Album Los Angeles city from Don Barrett (aka DBs travels)

LA Hollywood fandom (#0954)

nobody@ipernity.com (Don Barrett (aka DBs travels)) — Sun, 20 May 2018 05:49:06 +0000

Don Barrett (aka DBs travels) has posted:

Central Hollywood, midafternoon, middle of the week. Mid-April. No matter when you hit this section of Hollywood, you’ll encounter lots of tourists watching the street performers and trying to see the sites.

Here at TCL (formerly Grauman’s) Chinese Theater with what I assume is an advertisement for some derivative of the Planet of the Apes movies.

LA Hollywood fandom (#0955)

nobody@ipernity.com (Don Barrett (aka DBs travels)) — Sun, 20 May 2018 05:49:08 +0000

Don Barrett (aka DBs travels) has posted:

Central Hollywood, midafternoon, middle of the week. Mid-April. No matter when you hit this section of Hollywood, you’ll encounter lots of tourists watching the street performers and trying to see the sites.

While I typically run in horror from doing a guided bus tour, I’ll have to admit that I once had a friend who narrated them and he had a style that could have create an engaging tale around a tour of used car lots.

LA Hollywood fandom (#0953)

nobody@ipernity.com (Don Barrett (aka DBs travels)) — Sun, 20 May 2018 05:49:03 +0000

Don Barrett (aka DBs travels) has posted:

LA Roxie Theater (#0951)

nobody@ipernity.com (Don Barrett (aka DBs travels)) — Tue, 01 May 2018 07:42:55 +0000

Don Barrett (aka DBs travels) has posted:

The Roxie Theater, one of the three contiguous theaters in the 500 block of Broadway. The Roxie is the newest of the three, opened in 1931 on the site of what was Quinn’s Superba Theatre. The theater closed in 1989 and the former lobby is currently used as retail space. As noted on the adjacent picture, the Roxie, Cameo, and Arcade are owned by one individual and there have been multiple redevelopment plans which would alter the space. The Roxie is the only art deco style theater among the theaters of Broadway. The source below has many pictures of the Roxie over the years.

Source: losangelestheatres.blogspot.com/2017/11/roxie-theatre.html

LA Broadway history (#0950)

nobody@ipernity.com (Don Barrett (aka DBs travels)) — Tue, 01 May 2018 07:42:49 +0000

Don Barrett (aka DBs travels) has posted:

When I took this picture, my focus was on one theater, the Roxie. At the time I was somewhat curious about the Cameo that was next door, but only when processing the photos did I notice the third, the Arcade – I’ll focus on the Roxie in the next photo. All three theaters were part of a much larger cluster of theaters that opened on Broadway in the early 1900’s when vaudeville and early cinema were booming parts of the increasing urbanization that accompanied industrialization.

The Cameo (the big pink billboard on top) opened in 1910 as Clune’s Broadway, in 1924 it was remodeled and opened as the Cameo. It closed as a theater in 1991 and all of the seats have been removed, though the 1910 décor is intact. It, along with the adjacent Arcade (below) and Roxie (next picture) are all now owned by the same person and there have been multiple plans to redevelop the area. The source listed below provides quite a bit of detail about the Cameo and links to discussions of the redevelopment plans.

The Arcade, only partially visible on the right side of the picture, opened in 1910 as the Pantages, a vaudeville theater. At some point it was renamed as Dalton’s Theatre, and was renamed the Arcade in 1928. The theatre closed in 1992 and has since been used as retail space; like the Cameo, the seats have been removed from the auditorium and the space used as storage, with the décor apparently remaining intact.

Sources:
Cameo: sites.google.com/site/downtownlosangelestheatres/cameo
Arcade: sites.google.com/site/downtownlosangelestheatres/arcade

LA Biddy Mason Park (#0938)

nobody@ipernity.com (Don Barrett (aka DBs travels)) — Sun, 29 Apr 2018 03:43:57 +0000

Don Barrett (aka DBs travels) has posted:

Copy of document of, apparently, 1860, granting freedom to Biddy Mason. (See adjacent pictures)

LA Biddy Mason Park (#0937)

nobody@ipernity.com (Don Barrett (aka DBs travels)) — Sun, 29 Apr 2018 03:44:00 +0000

Don Barrett (aka DBs travels) has posted:

An additional photo of Biddy Mason park, a surprising ‘pocket park’ in downtown LA honoring Mason who was moved to California as a slave in 1850, was freed, and became a successful midwife and landowner. See the additional photos, below, from a visit in the past:

www.flickr.com/photos/donbrr/35669571966

www.flickr.com/photos/donbrr/35321973460

LA downtown 'housing' (#0944)

nobody@ipernity.com (Don Barrett (aka DBs travels)) — Fri, 27 Apr 2018 06:55:46 +0000

Don Barrett (aka DBs travels) has posted:

825 S Hill St, a 50 story residential development, in downtown LA – I’m sure the units will be quite affordable :)

I couldn’t find much detail on the development, but here’s a lead: urbanize.la/post/onni-groups-825-south-hill-rises-dtla

LA Jewelry Center (#0942)

nobody@ipernity.com (Don Barrett (aka DBs travels)) — Fri, 27 Apr 2018 06:55:44 +0000

Don Barrett (aka DBs travels) has posted:

629 S. Hill St, originally the Sun Realty Building, built in 1930-31 with a blue-green terra cotta exterior. The building is one of many in the area of downtown LA that became known as the Jewelry District. While the area had some jewelry stores from the 1920’s, more of the surrounding office buildings (and theaters) were converted into jewelry manufacturing and retail in the 1960’s. The area is purportedly the largest jewelry district in the United States, with over 5000 businesses and sales of close to $3 billion – see the Wikipedia article.

Building description: www.laconservancy.org/locations/los-angeles-jewelry-center
Jewelry district history: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewelry_District_(Los_Angeles)

Los Angeles (#0933)

nobody@ipernity.com (Don Barrett (aka DBs travels)) — Fri, 27 Apr 2018 06:55:40 +0000

Don Barrett (aka DBs travels) has posted:

Office towers of downtown Los Angeles, from a parking garage south of these towers. Surprisingly, our newest 'star', the tallest building west of the Mississippi, isn't visible from here -- it's behind the Wells Fargo building on the right.

I’ve always found downtown LA to be geographically disorienting. The way the streets are layed out and the way the architecture is oriented, I’m always thinking that the direction I’m looking in this picture is North and that west would be to my left, but in fact I’m looking mostly west.

Hollywood Capitol Records tower (#0795)

nobody@ipernity.com (Don Barrett (aka DBs travels)) — Tue, 14 Nov 2017 09:05:05 +0000

Don Barrett (aka DBs travels) has posted:

Historic Capitol Records tower in Hollywood. It’s hard to believe this building was completed in 1956 – it’s design seems far more advanced than that era.

For many years the building was easily visible from many angles and thus stood out as a landmark for many Angelenos. In recent years there has been quite a bit of controversy regarding construction of other high-rises in Hollywood that would obscure the view of the tower.

Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitol_Records_Building

LA State Historic Park (#0634)

nobody@ipernity.com (Don Barrett (aka DBs travels)) — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 22:12:02 +0000

Don Barrett (aka DBs travels) has posted:

Fruit trees recently planted in the park, each wrapped with a quote from members of the local community.

LA State Historic Park (#0633)

nobody@ipernity.com (Don Barrett (aka DBs travels)) — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 22:11:58 +0000

Don Barrett (aka DBs travels) has posted:

Downtown LA from a raised platform in LA State Historic Park. Just to the left of center is a 2-car Gold Line train that has just left the Chinatown station.

LA State Historic Park (#0631)

nobody@ipernity.com (Don Barrett (aka DBs travels)) — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 22:11:50 +0000

Don Barrett (aka DBs travels) has posted:

Landscaping at LA State Historic Park. The watercourse and all of the greenery in the park are fed by recycled water.

LA State Historic Park (#0630)

nobody@ipernity.com (Don Barrett (aka DBs travels)) — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 22:11:44 +0000

Don Barrett (aka DBs travels) has posted:

Park benches designed to discourage sleeping.

LA State Historic Park (#0632)

nobody@ipernity.com (Don Barrett (aka DBs travels)) — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 22:11:36 +0000

Don Barrett (aka DBs travels) has posted:

LA State Historic Park is a park near Chinatown and Union Station, built on what was formerly a Southern Pacific depot and railyard. The railyard was, for many years, referred to as the Cornfield due to the corn that had sprouted from seed leaked from the rail cars.

These signs are apparently a memorializing of the efforts to create the park. The railyard became available in the 1990’s and was initially slated to become a warehouse district but community and environmental activists, spurred by the lack of public green space in Los Angeles, protested that the area should be a public park and not commercially developed (the signs document that protest). In 2001 the state purchased the land and turned it over the California State Parks for development, but budget issues delayed the development of the park for 16 years – when I lived in LA this was a large and accessible, but mostly unstructured green space. It was only in recent years that the area was landscaped for use, and the park officially opened in April of 2017.

Sources:
History of park activism: thisparkismadebypeople.net
LA Times story: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_State_Historic_Park
Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_State_Historic_Park

LA Biddy Mason Park (#0644)

nobody@ipernity.com (Don Barrett (aka DBs travels)) — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 07:10:58 +0000

Don Barrett (aka DBs travels) has posted:

Detail of one of the panels in the park. A description of each of the panels is at: www.publicartinla.com/Downtown/Broadway/Biddy_Mason

LA Biddy Mason Park (#0643)

nobody@ipernity.com (Don Barrett (aka DBs travels)) — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 07:10:53 +0000

Don Barrett (aka DBs travels) has posted:

A surprisingly hidden park in downtown LA. The park commemorates the complex, difficult, and very successful life of Biddy Mason who was born into slavery and died as one of the wealthiest women in Los Angeles.

Mason was born into slavery in Georgia in 1818 and not freed until 1856 when her master took her to California and a sympathetic judge freed her (California forbid slavery). In slavery she learned to be an expert nurse and midwife, occupations which she maintained throughout her life. BUT, being that she was in California, she became wealthy in the California way – through owning real estate in the developing area of Los Angeles at the same location as what is now the park. She died in 1891. The following link provides a fascinating story of her life: la.curbed.com/2017/3/1/14756308/biddy-mason-california-black-history
….
Though having explored LA culture and specifically its downtown for 20+ years, I had never heard the story of Biddy Mason and would not have discovered the park if not being led to it by a friend who had, himself, only recently discovered the park. (The memorial was erected in 1989)

Biddy Mason Park is in an alley-like space that is literally between Broadway and Spring in the 300 block (between 3rd and 4th). The easiest way to find it is to go to 333 S. Spring and walk through the arcade at that address, you’ll find the park at the back of the building. The prettier way to reach it is through a tiny tree-lined park running alongside a restaurant as 332 S. Broadway, again is at the back of the building. There are NO street signs pointing you towards the park.

LA "Pope of Broadway" mural (#0637)

nobody@ipernity.com (Don Barrett (aka DBs travels)) — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 07:10:46 +0000

Don Barrett (aka DBs travels) has posted:

Restored “Pope of Broadway” mural of Anthony Quinn. The mural, originally painted in 1985, commemorated Anthony Quinn’s status as a Latino artist who made it in Hollywood and illustrated the possibilities for future Latinos. The restoration of the mural was part of a project to revitalize the Broadway corridor in downtown LA. ( www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/culture/la-et-cm-anthony-quinn-pope-of-broadway-mural-eloy-torrez-20141028-story.html )

Since Quinn is famous for playing a Greek (particularly in Zorba the Greek), and since I had not known he was Hispanic, I checked his biography on IMDB (link below). Per that, he did play ‘ethnic minorities’ in a number of movies, but very often that was either as a Greek or Arab, only sometimes as a Hispanic. Interestingly, he is acclaimed for his stage performances as Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire.
IMDB: www.imdb.com/name/nm0000063/bio?ref_=nm_ql_1

Los Angeles Arts District (#0453)

nobody@ipernity.com (Don Barrett (aka DBs travels)) — Wed, 08 Mar 2017 07:59:14 +0000

Don Barrett (aka DBs travels) has posted:

Abandoned warehouse art?