Twenty years ago, Ashlee Marie Preston was unhoused in the City of Angels but full of hope.
Today, she’s invited to speak on television, attend exclusive dinners and appearances at red-carpet events.
Yet, the journalist and activist who made waves in 2017 for confronting Caitlyn Jenner and addressing the plight of Black trans women remains as grounded as ever. In between working on projects and connecting with the entertainment industry's titans, in early September, I asked her to show me around the queer enclave of Echo Park. This Los Angeles neighborhood means everything to her.
“When everyone wants to go one way, I prefer to go the other way,” Ashlee laughs. Instead of a night out amidst the glitz and glamor, she opted for something more casual. “Minimalism is life right now,” she says.
Two miles north of Downtown L.A., Echo Park is a trendy neighborhood away from the tourist-heavy areas of West Hollywood and Beverly Hills. It’s a culturally diverse place, blending SoCal laxity, Chicano authenticity, and authentic queer joy.
Here, 20-something Preston came to ponder her life possibilities.
Our first stop was at Masa, located at 1800 W. Sunset Blvd, serving authentic Chicago Deep Dish alongside paninis, pasta, and baked goods. Though it opened at its present location in 2004, Masa’s history in Los Angeles stretches back to 1922, when they opened as a shop and dealership. Today, it continues to have a “mom & pop” charm and an oh-so-demure atmosphere despite its iconic status as one of the best pizzerias in all of Los Angeles.
Once seated, consider ordering your deep dish of choice; due to the overwhelming demand, it takes about 45 minutes to make. While you wait, look at their vegan menu and try their vegan mozzarella sticks and jalapeño egg rolls. As a non-vegan myself, I was surprised by the flavor and the portion sizes.
Come here with a very big appetite.
Courtesy Marie-Adélina de la Ferrière
“Everything is big in L.A.,” Ashlee Marie says as I take a savory bite into the vegan egg roll. We also ordered their non-vegan egg roll for our table, but I was hooked on the vegan version. "It's a very cute, cozy, casual place to go. This is my second time here this week!"
In between our bites, Preston reminisced on the past two decades in L.A. Originally from Kentucky, she moved to the city hoping to start anew. However, her early dreams were soon shattered as she experienced transphobia in the workplace. "That was a really, really difficult time for me," she shares.
Though battered, she refused to give up.
Our next stop was Cinnaholic, a bakery at 2134 Sunset Blvd., which makes gourmet cinnamon rolls and other treats. Originally founded in Berkeley, five hours north of Los Angeles, Cinnaholic pitched its franchise business on ABC’s Shark Tank in 2014. Since then, it has opened over 100 locations in the U.S. and Canada, providing customers with vegan baked goods. I ordered their Caramel Apple Pie Bun, featuring caramel frosting topped with fresh nuts and fruit, a brownie (corner sides only!), and their seasonal pumpkin bread.
Courtesy Marie-Adélina de la Ferrière
Though she’s a familiar face on television and the speaker circuit, attending festivities hosted by GLAAD or even Out, Preston finds the greatest joy in being away from the cameras and parties in the ritzy spots of Hollywood. “No matter how bigger and better things get for me, I always feel more comfortable in places like this,” she gesticulates around us, the bakery in a small but busy plaza late at night. "Give me this any day!"
Our last stop was somewhere all too familiar for Ashlee Marie Preston: Echo Park Lake, located at 751 Echo Park Avenue. Once a reservoir providing drinking water to Angelenos, it is now an iconic urban park and the crown jewel of the surrounding neighborhood.
For Preston, it was a place of refuge and reflection.
As a young Black trans woman, unemployed and unhoused, Ashlee Marie ventured to Echo Park Lake almost daily to rebuild the dream denied to her when she first moved here. She would sit and meditate, whisper her dreams to the flowing water, and storyboard the life she wanted.
Her manifestations have certainly come to fruition.
Courtesy Marie-Adélina de la Ferrière
“These are the same waters that have watched me grow,” she says calmly, as couples walk dogs peacefully while LED-lit swan paddle boats move gracefully in the water. Now 40, Ashlee Marie discusses the changes in her approach to life, shifting from the activism she was known for to focus on her personal and spiritual growth. Still, Echo Park Lake and the surrounding neighborhood take her back to the early days.
“This is such a full-circle moment,” she smiles.
And what does she have in mind for the next twenty years? “Being the esoteric Oprah,” she laughs. Aside from her work with KaleidoCollective, she’s working on a couple of projects, from shining light on untold figures of American history to a docuseries on individuals with extraordinary psychic and spiritual gifts.
Returning to my hotel at Palihotel Hollywood, Preston reflects on her journey thus far. Living the life many dream of—especially Black trans women—Ashlee Marie Preston has endured and thrived through it all. “This has been a journey,” she affirms. Though she now lives high up in Beverly Hills, Echo Park will always have a special place in Ashlee Marie’s heart.
And after spending a few hours in the neighborhood, I can understand why.
Masa of Echo Park is open from 11 am to 10 pm, Wednesday through Sunday. You can book a reservation or order online at masaofechopark.com. Cinnaholic is open Monday through Sunday at various hours daily and is available to order for pickup or on major dining apps. Visit cinnaholic.com to learn more. Echo Park Lake is open to the public daily. Swan boats are available for rent, starting at $13. Palihotel Hollywood is located at 7023 Sunset Blvd. in the heart of Hollywood, part of Palisociety’s collection of unique hotels and residences that provide style, comfort, and excellent hospitality. Visit palisociety.com to learn more about this and their other locations.
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