Works in Progress...On Location: August 2011

Friday, August 26, 2011

More of old Los Angeles...

Angel's Flight in downtown Los Angeles is called "the shortest railway in the world"...

first built in 1901...closed for a number

of years, and then rebuilt and reopened in 1996 in a new location...safety concerns have closed it periodically, unfortunate, since it's such a treasure...

...old and new...the view from Bunker Hill (top of Angel's Flight) with the billboard for "Green Lantern"

Two views of the Grand Central Market in downtown Los Angeles...

Another favorite building in Los Angeles...Charles Lummis built his home "El Alisal" between 1889 and 1910 from arroyo rocks and telephone poles purchased from the Santa Fe Railroad. A lovely and peaceful spot.

...across the Arroyo from the Lummis Home is the Heritage Square Museum, a collection of turn of the century Los Angeles buildings that were saved from demolition and moved here. Some of the buildings are still in the process of restoration, like this church.

Stepping into the beautiful waiting room of Los Angeles' downtown train station is to be transported back to 1939, the year it opened. The travertine and terra cotta tiles, elegant furniture and art deco fixtures have been refurbished since I was last there years ago.

Down the street from the train station is Philippes, a real Los Angeles institution!

Philippe The Original opened in 1908, and claims to have created the "French Dipped Sandwich". Fairly quiet in the early afternoon...at noon it's packed! The clientele is wonderfully varied...watch out for the hot mustard!

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Old Los Angeles

...is not an oxymoron! As a native, I love rediscovering the places that are really Los Angeles history...so, starting with Olvera Street, the oldest street in Los Angeles, and the original center of El Pueblo de Los Angeles...