For Leonardo Crespo, owner of the Mexican-American restaurant Tenampal, his shop’s location on 1st Street is almost ideal. In the daytime, Tenampal’s colorful facade attracts passersby on a busy block nestled between the Mariachi Plaza and the giant freeway overpass that cuts through Boyle Heights.
Darkness obscures Crespo’s storefront, however, once the sun sets. Eastsider LA recently reported a major outage of several streetlights along the northern side of 1st Street. The outage reportedly has been going on for months.
Crespo said the streetlight outside Tenampal hasn’t been on since this past Summer. The restaurant closes most days at 5 p.m. though Crespo has to keep the storefront lights on at night to deter taggers from writing on its walls. This action deters vandalism successfully at a cost.
“I grew up in this neighborhood so I know how it works. If it’s dark, it’s easy for you to write [paint words illegally on a wall],” Crespo said. “ The business lights are keeping it lit but It’s coming out of my pocket now.”
Crespo texted a photo of the inoperable streetlight to 311, the city’s non-emergency phone line for service requests but did not receive a response.
The LA Bureau of Street Lighting, which is responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the city’s streetlights, did not respond to Boyle Heights Beat’s multiple requests for comment regarding maintenance efforts.
The outage seems to be concentrated in this area though other shop owners based throughout the street have noticed their blocks are also darker than usual. Amy Tam, who runs the neighborhood’s vegan bakery Cake Girl out of St. Louis Pharmacy, says she notices the absence of light when she opens up early in the morning. “I do wake up and come early enough for it to be still dark and it’s kind of scary,” Tam said.
Local record shop Sonido Del Valle, which is located near the corner of 1st Street and Chicago Street, stays open in the evening thanks to a loyal clientele, store manager Manuel Aguirre said. It’s not lost on Aguirre, however, that surrounding streets are obscured. “It’s super dark on both St. Louis and Chicago north of 1st. It can be pretty hairy up there for sure,” Aguirre said.
The exact reason for the outages isn’t clear but Pete Brown, a spokesperson for Councilmember Kevin de León, said copper wire thieves are to blame. Individuals have been known to strip copper wire from electrical boxes causing blackouts such as the recently reported outage along the 6th Street Bridge. Last Spring, the LA City Council passed an ordinance authored by Councilmember de León allotting $500,00 to the Bureau of Streetlights for maintenance efforts.
Brown, however, believes the issue isn’t as simple as replacing wiring as soon as it’s stolen. According to Brown, the LA Bureau of Street Lighting is taking creative measures such as cementing boxes to make it harder to break into them, or eventually replacing electrical lights with solar-powered models. “This is something we’re actively working on, in terms of repair but also prevention,” Brown said.
While city officials figure out a way to keep streetlights on, several Boyle Heights blocks will be kept in the dark.