The intersection of Aldama Street and Milwaukee Avenue in Highland Park is primarily a residential area, a mix of apartment buildings and modest single family homes.

There are, however, two small mom-and-pop style markets on Aldama.  The larger of the two markets is Los Paisanos on the corner of Milwaukee and Aldama.

Until recently, Los Paisanos was painted white, and its owners, the Antonios,  state it was often a target for graffiti vandals.

Then, in an effort to combat the tagging, the Antonios contracted with ALZA for a paint job and his trademark graffiti style signage.  Whatever else can be said of ALZa, young taggers do seem to leave his artworks alone.

Here is the ALZA job, complete with a "Wild Style" tag message along the side of the building.  (More about Wild Style Grafitti here, heck, you can even buy Wild Style fonts for your computer)

A neighbor in the area complained to the City about the new signage.

The city of L.A. ordered it painted over.  The Antonios state the street- variety taggers have returned.

Local media has taken up the Antonio's cause

Read the Los Angeles Times story by Steve Lopez here

Here's the KABC-TV story

Local bloggers, walterrrrr and El Chavo, are not exactly ALZA fans, and are less sympathic.

Me?  One of the remarkable things about being an "older woman" is that one can get away with a shrug and a sigh.  It is what it is.  :-)