Growing up, my family hung out with the V’s; short for my parents’ compadres, Auntie Betty, Uncle Mario and my three cousins. Crammed in my Uncle Mario’s VW bus (which we called, “URK”) we’d drive to Coronado for bonfires, Presidio Park for picnics and memorably up to L.A.
I vaguely remember the day we spent at Universal Studios. But I can vividly recall the drive we took in URK to Boyle Heights and Echo Park. My Auntie Betty pointed out the house that her parents had bought after her father ended his service with the U.S. Army. The house is still there but sadly most of the Victorian mansions and Arts and Crafts bungalows – and in the case of Chavez Ravine, an entire community – have given way to the post-war development of L.A.
My Auntie Betty’s niece has co-curated “Lost to Progress: The Modernization of Los Angeles” at Heritage Square . Opening tomorrow, May 2nd and running till June 28th, the exhibit coincides with National Preservation Month. This important exhibit explores the controversial evolution of Los Angeles through the examination of and the significant changes that led to the eventual destruction three lost Los Angeles Communities: Chinatown, Bunker Hill and Palo Verde (Chavez Ravine).
Heritage Square is open Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. Regular admission applies; free for museum members. Click here for more information.