Our search through the depths of the Internet turns up one of those weird places in Los Angeles that you never hear of. Say hello to Frogtown, or what some people now refer to as Taylor Yard. Frogtown, named after the amphibians that used to call the adjacent section of the LA river home, includes some peculiar buildings painted to resemble a French village. From a post on Los Angeles' Journal we get the following explanation:
In 1978, the Los Angeles city government in conjunction with a prominent artist, arranged to clean up and repaint a run down neighborhood and known gang area. Frogtown which lies between Glassel Park and the Silverlake district had a history of gang activities dating back to the 1950’s. To help reform the very folks who frequented the area, Juvenile Hall inmates were used to do the painting. After more than 25 years, the loving attention to detail given to many buildings in the area has endured. The lack of tagging in this area stands as testament that this is a neutral and protected ground even among the modern gangs that still frequent the area. More pictures of the Frogtown village at the link.
· Where to start and why! The past few weeks (Part One, the Photo Evidence) [Los Angeles' Journal]
· Frogtown along the Los Angeles River [LA Learning Exchange]