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Donate to Eastside Cafe: Maycrest Bungalow Collective

“From our perspective, art does more than merely illustrate or ornament the world. Art helps make the world. Creative Arts activity carried out by the bearers of tradition encourages people to look, listen, and feel in new ways. It draws on the past that has never gone away to envision and enact a future that is not yet here. Art is not an ornament of collective life, but rather its essence” (George Lipsitz et, al, Saludarte, 2020) 

We, the undersigned, call for a transfer of the Historic Maycrest Bungalows to the community development corporation of the El Sereno community’s choice. The Eastside Café has been collaborating with the El Sereno community to acquire the Maycrest Bungalows for the past 18 years. Caltrans itself, in June 2010, under a previous administration, promised and supported in writing to work with the Eastside Café to restore the Bungalows and the Almont House and repurpose the Bungalows into a Traditional Arts and Culture Space. Now, Caltrans has once again broken its promise. We 100% support and endorse the Eastside Cafe’s and the El Sereno Community’s effort to establish the Maycrest Bungalows as a Traditional Arts and Cultural space. 

In August 2023, Caltrans granted the Maycrest Bungalows to HACLA (Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles), which initially planned to destroy the Bungalows and rebuild affordable housing units. Extremely important to note is that in May of 2025, the bungalows were designated as El Sereno’s first L.A. Historic-Cultural Monument. The best way to honor this designation is to repurpose the Maycrest Bungalows according to the community's plans. 

These bungalows are more than buildings; they serve as custodians of the cultural heritage that has defined the El Sereno community. The Community would be better served if the Maycrest Bungalows were in the hands of a community-based organization in which we, the community, have a voice and a vote. Preserving the Maycrest Bungalows' architecture is part of our dream and a vital aspect of the plan to develop the Maycrest Bungalows and the Almont House as an Educational, Traditional Arts and Culture Space for our community.

We, the undersigned, fully endorse the transfer of the MBs to a non-profit of the community’s choice and the development of the Maycrest Bungalows and the Almont House as an Education, Traditional Arts and Culture Space.