Clinton Neighborhood In June

By Sara Rowley - Fifteen minutes of true quiet in my neighborhood is hard to come by. I am at the median that runs diagonally through the intersection of E. 18th Street and 12th Avenue, where large rocks sit under a wide-limbed oak tree. It is not busy, though I can hear the sounds of two birthday parties from this spot. The first is taking place at the apartment complex across from my house, where they are playing Notreño music. The second party is all indoors, but I hear bits of Cantonese conversation mixed with toddler yelps.