Downtown From Within

AS MANY of you know by now, I have a strong affinity for Downtown Los Angeles. I've discussed countless times in class the beauty of it's towers and how they can be seen from miles and miles away in every direction. I've associated downtown as somewhat of Los Angeles' capitol, a grandiose modern day Oz. While many of us pass through it - or others who only stare into its distance from afar - rarely do we relish the opportunity to be within it. Luckily, opportunity came knocking at my door.

Yesterday, I visited my mother at her work to pick her up for lunch. She works off Flower and 8th in the Macy's Plaza on the 28th floor for a subsidiary law firm for Farmers Insurance. The view from my mother's office was breath taking. I didn't snap a shot, unfortunately, yet the view made one feel like a corporate giant looking out to a million little worker. On any other day, the sun would shine down the large towers but on this day, overcast got the best of us and the cloudy skies glided above.

The picture above is taken right outside Macy's Plaza in front of a disgustingly delicious sushi restaurant, Octopus (4 stars on Yelp). What captivates me about this image is that I know these buildings from afar. Numerous times, I've driven around the cosmopolitan architecture but rarely have I been up close.

These buildings play host to numerous businesses on every floor. Law firms, Accounting Firms, Entertainment Firms; all the busy districts coming together under one roof to make our city operate daily. Each major city has its own flair and their architecture is what sets them apart. Walking the streets of New York, one sees angry cab drivers on crowded streets and skyscrapers made of glass that extend pass the stars.

In Los Angeles, however, while on may see angry drivers on crowded streets, our buildings are humble and our design is eccentric. Each building has its own personality and every entry way is a gate into another metropolitan world.

-- Michael Flores
photo credit: Michael Flores