He’s still doing it. Good buddy Eric Brightwell, who frequently blogs for Amoeba about SoCal neighborhoods and communities, took a train and walking tour of Watts, and I tagged along. I’ve been on only one other tour with Eric of my hometown of Tustin in Orange County almost 3 years ago. When he announced that he would be taking the Metro Blue Line down to Watts to explore, I immediately signed on. Not only is Eric excited about exploring the urban form and design of a city (experienced best by walking through the neighorhood), but he is also interested in the deeper historical and cultural context which shapes the people, businesses, and spaces (which he recounts in full detail in his blogs). Therefore, I was interested in learning through Eric’s lens about Watts, an LA neighborhood that is only known for 2 things: the riots and its towers.

Jordan’s Cafe. 1942 - 2010. Sadly, this was a common sight along our walking tour.

Lee’s Market. We didn’t actually eat here, but it’s a famous local soul food and fried chicken establishment. This also illustrates the seemingly nondescript storefronts that I walked by in the neighborhood. You could never tell, from the sidewalk, the businesses that occupied the interior of these shells.

Santa Ana Blvd. right-of-way.

Watts Towers

Watts House Project (WHP) “is an artist-driven neighborhood redevelopment organization, wherein artists and design professionals, in collaboration with the Watts Towers area residents, employ art as an economic and community development engine to promote and enhance the quality of residential life in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles.”

Watts Labor Community Action Committee. The campus of the famed WLCAC occupies a large block on Central Avenue, with various warehouse buildings housing offices, classrooms, assembly halls, and a museum.

Watts Coffee House. Eric had looked up the coffee house as a great place to eat along our journey. But even with address in hand, we couldn’t find it. That’s because it was in the interior core of this 2-story business building, half of which is occupied by a school. But once inside the coffee house, you saw this…

Eric details our day-long walking adventure in his blog entry for Amoeba. Eric delves much deeper into the historical and urban context of this great corner of LA.