Category: Eagle Rock

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CD 14 Community Events Eagle Rock Sylvan Sounds

Sylvan Sounds: Free Concert in the Park on October 10th

A photograph of a jazz band playing in front of an amphitheater
Nate Mercereau Ensemble in 2021 – photo by Glen Han

TERA is pleased to announce Sylvan Sounds: a FREE concert at the historic Sylvan Amphitheater in Yosemite Recreation Center featuring Jeff Parker Expansion Duo, a collaboration between acclaimed local musicians Jeff Parker and Jeremiah Chiu. The event will include an additional to-be-announced artist, as well as sounds by DJ Scottie McNiece.

This concert is co-presented with the generous support of Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, and in collaboration with local in-garden music series Living Earth, legendary Eagle Rock event producer Fixed Point Events, expansive record label International Anthem, and the wonderful staff of Yosemite Recreation Center.

A poster for an event: Sylvan Sounds, Saturday, October 10 - 4pm Jeff Parker Expansion Duo with Jeremiah Chiu Yosemite Recreation Center in Eagle Rock. Free. All Ages. Bring a blanket. International Anthem DJ's before & after. Visit livingearth.la to learn more

Sylvan Sounds: Jeff Parker Expansion Duo
Saturday, October 10, 2026, 4pm-8pm
Sylvan Amphitheater, Yosemite Rec Center
Free! (map location)

RSVP

We invite you to join us for this family-friendly event! Bring a blanket or seat cushion, a picnic and water, your friends, family, neighbors, and/or well behaved pups. We kindly request that you don’t smoke or bring alcohol into the park.

Sitting on a hillside adjacent to Occidental College’s campus, the Sylvan Theater was constructed in 1931 as an emergency jobs program project during the Great Depression. The amphitheater is accessible from Yosemite Drive, the La Roda Avenue cul de sac, and via a pedestrian gate on Campus Road.

Image courtesy of the Eagle Rock Valley Historical Society

Sylvan Sounds is an effort spearheaded by TERA’s Public Spaces working group. This initiative seeks to activate and improve Eagle Rock’s local parks and public spaces. TERA advocates for care through use, and is engaging with the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks to help maintain and improve the Sylvan Theater. If you are interested in being a part of this effort, please let us know!

TERA is a 501c3 non-profit neighborhood association fueled by the support of neighbors like you. Please consider supporting our work so we can plan future events by becoming a member. Donations to TERA are tax deductible within Federal limits.

BECOME A TERA MEMBER
Categories
Community Events Eagle Rock Eagle Rock Connections

TERA Community Walk: Exploring Hill Drive

A graphic showing Eagle rock homes that says, "Eagle Rock Connections: Exploring Hill Drive with Ryan Johnson. Saturday 9.26.2026 9am. Meet at Unincorporated Coffee - 2160 Colorado (corner of Eagle Rock Boulevard)
RSVP

Join TERA member Ryan Johnson on a FREE walking tour of picturesque Hill Drive with some short detours to talk about some local history. We’ll gather at Unincorporated Coffee (2160 Colorado) around 8:30am-8:45am to grab a coffee and will head out promptly at 9am.

Kids are welcome and the walk will generally be on flat streets. We will walk a 3 mile loop and should be back at Unincorporated Coffee around 11am.

This event is free but we welcome your donations, which will help us to plan future walks. TERA is a 501c3 nonprofit and donations are tax deductible within Federal limits.

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Community Events Eagle Rock Eagle Rock Connections

TERA Community Walk: Yosemite 2 Fiji Hill

Eagle Rock Connections: Yosemite 2 Fiji Hill with Colleen Corcoran
RSVP

Join TERA board member Colleen Corcoran on her favorite hillside streets, stairs, and trails in Eagle Rock. We’ll start at ROCK Coffee (4808 Townsend) for a coffee before we head out at 9am.

Kids are welcome, but we will be on some steep streets and trails where strollers are not accessible. Hiking shoes recommended! We will walk a 2.5 mile loop and should be back at ROCK before 11:00.

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Community Events Eagle Rock Eagle Rock Connections

TERA Community Walk: Rec 2 Rec

Eagle Rock Connections: Rec 2 Rec Walk with Claire Bowin sat. 2.21.26 8am start at Yosemite Rec Center

Our TERA Public Space Committee is working to highlight and improve walking and biking connectivity in Eagle Rock — on our boulevards, and neighborhood streets, our sidewalks, trails, stairways and parks. 

We’re kicking off this work in 2026 with a walk led by TERA member Claire Bowin, an urban planner, landscape designer, ceramicist, and longtime Eagle Rocker. She’ll share with us her favorite route connecting Yosemite and Eagle Rock Rec Centers, and we’ll discuss walking, pedestrian safety, and the sites of Eagle Rock along the way. 

Join us Saturday 2/21, 8am–10am
meet in front of Yosemite Rec Center

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Eagle Rock Environment Safety Transportation

Public Space Committee

a bicyclist on the trail in the back of Yosemite park

This committee explores opportunities for new projects like park activations, pocket parks, and other public space improvements around Eagle Rock, while continuing and expanding TERA’s ongoing work on safety initiatives like Slow Yosemite and Rock the Boulevard.

Connectivity to & Activation of Existing Parks

TERA is working to strengthen the role of our existing parks — Eagle Rock and Yosemite Rec Centers — as vital community hubs. This committee is exploring ways to increase access and connectivity to these parks, making them more inviting for all Eagle Rock residents. These efforts include simple programming and activation strategies that can bring neighbors together here and help these spaces to serve the diverse needs of our community.

Pocket Parks & Pop-Up Public Space

TERA is also working to identify opportunities to create permanent or temporary small-scale “pocket parks” in underutilized spaces throughout Eagle Rock. Mini-parks or pop-up parks can serve as neighborhood gathering spots, provide respite in dense areas, and contribute to the overall livability of our community. By reimagining vacant lots, awkward corners, underutilized parking, and other unused spaces, we can increase access to nature, seating, shade, and recreation space.

Safer and More Walkable Streets & Sidewalks

Eagle Rock’s walkability is central to our neighborhood character, and this committee is continuing TERA’s ongoing work to make our streets and sidewalks safer and more accessible. We are working to identify priority areas with existing safety issues and/or potential funding sources to make the biggest impact on street safety and comfort. This work will build on TERA’s ongoing Rock The Boulevard and Slow Yosemite initiatives, extending safe and accessible street design throughout Eagle Rock. By creating a more connected network of safe and pleasant walking and biking routes, we can enable active transportation, support local businesses, reduce car traffic, and foster the kind of street-level community interactions that make Eagle Rock special.

Getting involved with our Public Space Committee:
Please let us know if you are interested in getting involved!

 
Categories
Business Eagle Rock Small Business

Happening in Eagle Rock

Sign reading Downtown Eagle Rock

Recognizing that Eagle Rock’s unique small businesses are at the core of what makes our community a special place to live, work, and spend time in, TERA’s Happening in Eagle Rock initiative seeks to promote Eagle Rock as a vibrant commercial community and destination.

Honoring past TERA President, Greg Merideth, Happening in Eagle Rock takes its name from an anonymous social media account that Greg ran from 2021 until his passing in 2024 in order to promote local businesses and local activities in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Addressing Vacancy and Turnover:
Longstanding vacancies and high turnover in select properties within our commercial districts hold back our community from being a premiere destination for goods, services, food, and entertainment. Just as TERA worked diligently to help restore the then-vacant Eagle Theatre and bring Vidiots to Eagle Rock, TERA is focused on working collaboratively to fill vacancies large and small within Eagle Rock.

Promoting a Mix of Business Types:
Commercial districts best serve their local community when they provide a mix of services, shops, restaurants, and entertainment. By working collaboratively as a community and with property owners, TERA seeks to meet our community’s needs locally and avoid oversaturation of individual business types.

Supporting Existing Small Businesses:
One of the things that makes the Eagle Rock community so special is our mix of family-owned legacy businesses that have served our community with care and compassion for decades, alongside passionate and creative young entrepreneurs who have chosen Eagle Rock to open their new businesses. The TERA newsletter’s Local Business Spotlight series promotes Eagle Rock businesses by telling their story. Additionally, TERA is working to develop a kit that helps to demystify some of the common code and regulatory challenges that small business owners face.

Facilitating Local Events in Eagle Rock
From 1999 until 2018, Eagle Rock hosted the Eagle Rock Music Festival, a unique outdoor festival that activated Downtown Eagle Rock and featured local musicians. TERA is working to identify opportunities to host local events in Eagle Rock that bring our community together and bring customers to our local businesses.

Getting involved with Happening in Eagle Rock:
Please let us know if you are interested in getting involved in the Happening in Eagle Rock initiative!

Upcoming Events:
Happening in Eagle Rock Regular Meeting
Tuesday, September 8th, 6pm-7pm
RSVP for location

Recent Events:
Happening in Eagle Rock Vacancy Walk Audit
Tuesday, October 21, 6pm-9pm
Location: Yellow Paper Burger

Categories
Business Eagle Rock Small Business

Local Business Spotlight

As part of TERA’s Happening in Eagle Rock initiative, TERA regularly spotlights local small businesses. Know a local business that is interested in being spotlighted? Let us know!

Restaurants and Bars:

Coffee Shops:

Retail Shops:

Beauty & Wellness:

Entertainment:

Organizations:

 

Categories
Eagle Rock

Supporting Local Business and Vibrant Public Space in Eagle Rock

As we head into fall, TERA is kicking off our work on two new committees that came out of our strategic planning process in March:



TERA’s Public Space Working Group will support safer and more accessible streets and sidewalks, as well as improvement, activation, and and access to park space in Eagle Rock. This committee This committee will continue and expand TERA’s ongoing work on safety initiatives like Slow Yosemite and Rock the Boulevard, and we will also explore opportunities for new projects like park activations, pocket parks, and other public space improvements around Eagle Rock.

TERA’s Happening in Eagle Rock Initiative will support new and legacy businesses in Eagle Rock with local knowledge and assistance with code compliance, to sustain and grow local economic development and community events. We are also beginning an audit of vacant storefronts in Eagle Rock, and we hope to help pop-ups and permanent businesses fill those spaces in the future. 

We’re looking for volunteers to get involved in both of these working groups. Reach out to us to find out more, if interested!
We’ll continue to share more volunteer opportunities and other ways to get involved with TERA soon. 

 

Categories
Eagle Rock

Planning for 2025 and Beyond

TERA board members at our 2025 strategic planning meeting

Friends-

I am happy to report that the TERA Board of Directors had a successful strategy session on March 8th. An enormous thank you to Vidiots for being our host, and to our experienced coordinator, Sara Daleiden. Our conversation built off of the important feedback we received in the community survey that we shared in December. Thank you again to all who helped by providing important insight on how we can work to make Eagle Rock an even more vibrant community.

In the coming months, we’ll share the ideas to benefit Eagle Rock that we developed. We’re excited about getting to work and about working with the broader Eagle Rock community to bring these new initiatives to life.

 

Sincerely,
Michael MacDonald

Categories
Eagle Rock

Finding Hope in Community

Friends-

I am writing this at a time when fires continue to ravage Los Angeles, from the Palisades Fire on the Westside to the Eaton Fire uncomfortably close to our home of Eagle Rock. While the power is back on in our neighborhood and our air is starting to get better, our sidewalks, homes, and yards are littered with ash and soot—a lingering reminder of the destruction we have witnessed. Across Los Angeles we are mourning the victims of these devastating wildfires and only beginning to comprehend the effects of this tragedy.

This week, I have spoken with friends and neighbors in Eagle Rock who have had this fire uproot their lives, and I have been grateful for the neighbors who have formed a network to share information about power outages, street access, and air quality. Besides the air and the power outage, the largest impact at our house was several large tree branches downed by the winds. We could not have moved them to clear the sidewalk without the generous help of our neighbors.

All across the city, I am thankful for the first responders who continue to work to keep these fires at bay, for all of those who have provided temporary shelter for those in need, for all those that have volunteered to help at donation sites and emergency shelters, and for all of those that have stepped up to provide support through sites like GoFundMe to the many families who have lost their homes. These wildfires bring with them immense grief and sadness that will be lasting. Our community and responsibility to one another are one of our strongest tools for recovery.

The TERA Board had a retreat scheduled for January 11 to work on our strategic planning for the next year of advocacy. For obvious reasons, we were forced to postpone, but we have set a new meeting for March and will be hard at work over the next months advocating for Eagle Rock and learning how to navigate challenges in this changed city.

In the broader view, I am concerned for our shared future: a world in which the effects of our climate crisis are so plainly seen, where national politicians treat tragedies like this as a game, and where our already broken housing market is further strained. But for now, I am thankful and optimistic in having seen the strength of our community showing up for one another in the face of this disaster. Together, we will welcome in neighbors who have lost their homes, and we will work together to build a more resilient and vibrant community for ourselves and for generations to come. In us, I find hope.


Wishing you and your loved ones a healthy and safe recovery,

Michael MacDonald