Franciscan missionary Juan Crespí journal
Juan Crespí, the designated diarist for the Portolá expedition, records his encounter with the Rio Porciúncula, or Los Angeles River: A “good-sized full-flowing river,” near the Arroyo Seco, “with very good water, pure and fresh, flowing through another very pleasant green valley lying westward,” and a “river bed about seven yards wide [that] flows from north-northwest, from the mountains.”
RELATED STORIES
LA River x Gnarly Charly
Gnarly Charly x Los Angeles River, centers on long-time Northeast LA resident, Carlos “Charly” Hinojosa. Often described by a multitude of words instead of one, Charly has over the years become known as an activist-anarchist–punk rocker-cyclist-parkourer. The current lead singer of Pedal Strike, a “bike punk” band with roots in Northeast LA, Charly’s music and…
The Rule Breaker
Charly Hinojosa is an active community member in Northeast LA, where he has served on the Cypress Park Neighborhood Council, led kayak tours for BIPOC individuals on the LA River, and coached gymnastics and parkour for at-risk youth in the community. Spending his youth immersed in countercultures like skating, punk rock, and graffiti helped set…
New Era
Ask Marco Ortiz for an introduction, and you’ll receive one. “I’m Marco Ortiz, one of the most famous male performers from Hollywood. They know me as the best performer of Juan Gabriel.” But before he was known for his famous impersonations of Juan Gabriel and other Latino musical superstars, Marco was just finding his way…
“Paayme” sung by Lazaro Arvizu Jr.
Lazaro Arvizu Jr. is an artist, educator, musician, and researcher dedicated to the culture of the First Peoples of Los Angeles. In the video he performs the song “Paayme”, meaning “West” in the Tongva language, which he wrote with his mother Virginia Carmelo. With the LA River as a backdrop, Lazaro sings about moving West…