Like Houdini, Magic Gas recently has been shaking off the shackles of our expectations, like so many old feathers and mixed metaphors. A gas station that just sells gas, oil, Twinkies and the newspaper? Try Halloween costume parties for the kids, two patio gardens behind bars – the cages where mechanic’s customer’s cars used to be kept for their own protection. And now try a full-blown café, with a smoking section and a nonsmoking section (can you smoke at a gas station?). Rumor has it that one of the Downbeat’s behind the counter folks is moving to Magic Gas and that the café is opening soon.

Recently, the new owner of Magic, undertook such improvements to the place as a fancy sign, purple and gray and yellow-green paint and the aforementioned garden amenities. About a year ago, she bought out Aramis, who had owned the gas station for 19 years. Aramis always looked stressed out, as though something unspeakable had just happened or was about to. And who knows, maybe it was, or did. I hope he gets a chance to relax now. Perhaps on the downside, it appears that the mechanics’ services no longer are needed, if patio tables in the garage area is any indication.

A couple of weeks ago, one of the women who work at Chango told me that Magic Gas welcomed moms and strollers in its patio area, that the owner had in fact asked that the folks at Chango tell their customers that they should feel free to buy at Chango and consume at Magic.

“You won’t have the exhaust [from cars on Echo Park Ave.], the traffic, the bird droppings [from pigeons who perch above the sidewalk where Chango’s café tables are situated], the cigarette butts,” she told me.

Yeah, but I like watching people, and cars sometimes, too. But, when they open, I’ll be curious to see if Magic Gas is a good place to while away the hours, as well as a pit stop.

Hexod.us, a cool Echo Park site, has an archived story about a shoe-box bomb that wasn't, at Magic Gas.

Photo: Magic Gas, July 2006 (Days of $3.5+/-)
By Cindy Bennett