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The Toll On LA's Street Vendors
Hot dog vendor Chela says she plans to keep serving food on the streets of Boyle Heights. (Erick Galindo/Chava Sanchez for LAist)
All the street vendors that usually bring Boyle Heights sidewalks to life are gone.
It doesn't feel good. For a second, I can't breathe and I wonder if I got it. I woke up feeling what I assume or hope is a cold. Maybe allergies. Maybe it's just paranoia.
But for a moment, I'm drowning. My lungs stick together and I'm sure I have coronavirus. Then tears start coming out of me.
And I realize, it's not COVID-19. It's despair. It just hurts to see Los Angeles this way.
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
