On October 13th, CicLAvia hosted their Heart of LA event. In a seven and a half mile stretch from Echo Park to Boyle Heights, the L.A. nonprofit closes the streets to car traffic and opens them to residents to bike, walk, skate, and dance safely though the city.
Netflix invited us to participate in their CicLAvia interactive adventure for their new film Spellbound, bringing the animated adventure to the streets of Los Angeles.
Spellbound is a family-adventure animated film about Ellian, the daughter of the rulers of Lumbria. After a mysterious spell transforms her parents into monsters, Ellian goes on a journey to save her family and kingdom before it’s too late. The film premieres November 22nd on Netflix.
Similar to Ellian, I took the Spellbound journey back home from the heart of CicLAvia in Chinatown to the eastside edge in Boyle Heights. Along the way I received gifts from businesses vital to each community I stopped in: Chinatown, Little Tokyo and Boyle Heights.
Chinatown
By the time I arrived to the event, it was filled with with family bicyclists and roller skating squads all dodging one another through the route. One of the first stops I made was at the historic Chinatown Central Plaza with many riders stopping to take photos in front of the plaza entrance.
Two businesses highlighted at the Chinatown hub were Steep LA and Wonder Bakery. Steep LA is a tea shop that serves premium hand-picked tea from China and Taiwan. By night, it transforms into a cocktail bar combining liqueur and teas. They also host gatherings in their courtyards such as floral arrangement workshops and jam sessions. Last month, the shop celebrated 5 years since their opening! Steep LA was providing tea to Sunday’s participants.
On the other hand Wonder Bakery, holds more than 50 years as a business providing a hand-crafted variety of Asian pastries, including moon cakes and custom cakes. This family-owned business stands at the entrance of the central plaza, and was handing out slices of cakes at Sunday’s event.
Whether a relatively new business or well-establish storefront, Chinatown brings Chinese culture to the forefront exemplifying diverse specialties and crafts.
Little Tokyo
Between Chinatown and Little Tokyo, I walked about a mile and a half. Although I did not have a bike, I’ve learned to appreciate the power of peddling my steps through concrete while enjoying a good album. I had planned listening to Ovrkast.’s latest project with Cardo Got Wings, but that afternoon I much preferred the funk wopping through bike speakers down Broadway.
In Little Tokyo, the journey took me to two vital businesses in the community. The first stop being the gift shop Bunkado on 1st St., which has been in the same location for 77 year! It was founded by Suye and Tokio Ueyama in 1947 and is now third-generation owned by Ueyama’s niece, Irene Tsukada. Their location was once Kame Restaurant which is credited as the “Birth of Little Tokyo”. (Bunkado Instagram) From this historic location I received rainbow origami paper, one of the many Japanese items and trinkets you will find inside.
What business has been in Little Tokyo longer than 77 years? None other than Fugetsu-Do, holding the phrase “America’s Oldest Family-Owned Japanese Confectionary serving mochi and manju since 1903”! The Kito Family has been owning this shop for three generation with current owner Brian Kito. The shop holds so much community history, like a bride wanting to take wedding photos in the shop because of memories with her grandmother. On the larger cultural impact, original shop owner Seiichi Kito is credited for being the creator of the fortune cookie in 1927. (Fugetsu-Do History) Fugetsu-Do now holds a spot in my memory, as having the best strawberry mochi I’ve had thus far. Cheers!
Boyle Heights
I ended my Spellbound journey at the hub in Boyle Heights, closest to my home in Huntington Park. The most creative ride I saw on the road was down Cesar Chavez Ave. standing at least 5 feet. On a street that holds so much car traffic and never has parking, it was great to see the road wide open for people to enjoy the culture and food without congestion.
Building on the congestion relief was the last business my Spellbound journey led me to, Latinx With Plants. This oasis was founded by Andi Xoch in 2019 with the mission to combat environmental racism. This includes sharing ancestral plant knowledge, like the different ways in which plants can filter air. The space also holds community events and workshops; such as book conversations and readings, metal embossing workshops, and pot painting. (Latinx With Plants )
As someone surrounded by little greenery besides the occasional 7Eleven, I am appreciating the plant received on my last stop. What should I name it?
My great adventure at CicLAvia was not motivated by saving a family member, but I realized family and community are foundational in perserving and saving an ever changing Los Angeles.
Spellbound premieres November 22nd on Netflix.