Eric Brightwell

I'm Eric Brightwell, the writer since 2007 of the California Fool's Gold series of Southern California explorations. I also co-host a podcast (and write a column) called Nobody Drives in LA. I've been referred to as the Huell Howser of the internet, the Rick Steves of Southern California, the city's offical neighborhood tsar, Los Angeles's unofficial cartographer, (and worse).

I have lived in Los Angeles since 1999 and, while there's not shortage of history-minded explorers in Los Angeles, I find that my perspective is pretty different that of most of my peers. For starters -- I've been happily car-free since 2011. I don't love hot weather or sunshine (although I'm getting better, maybe). I don't care at all about slebs... unless we're talking minor characters from Golden Age television programs like Melrose Place or Baywatch.

Whilst most of my peers are under the spell of the late 19th century and early 20th century "good ol' days" of Los Angeles; I'm much more interested in the present and future of Los Angeles... as well as its deep and ancient past. People have lived in what's now Los Angeles for at least 13,000 years! That's right, history didn't begin the the foundation of the Pueblo... or the real estate boom of 1887... or even the migration of the Tongva here 3,500 years ago. People have been drawn to this land and its diverse landscapes since before humans discovered Ireland! Los Angeles's main street, Wilshire Boulevard, has its roots, for example in a road used by the Chumash for at least 8,000 to retrieve pitch for waterproofing their deep seafaring boats they used to navigate the Channel Islands.

Also (since 1968) Los Angeles has emerged as an unparalleled hotspot of human diversity. Today Los Angeles is home to the largest populations -- outside of their respective homelands -- of Armenians, Belizeans, Cambodians, Filipinos, Guatemalans, Iranians, Mexicans, Salvadorans, Taiwanese, Thai, and Vietnamese -- plus the country's largest communities of Australians, Burmese, Canadians, Indonesians, and Mongolians. That mix of Latino and Asian nations and cultures is massively instrumental in the development of contemporary Los Angeles culture; evinced by our unmatched restaurant scene, numerous enclaves, film festivals, vibrant night markets, and cultural observances.

If that sounds interesting to you, join a walk or other event.

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