(ARCHIVED) Weigh in: Battle for the Eastside name

Contrary to popular belief Western Avenue doesn't mark the start of the westside, but rather it was the demarcation line for the City’s Western Boundary. Thus the area between Downtown and Western Av. is the Historic Westside.

Robert90033 @ 10:51 PM PDT, Jun 4, 2009

That the article raises any question as to whether or not Lincoln Heights is on the eastside is ridiculous. The community - first settled in the 1870's - was one of the first true suburbs of Los Angeles and at the time designated as "East Los Angeles" according to contemporary maps from the era. At the turn of the century it was affectionately referred to as the "Eastside" as seen in numerous historical references and articles written about the community. This side of the river will always be the eastside regardless of what any "east of downtown" hipster may claim.

Stephen Sarinana-Lampson @ 11:51 AM PDT, Jun 3, 2009

@ sabio's "nobody is trying to destroy anybody's cultural or historical legacy..." through their ignorance / refusal to actually learn the city's history they're doing just that. @"there just trying to explain where they live." If this was truly the case thye'd say they live "east of hollywood" instead of saying they live on the "eastside" just because they're east of the westside. crash course in l.a. geography: neither western, nor la brea, nor la cienega marks the line between eastside and westside l.a. in fact there is no line - postal purposes aside. a whole chunk of city - Central Los Angeles is between the Eastside and the Westside.

sesosfritos @ 3:21 PM PDT, Jun 2, 2009

I grew up in Atwater (before it became Atwater Village ... ugh!), and Silver lake (before discovery by the trendy, pseudo hip). I was in East LA August 29, 1970 tear gassed by club swinging sheriffs when a peace moratorium became the police induced East LA riots. Now I live in--not North Hollywood--but West Toluca Lake (chi chi huh?). But even with all the dividing name changing, commercialism, gentrification, and wanna be hipsters the Eastside, or East LA still does exist. East of the Los Angeles River of course.

pictoinfo @ 7:28 AM PDT, Jun 2, 2009

Hey Cheryll Dudley Roberts, You need to get your taste buds and sense of place checked. Chale con Burrito King! It's awful, hideous, garbage, etc. No way could it go against a Hollenbeck burrito from Manny's El Tepeyac. Thank Quetzalcoatl we don't have that kind of Chit-tee late night Gringo Mex food East of the LA River (aka the one and only Eastside), Le-va!

DJMenoman @ 1:07 AM PDT, Jun 2, 2009

Outsiders do not continue to place borders on us either real or ideological, learn the real history of Los Ángeles before you place your little themes upon us. North,South,East,West here in Los Ángeles you can´t find a better place. So welcome just don´t tread.

Drew @ 12:13 AM PDT, Jun 2, 2009

I was born and raised by genrations of Californianos de Los Ángeles and as always leave it to the outsiders to try & change our heritage, our land. Getting rid of Chavez Ravine wasn´t good enough for there forefathers. I was born and raised on the westside, I have biked walked via bus/train and driven this great city for 40 years of my life. East of downtown is the eastside. Chavez Ravine, Echo Park etc is the beginning of the Westside, that is natural geography.

Drew @ 12:13 AM PDT, Jun 2, 2009

Silverlake is east of Mid-City, east of Hollywood, and east of the Westside, even east of most of the Valley. It's east of the vast majority of actual City of Los Angeles. No one is trying to destroy anybody's cultural or historical legacy, there just trying to explain where they live. And by the way, pretty much every city has an eastside. I don't think that term is so synonymous with Latino culture to most people. Now "East LA" has a historical meaning, even if you want to continue to divide up neighborhoods otherwise.

Sabio @ 12:04 PM PDT, Jun 1, 2009

I'm a third-generation Los Feliciano and we would NEVER call it the "Eastside"...that would render invisible our friends east of the River and, I might add, the huge bulk of LA that lives east of east, in the San Gabriel Valley or past the 605. I live in Los Feliz...because frankly we'd rather not get lumped in with those carpetbaggers in Silver Lake!

Joel Rane @ 11:40 AM PDT, Jun 1, 2009

I first came across this "eastside" rebranding while browsing for event listings online. As I clicked away I soon realized that none of these events where anywhere near my east l.a./boyle heights home! *perplexed look on my face* Eventually i asked my girl (who grew up in echo park/silver lake) if she considered her home to be "eastside"... she gave me a weird look (like are you trippin'). of course not... echo park she considers "practically downtown" CENTRAL Los Angeles. so it's not the life-long residents of echo park doing the rebranding.

sesosfritos @ 10:56 AM PDT, Jun 1, 2009

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