Beyond the glamour of Los Angeles, there's a vast ethnic landscape sectioned off by neighborhoods. While some, like Chinatown and Olvera Street, remain target areas for tourists, the enclaves of Little Armenia and Little Ethiopia remain less traveled.
Nestled in East Hollywood, Little Armenia occupies some of the most diverse territory in the City of Angels. Thai, Hispanic, and Korean storefronts abut Armenian ones. Walking down busy streets, visitors are likely to hear Spanish or Russian.
Little Armenia is a land of strip malls, apartment buildings, storefronts and hospitals. The Self-Realization Fellowship falls within its borders, as does the headquarters of the Church of Scientology.
Armenians started settling in the area during the 1970s. Community efforts led the Los Angeles City Council to name this high density mixed retail and residential district—bordered by Hollywood Boulevard, Santa Monica Boulevard, the 101 Freeway, and Vermont Avenue—Little Armenia in 2000.
Armenia, which lies between Turkey and Azerbaijan, was one of the first countries to adopt Christianity, which explains why the community's center is located at St. Garabed Armenian Apostolic Church on Alexandria Avenue.
"It's the heart of Little Armenia," says Deacon Raffi Kizirian.
Architect Hagop Dakesian designed the copper-roofed church, which celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2008. Stained glass sanctuary windows depict scenes of history and legend, including the forced Armenian resettlement during World War I.
Sunday services at the 600-plus member church are conducted in Armenian. The only time you hear English, says Kizirian, is if an Armenian marries a non-Armenian.
"Then we do the ceremony in English," Kizirian explains, "so they understand what's going on." Across from the church is the Rose and Alex Pilibos Armenian School, a private school where many in the community send their children. Among the school's notable alumni are members of the metal band System of a Down.
One of the best reasons to venture to Little Armenia is the food. Armenian cuisine is similar to Lebanese or Middle Eastern.
Located in a Santa Monica Boulevard strip mall, Falafel Arax is known for its crispy falafel, red turnip pickles and shawourma, a spiced beef dish. Travelers can snag a booth and enjoy a low-cost lunch while reading the Armenian Reporter.
Sasoun Bakery, on the same block, makes fresh beorek every day. The spicy smell of these hand-held pastry pies permeates the small storefront, causing mouths to water. Spinach or cheese beorek make great take-outs.
Traveling from Little Armenia to Little Ethiopia takes less than 20 minutes, but reveals another world. Unlike Little Armenia, Little Ethiopia is a shopping and cultural district.
The three-block section of South Fairfax Avenue between Pico Boulevard and Olympic Boulevard is replete with Ethiopian businesses. Restaurants, clothing stores and markets abound along the easy-to-walk strip, offering everything from injera (traditional flat bread made from teff flour) to African music CDs. Alem Abebe, owner of Safari Ethiopian Store, says she believes there are around 70,000 Ethiopians living in Los Angeles County, the second largest community in America after Washington, D.C. For them, Little Ethiopia is a community hub.
"Everybody comes here. It's amazing," said Abebe, whose store is in its 10th year of offering handmade traditional cotton clothing and jewelry. "It's on the map, the city map. Taxi drivers bring people here." Little Ethiopia got its start in the 1990s, when Ethiopian businesses started to crop up along what had once been a predominantly Jewish street. In 2004, the City Council renamed the area, adding blue and white signage.
There are eight restaurants in Little Ethiopia, many next door to one another. Rahel Ethiopian Veggie Cuisine is popular with the Los Angeles vegan crowd. The restaurant's varied vegetarian menu includes traditional drinks such as telba, made from flax seed.
Across the way, the Merkato Ethiopian Restaurant-Market offers food as well as shopping. An amazing variety of incense spices up the market side with scents ranging from rose to cannabis. Carved walking sticks, hats, colorfully beaded bracelets, and music are for sale next to groceries like cardamom pods and teff flour.
The restaurant side offers traditional Ethiopian dishes such as zilzil tibbs (sizzling strips of beef braised in red pepper) and yekeke alicha (peas in mild sauce) for a reasonable price. Sitting under the indoor African-print canopy makes you feel like you're far away from the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles.
For more information, visit www.littlearmenia.com.
Comments
Cultures Thrive
It is great to see diversity in Los Angeles area. China town, Korea town, Little Armenia and Little Ethiopia are setting a good example of others culture awareness. In large, the community corners are introducing different cultures, accepting and respecting others culture too. Culture difference has been a source of conflict and instrument of racism. Introducing ones culture to others is beneficial not only for the community but also for the country. Racial discrimination and segregation are still central factors in contemporary U.S society. Different races still don’t live in the some neighborhoods and enter to close relationships also there are some exception. Introducing and accepting cultural differences is an eye opener for all ethnicity and racial group.