Tamale hunting on the Gold Line Eastside Extension

By now I think we’re all aware of the culinary delights that await Metro riders traveling into East L.A. on the the new Gold Line extension. But last week Metro Media Relations released a press release that caught my eye (and my appetite) with a list of tamale vendors along the Gold Line that are regarded as some of the best in L.A.

I take my role as car-free lifestyle blogger seriously, so as my colleague Steve Hymon reported on the Metro Board meeting all last Thursday, I took it upon myself to go tamale hunting in East L.A. with the Gold Line as my “tamale trolley” and Metro’s press release as my map.

One disclaimer before I report my findings: I’m not a tamale connoisseur. While I’ve grown to love these traditional Mexican treats, I was not raised on them. In my household my mother would make the Venezuelan equivalent to tamales – hallacas – and I would refuse to eat them because they were wrapped in green plantain leaves. As a child I had a strict rule against eating anything green. Luckily, tamales are wrapped in non-green corn husks.

Metro’s press release lists seven tamale vendors within walking distance of four Gold Line stations – Soto, Indiana, Maravilla, and Atlantic. I decided to ride out to the end of the line (Atlantic) and work my way back.
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Video: Sights (but no sounds) of the Gold Line Eastside Extension opening

Metro Communications staff put together this nicely shot but strangely silent video compilation of festivities from todays Gold Line Eastside Extension opening. A throw back to the silent movie era or a chance to play your own music while you watch? I’ll let you decide.

Various photos from Gold Line Eastside Extension opening day festivities

Steve and I rode the line, battled the crowds, and joined in the festivities of the Eastside Extension’s opening day. When we started our day at about 9:00 a.m., crowds were relatively light and the lines were short, but around 11:00 a.m. there was a notable increase in the crowds. By the early afternoon, it was clear that many in L.A. had decided to devote their Sunday to checking out their newest transit investment. Lines snaked around station entrances like a ride at Disneyland, and the festive atmosphere around the stations added to the theme park vibe.

Here’s a collection of snapshots that hopefully capture the mood of this great L.A. day.

A Gold Line coming from East L.A. arrives at the Little Tokyo/Arts District station.

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Reader input: early morning photos the Gold Line Eastside Extension

Source reader Tim Adams of the local volunteer organization Transit People (they take kids on transit field trips… awesome!) sent us some gorgeous shots of the Gold Line riding through East L.A. on its inaugural day. All photos were taken in the wee hours of the morning well before we were out snapping our shots.

All captions are by Tim and he’s got other photos on the Transit People Flickr photostream.

An out-of-service Gold Line train stationed at the Atlantic station, photographed shortly after 6:00 a.m. on Sunday morning, November 15 -- grand opening day for the Gold Line East Side Extension.

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Video: Gold Line ride to the official dedication ceremony

Yesterday The Source crew joined the elected officials, dignitaries, invited guests and the media to the official dedication ceremony for the Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension. Crowds gathered at the Union Station Gold Line platform for a prompt departure to the East L.A. Civic Center at 9:00 a.m. Two year veteran Gold Line operator Esgriselda Molina was responsible for safely transporting the VIPs to the station and she kindly allowed me to sit in the cab with her to film this video.

Enjoy.

Live Post: Photos from dedication ceremony of Gold Line Eastside Extension

Federal, state, and local officials cut the ribbon on Union Station.

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Foodie guide to the Gold Line Eastside Extension – Maravilla, East L.A. Civic Center, and Atlantic

The eight new stations on Metro’s growing rail system will lead Angelenos to some fantastic options for munching.  The internet is buzzing about the possibilities and even the Mayor has chimed in with his two cents about where to eat. And now the L.A. Times has joined the fray, calling the Eastside Extension of the Gold Line a “food nirvana”.

Metro has put out a map of restaurants (PDF) along the line, but the inclusion of places like McDonalds, Subway, and Pizza Hut left me wanting to explore the dining options a little deeper.  I love a Quarter Pounder as much as the next guy, but I decided it would be best to look to the local reviewers on Yelp! to find out if Metro missed any gems along the Gold Line that don’t involve golden arches.

My general methodology goes like this: restaurants must be located within half a mile (about a 10-minute walk) from the stations, they must receive at least four stars from Yelp reviewers, and there has to be a minimum of 10 Yelp reviews in order to make the cut. If some restaurants listed don’t match this criteria, I’ll make note of it.

The final stops on our East L.A. dining tour are relatively close to one another, located on the last mile of 3rd Street, and thus the Maravilla, East L.A Civic Center, and Atlantic stations will be bundled together in this post.
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Gallery: Indiana Station

We posted photos the other day of the new Little Tokyo/Arts District station on the Gold Line Eastside Extension, which opens to the public on Sunday. Gary Leonard, staff photographer for the Downtown News, shot the stations for Metro.

Now, we’re on to the Indiana Station, which the Metro art department describes this way:

Inspired by the classic style of the Anasazi, Maya and Aztec Pre-Columbian cultures, the artwork is infused with a modern sensibility and stands as a metaphor for the relationship between nature, society and the sacred.  Artist Paul Botello, who was born and raised in East L.A. and still lives and works here,  created 16 stainless steel cut panels in the style of “papel picado” (cut paper) along both sides of the station area. The sculptures pay homage to “family” and “history.” Stylized large scale heads of Quetzalcoatl, the plumed serpent Mesoamerican deity, mark the generations past and present and are located within the landscaped areas at both ends of the station platform.

More:

Gallery:  Little Tokyo / Arts District Station

Gallery: Little Tokyo/Arts District Station

Gary Leonard photographs Los Angeles. You’ve seen his photos. Was it Gorbachev in front of Los Angeles City Hall? His book-length study in black and white of the construction of Disney Hall? (It was a book, actually.) Audrey Hepburn at the airport? The vacant doorstep (left vacant by The Doors) of the Morrison Hotel?

Leonard is the staff photographer for the Downtown News and the official/unofficial photographer for Los Angeles. Now, as the Eastside Extension of the Metro Gold Line is about to open this coming weekend, Metro asked Leonard to photograph each of the eight new stations — many still draped in yellow caution tape and still hushed, waiting for the first official trains to roll this weekend.

We’ll be posting Leonard’s photos here in coming days. We’ll start with the first station south of Union Station, the stop at Little Tokyo/Arts District, which the Metro Art department describes this way:

The unique features of this station are the result of the collaboration between performance artist Hirokazu Kosaka and Ted Tokio Tanaka Architects.

The station canopies are in the shape of Japanese archery bows while the platform paving design is patterned after a Japanese tatami mat. In archery a perfect shot requires the release of an arrow in the instant between one’s heartbeats: a moment in time and space with no intervening thoughts. This moment inspired the design for the platform bench artworks. The artist created six smooth granite benches with concentric circles of black and white, simulating a Zen archery target.

Take a tour. Click on images to view gallery  and ‘next’ for slideshow.