Welcome to The Eastsider

Who is The Eastsider?
The Eastsider is Jesus Sanchez, a journalist with more than 25 years of experience in newspapers and online journalism. Sanchez was born in Boyle Heights and raised in East Los Angeles and later, the west San Gabriel Valley. He has called Echo Park home for more than 20 years. Unless otherwise noted, stories, photos and other content appearing on The Eastsider were created by Sanchez.

Is this a personal blog, online newspaper or community forum?
The Eastsider is a hybrid of news, occasional opinion, observations and links to other web sites, all curated for an Eastside audience. The Eastsider also calls upon some trustworthy and talented contributors for stories,  photographs and other content. The blog published its first post on July 28, 2008.

How does it work?
All of the stories, photos and other content will either appear or receive a mention on the Front Page (or home page). Content is broken up into broad categories, each listed at the top of the every page: Eastside  911 (crime & public safety news); School Yard (education); Shopper & Diner; Save the Date (calendar listings and things to do); Home & History (which includes real estate).  In addition, there are The Eastsider Forums, community message and discussion boards devoted to specific issues.

What if I’m too busy to keep checking the site all day long?
The Eastsider will come to you. Get updates sent automatically via Facebook; Twitter; RSS feed and via daily email newsletter.

What does The Eastsider cover?
The Eastsider is most interested in his own neighborhood – Echo Park – but also strives to cover news & stories from these neighborhoods: Angeleno Heights, Atwater Village, Boyle Heights, Cypress Park, Eagle Rock, East Los Angeles, Echo Park, El Sereno, Elysian Heights, Elysian Valley, Glassell Park, Hermon, Highland Park, Historic Filipinotown, Lincoln Heights, Montecito Heights, Monterey Hills, Mt. Washington,  Northeast LA, Silver Lake & Solano Canyon. Readers can click on the neighborhood names found in the middle column on the web site’s front page.  There is way more neighborhood news than The Eastsider can cover on his own. Tips, story ideas and other contributions are always welcome.

What is the Eastside?
This is a touchy and often controversial subject, which has gotten The Eastsider in trouble with the Border Patrol and those who can’t stand the fact that things, including neighborhoods, change.  The Eastsider has staked his claim in a section of Los Angeles he feels share the same values, history and vibe.  Historically speaking, many say anything east of the Los Angeles River is Eastside, and many narrow it down further to just Boyle Heights and Lincoln Heights. Some throw in East Los Angeles. Definitions of The Eastside will always be fluid but for now, the Eastsider’s domain includes the list of neighborhoods below.

Can I republish your stories and photos?
It’s always nice to be asked before an entire story is republished. Most of the time the answer is yes, but with the appropriate attribution. In the case of photos,  images taken by The Eastsider can be published with credit to The Eastsider and a link back to the site.  BUT … photos that are taken by contributors or come from other sites (Flickr is a good example) are another matter.  Photographers who have taken a photo for The Eastsider usually must give their permission before their work is published in another web site.

What is that little box pictured at top of this post?
That is a photo of the Echo Park Newsstand, which serves as The Eastsider’s avatar. The box stood on Echo Park Avenue near the Burrito King until it was carted off by the city in February 2010.