Handmade tamales and mariachi tunes await.
When the new Metro Gold Line extension rumbles into Boyle Heights this summer, it will bring visitors from all over the city to a neighborhood that has long been a threshold for newcomers. Named for Irish immigrant Andrew Boyle, it has been home to Jewish, Japanese and Mexican arrivals over the last century. Today, the predominant Mexican community has shaped this bluff above the L.A. River into a vibrant center of cultural pride where bright murals, handmade tamales and mariachi tunes await. Along the area’s main artery, named for labor leader Cesar E. Chavez, you’ll find trendy fashion boutiques next to traditional botanicas…