Starting with beyond: As in beyond belief the variety of Grand Theft Auto-style obstacles the city threw at my friend Cindy Bennett* as she converted her art studio/home to an art gallery/studio/home (she received Community Redevelopment funds for commercial conversion). It looks like all sides achieve level 39 in the end, though, as Ms. Bennett at long last celebrates the opening of her gallery North Hill this Saturday in Chinatown. Fittingly, her first exhibition will be of her own photographs, part of a Wyoming series of junkyards she began 12 years ago. The Corvair ("Unsafe at any speed") above is part of the show. Reception is open to the public: Saturday, June 28, 5 to 8 p.m., 945 North Hill St. Los Angeles.

*Chicken Corner connection disclaimer: Bennett took the Chicken Corner signature photograph, above top, of Rosie the dog at the Baxter Steps.

Elysian Park: Speaking of the badlands, the Echo Park Historical Society on Saturday offers its walking tour of parts of the east side of Elysian Park.

Please join us this Saturday, June 28 at 10 am for a walking tour of Elysian Park. The tour, which is co-sponsored by the Echo Park Historical Society and the Citizens Committee to Save Elysian Park, focuses on the lesser known but historically rich eastern edge of the park near Chinatown.

Starting Place: Fremont Monument at North Broadway and Elysian Park Rd. Reservations are required. The tour is free to members of the historical society and children under age 12; we ask a $5 donation of all others. Please reserve a spot by sending an email to ephs@... For more information, please visit the Walking Tour section of www.HistoricEchoPark.org.

Echo Park proper: Or improper. Scott Gold does an excellent job in describing the neighborhood council climate, in today's Times, article noted in today's Morning Buzz.

Welcomed by Abandoned Couches! All of the whining about Echo Park's unblogged couches? They're smart over there at Abandoned Couches headquarters. Turn the whiner into a contributor. Abandoned Couches has asked Chicken Corner to become part of their couch team. Of course, Chicken Corner said yes. Brilliant! No more oblivion for the abandoned couches (and sometimes chairs) of Echo Park. Or at least some of them. Chicken Corner plans to start blogging couches next week.

EP/nationwide: In the last couple of days I have seen license plates from the following states in the neighborhood: Alabama, Nebraska, Kentucky, New York, Iowa, Texas (x 4), Michigan and Cali.