Blog: At the Corner of Unsightly and Neglected

I joined our lovely neighborhood in September of 2011, and it’s been a pretty magical year-plus. Running through Elysian Park, eating at any number of our delicious food stands and restaurants, and just soaking in our unique enclave has made me declare already my life-long allegiance to Echo Park. 

Just like a cancerous mole, however, there is one part of our otherwise precious neighborhood that may be the death of me. It’s the house on stilts, as I have taken to calling the old Craftsman pile of wood that sits at the corner of Park and Echo Park Avenues, taunting me from across the street.

Since moving here, I have been patient with the renovation of the lake (which, by the way, is impressive). I have been able to manage the inconsistent parking that comes from living a block from Sunset. I even welcome the traffic from Dodger games because I love our local team. But I loathe that abomination in the empty lot.

As your not-so-newest neighbor, I’d love to hear everyone weigh in: Where do you stand with our haunting house? What should be done with it?

I, for one, would love additional parking to open up when the lake is back in action. Perhaps we could start a community garden. Why not have USC’s School of Architecture or even a local high school take over renovations? As it stands, which is really all this eyesore does, the house and the space it occupies taunt me with their uselessness.