Nestled in Downey Gateway, get to know the adventurous flavors and welcoming spirits of the
Portos
by Katelynn Guzman, Rikki Velasquez, and Amanda Rubio
Follow along with a review of Cuban-inspired pastries and the bliss of holiday spirit in the heart of Downey’s baked goods, Portos.
Donchente
by By
Laila Barrera and Arissa Nava
A delicious platter of Mexican dishes from Donchente reviewed on the strip of Downtown Downey.
Downey City Library by Viviana Alba and Alisson Naranjo
The Downey City Library offers From a large selection of books to hands-on workshops, the Downey City Library ignites and plays a vital role in the community.
Hall of Fame Deli by Isabella Gomez and Chrtina Rhinelander
Downey’s Hall of Fame Deli offers a variety of sandwich selections.
The Locker Room by Chrisopher Armenta, Allen Morales, and Arianna Dominguez
The Locker Room of Downey offers much to the eye with various sporting merchan-
Yougurtland by Tatiano Galindo, Sandra Enchavarria, and Denisse Rodriguez
The tasty Yogurtland franchise located in Downey Gateway has cups of flavor to offer!
Infinity 333 Salon
by Elias Garcia and Brandon Diaz
Follow along as a Downey Legend staff member experiments with a haircut at the
JOP OPPORTUNITIES
Second Tyme Around Shoppe
by Alyssa Portillo and Frank Hoyos
The hidden wonder of Downey, Second Tyme Around Shoppe, offers an abundance of loved items to gift for the holidays
Avenue Pizeria
by Zachary Pepaj and Sarah Pastora
A local and delicious pizza spot reviewed by video, scan the QR code to listen!
By Katelyn Castaneda, Angelena Maqueda, and Alexis Cazares
Discover the many opportunities to give back to the Downey community, including job opportunities at local businesses and franchises.
EDITOR IN CHIEFS
Alanis Martinez and Zinadin Rosales
MULTI-MEDIA MANAGERS
Rikki Velasquez and Katelynn Guzman
PHOTO EDITORS
Alisson Naranjo and Viviana Alba
COPY EDITORS
Christopher Armenta and Arianna Dominguez
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER
Alexis Cazares
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Elias Garcia, Frank Hoyos, Katelyn Castaneda, Isabella Gomez, Alyssa Portillo, Tatiana Galindo, and Denisse Rodriguez
WRITERS
Christina Rhinelander, Allen Morales, Angelina Maqueda, Zachary Pepaj, and Maribel Magdaleno
ILLUSTRATORS
Arissa Nava and Nadia Phuterson PODCASTERS
Angelique Ventura
VIDEOOGRAPHERS
Amanda Rubio, Sarah Pastora, and Brandon Diaz
ADVISOR
Michelle Napoli
CONTACT thedoweneylegend.com
ADDRESS
11040 Brookshire Ave, Downey, CA 90241
Classroom S-26
Editor's note
Advisor since 2009
Keeping News
Off The DL
Our staff of talented students has taken on a new challenge to produce a magazine enrapturing our community of Downey. Ranging from reviews to business locality, our Downey Legend digs deep to uncover voices in the Downey community. The staff range in varying positions, each having an opportunity to cover their stories with a different lens. The Downey Legend is dedicating this magazine to apprehending the heart and soul of our lively community. With fresh perspectives to capture the diverse insights that Downey has to offer. The people and places that shape the foundation of our city.
By interviewing different businesses that drive our community, these stories uncover the history of beloved businesses. These spreads showcase not only the commitment of the talented people local to our high school. Fellow places that are visited by DHS students daily. Getting a local sweet treat or walking across the street to see what our city offers at the library has become a part of our everyday life. With creativity and commitment, we present a publication of stories. Our team is proud to produce a newsworthy magazine and share their hearings that reflect the community's personality and spirit.
Portos Holiday Review
Porto’s is a Cuban-style bakery and cafe that was established in 1960. Since 1960 they have been warming the neighborhood with their baked goods and cafe treats. One of their most memorable line of items that brings joy when it comes around is the Holiday Special. The Porto’s Holiday special contains gingerbread cookies, turkey and gravy potato balls, eclairs, cinnamon rolls, and pumpkin cream cold brews. The Gingerbread cookies had a soft cinnamon bread alongside the sugary sweet icing. This created a classic gingerbread cookie. The turkey and gravy potato ball had a crispy breading and a savory turkey with gravy mix. This made a memorable taste because of the warm Thanksgiving dinner anyone could easily take in one bite with this potato ball. The chocolate hazelnut and full chocolate eclairs both had toppings that were ready to melt in your mouth and creamy fillings. The chocolate hazelnut eclair was the perfect amount of sweetness and creaminess with an extremely soft bread.
The full chocolate eclair is perfect for chocolate lovers because of the heavy amount of chocolate that is outside and inside of the eclair. The cinnamon roll consisted of soft dough layered with cream cheese frosting. In addition, it was topped off with a mix of crushed almonds and cinnamon crumble. This combination leads to the cinnamon roll taking the spot of our favorite item. The pumpkin cream cold brew had the right amount of cream and a delightful balance of sweetness and bitterness. However, the taste of pumpkin was not as dominant as the taste of cinnamon, the cold brew still had a perfect blend of a creamy holiday. This menu mixes a warm and savory autumn with a sweet and delicious winter. Porto’s did an amazing job crafting this memorable holiday menu this year that fills our hearts and stomachs with delight.
Yogurtland
History
Since opening its doors in 2006 in Fullerton, CA Yougurtland has revolutionized the frozen yogurt experience.Founded by Phillip Chang, the vision was simple: deliver the highest quality ingredients and flavors to fill your cup with pure joy.
Now with over 250 locations globally, Yogurtland continues to expand, offering endless flavor combinations and topping options to satisfy everyone’s unique taste. Whether you’re craving something sweet, tangy, or a mix of both, Yogurtland lets you create your dessert masterpiece.
What is it?
Yogurtland offers a variety of flavors to choose from to create a tasty little treat. They offer the common ones of original tart, strawberry, chocolate, etc but they do have fun flavors. During the holidays they will put up at least two flavors coordinating with the holiday and promote their holiday themed cups and spoons!
Once you grab a cup, the amount is endless and you are able to choose whichever flavors and however much you want. That is the best thing about yogurtland: it allows for expression and freedom in the simplest way.
This destination is a place where you should at least visit once! Enjoy a tasty treat by designing your own yogurt for a small price. The small sizing of the location gives a cozy environment with many open seats indoors with the lively music, or outside on the benches or steps with the lights of Downtown Downey illuminating the area. The workers also demonstrate an enjoyable vibe by conversing with you at the register. Take your friends and families to yogurtland to enjoy!
The Vibes
Which festive combo are you grabbing this season?
Customers
Yogurtland, a place where many can go to grab a sweet treat with their family, friends or even loved ones. Walking distance away from Downey High, many students come after school with their friends and a lively environment is created. However, as the store begins to open, small clusters of families visit amd enjoy a morning treat to start off the day. Share the space with your friends while trying these unique and fun flavors creating the ultimate hangout spot.
Create!
This spread of delicious toppings lets you personalize your frozen yogurt exactly how you like it. Whether you’re feeling fruity, chocolaty, or a little nutty, each scoop becomes a masterpiece. Toppings not only add texture and flavor but also let you express yourself with endless combinations. So, go ahead and mix gummy bears with sprinkles or brownies with peanut butter cups—there’s no wrong way to create your perfect treat!
Share, Love, Enjoy!
Trying the holiday flavors, pictured: Tart+Cookies & Cream, strawberry+cookie batter, churro+peppermint, all include a festive taste you do not want to miss out on. Covered in a variety of toppings such as sprinkles, brownie bits, gummy bears, strawberries, etc do not affect the price of the treat as Yogurtland has made it accessible to many people.
Yogurtland is a friendly environment that you cannot get tired of as it provides a cozy atmosphere and endless happiness. So bring a loved one to share the ultimate little snack!
Infinity
333 Beauty
Infinty 333 works with the program, Wigs For Kids, that takes hair donations to make wigs for children. You can go to the salon to get your hair cut, and donated.
Infinity 333 Beauty is a local salon in downtown Downey that offers a variety of services for everyone. The salon offers everything from haircuts, body sculpting, nail work, Wigs for Kids, makeup, and more. Infinity 333 is a local business that prioritizes customer satisfaction above all else, and to put it to the test, we went there not as interviewers, but as costumers. The first thing that stood out was Max, a tiny and cute Yorkshire Terrier that is the saloon’s pet assistant. Max sits on the lap of the costumer tp provide some ease through the process. He was very well behaved, knew exactly what to do, and never once stepped out of boundaries. After being introduced to Max, it was time for the hair washing section. The salon has sinks in the back for washing hair, they have special seats made to ensure the process is as comfortable as possible. During the haircut, the stylist walked through the steps they made to ensure good communication as to what they were doing and why they were doing it.
Avenue Pizzeria
The indoor part of Avenue pizzeria can be seen as the perfect classic Italian interior: checkered floor and cushioned seats that welcome you with a smile as warm as their delicious pizza. In 1925, the location used to be a movie theater: the downtown staple has become a comfort food place for Downey students and pedestrians.
Exterior
The front of the restaurant looks gorgeous; however, the food is even better. As you sink your teeth into the pizza, you can feel the good times finally returning through its warm temperature and flavorful cheese, the seasoned pepperoni, and the well-cooked olives. No, there is not pineapple pizza avaliable which is a huge pro for those that know their pizza well. There are also empanadas avaliable along with desserts such as flan, cookies, and more. Furthermore, there are salads and coffee avaliable, taking a spin from a traditional pizza place. This place knows their chicken well, as there are also chicken wings avaliable in the flavors of buffalo, and the traditional avenue wings, which contain gochujang blue cheese dressing with fries. The taste and freshness illuminate the love the restaurant has for its customers making you want to keep returning.
"I love all the options they have and the pizza is really good!" -Downey High student.
Overall Service
The overall customer service was good; it was efficient and professional. The employees were polite and got our order correct. The menu was easy to understand and order from and we were also lucky enough to enter during the pizzeria's happy hour. The happy hour drives from 2pm-4:30pm, along with being open later on weekends for those who want to eat and watch events like sports games, matches, and tournaments.The happy hour prices are very flexible and affordable, especially for those who may not particularly be responsible with their wallet, or those who just have a lower amount of money in their wallets in general. The menu also had nice photos and appealing text, which helped us decide what to order.
"I love the resturant's exterior! It's so pretty!" -Downey High student.
The Downey City Library
Library
1
The Downey City Library is a place for the community to come together, whether its for the thousands of books with a vast variety of authors and themes, or for the welcoming study environment. The library has great resources for all Downey High students, making it full accessible with student’s very own “Downey One” library card. Students are able to use study rooms, workshops, and digital resources.
Children's Section
2
The children’s section of the library welcomes children of all ages who have limitless interests and imagination. There are countless picture books, educational books, comic books, and many more options for the children to select. There are tables and lounge chairs for the children and their families to read together, and a play area is also available for the kids!
Workshops
3
The library offers many workshops that the community can attend to express their artistic side, and their creations can be displayed for the public to view! Along with The Workshop, the library also offers The Studio, where people are allowed to record different types of media like podcasts, music, and design.
Study Environment
4 Variety
The library not only includes a social study area, but also provides individual study rooms that anyone can reserve for a maximum of two hours. There are countless desks and communal laptops, desktops, and chargers.
5
The thousands of books that the library offers are separated into several sections and bookshelves. Each book is grouped into sections with other books that match their theme, topic, or subject. There are roughly about 30 different bookshelves to choose from.
Tea Leaf Co. - Downey Coffee's, Teas, & More!
Located in Downey Gateway, 8272 Firestone Blvd, Downey, CA 90241
TPhotos/Words by Lisa M. Torres
Illustrator by Nadia Phutsorn
ea Leaf Co. - Downey is a Bubble Tea Shop located in Downey Gateway 8272 Firestone Blvd, Downey, CA 90241. It’s there for the community which is not seen that often since it’s tucked in behind other businesses. Tea Leaf Co. has many items with bubble teas, sandwiches, coffees, breads, and more. Representing Downey with another business for people to explore and check out. Business owner, Angel Medina, tells us how long Tea Leaf Co. has been in business and how business is going. “It’s going pretty well, it is in a secluded area, so it is um, not visible to the outside. But it has found its people. It’s found its regular customers, just people that come on a regular day basis.” Medina states, “It’s been in business a little over a year ago, since August of 2023. ” Medina shares what are the busiest times when working at Tea Leaf Co. “So my busiest times… It varies on the day. So the days like Saturdays, Fridays, Sundays, it can be either between morning or mid afternoon, and for example Thursdays, Wednesdays, or Tuesdays, those could be from the middle
of the day or to the evening time. So those would be the busiest times”. With regular customers and new guests, Medina expresses about being in the business and how it feels when customers purchase items. “I think it’s pretty fun, it’s like a nice little Mom and Pop shop, as you can see the decorations, I have a bunch of Christmas stuff like the tree, the snowman outside, things on the wall, and little tiny trinkets that have lights in it so I think it’s pretty fun to have it just be a creative memory”. Medina states. Along with customers purchasing an item, “Well it makes me feel normal I guess you can say, it’s kind of an everyday thing that I go through. At first it was also exciting to get a customer to have an item that I one, put on the menu or two that I provide them. But then as the year went by, I just ended up, kinda making it a day-to-day life normal thing.” As customers come along to purchase an item, Angel Medina continues to spread positivity and shares recommendations.
Tea Leaf Co. Downey Items and Owner, Angel Medina’s Personal Favorites
Contact Information:
Phone (562) 861 - 0553
Menu from clover.com
Delivery | Dine-in | Takeout
Instagram: tealeafcodowney
With most popular items and underrated items, Angle Medina shares delicious, refreshing, and cool items. “Ah man, there's a lot of popular items. I’ll start with the Vietnamese Coffee, that one is really really delicious, it’s a boundary creamer type of coffee. I do have the S’mores Frappuccino, that one's super delicious. I have a Thai Tea for the Milk Tea Boba, and the Brown Sugar Milk Tea, and a Brown Sugar Coffee Latte. Those are going to be our overall top picks for the Bobba Coffee stuff. Medina states, when it comes to underrated items, Medina thinks carefully. “Unterrate, ohh”, “I’d like to say like the Green Teas, umm people think like the Lychee Green Tea is super underrated but I think it’s really good. I think it has a nice Tart taste to it; it’s like a fruity sweet taste to it. So, I think the Lychee or if not the Lychee, the Blueberry Milk Tea. Those are the two underrated drinks I would highly recommend for them to try. When it comes to Angel Medina’s personal favorite items,
Medina shares wonderful drinks with a twist. "Abuelita Hot Chocolate is one of my personal ones. I have a whole list of Matcha Bars. so like the French Toast Matcha is one of the popular ones that I created. The Vanilla Iced Matcha, the Matcha Cinnamon, the Matcha Milk Tea, even though those are the recognizable drinks from other places, I made a special twist to them which doesn’t taste like other place’s drinks". With the Holidays approaching, Tea Leaf Co. Downey participates in putting Holiday menu items for people to try out. “Holiday items, so right now we have Eggnog Latte, I have the S’mores Frappuccino, it’s actually our seasonal.” Medina continues, “Not only is our S’mores Frappuccino really good, we also have our Abuelita Hot Chocolate, it’s super good, we can also put Marshmallows and stuff like that. Oh there's our Pecan Caramel Latte, it’s an Oat based Latte with a Soy based Foam, so that one is really really good.”
Upon entering Tea Leaf Co. in Downey, the shop itself is filled with warmth, cozy, fresh grinded coffee bean scent. Guests continue to be charmed with that shop itself with wonderful scents and varieties of drinks. Including snacks, TV, decorations, clean stationary, beautiful paintings, different sitting areas, and more.
New Guests Entering Tea Leaf Co. Downey
With many new guests arriving, Medina is ready to recommend and help customers when viewing the menu. Providing a warm and welcoming atmosphere in the shop. “I would say welcome, other than that I would ask them if it’s their first time, if it is, I would ask if they would want any recommendations because, not a lot of people know about Bobba drinks or coffees in general. So I would definitely recommend a popular item,” Medina states. “Something that a lot of people can relate to from past experiences.” At times, customers may have different experiences from different coffee shops, boba shops, and more.
When coming to Tea Leaf Co. Downey, Medina asks questions to see if it's their first time at the shop, their preferences, what they had in order for him to replicate based on what customers tell him.
“I’m like “Oh so what’s the drink you get from there?” they say, “Oh I get like, I don’t know, like something chocolaty, something whatever”, and I’m like “Oh what do you think it has?” and I can just replicate based on what they tell me and sometimes it comes out just as good or maybe even better or sometimes it’s like a flop, trial on error of things. So that’s what I would do with new customers”.
Special quote from Owner
Angel Medina, Owner of Tea Leaf Co. - Downey, reveals a special quote for others. “When overcome with adversity” Medina states, “Just keep pushing through, on the things that may seem wrong on the things that may seem that aren’t aligned to with what your family thinks, or with what your friends think, just keep doing what you wanna do because at the end of the day it’s your life”.
Nestled in the bustling main street of Downtown Downey is a quaint and beloved thrift shop: the Second Tyme Around Shoppe. Run by the Downey Assistance League since 1966, the shop serves as a way for people to give back to their community as well as clear out their closets. An interview with the staff gives greater insight into what goes on behind the scenes.
In the last couple of years, going shopping at a thrift store has become increasingly popular among young people. Dania Janczak, the current chairwoman of Second Tyme Around Shoppe, shares her thoughts on holiday shopping at a low cost:
What are some great holiday gifts that people can find here?
“Well, I think we have something for everybody here…I would say probably a mug would be good for somebody. We have vintage stuff, if people are into that. We have vinyl, vinyl records, that’s a big thing now. We have a lot of collectibles. I mean, you name it, we have it, and if we don’t have it today, we might have it tomorrow…”
WORDS BY ALYSSA PORTILLO
PHOTOS BY FRANK HOYOS
As the winter weather approaches, so does the Christmas cheer. With that said, thrift shopping is the perfect way to celebrate on a budget, according to Janczak:
“Is there anything in particular that sells well around this time of year?”
“The holiday decorations. People love the decorations…In fact, we did a Christmas extravaganza where you could come in and get first peek at it because we don’t actually open until Tuesday, so this was Monday night. We had already said the day before we knew that the Dodgers were going into the World Series so it was kind of iffy whether it was going to do well, but we still, you know, sold a lot of stuff.”
Aside from the financial benefits, shoppers can feel good knowing that they are giving back to their community. Second Tyme Around Shoppe is run solely by volunteers, who dedicate their time and effort into creating a wonderful thrift store experience. Gracie, a volunteer with Second Tyme Around Shoppe, shares what she enjoys about working there:
What is the best part about volunteering here at the thrift store?
“Getting to know the other women here, you actually work together, you get to know them personally. And knowing that the money we make from what we sell goes back into the community…everything stays here in Downey. So everything funds all our programs.”
"The money we make from what we sell goes back into the community...everything stays here in Downey."
The chairwoman also chimes in, explaining where the money the shop earns goes to:
“It’s donations that get sold and the proceeds go to all these programs that we have… We have scholarships, we have Operation School Bell, we have a dental program."
The shop is never short of volunteers, but they are always looking for more:
When do you usually get the most volunteers? Is there a steady amount year-round?
“I would say in the summer we have a little bit more…We have what we call our Sistines and they’re required to do service hours, so they come during the summer. We have the special ed kids from Downey Unified, over at Columbus. They come in on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for about an hour, hour and a half, and they straighten up and just kind of learn life skills.”
Overall, the Second Tyme Around Shoppe is a staple of Downtown Downey. It offers a great way to save on costs, but also provides for their city, spreading positivity all throughout.
"I think we have something for everybody here. "
Holiday Cheer For Everyone
Dania Janczak, chairwoman of the Second Tyme Around Shoppe, invites people of all ages to stop by and find what they are looking for. “I think we have something for everybody here,” Janczak said.
w w
Tacos Don Chente Downey
Ihad the Carne Asada Tacos, which were delicious. The meat was well seasoned and cooked to perfection. The tacos were paired well with the garnishes provided: lemon, cilantro, onion, and radishes. Alongside the tacos, I had a cucumber-lemon agua fresca that tasted fresh and homemade. The combination of tacos and agua fresca was delicious and I would recommend them to others for a lunch or dinner meal. The asada fries at Tacos Don Chente were rich in flavor. The meat and fries itself was perfectly cooked and was topped with nacho cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and pico de gallo. The asada fries came fresh out of the kitchen with a steam of deliciousness.
You cannot have a good meal without a refreshing drink. Tacos Don Chente has 3 refreshing agua frescas; jamaica (hibiscus), horchata, and cucumber lemonade. I paired the asada fries with a jamaica refresher to have the ultimate asada fries experience. The refresher was chilled and sweet, perfect for a relaxing drink after a hot day in the sun, or simply staying active and moving. I would definitely recommend this combo to anyone who is looking for a fun mixture of wonderful delicious flavors.
Pictured here is Don Chente's refershing agua de jamaica. This refresher works perfectly with any meal you eat.
WORDS AND PHOTOS BY: LAILA BARRERA AND ARISSA NAVA
Tacos Don Chente has 6 signature selections that everyone is talking about. They offer a broad selection from tacos to birria ramen, to even a dish including seafood. Their queso birria tacos are most liked. But they also have a choice for the not-so meat lovers, tacos de pescado (fish tacos). The fish comes fried, topped with cabbage, pico de gallo, and their house sauce.Tasty birria with ramen noodles; it makes a savory and delicious combination. If you liked the idea of the carne asada fries, then you might also like their infamous nachos supreme that includes nacho cheese, beans, sour cream, pico de gallo, guacamole, and choice of meat. If you're feeling a little more on the crazier side and want to try more things in one dish, try Don Chente’s molcajete mixto. This mix comes with steak, chicken, shrimp, and chorizo; with a side of rice, beans, and tortilla.
But, if all these delicious dishes aren’t really your style, you can never go wrong with Don Chente’s cheese quesadilla with a choice of meat. We all know a party isn’t a party without food involved. Don Chente offers services such as catering with a food truck or a taquero service,making it easier for one and their desired party. In the restaurant on some weekdays throughout the month, Don Chente turns into a fun environment where customers come in to eat and paint while listening to a live performer. They titled these events as “Sip n’ Paints.” Tacos Don Chente is a versatile business because of their savory food and fun activities.
The mural features famous singer Vicente Fernandez who is greatly influential in the Hispanic community.
If you're feeling a little more on the crazier side and want to try more things in one dish, try Don Chente’s molcajete mixto. This mix comes with steak, chicken, shrimp, and chorizo; with a side of rice, beans, and tortilla.
If all these wonderful delicious dishes aren’t really your style, you can never go wrong with Don Chente’s cheese quesadilla with a choice of meat.
Hall of Fame Market & Deli
Deli located in Downtown Downey which offers sandwiches, milk, ice cream, tobacco, coffee, snacks, and more
Hall of Fame Market & Deli is a deli/market located at 10846 Downey Ave, Downey, CA 90241.Their hours of operation are 6:30 AM-10:00 PM on Monday through Thursday, 6:30 AM-11:00 PM on Fridays, 7:00 AM-11:00 PM on Saturdays, and 7:00 AM-10:00 PM on Sundays. Their deli offers a variety of cuisines including sandwiches, salads, breakfast, soup, and pasta. The sandwiches they offer include ham and cheese, pastrami, bbq roast, and more. The sandwiches are highly customizable as ordered. They offer vegetarian and vegan options.
Hall of Fame Market & Deli opened in May of 2012 and has been open for almost 13 years now. The owner is named Mark Johnson and he attended California State University-Long Beach. His special skills include customer service, sales, sales management, team building, marketing strategy, and account management. His many skills surrounding marketing make him a great fit for his career as the owner of the deli.
The Deli is very convenient and is a great place to grab a quick bite. Their inclusive hours make it accessible for people who start work early or get out late. They offer multiple forms of payment like credit cards, debit cards, NFC mobile payments, SNAP/EBT, and tap. They have free parking and free street parking nearby. They are wheelchair accessible with both their parking lot and entrance.
The atmosphere of the deli is very homey and comforting. It’s quite large and the deli is toward the left when you enter, while the market is toward the right. The lighting is bright and everything is nicely organized. Everything was easy to locate and there was a wide variety of snacks and food to choose from. The parking lot is a great size for the deli and it’s easy to find a close parking spot. Everything was clean and seemed well-kept.
The deli offers a special for $12.99 which comes with any sandwich, a small bag of chips, a 16 oz fountain drink or a water bottle, a fresh baked cookie, and your choice of an apple, banana, or string cheese. We chose to purchase two specials. The first was made with an Italian sandwich. The Italian sandwich is made with capocollo, mortadella, salami, pepperoni, and cheese. It was very flavorful and generously filled. I would recommend the Italian sandwich if you visit the deli.
Furthermore, we tried the BLT sandwich with modifications. We added cheese and took off the tomato. The bacon was freshly made and extremely flavorful. The sandwich tasted fresh and was nicely plated. Lastly, we tried the freshly-baked red velvet cookie. It was decent but it was slightly overcooked in our experience. Overall, we had a good experience with the food at Hall of Fame Market & Deli and we would recommend it to anyone looking to grab a quick bite in Downtown Downey.
Words by: Cristina Rhinelander
Photos by: Isabella Gomez
Job Opportunities In Downey
Looking for a job this holiday season?
Legends Boardshop in Downey is currently accepting applications, with an 18-year-old minimum age. Starting December 10th, they are asking you to go in person to fill an application and a resume. If you enjoy skating, you may truly put your interests to use with this employment. If you're just looking for a simple first job, this is the ideal one for you. You may pick up a lot of new skills, like handling money, retail, and customer service. Legends Boardshop is a community skate shop here in Downey. The shop was founded in southern California est 1995. The store specializes in big skate brands that caters to beginners and regular skaters. They have a wide selection of foot wear, apparel, boards, and accessories. Legends provides expert advice on selecting and customizing gear. Their goal is to combine skateboarding with culture and lifestyle. Come support Downey’s local skate shop located at 8236 Firestone Blvd.
A wonderful time to get job. Especially around the holidays.
Whether you’re gearing up for the park, cruising the streets, or simply looking to connect with others with the same hobby, Legends Boardshop is more than a store but the heart of the skateboarding lifestyle.
There are over 60 different designs for not only skateboards but wheels for them as welll!!
WORDS BY PHOTOS BY
Spend Your Time learning new skills at Porto's
Porto’s Bakery in Downey is currently hiring seasonal workers with a minimum age requirement of 15 years old. Porto’s, a Cuban bakery, started in 1976 and since then has opened six different locations in southern California. Since Porto’s opening they have won awards such as number one on the top 100 list on Yelp and in 2021 they were voted best bakery in Southland.
As their popularity continues to grow, so does their demand for employees. In their Downey location they have more than 400 employees and are still continuing to look for more. Working in the front of the house pays 19 per hour, but working in the back of the house starts at 20 per hour. Enrique, the general manager, explains that Portos is more than just a job; it's a family and a community.
The advantages of working at Porters include flexible scheduling, competitive salary, health, vision, and dental benefits, life insurance, flexible scheduling, team member events, and excellent hours. Even though the marketing indicates that it's only a seasonal position, they will let you keep your job based on your performance history. APPLY APPLY APPLY! Before it's too late :)
Locker Room of Downey
Both Vivian and Ivan are grateful for the support they have seen and how much they have grown. It’s been really great. I mean, we’ve been super blessed, super grateful that we’ve had just such a growing base of supporters.” Ivan would later add, “I love what I do. I love my customers. I love what I do.”
Ivan and Vivian Ramirez are the two founders and owners of a core Downey business, The Locker Room of Downey. Ivan has been involved in the sportswear and related industry for over 35 years, working alongside his wife, Vivian in The Locker Room of Downey, which they have run for over a decade. Previously, their store was in Los Angeles but it was not performing as well as they hoped. So they began the discussion of moving their business. They were Downey residents, living, shopping, attending church, and more, all in the city. As a result, they decided to start something here on Downey Avenue. When they first opened up, Ivan described it as, “...nobody was here.” Portos had just opened, and only a couple stores stood on the street. Vivian described the scene, “You could stand out here for hours and no cars would pass by. Right here on Downey and Second.” Ivan described how business owners go into the world of business, staying hopeful they will be successful: “Nobody goes into thinking oh we’re gonna fail right?”
When the Locker Room first opened up 15 years ago, the initial dream for Ivan was to grow and expand. Vivian described how Ivan had a clear vision for the business, “He thought if we could just get people in the store, people will like the merchandise that we have. They’ll like our variety, they’ll like our selection, they will…just the brands that we bring in, and they’ll shop. "The problem was, getting those people in the store. "It took some time, but… we grew little by little over time.”
A Downey Business
Vivian added, “It [Locker Room] just kept growing…and then in 2020 and 2021, it kind of exploded.” During the COVID-19 pandemic, as businesses began to reopen, they were one of the first to do so. People wanted their goods, and they could provide. A hat and shoe craze would follow, and people lined up overnight, lines stretching around the corner to get the next new item.
The Locker Room grew past their original idea and expectations. It's a part of the community. People come from all around to The Locker Room. Downey residents, others nearby, even some 30, 40 miles away and out of state. Plus, people don’t just come to shop, they come to chat. People from opposing teams will chat and talk to one another about their teams and sports in a way that Ivan describes “...pretty amicable, pretty respectful.” The Locker Room has continued to participate locally and they, “eat locally, from Josephs to Yoly’s to Ola, Pescador, to all other people that are local. We support them like they support us.”
The Locker Room of Downey
Ivan credits their success to their dedication and hard work,"I never would have dreamed that we would have grown this big. It’s a testament to our hard work, like, we work every day” The Locker Room is closed only on 3 occasions, the day afterThanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day, open 362 days a year. Ivan would add, “We both work every day. I mean, my whole thing is no days off.” They also have the support of their children and team who help run the business.
Sports is what the Locker Room is about. Ivan mentioned, “I’m a [sports] fanatic myself. So, part of our business is the fan. So it’s a fan shop.” As a Trojan and Dodger fan, he put his knowledge and self when it comes to sports in building the store. He asked, “What would I want to buy? Bring the stuff that people wanna buy.” Their idea for the store was a store where sports fans could buy their team’s merchandise. But it isn’t just a store for the avid sports fan, but also a store that caters to people who like sports fashion. They have a wide range of products for all.
Los Angeles Dodger's Hats, along with sports license plates on the shelf behind.
Top: Various sports jackets from a multitude of teams. Bottom: Sports Jersey's, Figurines, Collector's Boxes, more.
