Just another Saturday afternoon in the park with Hookers, Pushers, Paleteros, and bible bangers.The park, built in the 1880's and once referred to as the Champs-Elysees of Los Angeles is; hold onto your crack pipes, a shit hole. I don't ever remember a time when the park was not synonymous with violence, drugs, prostitution and fake I.D's. In fact, during the construction of the Red Line i remembering hearing rumors that once the lake was drained thousands of weapons were found at the bottom. Of course those are rumors as i can only believe are the fabled tales of this shitpile actually being like upper east side Manhattan in the 1920's. I tried to find pictures of this majestic park in its heyday and found bupkis! I remember Bukowski talking about playing Chess in the park; or maybe that was Fante? i forget...but they never mentioned the park being anything other than a place for vagrants to gather and nap.
Still, i love L.A. and moreover, i LOVE LANGERS! Langers is a deli in the heart of the MacArthur park area. It closes at 4pm, and you can imagine why. The area is crowded with Latin markets selling all kinds of chachki. There is a Dr.Pacheco's herbal abortion clinic, an oddly lone Chinese restaurant, and a pawn shop that NEVER has any wares in it. But the true gems, are the photo studios. Any event; prom, birthdays, pregnancy, just for sluts and giggles... these studios can capture all your precious moments! Shit, i was young once and i totally remember that in Jr. High it was the latest rage to get a Glamour Shot of yourself, with big fluffy hair, in a foggy haze poppin' the collar of your acid washed jean jacket, but this may be going too far...
Still, i love L.A. and moreover, i LOVE LANGERS! Langers is a deli in the heart of the MacArthur park area. It closes at 4pm, and you can imagine why. The area is crowded with Latin markets selling all kinds of chachki. There is a Dr.Pacheco's herbal abortion clinic, an oddly lone Chinese restaurant, and a pawn shop that NEVER has any wares in it. But the true gems, are the photo studios. Any event; prom, birthdays, pregnancy, just for sluts and giggles... these studios can capture all your precious moments! Shit, i was young once and i totally remember that in Jr. High it was the latest rage to get a Glamour Shot of yourself, with big fluffy hair, in a foggy haze poppin' the collar of your acid washed jean jacket, but this may be going too far...
(whatever, whatever she do what she wants, she's grown!)
I wonder if MacArthur Park will ever be restored to its mythical origins? Sadly, while i would love to take a romantic after lunch stroll in the park without being offered crack, an ID or a blowjob; i don't want to see yet another part of Los Angeles become gentrified. Perhaps i am being too hasty in calling the park a shitpile. I can remember in my childhood my mother bringing me to MacArthur Park to ride the Swan paddle boats. Sure it was a creep show back then too, but i had fun. MacArthur Park may not be or very well may have never been Champs-Elysees but its a part of the Los Angeles landscape and shit hole or not it's still a swell place to visit.
