This Highland Park home was listed for $1.3 million in June and sold in September for $1.14 million. Many homes in NELA that were listed at top dollar in the summer have sold at a discount months later.

Lower and slower: Home sales in Northeast L.A. adjust to higher mortgage rates

By Jeffery Marino

Home prices in Northeast Los Angeles decreased in September as mortgage rates averaged about 6%. Since then, rates have increased to 7%, so when data for October is in, prices are all but certain to be lower still.

In September, the median sale price for a home in NELA was $1.125 million, down 3% from August. Prices have declined month-over-month since June.

Looked at on an annual basis, prices were higher in September than a year ago, but the increase – 6% — is the lowest annual price growth since July 2020. There’s more. Click house image above to continue.

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Calls for the resignations of Gil Cedillo and Kevin de León have only become louder since this photo on Oct. 11, when protestors vowed to disrupt City Council proceedings until the two resign. | Gary Coronado/Getty

Northeast Los Angeles tells Cedillo and De León to resign, but so far, neither has budged

By Kanaya Adams

The Northeast Los Angeles neighborhood councils of Eagle Rock, Highland Park and Glassell Park voted this week to send letters demanding the resignations of their city council representatives, Councilmembers Gil Cedillo (Council District 1) and Kevin de León (CD 14).

The letters add the voices of the councilmembers’ NELA constituents to the growing chorus of Angelenos and political leaders calling on the two to resign.

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Art by Sumiye Allen

NELA High School Journal: I’m the great-great granddaughter of Japanese immigrants. Can I really consider myself Japanese American?

By Sumiye Allen

Identity is a tricky thing. It’s what makes you, you. It’s all of your beliefs and values and personality traits and physical traits and any other characteristics put together, forming one whole person. In this essay, Sumiye Allen, an 11th grader at Eagle Rock High gives the reader a window into her struggle to know herself.

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Sponsored Content: Reformist Democrats Urge Voters to Cast Complete Ballots

Sponsored Content from  Revelations of racism, homophobia, and hypocrisy by L.A. Councilmembers hit just as Angelenos received ballots for the general election. Leaked recordings of scheming by influential city insiders focused on controlling representation through manipulation of identity politics and district boundaries.  But one beautiful fact defines our democracy: The greater power over representation belongs […]

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Artist: Karen Lin

NELA High School Journal: Beauty is the beast

By Meron Worku

If you’ve ever felt unattractive, or unwanted, or just painfully average in the way you look- this is for you.

Here’s the reality. The project of inclusion in beauty is a myth designed to make us think that more people can be included; but in reality, all we’re included in is the logic of consumerism. There’s more, click here.

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Andrew Kadin, the founder of Bub and Grandma’s, at his restaurant in Glassell Park. | Angela Guglielmino/The Occidental

Bub and Grandma’s, a deli for the ages, opens in Glassell Park

By Ethan D’Amato Here’s a prediction: Bub and Grandma’s, the bakery/deli restaurant that opened last month in Glassell Park, will become a neighborhood mainstay, the kind of place that Northeast L.A. wouldn’t be the same without. The restaurant is a dream come true for its founder, the baker and entrepreneur Andrew Kadin, who started the […]

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Councilmembers Gil Cedillo (left) and Kevin de León, under pressure to resign, shown here at a City Council meeting last week. | AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu

Meetings tonight in Eagle Rock and Highland Park to call for resignations of Councilmembers Cedillo and De León

By T. A. Hendrickson The neighborhood councils of Eagle Rock and Highland Park will hold special meetings Monday evening to craft responses to the racist comments heard in a secretly recorded discussion among Councilmembers Gil Cedillo (Council District 1) Kevin de León (CD 14), then City Council President Nury Martinez and a former high-ranking labor […]

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As the market softens, prices drop: These homes in NELA sold for a lot less than the owners hoped

By Jeffery Marino

It’s a truism of real estate that home sellers are usually the last to catch on when the market goes south. Having spent years on the sidelines as bidding wars drove up prices, they tend to price their own homes based on the dynamics of the past rather than the realities of the present.

The two homes featured below, one in Highland Park and one in Atwater Village, illustrate this point. Read more to see why.

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Melas on Daly St. in Lincoln Heights is worth a visit for the food, the company, the music | Photo: Christopher Nyerges

Melas Cocina Mexicana: The food is great, but it’s about more than that

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.

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Franklin Panther #53, Jonpaul Hernandez, a senior, head-to-head with Eagle Rock Eagle #13 Alfred Buscato, a senior, in the ‘Battle for the Principal’s Trophy’ | Photo by Dave Abbott, NELA Sports One

Franklin High, undefeated, breaks Eagle Rock’s winning streak as football season heats up

By Dave Abbott of NELA Sports One

With a record of 6-0, the Panthers of Franklin High remain undefeated as local football teams gear up for another round of competition on Friday.

The Panthers’ latest victory, on Sept. 30, was against the Eagles of Eagle Rock High in the ‘Battle of the Principal’s Trophy.’ To see where/when your favorite NELA high school team plays next, click here.

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Lincoln senior QB Ivan Plancarte picking up some of the 402 yards team rushing totals in the game against Franklin on Oct. 22. Lincoln won, becoming the Northern League champion for the second straight year.|Photo by Dave Abbott/NELA Sports One

Lincoln beats Franklin to win the Northern League football championship; playoffs begin in girls volleyball and girls tennis

By Dave Abbot of NELA Sports One

Lincoln beats Franklin to win the Northern League football championship. Eagle Rock is the dominant NELA team in girls volleyball as playoffs get underway this week in the CIF L.A. City Section. Upcoming matchups include Franklin v. Wilson in football’s “Battle for the Victory Bell” and the Eagle Rock girls tennis team in playoffs against SOCES in Sherman Oaks. For details on all this and more, read more now.

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Workers at El Super in Highland Park are in line to share in wages, damages and interest for COVID-related labor violations by the grocery store chain. | Photo by Yelp

El Super workers in Highland Park to receive back pay for employer’s COVID-19 violations

By T.A. Hendrickson

Workers at the El Super grocery store on York Boulevard in Highland Park are in line to share in $412,000 in wages, damages and interest assessed today by the California Labor Commissioner against the El Super grocery store chain.

The York Boulevard location was one of 38 El Super stores where the employer failed to provide or delayed supplemental paid sick leave and other benefits. There’s more. Click photo above.

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A 16-year old high-school student receives a vaccine administered by a registered nurse from AltaMed Health services in Los Angeles. | Photo by Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images.

Some 4,000 eligible NELA students are not yet vaccinated

By T.A.Hendrickson

It has been five weeks since the Los Angeles Unified School District required all students 12 and older to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Under the mandate, students need to have a first shot by Nov. 21 and a second one Dec. 19.

But so far, parents of unvaccinated students in Northeast L.A. aren’t exactly rushing to get shots for their kids.

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Sponsored Content: All Signs Point to a Contemporary Home with ADU in Atwater Village

3334 Madera Ave | Atwater Village https://tracydo.com/3334-madera-ave-atwater-village/ 5 Beds | 6 Baths | $1,649,000   A remarkable find in prime Atwater Village, this versatile property provides a stunning modern home and newly-constructed ADU. The main residence is a design showcase of clean lines, custom finish-work and light oakwood flooring. Sunlight fills the great room with […]

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Hector Ceballos, wide receiver for Franklin, smashed the CIF LA City Section record, set in 1977, for most receptions in a game. Ceballos had 27 receptions in the recent Principal's Trophy game against Eagle Rock.| Photo by Dave Abbott/NELA Sports One

Franklin v. Eagle Rock: A new record in an old rivalry

By Dave Abbott

As playoffs draw near in football, girls volleyball and girl tennis,  regular-season competition is taking on a playoff intensity. Check all the scores and records here. And, don’t miss the story of the Franklyn wide-receiver who set a new CIF LA City Section record for pass receptions in a game! Click for more.

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This $1.34 million home in Eagle Rock was under contract in eight days and sold for nearly $250,000 over asking.

The seller’s market in NELA real estate surges on

By Jeffery Marino

The latest home-sales data for Northeast Los Angeles, covering the month of August, give an especially clear picture of the market for residential real estate. 
So what do the data from August 2020 to August 2021 show?

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WIN vs. Gas Plant at #SchollCanyon Dump

Sponsored Content: Dirty gas plant defeated in Glendale

Tonight #PeoplePower prevailed as the Glendale Planning Commission voted 5-0 to prepare DENIAL of haphazard scheme to build a gas plant in the proven burn area at that city’s dump site. This dangerous & dishonest project has been in works since 2017. Thanks to more than 35 callers, all in opposition, & dozens of letter writers. There’s more.

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In a major victory for Eagle Rock, the proposed biogas plant at Scholl Canyon has has been rejected by the Glendale Planning Commission. | Photo by Doc Searls/Flickr Creative Commons

Biogas plant at Scholl Canyon rejected by key committee; residents of Glendale and Eagle Rock claim victory

By Bill Hendrickson The Glendale Planning Commission has voted unanimously to reject the proposal by Glendale Water and Power to build a biogas power plant at the Scholl Canyon landfill in the hills above Eagle Rock. The rejection of the proposal is a victory for residents of Glendale and Eagle Rock who have organized into […]

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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

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.

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Franklin running back Diego Munoz, a junior, had a stellar game in the Panthers’ victory over Marshall on Oct. 1 | Photo by Dave Abbott/NELA Sports One

NELA high school sports: Rivals meet this week in football; competition intensifies in girls volleyball and tennis

By Dave Abbott

The past week in high school football saw a commanding victory for Franklin against Marshall and a homecoming defeat for Eagle Rock by Lincoln. On Friday, Oct. 8, rivals Franklin and Eagle Rock will compete in the “Battle of the Principals Trophy” while rivals Lincoln and Wilson face off in the “Battle of the Belt.” For more NELA sports, click the photo above.

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Tracking NELA COVID-19 cases and resources

By Matthew Reagan and Jonathan Fierros Current case totals in NELA (updated Dec. 16) The dreaded surge in COVID-19 is upon us.   As of Dec. 16, the cumulative total of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Northeast Los Angeles was 6,955. In the last 14 days, 1,763 new cases  have been confirmed in NELA, compared to 1,097 […]

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Address: 4840 Malta St Neighborhood: Highland Park Sale Price: $1,225,000; Previous Sale Price: $620,000

Three NELA Homes That Were Flipped During the Pandemic

By Jeffery Marino Starting in 2008, in the teeth of the Great Recession, buy-to-sell real estate investment – also known as house flipping – took off in Northeast Los Angeles. Eagle Rock, Highland Park, Glassell Park, Mount Washington and Atwater Village were all transformed by real estate investors snapping up properties at the bottom of […]

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Logo for the 6th Annual Highland Park Independent Film Festival - October 3 - October 5, 2019

Your Guide to the 6th Annual Highland Park Independent Film Festival

With 50 films over three days, this year’s Highland Park Independent Film Festival is the largest and most ambitious in the festival’s six-year history. The screenings, at the Highland Theater (5604 N. Figueroa St.) include six world premieres, four Los Angeles premieres and an Academy Award-nominated short. There are films in virtually every genre: animation, documentary, sci-fi, action/adventure, noir and foreign. Here’s a moviegoer’s guide to festival:

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Eagle Rock High senior Anniston Smith with a soft touch

Fall, 2019: Competition Heats Up in Volleyball, Football and Tennis

  For sheer prowess, it’s hard to top the Girls Volleyball juggernaut at Eagle Rock High School – as in seasons past, the team is dominant this year as well. Here are some highlights, along with Football and Tennis updates: Girls Volleyball With volleyball season in full swing, Eagle Rock is 18-3 overall, 2-0 in […]

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Rules May Be Coming Soon on Short-Term Rentals 

On any given day, about 500 rentals in Highland Park, Eagle Rock and Mount Washington are on offer through Airbnb and other short-term rental sites.   New rules proposed in September by the City Planning Commission could affect many of them.  The proposed rules, if approved by the City Council, would limit short term rentals […]

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Public Education:Deadline to Apply for Magnet Programs Is Near   

From Oct. 1 to Nov. 9, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) will accept applications from parents who hope to secure a spot for their child in one of the system’s 292 public-school magnet programs for the coming academic year. Magnet programs emphasize certain subject areas, such as visual arts, performing arts, math, science […]

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Business Openings in NELA

Mera Group  The Mera brothers, Chris and Mike, have formed the Mera Group, based in Eagle Rock, to create and implement digital marketing strategies for retail and service businesses, locally and nationwide.   Their credentials are superb. Chris Mera developed new revenue channels and name awareness campaigns for brands including Disney and NBCUniversal. Mike Mera […]

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Panel to Investigate Councilmember Huizar for Discrimination, not Harassment or Retaliation

by T. A. Hendrickson On Oct. 2, the spokesperson for the City Personnel Department, Bruce Whidden, said he had erred in September when he stated that a complaint filed against Mr. Huizar dealt with allegations of harassment, discrimination and retaliation. Responding to questions from the Los Angeles Times, Mr. Whidden said that the personnel department’s […]

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Helen Leung

Get to Know: Helen Leung

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, when Helen Leung was growing up in Elysian Valley, a.k.a. Frogtown, her parents gave her free rein over the neighborhood, allowing her and her sister to explore the gritty, industrial streets to their hearts’ content.  “One of my most vivid memories is of the day we decided to […]

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Modern Time Machines | Photo courtesy of CAFER

Art and Performance in Northeast L.A. – The Eagle Rock Music Festival – 2019

The Eagle Rock Music Festival, now in its 20th year, is getting a makeover. Instead of a one-day event on Colorado Boulevard, the Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock (CFAER) will present a series of events in the coming year to showcase local music talent in local venues.

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Las Chikas - Courtesy Photo

Art and Performance in Northeast L.A. – Gilbert Cedillo’s Latin Jazz and Music Festival

Picks from the people who bring you the Boulevard Sentinel By Mary Lynch Gilbert Cedillo’s  Latin Jazz and Music Festival, now in its 6th year at Sycamore Grove Park in Highland Park, is a two-day, day-and-night celebration. The music is nonstop: There are seven bands each day – basically a band an hour — starting […]

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Editor’s Notebook: October 2019

The Editor’s Notebook contains a calendar of fun things to do, important things to know, ways to get involved and events to put on your calendar. Kudos Los Angeles City Councilmember Gil Cedillo and the L.A. Dodgers recently donated five ping pong tables to nonprofit agencies serving youth and seniors in Cedillo’s Council District 1 […]

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Letter from the Publisher

Is NELA getting more interesting? Or is the Boulevard Sentinel getting more interesting? Or both? I love this issue and I hope you will, too. Real journalism and great follow up on issues, like the parking-lots-to-housing plan in Lincoln Heights that Bill Hendrickson writes about on the front page. It so common that an issue […]

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