LITTLE ARMENIA TOUR WILL HIGHLIGHT CULTURE
By Eugene Tong, Staff Writer
Los Angeles Daily News, CA
July 20 2007
For Lory Tatoulian, Little Armenia is more than just a collection
of grocers, kebab stands and pastry shops – it’s a place where old
culture inspires new art in the shadow of Hollywood.
"There’s more to it than Mercedes … and eating baklava," said
Tatoulian, a comedian of Armenian descent who will lead the "Taste
of Pomegranate" walking tour through the neighborhood Saturday.
"A lot of these people who live in these apartments, they’re artists,
even if they don’t have that artist-chic. … There is a literati,
a lot of painters and dancers who used to live in Armenia but now
live in Hollywood."
Named for the Armenian symbol of life, the tour includes art and
craft displays and food tasting, and it’s part of a series of walking
tours through L.A.’s ethnic enclaves organized by the University of
California, Los Angeles, Center for Community Partnerships and LA
Commons, a community group.
The tours began in June with a trek through Highland Park. Future
tours include Leimert Park – the cultural core of the African-American
community – and Thai Town.
Karen Mack, executive director of LA Commons, said Los Angeles is
one of the world’s most interesting cities, but it’s difficult to
penetrate.
"There isn’t any street life," she said. "Things happen behind closed
doors and it makes it really difficult to access the city.
"What we want to do is not just connect people to the place, but to
connect people to people."
The neighborhood east of Hollywood was a destination for Armenian
immigrants from the 1970s until the mid-1980s. Though Glendale is now
the center of Armenian civic life, the original enclave has survived.