My name is Vincenzo Brasington Caravella and I live in Atwater Village. Even though I’m just two years old, my Grammy and Papa keep telling me about all kinds of good stuff about where we live and how I’m a fifth generation Atwater Villager. They said that this year will 100 years for Atwater Village as a part of the big city of Los Angeles; and even though my family has not been here for 100 years this year does make 71 years in Atwater for my family.
It’s kind of a long story and I’m too little to tell it all, so I’ll let my Grammy help me tell you a little bit of what she knows about our families and the neighborhood.
My Great Great Grandpa Joseph Caravella, Big Daddy, came to Atwater in 1939 with Great Great Grandma Mable, Big Mamma. Their family had been in the grocery business in Birmingham Alabama and before that in Italy. They wanted to buy a little market in Los Angeles. They found the perfect property in the nice quite community of Atwater at the corner of Atwater Ave and Silver Lake Blvd. At the time, Silver Lake Blvd had four other “mom and pop” markets, Bill’s, Parnell’s, Marie’s and Queen’s. Papa Joe tells me there were no super markets then. How did they live without Traders Joes or Whole Foods? Anyway Big Daddy Caravella was able to borrow $500 and buy their grocery store. They named it after their son; my Great Grandpa Vince and the family ran the business there for the next 47 years. Go by there and see the murals. My Grandpa, Papa Joe, tells me that’s how it looked when he was a little boy in the ‘50’s and they used the truck painted in the mural to deliver customer’s groceries… for free.
My Great Great Grandmas; Millie Gould Caravella and Esther de Heras Brasington both went to Marshall High School Millie grew up in Atwater on Atwater Ave and Esther lived near by just off Sunset and Fountain. They were not the first of my family to graduate from Marshall my Great Great Uncle Jose de Heras was a member of the first graduating class in 1931. My Great Grandpa Buck Brasington and Great Grandma Esther moved to Atwater in 1947 Great Grandpa Brasington said that Atwater looked like a good neighborhood to raise a family. My Grammy and Papa meet for the first time when they were six months old, but that’s another chapter.
Both my Grandma and Grandpa, Grammy and Papa Joe, grew up in Atwater with Grammy going to Atwater Ave Elementary. She said it was a big school then all made out of bricks. Papa Joe went to Holy Trinity Catholic School. The Church is still there just about the same, but the old school is gone with a new school now for the kids. Grammy and Papa even got married there a long long time ago.
My Daddy and Uncle grew up in Atwater with my Grammy and Papa and they kept up the family trend and went to Atwater Elementary and to Marshall High School. When my Mamma and Daddy decided to buy a house, they wanted to stay in Atwater so it looks like I will be growing up here too.
I already have my favorite’s places for numm numm (that’s good eats to big people). I can hardly go past the noodle house or the place for arroz con pollo without pulling Grammy in, it smells so good. Plus I love to visit Ms. Lourde’s birdie shop. Well I have to go now its time to walk down the street and see teacher Julie at my Rock Toddler Music class. I guess Grammy is right…she says she always is…Atwater Village is a very good place and we should be proud to have generations of family members who loved living here and tried to help make it the good place it is today.
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