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Boyle Heights

Photo Recap: Farewell to the 6th Street Bridge

This past Saturday, thousands of Angeleños from all walks of life came out for a free festival that aimed to bring together the communities of the Arts District and Boyle Heights for a once-in-a-lifetime experience to pay their final respects to LA's iconic 6th Street Bridge.

Slated for demolition in January 2016, the deteriorating 6th Street Bridge will be replaced with a brand new structure that will take 3 years to complete. There was a bittersweet mood in the air, as the landmark bridge has served as a gritty backdrop for countless movies, commercials, photo shoots, and low rider meetups throughout the decades; it will surely be missed by everyone who knows it. The event itself was a huge success - everything from the street tacos, to the art displays, to the vintage car show, to the live performances from Aloe Blacc and War, was quintessential local L.A. culture. The night ended with a flashy fireworks display next to the bridge over the LA River which made for some spectacular photo opportunities. Here is what I captured that day. - Eric Solis

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Bridge architect Michael Maltzan, with LA City Council Member José Huizar addressing the crowd.
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A scale model of the new bridge was also there, giving people a glimpse into the future.
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As night fell, the music got louder, the crowds got bigger, and the mood became more electrifying.

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War closed out the night, with their performance of "Low Rider" a definite highlight.

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As the fireworks show began, I headed down the 6th Street tunnel to the LA River for a much different vantage point. Nothing short of epic...

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