood whose best qualities are well-preserved homes, old-school pizza and a really good hardware store.
But the ability to walk from place to place — which took years to build — could disappear. The cityscape will be dominated by Walgreens and muffler shops. Occidental students will again complain that there’s nothing to do.
It would return, that is, to being a Los Angeles version of flyover country. And its residents would live a different life than they expected.”
---

In order for this to happen, the people who sought out Eagle Rock for it’s eclectic mom and pop, small business would have to move and find this kind of neighborhood somewhere else in Los Angeles.  Where would that be?  Small businesses are closing up shop everywhere.  I doubt that those business owners whose businesses have failed in Eagle Rock are leaving right now to open up shop in Montrose, Silver Lake, Los Feliz or the west side.  I doubt they would view these areas as a more desirable place to do business.

Anyhow, my conclusion differs from the author.  My conclusion is:

Retail rents will decrease, the economy will get better, and Eagle Rock stands as good a chance as any other town to rise from the ashes.  Don't shovel dirt on us just yet.

[RNiederlander]

Count me as massively annoyed.

It does not mention that the Blue Heeler owner downsized and opened Paper.

It does not mention how well businesses like Peekaboo Playland are doing.  Or Read, or the new coffee shops like Cafe du Leche or Little Flower Candy Co.

It doesn't mention the growth at the Center for the Arts.

It doesn't mention The full classes at Jack's Gym for little tykes. 

It doesn't mention family run businesses like Green to Grow http://www.greentogrow.com/us.aspx that are run by families that live in Eagle Rock and work from ER storefronts (4777 Eagle Rock Blvd.)

In other words, it doesn't remark on the fact that Eagle Rock has a MASSIVE growth in young families. 

Young families who will, over time as their kids mature, develop different spending habits.  If my own family is any indication, young families are reeling from the expenses that they hadn't anticipated...like just how much pre-school was gonna cost.  And we are worried about grade school--if we do send our kids to public school we will be spending money to help provide arts education that is lacking and if we send them to private school we are back to major spending we hadn't accounted for.  So we don't spend money at boutiques so much.  But you can be damn sure we are at Twerps.

Not all business plans or business models are going to be right for Eagle Rock, and to dwell unnecessarily on the ones that didn't work is not only shoddy journalism, it is tantamount to treason to those of us who love and stand tall for our home town of Eagle Rock.

[DK]

No need to get our knickers in a twist.

This article is obviously using eagle rock as a microcosm.  Our neighborhood
woes are felt elsewhere in similar 'hoods across the country....it's the same here in
Silverlake and Montrose...and I'm sure elsewhere in NYC, SF, etc.

I'm not worried about Eagle Rock.   It will weather the bad times and come out stronger.  As RNiederlander says, there
are lots of young families everywhere.  I think a good indicator of how strong a neighborhood is how many baby strollers you see rollin' about the sidewalks on any given day.   (also, not to get too technical, but Cafe du Leche is in Highland Park and Little Flower Candy Co. is in Pasadena.)

[bungalow]

I am actually writing a letter to the editor of the NYT. I think this article was not only annoying, but also a perfect example of irresponsible journalism. A good journalist does not pick and choose examples just to prove a thesis that they have in mind. He totally ignored many shops that are doing well - um, Colorado Wine Company, Twerps, The Coffee Table, The Oinkster? Where were they? The stores he does mention I don't think were a great fit for the Eagle Rock demographic. Many were way to specialized. I don't know how much of a draw high priced Australian products are. I haven't worn vintage clothing since my college years. A knitting store is extremely specialized and of course Regeneration doesn't have a lot of foot traffic - it is far from the hub between Eagle Rock Boulevard and Casper. This article turned out not to be about how the recession is taking a toll on the small business, if it was it would include the stores closing all around (Larchmont, Silverlake, Echo Park, Old Town Pasadena). It focused, rather, on the failure of gentrification to be an altruistic act of repatriation to the blue-collar roots of a community, using Eagle Rock as its model. But I don’t see Eagle Rock as a place where it is us vs. them. Many of the people who moved here are young families who wanted to be a part of a nice, small friendly community. What is wrong with wanting that community to have a place where one can get a decent cup of coffee? I do feel like Eagle Rock is a complicated place, however and I do get extremely frustrated with the politics. I know this is a sore subject, but many restaurants did try and open up in the past five years, but many were thwarted. Instead of acting as a community to try and figure out the issues surrounding their opening, for example, how to accommodate public parking, etc, they were given their walking papers. And by the way, are dojos and empty storefronts really a better way to go? To me, that would be the death of Eagle Rock. Having successful businesses, places where people can gather and be a community is a good thing. In an area of Los Angeles that is bordered by communities fraught with gang violence, do we really want a nice place to live to turn into a place where you are afraid to walk down the street? I am a mother with a young son. I love Eagle Rock. It is where I live. It is my community. How dare the NYT turn it into just another example to prove an ill-conceived thesis of a failed attempt of a “Bourgeois Bohemia”.

[Chris]

"But the ability to walk from place to place — which took years to build — could disappear."

Did Eagle Rock ever have "the ability to walk from place to place"? The article never gets into (not that it would have room to, but still...) the fact that this is not a community with a cozy little two-block downtown like Sierra Madre or Montrose. Yes, we have the corner of Colorado and Eagle Rock. But for the most part, it is a community of driving destinations, with a couple of freeway-sized roads down the middle that don't make for easy pedestrian traffic. I see lots of business for places from Oinkster to the Chalet... and, sorry to say, but people drive there. I mean, I walk to Oinkster, myself, but I never had any pretenses about an entire row of boutiques opening along the way that I would make a separate evening out of. I wish there were more foot traffic for Regeneration, but it's just a tough road to hoe because of the physical setup of the roads and the community, and I think that has as much or more to do with some businesses having a tough time as some sort of universal death of the boho ideal.

I would also say that I moved here from Silverlake because I wanted to get away from Silverlake. I feel for anyone who moved here as a second choice, thinking that eventually we would get incorporated. I'm sorry to be a little bit sarcastic, but geez, as someone who lived in Silverlake for 11 years and knows all the strengths and weaknesses of that community, I couldn't be more pleased that Eagle Rock will never be the new Silverlake or Los Feliz. I always think that we are perennially about three higher-end restaurants or boutiques more and two or three fewer auto repair places away from achieving the perfect mix... but I'll take the balance and businesses we've got any day, over almost all of our neighboring burgs.

I know that these are points too fine to address in a NYT article without turning it into an epic or seeming to negate an all-important central thesis. But the piece seems insulting, just the same.

[atlasscaffold]

If the businesses of Eagle Rock had a monthly block party, let's say on Friday evening during the Farmer's Market hours, would you attend?  If the stores offered a discount or the restaurants offered a free dessert?  I am a local business owner and we've tried to organize events and sales with the other businesses in the past but the local attendance was non-existent.  Maybe the discounts weren't large enough (10%) or maybe the events weren't well promoted.

What would motivate our neighborhood to get out and support our local businesses?  Any ideas?  We need your help and are open to suggestions.  Is there a particular evening or day that would work for most schedules?  We were thinking about Friday night because people seem to attend the Farmer's Market and usually aren't concerned about getting up early in the morning.  Saturday nights most people already have plans.  Weekend days are usually filled with errands.  I guess I'm speaking mostly to the young parents out there who have the most difficulty with their schedules.

[RNiederlander]

I would also say that I moved here from Silverlake because I wanted to get away from Silverlake. I feel for anyone who moved here as a second choice, thinking that eventually we would get incorporated. I'm sorry to be a little bit sarcastic, but geez, as someone who lived in Silverlake for 11 years and knows all the strengths and weaknesses of that community, I couldn't be more pleased that Eagle Rock will never be the new Silverlake or Los Feliz. I always think that we are perennially about three higher-end restaurants or boutiques more and two or three fewer auto repair places away from achieving the perfect mix... but I'll take the balance and businesses we've got any day, over almost all of our neighboring burgs.

Me too!  I mean, I LOVE Silverlake and lots about it, but hey, Back Door Bakery is now closed, as well as a number of other places.  And I remember places like You Have Bad Taste, run by the folks from X.  You gotta love a place that advertises that they smell like cat pee.  And I miss the Onyx and think Figaro had too much attitude.

BTW, there are a number of restaurants that those of us who live along the boulevard have tried like mad to HELP get going, but the city regulations and price of rent turned out to make it a no-go.  So when you see places like the new accupunture place, know there was a fabulous idea that wanted to be there, and many folks who supported them and mentored them, but the conversion to a food place turned out to be too hard.

[mturmon]

...moved here from Silverlake ... I feel for anyone who moved here as a second choice ... couldn't be more pleased that Eagle Rock will never be the new Silverlake or Los Feliz.

There are a lot of smart comments here but I wanted to single this idea out. 

I also moved here from SL, which is a great neighborhood.  We're making pretty fine distinctions here, but ER will not be "like" SL (in the way that most people mean) -- and that is a good thing for both places.  The main reason is that ER has a lot more detached homes on larger lots than SL.  There's much less rental housing (apts, subdivided houses, houses, whatever).  There are other factors also, like proximity to the club scene in Hollywood.  These factors change the demographic a lot -- the 2 neighborhoods will never be "like" each other.

This fact, if truly understood, explains the closures the article highlights pretty well -- Blue Heeler ($25 baby shampoo), Lily Simone ($100 t-shirts), perhaps Regeneration (eco boutiques always seemed a bit of a contradiction in terms to me).

Boutiques and galleries always come and go, it's about fashion and trends after all.  It's tougher going for a boutique here than in SL, and tough economic times to boot.  Who's surprised?

The biggest problem of the article, for me:  no mention of the *new* places that are making it pretty well -- Oinkster, Taco Spot, Fattys.  (These examples somewhat invalidate the premise of the article...)  These places clicked better with what ER *is* rather than what some people erroneously wished it to become.

[bungalow]

I think the neighborhood block party during the farmer's market is a great idea, especially now that it is starting to stay light out later. I usually always take my son there on friday nights and always run into other people that use it as a weekly tradition. All I can say, is that I think getting the word out is key. My family and I have been trying really hard to keep it local when eating out, etc... I think if we can get our community to do the same (if they can in this economic climate), it would at least help our viable businesses stay viable.

[mturmon]

And on a semi-related topic, the cultural dumping ground of desperate-to-be-hip obtuseness that is the NYT:


Exhibit 1: A long article about worm composting in NYC, which reveals that having your worm compost pile under your bed can be problematic, suggests that it's a reasonable idea to freeze your vegetable trimmings for a friend to compost, and also to mail your completed compost from NYC to California (hello, carbon footprint!):

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/19/garden/19worms.html

Exhibit 2: The current feature article on artisanal Brooklyn food producers, a group of dilettantes producing homemade cheese and conducting butchery workshops in which each attendant gets to take home 6 lbs of fresh-cut pig:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/25/dining/25brooklyn.html?em

which notes, approvingly, the clued-in customer base:

“It’s that guy in the band with the big plastic glasses who’s already asking for grass-fed steak and knows about nibs,” Ms. Langholtz said.

Exhibit 3: The granddaddy of them all,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grunge_speak

You don't see Jim Lehrer in a trucker hat and ass pants at the Echo, for good reason.  There are some things the NYT should stay away from if they valued their good name.

[Truffaut400]

I lived in Los Feliz for 4 years and moved to Eagle Rock to get away from the noise, congestion, and the outrageous premium I was paying to staff the service sector with surly hipsters in torn fishnets.  I did not move here to buy overpriced Australian trinkets or designer baby clothes.  I would imagine the same could be said by the college students and Filipino families that comprise the majority of this town's population.  There's a difference between the death of unique local business and the inevitable result of unsustainable specialty stores.  In other words: good riddance, candle shop.

[marytokita]

As Posted on NELAlist:

In my humble opinion, the NY Times has produced an alarmist story that is annoying and potentially damaging. Unfortunately, balanced journalism is an absolete principle that is rarely followed any more.
 
What we're getting instead of objective reporting is expository writing.
 
Reporters (or their editors) first come up with a thesis and then find evidence to support their case, rather than investigate the truth, which is always more complex and harder to explain.
 
The reporter's thesis is that Eagle Rock's recent gentrification will disappear in the economic downturn as people go to big box retailers over newer "niche" stores to save money. That is a huge overstatement and hardly news, but I'm concerned that this perception may be given more credence than it deserves. And perception can become reality, especially if it's reported in the New York Times!
 
First off, the reporrter entirely omitted the rise of Filipino businesses here. Plus, the "bourgeois" and artsy of Eagle Rock have been here for decades, not just
the last few years. (Painter Conrad Buff built his house here in 1910 or thereabouts; film/TV people and musicians have lived here since the Silent Film era.) It's nothing new. This is LA, dude!
 
Also, the LA Times first reported us as "the next Silver Lake" when swork arrived -- that was years before most of the people interviewed for the story moved here.
 
And it was not an accident that Eagle Rock evolved from auto business row and biker bars, but we also avoided becoming overrun with national franchises and fast food joints. Part of it was changing demographics, sure. But it's also true that some of us worked very hard to encourage business diversity in Eagle Rock. TERA is a pioneer in that vision and devoted thousands of volunteer hours to that cause. And we're still here fighting for a good quality of life here with the ERNC and other local groups.
 
However, it's accurate that we are seeing an economic Darwinism in these tough times, and only some businesses will survive this horrible recession.
 
I contend that the Times could actually contribute to the decline with this kind of piece.
 
Here's what he didn't address: If you are starting a local business in this community or any other --especiallly now - you MUST have a good business model and an effective marketing plan. Know your customer, get them to your store, and then make sure you give them what they want at a fair price. That's very hard to do in the best of times, let alone the biggest meltdown in our lifetime.
 
While it's true that some stores here have closed and others are struggling, we do have some "niche" stores that address the needs and taste of our residents (not only the vision of entrepreneurs). These businesses are getting by. Read Books is a prime example --- Eagle Rockers have pined for a bookstore for many years and the Kaplans report that this is one independent bookseller that is doing OK. So is the Coffee Table, Dave's Grillin' N Chillin, Oinkster, and Auntie Em's.
 
Other newer Eagle Rock stores are surviving in part because they have built a good "buzz" for their target customers beyond our neighborhood. Fatty's is known to vegans all over LA; Spitz was voted "best sandwich shop" (or some such thing) by CitySearch.)
 
With a few exceptions, the reporter largely chose to interview folks who have recently arrived in town and lack a broader perspective on our town. As for the few longtimers he interviewed, he chose only the observations that fit his story.
 
However, it's my hope that we can prove the NY Times wrong by taking this story to heart: shop locally, folks! Whether the stores are new or not, now is the time to show your devotion.
 
Please, please, please vote with your wallet and support the stores you want to keep here. Eagle Rock is an activist and fiercely loyal town. We need to help each other as much as possible. Ditto for Highland Park, Atwater, Hermon, Glassell Park, etc.
 
I'm not working right now, but I still strive to patronize local stores as much as I can manage. I'm hoping that others will do the same.
 
Mary Tokita
The Eagle Rock Association
mareaucontraire@yahoo.com

[mturmon]

Boutique closures in SaMo:

http://www.laobserved.com/archive/2009/03/bad_news_on_shopping_stre.php