Para celebrar el Cinco de Mayo, visitemos El Pueblo donde comenzó Los Angeles…

 

 

The city of Los Angeles was born out of a settlement forged near the Los Angeles River in 1781.  It was there that some 11 families built a community now known as El Pueblo de Los Angeles (http://www.elpueblo.lacity.org/elpueb_gi2.htm), a historical landmark in downtown LA directly across the street from Union Station. The area’s Olvera Street (http://www.olvera-street.com/index.html) was a much shorter street and known by another name way back then. Today it is a vibrant, touristy marketplace filled with little shops, restaurants, kiosks…

 

and buildings of historical significance. Near the entrance of El Pueblo is a stately building currently housing the Instituto Cultural Mexicano de Los Angeles:

 

There is a mural called The Blessing of the Animals, which is an event that has been taking place each Easter Sunday since the 1930s, on the side of this building.  On this particular day, a clown motions for me to take his picture as he walks in front of the mural:

 

The building is then connected to a church…

 

but this church is not to be mistaken with the famed La Placita, a parish church built for the settlers:

 

In the middle of El Pueblo stands Avila Adobe, 

 

a house built by a successful ranchero.  Admission is free to walk through the house and courtyard:

 

Another interesting museum is the Plaza Firehouse that showcases firefighting equipment and “engine” from the late 1800s-1900s:

 

There are a few other buildings of note, but my hands are sticky from the churros so I take only a few photos of  the plaques that actually make an interesting read:

 

OK so you’ve already visited three distinct cultures within a very small radius of downtown LA in my last few blogs.  When I come back from NY next week I’ll show you why we Angelenos are obsessed with the concept of fusing indoor with outdoor living.  For now I’ll close out with some sights and sounds from the Cinco de Mayo festivities. When I can have this much to see and do on an afternoon I’m thrilled to say esta es mi ciudad.

 

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hL2MwWzV5GA