Rancho San Rafael
Spanish corporal José María Verdugo (née Berdugo) creates Rancho San Rafael. Verdugo receives a 36,000-acre land grant from the Spanish crown, encompassing present-day Glendale, Burbank, Highland Park, and the future site of Taylor Yard. Rancho San Rafael will be subdivided several times until its eventual dissolution in 1887.
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The City as Teacher
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 at-risk youth in the community. However, Charly spent his “active, outdoor childhood” immersed in youth countercultures. A punk rocker, he was against playing…
The Story Behind the “Orange Bridge” Pt. 2
The Taylor Yard Bikeway and Pedestrian Bridge, better known as the “Orange Bridge,” is not easy to miss, but many overlook the history behind it. Although it was just completed in 2022, the story behind this bridge goes further back. Part 1 of this tale recounts shady practices by the Southern California Regional Rail Authority…
A Family Legacy
Since 1993, Tacos Villa Corona has faithfully served the Atwater Village community. The unassuming storefront has spent more than 30 years cooking up delicious breakfast and lunch burritos and serving as the backdrop to countless joyous memories. For David Flores, the second-generation owner of Tacos Villa Corona, this business is the legacy of his parents:…
Atwater is Home
When Joyce Cooper was thirteen, she along with her mother and younger brother moved from Koreatown to Atwater Village. Only a few miles apart, but a world of a difference. “We lived on the eighth floor of an apartment building. I went to Hobart Elementary and I had a lot of cool friends. Our class…