Pendersleigh & Sons Cartography

For Bangladeshi Independence Day, 2024, I decided to revisit Little Bangladesh with a new map to reflect its expanding boundaries and to represent the neighborhood with a more aesthetically deliberate map.

The Semi-Tropic Spiritualists were a group of mediums and clairvoyants who held midnight dances at their Semi-Tropic Park, in the Elysian Heights/Echo Park area between 1905 and 1910. https://ericbrightwell.com/2023/10/11/houses-of-the-hallows-the-semi-tropic-spiritualists-and-the-semi-tropic-park/

June 2023, I explored Torrance, made a map, and wrote about it here: https://ericbrightwell.com/2023/06/15/california-fools-gold-exploring-torrance/

A map that I did, with ink markers, of San Francisco for a couple of friends who are Frisco-Files.

I made this map as a thank you for a friend in a popular Glaswegian band... and to illustrate my account of visiting Glasgow in 2017.

In 2018, I visited Japan for the first time. I always like to make a map of where I'm visiting -- even though there are obviously plenty of maps -- in part because helps me learn the geography of a place. https://ericbrightwell.com/2019/01/22/where-fools-fear-to-tread-a-snapshot-of-japan/

Watts is a neighborhood in South Los Angeles's Eastside. It's still best known for the Watts Towers (built 1921-1954 ) and the Watts Riots (1965). Lots has changed in the intervening half century, needless to say, and I explored and mapped in 2014 for my series, "California Fool's Gold" https://ericbrightwell.com/2014/02/14/more-than-just-riots-and-towers/

Compton is a city in the South Los Angeles region. It is the 7th oldest (by incorporation) and 16th most-populous in Los Angeles County. Future presidents George H.W. and George W. lived there in 1949 and '50. It is famous for the Compton Cowboys of Richland Farms and the Compton Cricket Club, among other things. I explored it and made this map in 2011 for my series, "California Fool's Gold." https://ericbrightwell.com/2011/02/23/california-fools-gold-exploring-compton-los-angeles-countys-hub-city/

Orange County is typically divided into just two regions, North and South counties. South County is largely composed of gated, master-planned communities and other red tile suburbs. I painted this map and wrote a primer for my series, California Fool's Gold, in 2013.

The Northeast Los Angeles region is one of Los Angeles's oldest, dating back to the annexation of Garvanza, Highland Park, and Sycamore Grove in the late 19th century. I wrote a primer about the region for my series, "California Fool's Gold," in 2011 and made this map a bit later. https://ericbrightwell.com/2011/06/09/california-fools-gold-a-northeast-los-angeles-primer/

I explored and drew a map of Los Angeles County's second-largest city for my series, "California Fool's Gold," in 2011. https://ericbrightwell.com/2007/11/03/montebello-montesmello-if-youre-nasty/

This is the second map I made of Atwater Village. The first sold before I explored the neighborhood for "California Fool's Gold" in 2014. https://ericbrightwell.com/2014/11/30/california-fools-gold-exploring-atwater-village/

Angeleno Heights (originally "Angeleño Heights") is a mostly-residential Victorian-era suburb in Mideast Los Angeles (MELA). It's most famous for its grand Victorian homes (which is why it sometimes plays San Francisco in films and television) but there are also charming Crafstmans and homes in later styles. I explored for "California Fool's Gold" in 2010. https://ericbrightwell.com/2010/12/16/california-fools-gold-exploring-angeleno-heights/

Arcadia is a suburb of the San Gabriel Valley which now has a population that is roughly two-thirds Asian-American (mostly Chinese and Taiwanese). It is thus often jokingly referred to as "Arcasia." I explored it in my series, "California Fool's Gold' in 2011. https://ericbrightwell.com/2011/01/04/california-fools-gold-exploring-arcadia-the-san-gabriel-valleys-community-of-homes/

Downtown Los Angeles is a region of Central Los Angeles which is home to many small neighborhoods and districts. I explored and mapped it for my series, "California Fool's Gold," in 2011. https://ericbrightwell.com/2011/03/15/california-fools-gold-a-downtown-los-angeles-primer-2/

Echo Park is a neighborhood in Mideast Los Angeles (MELA) named after a park built around Echo Park Lake. I explored in 2010 for my series, "California Fool's Gold." https://ericbrightwell.com/2010/02/22/california-fools-gold-exploring-echo-park/

Dayton Heights is a small neighborhood in Los Angeles. I explored it for California Fool's Gold and made this map as part of the process -- as seen on TV! https://ericbrightwell.com/2022/11/03/california-fools-gold-exploring-dayton-heights/

The San Gabriel Valley is one of the principal valleys of Metro Los Angeles. It's a fascinating region and I made a new map of it for a post about 626 Day (26 June), also known as San Gabriel Valley Day. https://ericbrightwell.com/2022/06/17/happy-626-or-san-gabriel-valley-day/

Pioneertown began life as a livable Western film set in 1946. When Westerns fell from fashion, Pioneertown fell on hard times. However, after the old Cantina reopened as a roadhouse (now Pappy & Harriets), things began to turn around and today Pioneertown is home to the Pioneertown Hotel, Red Dog Saloon, and other businesses -- and about 420 residents. https://ericbrightwell.com/2022/06/08/california-fools-gold-exploring-pioneertown/

On Lunar New Year's Day of 2022, I visited the small Los Angeles neighborhood of Larchmont Village for my series, California Fool's Gold. https://ericbrightwell.com/2022/02/03/california-fools-gold-exploring-larchmont-village/

Whittier is a city in Southeast Los Angeles (County), separated from the San Gabriel Valley to the north by the Puente Hills and sharing a border with Orange County to the southeast. As of the 2020 Census, it had a population of 87,306, making it the 21st most populous city in Los Angeles County. It’s named after John Greenleaf Whittier, a Quaker, an abolitionist, and one of the so-called fireside poets. I explored it and drew this map for California Fool's Gold. https://ericbrightwell.com/2022/01/19/california-fools-gold-exploring-whittier/

My watercolor and oil paint map of the Hawaiʻian islands, with their indigenous names (sorry "Midway"!) From my series, "Where Fool's Fear to Tread." https://ericbrightwell.com/2021/06/19/where-fools-fear-to-tread-a-snapshot-of-hawai%ca%bbi-o%ca%bbahu-and-kaua%ca%bbi/

Yucca Corridor is a neighborhood in the Hollywood region of Los Angeles. In the 1980s and 1990s, it was notorious for its crime. Today it's calmed down somewhat. https://ericbrightwell.com/2009/06/25/california-fools-gold-exploring-yucca-corridor/

Santa Barbara is a resort town on California's Central Coast. I visited in 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, wrote about my visit for California Fool's Gold, and painted this map. https://ericbrightwell.com/2021/02/03/california-fools-gold-exploring-santa-barbara/

In 2019, Belle & Sebastian organized a Mediterranean cruise featuring them and a whole host of other bands, including Camera Obscura, Teenage Fanclub, Tracyanne & Danny, the Vaselines, and Yo La Tengo, Buzzcocks, Alvvays, Campfire Social, Django Django, Elisabeth Elektra, Hinds, Honeyblood, Japanese Breakfast, Kelly Lee Owens, Nilüfer Yanya, Wet Look, Whyte Horses, and Wojtek the Bear. It was my first cruise -- and although I had a great time, quite possibly my last~ https://ericbrightwell.com/2019/10/14/where-fools-fear-to-tread-cruising-the-mediterranean-aboard-the-boaty-weekender/

This is a piece of art created by musician Joanna Wang of my cat/son, Alan Dingus. He is a fluffy giant -- usually nice but sometimes prickly. It was part of my Coronavirus Pandemic Art Exchange. 這是我的貓/兒子Alan Dingus的音樂家王若琳創作的一件藝術品。他是個蓬鬆的巨人-通常很善良，但有時卻多刺。這是我的冠狀病毒大流行藝術交流的一部分。

Glendale is the fourth most populous city in Los Angeles County (after Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Santa Clarita). Residents of a townsite chose the name "Glendale" in 1884. It was incorporated on 15 February 1906. Armenian Americans comprise over one-third of the population.

Wilshire Park is a small neighborhood west of Koreatown in Midtown Los Angeles. It's home to the home seen in on the television series, My Three Sons. I explored it in 2009 for my series, "California Fool's Gold." https://ericbrightwell.com/2009/10/08/california-fools-gold-exploring-wilshire-park/

The theme song to the West Covina-set television series Crazy Ex-Girlfriend described West Covina is "the pride of the Inland Empire." It coule be said that that show put West Covina "on the map." Unfortunately, that map is not at all accurate. West Covina is in an altogether different county, Los Angeles, to be precise -- not the Inland Empire (i.e. Riverside and San Bernardino counties). I put it on the map in the correct place -- in the San Gabriel Valley.

Temple-Beaudry is a neighborhood of Mideast Los Angeles (MELA) named after the intersection of Temple Street and Beverly Boulevard. Its greatest attraction, arguably, is Vista Hermosa Park.

Wilshire Center is one of those somewhat vague sub-regions of Midtown Los Angeles defined around Wilshire Boulevard -- along the lines of Mid-Wilshire or Mid-City. There are, nevertheless, LADOT signs posted at what one would assume to be its borders -- although the northernmost extend into what is generally regarded to be East Hollywood. This, then, is my compromise and an attempt at a more sane definition, which includes Koreatown and Little Bangladesh, and areas otherwise undesignated to the east, west, and north.

Definitions of what constitutes the Inland Empire vary; the smallest include just the cities of western Riverside County and southwestern San Bernardino County. Others extend the term to include the Coachella Valley, including Palm Springs. The broadest definitions include all of San Bernardino and Riverside counties. The latter, it's hopefully clear, is the definition depicted with this map.

Walnut is a small suburb in the eastern part of the San Gabriel Valley. It is named, I expect, after the Black Walnut, a tree indigenous to Los Angeles. I explored it for my series, "California Fool's Gold," in 2009.

West Adams, historically, refers to a sub-region of Los Angeles centered along West Adams Boulevard. Today, it also refers to a newer neighborhood of South Los Angeles, also bisected by West Adams. Thus, this map is distinguished as "Historic West Adams."

Terminal Island is an augmented mudflat in the San Pedro Bay. It was formerly home to a Japanese fishing village and the center of canning and shipbuilding. It is today home to the busiest port complex outside of Asia as well as a prison. I explored it for my series, "California Fool's Gold," in 2014. https://ericbrightwell.com/2014/12/16/california-fools-gold-exploring-terminal-island/

Silver Lake is a restaurant in the Mideast Los Angeles (MELA) region. It is famously Los Angeles's "gayborhood," having been the birthplace of the Advocate magazine, Light House Book Store, the Black Cat protest (the nation's first planned gay rights action), the Mattachine Society, and countless gay bars. One of its affectionate neighborhood -- a reference to both its demographics and hilly topography, is "the Swish Alps." I explored it for my series, "California Fool's Gold," in 2010. https://ericbrightwell.com/2010/06/08/california-fools-gold-exploring-silver-lake-los-angeless-gayborhood/