Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi" goes "they paved paradise, and put up a parking lot." Well ... what if they tore down a cool place to ... improve public transit? (Insert sound effects of a Progressive's head exploding here.)

Anyway, that's what happened. The Atomic Cafe, at 422 East First Street in Little Tokyo, was a famous punk gathering spot. It closed in 1989 and the building was demolished in 2015 to make way for the subway's Regional Connector.

But luckily for Off-Ramp listeners, dublab's Mark "Frosty" McNeill created an audio love letter to The Atomic Cafe that debuted on Off-Ramp in 2016.

And when I wrote to let Mark know, he wrote back:

The timing of the podcast episode is perfect. We're actually having a free, all ages event on Saturday, May 7th 4-8pm at Union Station to celebrate the Deep Routes radio series I've been producing with Metro Arts. 

You don't need to RSVP, just put it on your calendar now, and show up on the 7th in your hightops, ripped skinny jeans, and Union Jack t-shirt. 

Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

(Off-Ramp theme music by Fesliyan Studios.)

This story is weird even by today's standards. It starts in Milwaukee, where Dolly Oesterreich secretly kept her teen lover Otto in the attic of the house she shared with her husband Fred. When Dolly and Fred moved to L.A., Otto moved, too; and was reinstalled in the attic of the Oesterreich's house in Silver Lake.

Everything was fine until one night in 1922, and for the rest of the story, we turn to Robert Petersen, host of the podcast The Hidden History of Los Angeles.  

But wait, there's more ... I've updated this story with a new interview that may creep you out as much as the original version, which was broadcast on 1/29/2017.

Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

(Off-Ramp theme music by Fesliyan Studios.)

We meet one of the hundreds of party princesses who work in Southern California; Patt Morrison remembers her friendship with Marlon Brando; Brains On!, the science podcast for kids; LA's secret tunnels.

"Kogi" chef Roy Choi and Patt Morrison on the LAPL's menu exhibit -- I grew up on Bunker Hill -- a new strategy to restart Angel's Flight -- the coyote catcher -- the gang war rumors

Jeffrey Vallance's new show, "The Medium is the Message" ... Brains On! explores kids and language ... are robot underpants the next fitness trend? ... Factchecking "True Detective's" bullet train plotline ... Tired of lists separated by elipses?

Amy Heckerling helps us celebrate the 20th birthday of "Clueless," Molly Knight gets the bakcstory on the Dodgers sale, and we dig Glendale's historic Rockhaven Sanitarium.

Slide on over to San Pedro's Sunken City neighborhood; cleaning up after the Lake Fire; Brains On, the science podcast for kids and curious adults.

As Neil Diamond once said, "Summer love/They call it summer love/But oh, how it feels/And I don't believe make believe." Our bills aren't make believe, and neither, we're sure, is your love for KPCC.

We tour the district with outgoing City Councilman Tom LaBonge; we get a preview of an exciting new podcast; we get a distaff view of "Inside Out;" and hear what it was like to be a kid on the set of "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory"

To celebrate the new Eames Anthology, we talk with the editor and an Eames grandson; Ray Bradbury's Red File; rescuing the brown recluse from its bad reputation.