Joe D'Augustine sent me an email about Thursday's LA Times story about the relocation of the homeless from downtown to other neighborhoods, including Echo Park.

In light of this I thought I'd let you know that I've seen a homless guy asleep a few mornings in the vacant lot [at Avon and Baxter]. He's not there all that much, and he's always gone by, like, 9:30 am but every once in a while he's curled up in his sleeping bag just above the intersection. So I have noticed a new homless presence here in EP.

The lot is a hillside next to the famed Baxter Stairs. It's all dirt and scrub -- part of several undeveloped lots, I believe. There's a footpath that cuts through part of it. I've seen coyotes on the footpath, and I have seen dog walkers who say it's a good place to walk. It's ringed by some of the nicest houses in Echo Park.