Palms 2022: A Photo Essay by Sean Maung

As part of L.A. TACO 's mission to create taco guides for every single neighborhood in Los Angeles, we will also be delving into how each and every neighborhood makes our fine city unique in its own way. Check out our Artesia, Lincoln Heights, and Sylmar guides and a look into their histories on our neighborhood page.

This week, we’ve been celebrating Palms. Join us now in taking a look as photographer Sean Maung brings us a look at some of the people and places in Palms that he shares a personal connection with in this photo essay of the neighborhood.

"When L.A. Taco approached me with the idea of taking pics in Palms; I already felt connected and ready to shoot. My connection started before I was born, when my grandparents, originally from Burma (Myanmar) settled in an apartment on Midvale, right by Venice Boulevard. It’s been over 40 years, and even though my grandfather has passed, my grandmother still lives in the same apartment building.

I still remember some of the kids when I was young that were my neighbors. Playing in the courtyard, hopping into their apartments to play video games. I attended Palms Middle School, and after school I would walk down Midvale to my grandparents' apartment. My grandma would usually be cooking a fragrant curry or dal. To this day, there still is a curry leaf tree she planted 20 years ago. It’s now standing as tall as the second floor of the apartment. She complains to me that her Indian and Pakistani neighbors on the block are stealing her leaves to use for their home cooking, and my grandma still picks them for all her dishes." - Sean Maung