A long time ago in response to the latest in a seemingly relentless if occasional parade of Curbed LA posts focus-mocking on the theme of “What Is/Is Not The Eastside” and the frustration it generates to those of us who know and give a damn, IÂ submitted a comment that offered what I consider to be the perfect alternative title to supplant the imperial ignorance of those Westside-influenced apathetics who can’t help but disrespect the significance and relevance of what is the True Eastside of Los Angeles by lazily and hipsterly and even sometimes indignantly and belligerently lumping the general region encompassing the neighborhoods of Atwater Village, Echo Park, Los Feliz Village, East Hollywood, Elysian Park/Valley, Historic Filipinotown, and Angeleno Heights as their kneejerk version of “eastside.”
To those edge-seeking dullards who are too busy growing ironic facial hair and shopping for ironic clothing to waste time considering the ironic error of their “if it’s east of the westside than it’s the eastside” ways, I offered something of the following comment:
Simple. Call it: The Upside. Problem Solved.
It had flavor. It had style. Being “up” from downtown it was not geographically incorrect. And it was certainly more compact and catchy than something compass-like such as Northwestcentraltownville. But of course, with the exception of a fellow commenter or two chiming in with an appreciation for my suggestion, nothing came of it.
At least not until a couple weeks ago when sure enough Curbed LA decides to resurrect the issue once again — only this time with a surprising twist. Acquiescing that my surrounding area is indeed the “Not Eastside,” the good folks at Curbed made a call for nominations for a poll/contest that will result in what that new name should be. So of course re-submitted my original suggestion, but with no campaigning and little hope that it would make the cut.
Well the contest began this week and guess what?
Not a shocker: currently The Upside is losing badly to gimmicky stuff like “Hipster Heights” and “Griffith Triangle.” Right now the totally boring “North Central” is kicking ass. And as much as I’m biasedly partial to my creation, I gotta admit I voted for “The West Bank,” in part because I’m kicking myself for not suggesting something even better than The Upside: The Left Bank. Doh!
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