La Chica Mala Aka Cynthia Curiel

I got to know the neighborhood in 2010, when I started coming here for roller derby practice. (The rink is directly across the street from Brown Sugar Kitchen.) I liked what I saw and ended up moving here from San Francisco in 2012. There are a lot of families buying homes and a huge number of artists living here. It’s a very diverse community. There are fancy, fancy lofts that the commuters live in, and then there’s the low-income housing. Then I see people like me. It’s an interesting place. It’s not perfect, but it’s sunny and affordable. I can’t emphasize enough how much I love my house and my yard, and the sunshine. I rarely have time for a sit-down breakfast, but I come to Brown Sugar Kitchen every morning for coffee. I used to bring a jar of vanilla syrup to add to it. It’s just something I have to have, but then Tanya noticed what I was doing and she started making vanilla syrup just for me. I’m sure I’m the only one who ever orders it, but it’s always here for me.