How did you spend your childhood summers?
I believe this should be one of the first questions we ask the people who go on to become our partners and friends. Peering into the kaleidoscope of someone’s summer memories is an intimate way to discover how they became who they are beyond the demands of school and other obligations.
If their family took road trips, what songs did they sing along to in the car? When was their first plane ride — and was it to a dreamy locale or to visit extended family in another state or country?
What outdoor games did they play, and with whom? What was their first summer job, and how did they react when they held that first check between their fingers?
What corner stores did they frequent — and what was their favorite candy, cold drink, bubble gum or bag of chips? (Mine: Red Hots, Andy Capp’s Hot Fries and the blue raspberry-flavored ICEE that left our tongues the color of Smurfs).
The fun part about these stories is that their tellings can unfold over a lifetime. I’m not from L.A., so I love experiencing what it was like in the decades before I moved here through the tales of those who grew up in its neighborhoods. One of my favorite L.A. storytellers is my husband, Marcus.
During the spring, we visited the stunning new sculpture park, “sister dreamer: ode to the surge n splurge of south central los angeles,” that South Central native and artist Lauren Halsey labored over for nearly two decades. It is located on the corner of Western Avenue and 76th Street, right down the street where Marcus worked one of his first jobs as a teen: Teddy Bear’s Ice Cream Shop.
Like the ice cream parlor that once stood where “sister dreamer” stands, Teddy Bear’s is no longer there. And that was part of Halsey’s mission: to capture the erasures and forgotten histories while also celebrating the existing vibrancy and resiliency of her community.
While I was mesmerized by the 22-foot columns inspired by ancient Egyptian architecture, including the carved reliefs and sphinxes (bearing the likeness of Halsey’s family members and local heroes), I was just as intrigued watching my husband’s face light up as he pointed to the etched names of barber shops, cafes and corner stores from his youth. When he talked to Halsey, he thanked her for capturing the spirit of their community. Her canvas of choice, glass-fiber-reinforced concrete, shines like sand in the sun.
The park is a physical home for Halsey’s nonprofit Summaeverythang Community Center, which offers free tutoring STEAM workshops for kids, domino tournaments and even hosted the longest-running “soul-train” line ever this summer.
This is how summer gets etched into our memories.
Unfortunately, the art park is temporary. While the herb garden will remain, the sculptures are slated to leave L.A. this fall. As fleeting as a dream.
Don’t let summer fly by without making beautiful memories. In these pages, you’ll find all manner of ways to do that. A sampling: Explore L.A.’s stretch of Route 66 during its centennial. Partake in the multitude of family-friendly World Cup activations popping up across the city. And indulge in the best places to watch outdoor movies, attend concerts, buy fresh farm food and catch an ocean breeze.
