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.)

Voices from today and yesterday as Off-Ramp marks the 20th anniversary of the Rodney King Riots - which started April 29, 1992 - with a special hour-long program.

KPCC reporters on Driving While Black, be happy in downtown LA with kids, Getty Foundation director assesses Pacific Standard Time, and why restaurants are so damn noisy.

OC man marries a Filippina he met online, raising ire & eyebrows; new online incarnation of LA-based Cracked Magazine; a Grilled Cheese Invitational judge prepares

Alina Szapocznikow's work got more intimate when she got cancer ... why did James Kim lose his ability to speak his native Korean? ... AirSplat and hiring vets ... LA's only known superhero.

Off-Ramp special documentary "Airborne: A Life in Radio with Orson Welles," from R.H. Greene.

During KPCC's Spring member drive, hear the best of Off-Ramp both on air and online: South Bay student poems, Tom Jones, "Columbo" and more!

A Pogues founder explains why Shane MacGowan had to go - The Negro Problem couple's very public breakup - What does that graffiti mean? - GeoCache with Zorro

Off-Ramp's John Rabe goes in-depth with James Fearnley, founding member of the Celtic/Punk band The Pogues, which turns 30 this year.