Christopher Nyerges – BoulevardSentinel.com

I was famished and needed lunch. I was on Daly Street in Lincoln Heights and ducked into a nearby Mexican restaurant I’d never noticed before – Melas Cocina Mexicana. Small benches were out on the sidewalk. A lone guitarist played for the passersby.

Once inside, I met the friendly and gregarious owner, Daniel Diaz, and his brother, Samuel, who also works at the restaurant. I felt as if I’d come back to my family home.

And the food is really good, too.

Christian Bhagwani at the Highland Park Farmers Market. | Photo by Christopher Nyerges

The Crowd-Pleasing Music of Christian Bhagwani

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By Christopher Nyerges There he was, the single musician, singing to shoppers at the farmers market in Highland Park. Everyone paused to listen to his heart-felt songs. He danced and cavorted for the crowd. A few couples danced in the street. His repertoire went from American swing classics to “Besame Mucho” from Mexico to “Mas […]

Luahona, the Nyerges’ beloved dog, in 2006 | Photo by Christopher Nyerges

For the Love of Dogs

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“Our dog Luahona was getting old and had cancer and other conditions. The vet told us that we could improve her diet and give her special nutrients, which we did, but the vet also advised that it might be “kindest” to euthanize Luahona. Of course, we were not going to do that.’ Let Christopher Nyerges tell you more about that. Read on.

Talal Balaa, a local expert on solar power, gives a talk on how individuals can use the sun to generate power and perform tasks. | Photo by Christopher Nyerges

Solar power is there for the taking, local expert explains how

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Victor Limon made soap for sensitive skin. His friends kept asking for more. From what we hear, Victor’s soaps “soften the skin and soothe the soul.” Sound good? We tell you more here. Read on.

Victor Limon, shown here displaying his handmade soaps, sells his wares at farmers markets in Highland Park and Lincoln Heights. | Photo by Mayra Limon

How Victor Limon turned homemade soap into a homegrown business

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Victor Limon made soap for sensitive skin. His friends kept asking for more. From what we hear, Victor’s soaps “soften the skin and soothe the soul.” Sound good? We tell you more here. Read on.

Young Nyerges, in front, in a family photo with his four brothers, sister, Mom and Dad | Photo courtesy of Christopher Nyerges

What my mother taught me about complaining: Don’t!

03/03/202203/16/2022 Christopher Nyerges17994 Comments

By Christopher Nyerges

My mother used to tell us, “Quit your complaining!”

Maybe we wanted something the family couldn’t afford. “Quit your complaining and go out and earn some money,” she’d say.

Because of my mother, we learned to find creative ways to be youthful entrepreneurs. And, they learned a lot more from her. Read on to learn more.

Dominique Derouen owner of “Soft Humans Vintage” in Highland Park, wearing the T-shirt of an English neo-psychedelia band from the ’80s and holding an original Ellie Levy ceramic bowl. | Photo by Christopher Nyerges

If you’re looking to buy-nothing-new, look to Soft Humans Vintage, Dominique Derouen’s shop and flea market in Highland Park

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By Christopher Nyerges

Since opening “Soft Humans” in Highland Park three years ago, Dominique Derouen has gained a near cult following for the shop’s vintage clothing and kitchen wares, vinyl records and music memorabilia, as well as its twice monthly flea market. It might work for you! Check out why here.

The year Christopher Nyerges landed on the naughty list turned out to be the one of his best Christimases ever.

I was naughty. There were no toys for Christmas. Here’s what I learned.

12/19/202112/21/2021 Christopher Nyerges20912 Comments

By Christopher Nyerges

When I was around 10, my four brothers and I were particularly bad, belligerent, and misbehaving one autumn.

My mother gave us several warning and threats and a few “beatings” in her ceaseless attempt to get us to obey – all to no avail.

So, my mother said, “Keep it up and there will be no Christmas this year.” Read what actually happened in the Nyerges home that year.

Severin Browne with his latest CD, Overdue, photographed at his home in Highland Park near the Arroyo Seco | Photo by Christopher Nyerges

Severin Browne’s latest CD “Overdue” is right on time

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By Christopher Nyerges [www.SchoolofSelf-Reliance.com] Severin Browne has a secure spot on the list of prominent musician/songwriters from Highland Park, along with his brother, Jackson, Timothy Sellers, Tommy Trujillo and the phenom Billie Eilish and her brother, Finneas. And now, Severin, who lives in the home built by his grandfather near the Arroyo Seco, has a […]

Michelle Williams at the Highland Park Farmers Market holding a crystal that decorates her booth. (The market is open Tuesdays from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.) | Photo by Christopher Nyerges

The healing fairy of Highland Park

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By Christopher Nyerges Highland Park resident Michelle Williams is a “healing fairy,” a term she came up with a few years ago. “A fairy,” says Williams, “is a spirit which takes care of the earth and everything that lives on the earth and protects it. A healing fairy also provides uplifting energy which makes people […]

At Galco’s, owner John Nese sells birch beer and some 600 other types of soda. | Photo by Christopher Nyerges

My long love affair with Galco’s

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By Christopher Nyerges

Galco’s started in 1897 as an Italian grocery store near downtown Los Angeles. The store moved into Highland Park in 1955. It thrived for many years but with the advent of large, chain grocery stores, John Nese — who was still working for his father — felt that things needed to change. These days, Galco shoppers can choose from at least 600 different types of sodas. You can get a great sandwich here, but never a Pepsi or a Coke. Read why here.

The actor Carel Struycken, shown here at his home in Altadena, is a proponent of simpler living and permaculture. | Photo by Christopher Nyerges

The environmental odyssey of Carel Struycken

08/02/202109/22/2021 Christopher Nyerges13542 Comments

By Christopher Nyerges Moviegoers know Carel Struycken as “Lurch” in the Addams Family movies or for his roles in Men in Black, Witches of Eastwick, Star Trek: The Next Generation and many other movies and television shows. I know a different side of Struycken. He is a proponent of simpler living and permaculture, a set […]

Susana Porras and her father capture a moment during their 500 mile pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago in Spain. | Photo courtesy of Susana Porras

Susana Porras: A local poet makes a pilgrimage

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By Christopher Nyerges Susana Porras, a Pasadena native and the District Liaison for Pasadena City Councilmember John J. Kennedy, is also an inspired and inspiring poet. Her new book, entitled “To Compostela and Beyond! A Poet’s Chronicle of the Camino de Santiago,” is a collection of 39 sonnets composed on 39 days and nights in 2018 […]

Timothy Hall lectured on primary water at a recent meeting of WTI, a nonprofit in Highland Park. | Photo by Christopher Nyerges

Water for a thirsty world: Lessons from a maverick

06/01/202107/07/2021 Christopher Nyerges28084 Comments

By Christopher Nyerges Timothy Hall, a former Highland Park resident who has worked globally to plant trees and find underground water, recently gave the Sunday lecture at WTI, a community service nonprofit in Highland Park. Hall’s topic was the life and work of Stephan Riess, a Bavarian-born mining engineer who came to the United States in 1923 […]

Jesse Carmichael, on a trip to Biocitizen Chile in 2019. | Vicente Aguirre Diaz/Biocitizen Chile.

Jesse Carmichael, biocitizen

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By Christopher Nyerges For Eagle Rock resident Jesse Carmichael, the path to becoming a “biocitizen” began around 2017, with a feeling, an urge, to do more to support the earth and young people. She was living in Echo Park, raising her son, running a café, active in the Neighborhood Council and the Chamber of Commerce. […]

Tom Nuccio, right, explains how to grow tea while Christopher Nyerges, left, photographs the tea plants. | Photo by Helen W. Nyerges

How I learned to grow my own tea — and you can, too

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By Christopher Nyerges

If you’ve ever tried to grow your own coffee in Southern California, you were most certainly disappointed when the plants died in the first frost.

But tea is a different story. Would you like to know why? Click on the photo at the top of this page.

Bushcraft master, James Ruther, teaching the next generation of spoonmakers how to make a wooden spoon | Photo by Christopher Nyerges

A master class in making spoons

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By Christopher Nyerges James Ruther is a master of bushcraft, with survival skills that include knife use, foraging, shelter building, firecraft and more. One day, after he and I finished a survival class in the foothills above Eagle Rock, he showed me a wooden spoon. I liked it. It looked a bit different from the […]

A touch of wilderness, a place to wander, a chance to play, at the Arroyo Seco-South Pasadena Woodland and Wildlife Park. | Photo by Christopher Nyerges

A park for the soul

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By Christopher Nyerges

Eagle Rock resident Victor Migenes is the owner of La Plata Cigars, est. 1947, by his father. | Photo by Christopher Nyerges

Cigar talk with Victor Migenes

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By Christopher Nyerges

Julie Jesseph-Balaa and a customer at the Highland Park Farmers Market discussing Peurvian mint. |Photo by Christopher Nyerges

Lessons from a backyard farmer

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By Christopher Nyerges

Christopher Nyerges visited the shrine in Pasadena for Eddie Van Halen, his friend from high school | Photo by Helen W. Nyerges

Remembering Eddie Van Halen, My Friend from High School

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By Christopher Nyerges

Larry Santoyo at work on a permaculture design | Photo courtesy of The Permaculture Academy

The Permaculture Academy of Northeast L.A. Teaches an Ancient Technology for Modern Times

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By Christopher Nyerges

Jeremiah Tash, founder of Jarring, displaying his creations at his “Jarring” booth at the Highland Park Farmers Market. | Photo by Christopher Nyerges

Jeremiah Tash, the Founder of “Jarring,” on the Virtues of Fermentation

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By Christopher Nyerges

Jose and Ireri Luna, Highland Park spiritual guides, in front of their new store at 6138 York Boulevard.

New Location for Botanica Nueva Era, NELA’s One-Stop Shop for Spiritual Supplies

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By Christopher Nyerges

The superb use of photos and text is this new mushroom field guide will inform the beginner and delight the expert.

A New, Invaluable Resource on Wild Edible Mushrooms

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By Christopher Nyerges

Parker Davis, director of marketing and communications at Hahamongna Native Plant Nursery, amid the flora. (Photo courtesy of Christopher Nyerges)

Restoring the Native Plants of Hahamongna

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By Christopher Nyerges

Francisco Loaiza, a friend of Christopher Nyerges, inspects the mallow plants and other edible weeds in Nyerges' backyard garden. | Photo by Christopher Nyerges

A Voice in the NELA Wilderness: The New World of “Shelter in Place”

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Here’s a summary of home self-reliance skills from Chris Nyerges. They’re great in times of emergency like the present one.

Rafael Gomez, circa 2017, giving a talk and demonstration at a local bicycle shop

A Yaqui Indian and His “Steel Pony”

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Rafael Gomez: “Riding puts you in touch with nature in a way that riding in an auto can never do.” He says his religion is the Bicycle and his church the open road.

When he’s not in the dojo, black belt Angelo Cervera trains and teaches outside. - Photo by Christopher Nyerges

At the Eagle Rock Dojo with Angelo Cervera

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Learn the basics of Martial Arts in Eagle Rock’s Arnott Kenpo. Chris Nyerges will tell you about one of the area’s best instructors.

Photo by la.curbed.com

Bycyclists and Hurricanes – Bringing out the best and worst in mankind

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What do bicycling in Los Angeles and hurricanes have in common? Chris Nyerges will give you food for thought on both. Read on.

Cooking the Native Way

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The Milagro Allegro Community Garden in Highland Park is indeed a happy place. Will it stay happy after Oscar Duarto moves on? Here’s the story. . . . .

Oscar Duardo in front of amaranth plants in the Milagro Allegro Community Garden in Highland Park. Photo by Christopher Nyerges

The Miracle Garden of Oscar Duardo

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The Milagro Allegro Community Garden in Highland Park is indeed a happy place. Will it stay happy after Oscar Duarto moves on? Here’s the story. . . . .

Place of wonder: The Pyramid of the Sun, Mexico

What I Saw in Inner Space

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“What was I destined to do?” I thought at the top of the pyramid. Who hasn’t asked this question?

The Wilderness Workshop of Janice Cooney

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Hiking and backpacking require gear – boots, sleeping bags, tents, tarps, packs of all sizes – which all eventually require repair. Wilderness Workshop, in Eagle Rock can fix it all.

A Music Samurai Plays in Highland Park

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Goh Kurosawa, a singer-musician-artist born in Maebashi, Japan and now residing in Highland Park, is known for one-man shows he performs with his guitar, nicknamed “Honey Beast.” He’ll be back playing at the Highland Park Farmers Market. For more at Goh, read on.

John Zender at one of his murals in Highland Park. | Photo by Christopher Nyerges

Muralist John Zender Seeks “Triunity” in His Current Work

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Highland Park muralist John Zender studied fine arts at Otis Art Institute and produced many works over decades. Here he is with one of his murals. Check out one of his fine oil paintings here too.

Nuts and Berries of California

06/29/2019 44361 Comment

A Voice in the NELA Wilderness by Christopher Nyerges NELA’s landscape has an amazing mix of native and non-native vegetation. Both types have had important roles in our rich horticultural and agricultural history. For example, native nuts and berries – black walnuts, pine nuts, blackberries, wild strawberries, to name a few – have long histories […]

Photo | Google Image

The Longest Straw: A Film by Samantha Bode

06/01/201906/01/2019 57762 Comments

When filmmaker Samantha Bode learned that a 338-mile aqueduct brings water into Los Angeles, she decided impulsively to see it for herself by walking its entire length – from the Cascades in Sylmar at the southern terminus of the aqueduct to Mono Lake, 338 miles to the north. The result is a documentary film, The Longest Straw – a close-up look at the environmental impacts of what it takes to keep L.A. alive.

Photo | Google Image

Low Cost Ways to Prepare for the Big One

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There have been no major earthquakes in Los Angeles in quite a while. But the danger is ever present. The way to cope is to be prepared.At WTI, a local nonprofit that teaches survival skills, earthquake preparedness has been in the curriculum for nearly 40 years.

The drainage pipe installed on Yosemite Drive prevented flooding, but also caused the creek that once ran there to disappear. USC Digital archive

Water in NELA – Where Water Once Flowed

04/01/201904/07/2019 59933 Comments

Much of our recent rainfall has flowed out to the ocean, uncaptured and unused. But it was not always this way. Up until the 1930s, water flowed throughout the area we now know as Northeast Los Angeles.

Recycling the Rain

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by Christopher Nyerges During the recent rains, my neighbor, Carol Kampe, collected enough water to irrigate her fruit trees and other plants clear through August. She estimates the savings on her water bill to be about $300 a month. “But I don’t do this for economic reasons,” says Kampe. “I do it because we live […]

The Allure of Wild Mushrooms

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A Voice in the NELA Wildernessby Christopher Nyerges With the recent rains, I have gone in search of mushrooms in wild and not-so-wild spots in NELA and the Arroyo Seco.My study of mycology began in the ’70’s. I wanted to try every wild mushroom I could find until I learned the meaning of the phrase […]

Zero Waste: An Idea Whose Time is Now

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A Voice in the NELA Wilderness by Christopher Nyerges It is sad but true that only a small fraction of discarded materials is recycled, while the rest goes to landfills or incinerators or winds up as immense floating plastic islands in the ocean. Leslie VanKeuren Campbell, a regular at the Old L.A. Farmers Market in […]

A Voice in the NELA Wilderness: Flamenco-Fusion Out of Highland Park

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I’ve observed what happens when David Holguin, 27, starts to play his guitar. People stop and listen – and then they stay, waiting for another song. “That’s the kind of music we need more of,” said one man who recently stopped to listen to Holguin at the Old L.A. Farmers Market in Highland Park. Holguin, […]

A Voice in the NELA Wilderness: One Man’s Quest to Revive the Dying Art of Basketmaking

11/03/201811/03/2018 42231 Comment

Some 20 years ago, I saw a photograph of Justin Farmer in the Southwest Museum in Highland Park. In the photo, Farmer is holding a traditional long bow. I have never forgotten it. Farmer is not primarily known for his bow-making, though that is one of his many skills. Farmer is best known for his […]

A Voice in the NELA Wilderness: Local Pioneer of Self-Reliance Practices What She Teaches – and Teaches What She Practices

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Recently, Prudence Boczarski was at the Highland Park Farmers’ Market, showcasing her natural bakery business and representing WTI, the local nonprofit founded in 1971 to teach urban dwellers how to live better with less. And since there is no better way to teach than to give a hands-on demonstration, Ms. Boczarski was also using her […]

A Voice in the NELA Wilderness: Soil from Coffee Grounds, Water from the Air Conditioner

07/29/2018 34452 Comments

I recently noticed a new flower bed behind Antigua Bread, the coffeehouse/bakery at 5703 N. Figueroa St. Where there once had been weeds and trash was a beautiful wood-framed garden bed, approximately 6-by-6 feet, with colorful flowers, some vegetables – and a five-gallon plastic bucket strapped to a tall wooden pole and connected by a […]

A Voice in the NELA Wilderness: The Delicious Nettle

04/29/2018 35511 Comment

This spring, I have collected a lot of chickweed, mallow, hedge mustard and nettle. Most of it I dry. I use the powdered chickweed in an insect repellent, the mallow for a mild cough remedy and hedge mustard to make a spicy powder to add to dishes. But nettle is the plant I can never […]

A Voice in the NELA Wilderness: The Art and Craft of Sharpening a Knife

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I met Julio Toruno recently at the Old L.A. (Highland Park) Farmers Market, where he works on Tuesdays from the back of his truck, sharpening knives on a whetstone. Just by watching him, I could tell he epitomizes “old school” craftsmanship. I approached him as he was sharpening a large kitchen knife and I could […]

A Voice in the NELA Wilderness:Grow Your Own Oyster Mushrooms

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Matt Heidrich of Highland Park loves oyster mushrooms – so much, in fact, that he has mastered the intricate art and science of home cultivation. I visited him recently and learned a lot. Oyster mushrooms grow on the sides of old and dying trees; in the Arroyo Seco, they commonly grow on willows and cottonwoods. […]

A Voice in the NELA Wilderness: Thinking About Public Space

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Many years ago, a developer wanted to build a tall apartment at the base of the Eagle Rock that would have blocked the view of that local landmark. The town said “no,” and instead, the land was purchased by the City of Los Angeles and turned into a park. It was a dramatic example of […]

A Voice in the NELA Wilderness: How Does Your Drought-Resistant Garden Grow?

03/13/201803/31/2018 35611 Comment

State water officials recently toyed with the idea of reinstating drought-era water rules and making them permanent. In the end, they didn’t act. But rules or no rules, it behooves all of us to find and practice a lifestyle of water conservation. Northeast Los Angeles is part of a coastal desert plain, with enough local […]

A Voice in the NELA Wilderness: Camping on Zero Dollars a Day

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Camping in the hills of NELA was a big deal when I was a boy and looking back, I realize it was a no-budget activity. Today, I don’t mind spending money on an item if I know it’s the best and if my life may depend on it. But I still like to go as […]