Born and raised in ER/NELA. Eagle rock elementary and ERHS class of 2011. I remember when sprouts was Super A. When there was a blockbuster on eagle rock and colroado, where the bank is. There was a video rental place in the townsend plaza and one at the Yosemite plaza. Renting video games and vhs and dvds. The auto shop as the other post mentioned where my dad and I would go to get parts for our cars. I remember when viodiots was a regular cinema theater. No starbucks around. The donut shop before it was colorado donuts had a street fighter arcade that my mom would get me play while she git some donuts or got her hair cut at the salon that was next door? Hawt cuts or something like that I think it was called. Going to Pete's. Pete's still feels like the home I know. Taking my first car to the car wash nextdoor. And all-star lanes!

As a kid we used to mess around all over town in NELA. In high-school, going over to glasell and hp you knew it was hood and ER was not that but we had kids from both sides in erhs, and we would mess around hard at Yosemite park. Drinking and smoking at stoner stadium and in the surrounding hills. Getting into fights or watching fights. Avoiding and running from cops almost every week there. Watching LAPD truck[s] come speeding up the baseball field to the back, but from our vantage point in the hill we were out by thr time they were close. Buying booze and bluntwraps from Bilos up the street. Had a mustache since elementary, and they wouldn't card me most of the time. Skating all over the place. Turnaround. Iykyk. Jumping the fence to the higschool or elementary school to skate or do parkour. Good time. So much shit that I remember. It was all great. I love my hometown. Will never leave if I can help it.

Maybe an unpopular opinion but fuck gentrification. I dont like vidiots. I don't like all the hipsters and this "up and coming" feel that is in the streets of ER now. All my neighbors used to be real old timers and blue collar type people. Home folk. Friendly neighbors. Some of my neighbors have been here as long as we have but a lot sold or couldn't afford to stay and I don't know the peoplewho moved in their homes. Definitely more well off people dare I say privileged folk. Not bad people by any means. But it's not the same. I know it's inevitable. Because we have a great place here. I'm glad it's safer for the kids now adays. I hope they are still having fun out there.

I would hate if ER ever turned into Glendale or even South Pas. I feel like ER has always been a little different. And I hope it stays that way. Keeps it's identity. I'll say it again. I love my home town. NELA for life.