Last weekend, the East Hollywood Neighborhood Council held the first of what will hopefully be many Art Cycle rides, where cyclists were given a tour of several neighborhood art galleries. The rides began and ended at a block party in the "bike district" of East Hollywood, known locally and in the bike community as Hel-Mel and ran most of the afternoon and into the evening.
This Streetfilm is already one of my favorites for two reasons. First, as someone that has watched Streetfilms since their inception from my old job as a transportation reformer in New York, it's still weird for me to see so many of my friends and fellow activists in a Streetfilm be they in a credited interview as Alfredo is or in just a brief cameo as D.J. Chicken Leather is. And yes, Clarence did put the camera on me briefly, but I think that was just because I was complaining that more people on the ride recognized him than recognized me.
Secondly, it makes the statement that those of us who ride already know; but those that don't may not know yet and that is that bike culture in Los Angeles is vibrant, diverse, and strong. If you don't believe me, just ask City Council President Eric Garcetti as he leads the chant of, "who's streets? OUR STREETS!" Especially in the lead up to Saturday's Bike Summit, it's a great reminder that in many ways, Los Angeles is a bike town.
