Highland Park resident Saúl Narro runs the Instagram account @TheNewYorkBlvd, where he informs Highland Park, Northeast LA and surrounding neighborhoods about the community and different events taking place, according to Narro.
Narro said he first started posting on Twitter in 2013 and opened his Instagram account in 2014.
“What basically got me started was I thought, ‘Why not do something like this to inform the community or let them know what’s going on?’” Narro said.
According to Narro, a friend of his has a popular Instagram account dedicated to Highland Park called @HLP90042, which now has more than 20,000 followers. Narro said his friend focuses more on Highland Park in general, while he focuses more specifically on York Boulevard.
Narro said he thinks about the high schools and colleges in the area.
“I know there’s a lot of students that come out here from different parts of the country, and they’re not aware of a lot of things in the neighborhood,” Narro said. “I thought, ‘Hey, why not let them know what’s going on and what’s happening in certain parts of the community?’”
Narro said he gets involved in the community and personally knows many of the business owners. He said he has become friends with the new businesses that have come to the neighborhood and frequently visits them to find out if they are having any events.
“I’ve collaborated with a few of the local businesses, and we’ve started business meetings,” Narro said. “That’s another way I get to know what’s going on and what they’re developing and have planned for the near future.”
Narro said he has built great relationships with Jugos Azteca, Joy, Belle’s Bagels and Café de Leche.
Matt Veneracion, general manager at Joy, said he has been working at the restaurant for seven years. According to Veneracion, he and Narro met early on when the restaurant first opened in 2018.
“He was really nice, and he seemed to know a lot about the neighborhood,” Veneracion said. “[He is] super hardworking and kind.”
Belle’s Bagels server Monique Muniz said she knows Narro from the neighborhood.
“He goes around introducing himself [to the neighborhood], and since Belle’s has been here for years on York Boulevard, I know he knows the owners JD and Nick,” Muniz said.
According to Muniz, when Belle’s Bagels opened up its whole restaurant in August 2024 and a lot of news outlets covered their story, Narro posted the articles on Instagram to advertise them.
Muniz said Narro posts neutral content but is a very positive person.
“There’s a couple of Highland Park social media accounts that I think are very one-sided, and he’s not—he stays neutral,” Muniz said. “If it has to do with the community, especially if they’re helping the community, he’s definitely going to post it.”
According to Narro, he is especially cognizant of the community because of the involvement of ICE in LA. Narro said he has partnered with multiple accounts and organizations to inform the community if ICE is spotted.
“We are a sanctuary city, so we want to make sure we protect our neighbors and our community,” Narro said. “That’s one thing that we have gotten a little bit more involved with because we want to make sure everybody’s safe and taken care of.”
According to Narro, he is also involved in athletic programs at Benjamin Franklin High School, and some of the businesses he collaborated with also helped at fundraisers for the school.
“They pretty much helped out, and that’s how we developed the relationships and became good friends,” Narro said.
According to Veneracion, it is important for businesses to connect with the community since they rely on them for business. He said that connecting with the neighborhood can help them tell if they are leaving a positive impact.
Narro said that businesses are not just here to make a profit.
“Most of those businesses are here for the community, not just to make money,” Narro said. “I always make sure to let them know that you take care of your community as well.”
Contact Francine Ghazarian at ghazarian@oxy.edu
