The iconic neon sign at the original Tommy’s Burgers location on Rampart Boulevard.
L.A. TACO is embarking on its biggest mission yet: to create a taco and food guide for every single neighborhood in Los Angeles! Along the way, we will also be releasing brief histories of each neighborhood to understand L.A. a little more and celebrate how each and every neighborhood makes our fine city the best in the world.
The best way to know your neighborhood is to walk your neighborhood. Photographing Filipinotown on 35mm film for the past half-decade, I sometimes feel like I've walked every inch of the neighborhood countless times. But while working on this photo essay, I found plenty of places that I was unfamiliar with, from offices, homes, and studio spaces to homeless encampments hidden from the road, new plants, flowers, and murals. The experience reminded me that neighborhoods are constantly changing, and you’ll never see everything.
The iconic neon sign at the original Tommy's Burgers location on Rampart Boulevard.The iconic neon sign at the original Tommy's Burgers location on Rampart Boulevard.Morning light hits one of my favorite store front signs.A Victorian-style house that's been converted into apartments with DTLA skyline views.An elderly man walks by a 20th century craftsman house as it's being demolished.A tree grows out of a wall in a parking lot.A tree grows out of a wall in a parking lot.A sign that's no longer around.A sign that's no longer around.The farmacia in this photo is now Brooklyn Bagels.The pharmacy in this photo is now Brooklyn Bagels.Craftsman homes on a residential street in Historic Filipinotown.A driver kills a man riding a motorized bicycle on a dangerous stretch of Beverly Blvd that has seen numerous fatalities and reckless driving incidents in recent years.A Victorian-style home with Halloween decorations outside.Businesses on the eastern edge of Historic Filipinotown.Body shop on Beverly Boulevard.A body shop on Beverly BoulevardA carniceria on Beverly Boulevard that also has a taco stand.A memorial for Karla Duarte, a young woman who was fatally shot in an abandoned home in Filipinotown.Pinay Coin Laundry.Historic Filipinotown at dusk.
El Sarape is a lowkey mariscos spot. They don’t have Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook to advertise, making it a true hidden gem in L.A. — only those in-the-know recognize it.
Daphy Michel, 31, was surveilled by ICE via ankle monitor as part of their "Alternatives to Detention Program." She was found dead at a Pittsburgh bus shelter on March 2.
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