Hannah Carter Japanese Garden

Photo Credit: http://hannahcarterjapanesegarden.com/ 

     OVER THE weekend I searched for some beautiful nature in Los Angeles, which is hard to come across in a city made of interweaving freeways and buildings. My search on the internet lead me to the Hannah Carter Japanese Garden located in Bel-Air. The garden's website says, "the Hannah Carter Japanese Garden is modeled on the gardens of Kyoto. The beautiful hillside garden was designed by noted Japanese garden designer Nagao Sakurai in 1959 and constructed between 1959 and 1961. It is recognized as one of the finest examples of Japanese gardens in Americas and was donated to the University of California in 1964." I fell in love with this place and the natural beauty before I could see it in person. The pictures I've seen on the internet look like they were actually taken in Japan. There is more green than I thought possible to find in Los Angeles. I could hardly wait to go to this garden and forget what city I was in and maybe even which country I was in.

Photo Credit: http://hannahcarterjapanesegarden.com/ 

      Unfortunately, my internet search of this beautiful work of natural art also led me to the sad discovery that it is now closed to the public and its survival may be threatened. UCLA has decided to sell the garden "citing rising maintenance costs, deferred maintenance, and the lack of attendance due to limited parking" as their reason. UCLA is selling this priceless and iconic garden with no restrictions, so there is a chance it may fall into the hands of someone who will destroy it in order to make a profit. The Los Angeles times has even stated that UCLA has begun removing objects from the garden. The Hannah Carter Japanese Garden is possibly the most beautiful garden in Los Angeles, and we as Angelenos have the responsibility to ensure its survival. The following link has several ways, including an online petition, which we can help preserve this unique natural beauty amongst buildings, freeways, and traffic.

Photo Credit: Bluepupae via Flikr

Please visit http://www.hannahcarterjapanesegarden.com/ if interested in signing the petition

-Nastassja Habers

D'Amore's Pizza - A Slice of Home

LOS ANGELES, more than a large percentage of other cities, has something to offer just about everyone. Naturally, this is one of the reasons why so many people still to this day choose the Southern California city as their choice of permanent residence. In my particular case, this was a slightly frustrating thing at first, but ended up turning into something great. I had just visited the Beverly Hills tapas restaurant, Son of a Gun, with my girlfriend and do to the small size and high prices of the food neither of us were as full as we wanted to be upon leaving. During our time at the restaurant, I had been eyeballing this pizza place across the street called D'Amore's. I had never heard of it before, but when I saw their pizza was supposed to be "Boston Style" I was inherently inclined to give it a shot. I had tried a number of supposed "East Coast style" and "New York style" pizzas during my time here and while some had been good enough to satisfy my craving none had really impressed me and reminded me of something I could order back home. This has long time been a complaint of East Coast transplants to the region, with many claiming the water used plays a factor into the taste of the pie.

I was excited to try D'Amore's in the hopes that they would prove me wrong, and show me it is possible to get a pizza up to my standards out West. I had a good feeling going in due to the specificity of "Boston" style, and my good feeling proved itself to be true after tasting the first bite. As soon as I took my first taste, my brain recognized everything instantly and I was assured that it was indeed the real deal. Everything about it was consistent with what I would qualify as a pizza done right. The dough was stretched thin but not too thin, the crust was cooked enough so that it was slightly crispy but not burnt, the sauce was distributed evenly and had a bit of a tangy zest to it, and the layer of mozzarella covered the sauce but was not an overpowering amount of cheese. All it took for me to become a convert was two slices, I have found my favorite pizza place in LA and my search is over. After checking out their website it seems as though they import the water they use for the pizza dough from Boston - so my question of whether it actually has something to do with the water still lies unresolved. To be honest though, as long as D'Amore's is still around I don't care what the magic is.

-- Derek Dellovo
photo: LA pizza blog

Manhattan Beach and Venice: Namesakes and coin tosses

I AM OFTEN struck by how vastly different Venice and Manhattan Beach are from their namesakes. The car-less maze of canals and bridges in Italy doesn’t seem much like Venice, Calif. And the laid-back, cute town of Manhattan Beach seems to have little in common with bustling New York City.


But delving into the history of each Los Angeles County town sheds light on the connection to their namesakes thousands of miles away.


According to the Manhattan Beach Historical Society’s website, the town was the result of two public transportation systems coming together. One area was named Manhattan by its developer, Stewart Merrill, after his hometown on the east coast.


Venice, as we learned in class, was developed by Abbot Kinney. Before it became the T-shirt vendor-lined muscle beach of today, it was a cultural city modeled after Venezia, complete with its own gondolas on man-made canals.

Interestingly, the history of both Manhattan and Venice involved a coin toss: To determine town’s name Merrill won his coin toss against realtor George Peck, who wanted to name it Shore Acres. According to the Venice Historical Society's website, Kinney won a coin toss to determine which half of the oceanfront land he would purchase. He surprised the four other developers by choosing the barren, marshy property that is now Venice.


We’ve discussed how Pasadena was shaped by the Midwest roots of the people who settled there: several groups of people traveling across the country to re-create their home elsewhere. But, as with Manhattan Beach and Venice, the vision of one developer can bring a piece of another city to L.A. too.


– Emily Rome

Top photo: Manhattan Beach (Credit: Mr Bulitt / Wikimedia Commons)

Bottom photo: Venice (Credit: SameerKhan / Wikimedia Commons)

Visiting LA

EARLIER THIS month one of my best friends from high school, Mariah, unexpectedly called me up to tell me “Hey, I’m in LA, when can I see you?” I was quite excited, but I am also not the most spontaneous person - my days that week were precisely planned with exactly what I needed to get done in order to prevent procrastination and excessive stress. So her and her friend, who had driven the entire way here, crashed on my couch for a few days. They had a car and everything, but they waited until Friday night to go out. They just hung out in my apartment, both when I was there and when I was in class. If I had driven so far, I would for sure be maximizing my time wherever I was. They had no idea how lucky they were! A free night on a weekday to explore? I would kill for that, and not just because Thursday night is the night all the celebrities come out - according to the paparazzi my friend Lauren and I had befriended one random Saturday night. 

When they did go out, they wanted to go to Hollywood and Highland. That’s the same place my other friend Lyndsay wanted to go when she visited. And then they wanted to eat at Saddle Ranch. They went to Venice, and the Santa Monica Pier. I’ve been to all these places - except Saddle Ranch - but I kept trying to tell her that there are so many other places in Los Angeles that are much cooler and more interesting. But they insisted, because it was Mariah’s first time here. Are we only allowed to find that out after we’ve visited all the touristy places? They’re not all LA has to offer, but maybe you come to the city and think you’re missing out if you don’t see all the stereotypical places for yourself. What they didn’t know was that, by only going to those places, they actually ended up missing out on a lot. But then again, maybe you have to experience the stereotype in order to be able to move beyond it. 

-- Allie Flinn

Photo Credit: from Flickr, taken by Shawn S. ParkVi

Hollywood and Back

LAST WEEKEND I was doing my best to fulfill any clichéd adventures I could think of in Los Angeles.  I began by seeing a movie at the Disney El Capitan Theatre.  The film was Chimpanzee, and it featured a live animal show prior to starting.  The drive to the theatre featured a twenty-minute commute down Santa Monica Boulevard, which featured a very different L.A. than the one I am used to.  The scenic Beverly Hills neighborhoods immediately brought me back to the idea that West L.A. is a state of mind.  When we finally got to the El Capitan half of the boulevard was under construction and it instantly reminded me that we were still in L.A. 

The next day I made my way toward Beverly Hills via my intuition.  The progression of scenery from Washington Boulevard and Centinela Avenue to Beverly Glen was captivating.  When I finally made it to Frida’s Mexican Restaurant it was clear that I was in Beverly Hills.  Luckily, the menu’s prices were not as Beverly Hills as I thought they might be.  During my meal a stray dog walked up to me, and was a lot cleaner than my family’s dogs.  After lunch, I ventured toward Rodeo Drive to check out the tourist attractions and shops.  Unlike lunch, the prices at these stores were very Beverly Hills.  I only went in one store, and the prices of men’s ties were the reason--$230 plus. 

Lastly, I followed my intuition toward the Hollywood Hills.  The roads were windy and treacherous.  I would drive miles without any stop signs or streetlights, and the speed of cars behind me were dangerously fast.  I ventured through East Mulholland Drive and stopped along all of the scenic viewpoints.  Tour vans, with convertible tops, would frequent the street, and I wonder what details the drivers knew that I did not.  My stop before heading home was above the Hollywood Bowl.  I have never attended a concert there, but the view of the Bowl and of the city, despite the smog, was still amazing.  While my roundabout tour of West L.A. was long-winded and carried many identities, it was well worth it.      

Photo: Art Flores

--Art Flores

The Griffith Park Excursion

A random Saturday a couple weeks ago turned into one of the more fun and interesting days I've had in Los Angeles in a while. My roommate and I were sitting at home bored and frustrated because we felt that we didn't have anything to do. If I told any friends from back home this, I'm sure they would reply, "but Los Angeles is so big and there's so much to do, how could you be bored?!" Well, unfortunately Westchester is nowhere near exciting, and Los Angeles' traffic is often prohibitive to accessing other parts of the city. Well, this Saturday when we decided that we were not going to let traffic limit our enjoyment of the city in which we live. We were going to drive past Downtown to Griffith Park and go take a hike.

We swooped up another friend of ours and began our journey. It was not soon after we got on the 110 Freeway that we hit our first bout of traffic, but a quick lane change over to the carpool lane solved that problem and we were cruising steadily. Upon our arrival, we realized none of us had ever been to the area of Griffith Park we were currently in. We decided instead of driving over to the Hollywood sign area we would stay where we were and try to find some trails. We ended up finding some, and by our stroke of luck it turned out to be more than just some trails through the natural LA landscape. We had stumbled upon remnants of the old Los Angeles Zoo, which has been closed down since the 1960's according to the signs. We got to stand where animals once were caged, and see how the old buildings and structures have decayed over the years and become targets for people to practice tagging. After continuing our quest up the trails we came to a peak with a tall metal tower residing at the top. The peak was tall, and had a view of Downtown on one side and a view of the valley on the other. Seeing the city from a view like this makes you look at it differently; it helps you piece together the different neighborhoods based upon landmarks you can see and more than anything else makes you realize how close many things in the city are to each other and that it shouldn't take as long as it often does to travel between them. After this Saturday, I promised to myself that I would try to go on more of these spontaneous excursions to new places in the city whenever I was feeling bored or feeling that I had nothing to do. The best way to enjoy a city is to get to know it the best that you can, and that is what I hope to accomplish.


--Derek Dellovo
photo: me

Mr. J. Michael Walker

  EARLIER THIS month, we were visited by a man responsible for "All Saints in Los Angeles" and "City in Mind", Mr. J. Michael Walker.  His illustrative designs aimed to give the backstory to all the saint streets and their inception and design a lyrical map of Los Angeles, respectively. When asked about his inspiration to do take on such a feat, he said it came to him serendipitously, while looking for a street name in a map book.  He noticed all the streets that began with 'St.' and wondered what their origins were.  Having done research, he came to the realization that he would create his own guide to the saints' streets and their history.
       The sheer amount of detail put into each saint is remarkable, and to see that up close really gave me an appreciation for his abilities. As he read an excerpt from his book, All the Saints of the city of Angels, I got a better understanding for his work and just how much thought and back story there is to every symbols and stroke.
        His newest piece, "City in Mind" brought to light some parts of Los Angeles that I didn't even know existed, or that they were known for certain stars or locations.  Looking at his lyrical map I was in awe, never having seen anything like it; it's remarkable it took him less than a month to complete the entire thing!

--Julian Portera

Photo Credit: Myself

Waiting for Godot at the Mark Taper Forum

AUDIENCES WATCHED a silhouetted figure travel down a lonely road toward the stage as they waited for the play to begin.  Slowly and ominously, the figure approached the stage with a dreariness akin to the playwrights established sense of style.  Once he arrived, the lights dimmed and Samuel Beckett's "Waiting for Godot" had begun.

Anybody who has spent a good deal of time as a director of plays knows that Samuel Beckett had a clear and particular vision for all his works.  Even after his death, the playwright made sure that his estate kept tabs on all of the major productions of his plays to ensure that they were done according to his vision.  For this reason, directors know that if they are going to do a Beckett play, they better do it right.  Fortunately for director Michael Arabian, critics and fans agree that his production of "Waiting for Godot" at the Mark Taper Forum was a smashing success.

You can tell by judging John Iancovelli's simplistic set that the emphasis was on dialogue and action.  Rocks bordered the barren stage that sported a single tree.  Arguably, the biggest set change was the single leaf that appears on the tree in Act II.  If Beckett was alive, I trust that he would have approved of this production at the Mark Taper Forum.  In a letter, Becket once wrote that the set was to be “a place of suffering, sweaty and fishy, where sometimes a turnip grows, or a ditch opens up.” Afraid that a highly aestheticized set would cause audiences to consider the play as an allegory, he emphasized that directors and set designers go for simplicity.  Clearly, Iancovelli and Arabian got the memo.

When it comes down to it, it was the acting that made this production so great.  The two key roles, Estragon and Vladimir, were played by Becket enthusiasts with great experience in taking on his tortured roles.  Alan Mandell, who plays Estragon with a surprising livelihood for an 84-year-old actor, is established as being one of the great Beckett actors of our time.  Similarly, Barry McGovern who plays Vladimir, has actually twice before taken up the role in well-received productions.  Perhaps the most surprising addition to the cast is Hugo Armstrong's wonderful portrayal of the very unlucky Lucky.  Armstrong's performance peaks at Lucky's incoherent monologue that excites madness and inspires great sympathy from audiences.

For Angelenos, "Waiting for Godot" offered an opportunity to see one of Beckett's great plays in rare form.  It is tough to expect a production of this quality anywhere far from Ireland these days, and Arabian's rendition surely did not disappoint.  We were reminded of the tender affection Beckett held for these characters affected by an existential crisis that everyone can relate to.

-- Carey Uhl
Photo taken from http://www.stageandcinema.com/2012/03/23/waiting-for-godot-mtf/

The Mysterious Taco Truck

Carne Asada Tacos

THERE IS  is a taco truck that is parked just down the street from me. It is there every day, except Sunday, until 5 pm. I would walk my dog by it, and there would always be at least one or two people ordering or waiting for food, but I was always too weirded out by food prepared in a truck to try it. I’m going to refer to it as the “taco truck” because I have no idea what it is called. I looked for the name once, but the only was able to find a picture of an octopus. This makes more sense now, because I just went to Yelp and searched for “taco truck” in Marina del Rey and a couple of the reviews said it is known for their seafood. It was pretty nondescript - just a white truck with blue “fins” that identified it as a food truck.


I was still wary of all food trucks, but then I watched “The Great Food Truck Race” on the Food Network. I decided I didn’t need to be afraid of food trucks, especially since they seem to be a pretty big deal in LA. But I still only went to the ones that had been featured on the show because I am super concerned of germs and very picky about where the food I eat is prepared. I figured if they were on the food network they were probably okay.


Finally, one day I was sitting in my apartment and I was really hungry. Looking through my fridge, I didn’t really have anything to eat and, besides, the only thing that sounded good was... a taco. I debated internally for a few minutes before I grabbed some cash (I was quite the food truck aficionado at this point and was well aware most only take cash), put my black Pomeranian on his leash, and walked to the taco truck. I hadn’t taken Spanish in years, but luckily I really paid attention to the classes on food, which prevented me from ordering a tongue taco instead of a steak taco. It was one of the best tacos I have ever eaten. Its now my “go to” lunch spot if I don’t feel like making anything, or have anything to make. And now I finally know its name: Guillen’s La Playita Taco Truck.

-- Allie Flinn

Photo Credit: found on Yelp, taken by Jason R.

Expect the Unexpected

RECENTLY WHILE planning an outdoor concert for Loyola Marymount University’s student body I realized just how many hoops we have to jump through in L.A. to make people happy.  The first hoop was finding an artist after our first opener cancelled “due to family obligations that they had thought they could get out of” the Wednesday afternoon before the Sunday show.  This disappointment reflected just how meaningless RSVPs have become nowadays.  Even better, once people learned that the artist had cancelled on us there were countless phone calls and text messages from students making their case for artists.  It was awesome to see this reaction, and it definitely helped us replace the artist.  However, there were instances where some were so passionate about artists that they “knew,” that once we informed them that we were not choosing their artist, they chose to take out personal frustration on us and blame us for hurting relationships. 

The next day, Thursday, we were informed that it was now going to rain.  Collegefest had never been held indoors and the idea of going inside would inevitably hurt us.  However, we chose to move it indoors since we only had hours to choose before the move would become impossible.  Again, the solution turned sour when we found that our new location was not as suitable for our stage had been told.  After hours in the gym putting in time rigging the stage with the crew the night before the show, it was finally all set. 

While artists still kept me waiting in the rain for hours for their arrival, the show went on.  Students flooded the gym, and the artists put on great shows.  I would never recommend doing it again, but jumping through those hoops was an L.A. experience that we all must experience every now and again.  

May Day 2012

    TODAY ANGELENOS, will need to give themselves even more extra time to get from point A to point B. Today, May 1st 2012 there will a protest organized by Occupy L.A. The protest is planed "around a “4 Winds” People’s Power Car and Bike Caravan through the urban sprawl of Los Angeles that will culminate in Direct Action in and around the Financial District of downtown LA." According to the May Day website the protest will be, "beginning in the late morning, coming from the North, South, East & West, will be an amalgam of cars and bikes, occupiers and unions, community orgs and organic communities — taking over our streets on routes designed to bring to light to societies ills, past and present, and engaging with residents and workers as we connect the disparate voices, races, classes and nationalities that make up Los Angeles. The caravans will stop at flashpoints along the way. Flash occupations, food giveaways, and other direct actions targeting the foreclosure crisis and police brutality will be undertaken at these flashpoints on our slow, city-paralyzing, carnival-esque descent into the center of the city." What this really means is even more traffic! For those of us who have finals today, be sure to give yourself plenty of time to get to school since the traffic may be even more ridiculous than normal due to the wet roads from last night's rain and L.A.'s 99% occupying our roads.

When I was in the art district a few weeks ago I stumbled upon the cloth advertisement with May Day 2012 spelt out in red and green with a heart of the A that reads "Somos 99%." I liked the advertisement, and not knowing what May Day meant I took it down to take home as a souvenir from my trip to city when I ventured out from the South Bay.

.

-Nastassja Habers
-Photo Credit: Nastassja Habers

Hidden L.A.

A FEW responses to guest speaker W. Lynn Garrett, creator of hiddenla.com:


“I see it not as a city but as a country with many villages.”
I think this is an apt description. It captures how vastly different neighboring areas of L.A. are but also that within one city there are lots of communities, areas and groups that are tight-knit and have their own cultures.

The L.A. River
I learned a lot about the river from Garrett. It was especially fascinating to watch the video of people kayaking and canoeing down the river – I had no idea that was possible. It’s wild to think that you can experience that right in the middle of a desert city.





“Go to work, come home, go to work, come home.”
This also captures the experience of many Los Angeles residents. This unbroken routine of is part of the reason there’s so much of the city that is hidden to us, that we don’t see or only see from our car. It’s an odd existence, when you think about it: Living life only from our homes and our places of work. When you think about it like that and realize how limiting it is, it does make you want to get out and see the city some more!


– Emily Rome


Photo: The Los Angeles River. Credit: FlickrLickr / Wikimedia Commons

Little Ethiopia

I WANTED to explore an area in Los Angeles that I had only visited a couple of times but have always wanted to go back and visit. The community/neighborhood is Little Ethiopia. Little Ethiopia is located on Fairfax Ave. between Olympic Blvd and Pico Blvd. To be more specific, it is located 5 minutes east of Beverly Hills and 10 minutes south of Hollywood hills, 15 minutes Universal Studios, 15 minutes to Downtown L.A., 20 minutes to Santa Monica, Venice Beach and LAX on Fairfax Avenue this newest LA Ethnic enclave was christened in 2001.


I was able to browse an Ethiopian store, which is definitely one of a kind and talk to the owner’s son about the store's life (or working life since no one actually lives here) in Little Ethiopia. He preferred not to be named or photographed because he said he was shy. But he was still very helpful in giving me details about LE and letting me take pictures of the store. His mother founded the store in the early 1990’s and it has been a staple in the Ethiopian community for more than two decades. Currently his mom is in Ethiopia, she left for six weeks to pick up new items and bring them back to the store. It is very important to her to have authentic clothes from their country. He said it would be insulting to their customers if they tried to pass off U.S. made clothes as Ethiopian. Everything is imported no matter if it is at a greater cost to the owner and the store because it is a point of pride that they are able to provide their community with little pieces of home.


Little Ethiopia is a really small area physically and socially, so everyone knows everyone and there is a little bit of competition since there are so many restaurants in the area. I was even able to get inside details about each of the restaurants and their owners which was very interesting. For example, one restaurant has never been filled to capacity and everyone in the community knows it’s not a very good restaurant and the only way that particular restaurant stays in business is by attracting tourist and non-locals. In fact I was shocked to learn that the best Ethiopian restaurant, which always has a waiting time of about an hour to be seated, is actually not in Little Ethiopia on Fairfax Ave! It is a couple of streets over on Olympic Blvd., but that is still fairly close to LE and the central focus of the community, which is Fairfax.


Finally we talked about his life for a few min. I found out that he doesn’t wear traditional Ethiopian clothes because he feels that when in traditional garb he sticks out and that makes him feel uncomfortable. Even in LE he doesn’t like to wear traditional Ethiopian clothing because LE is not the only place he is in. He works in LE, lives in another part of Los Angeles, while visiting friends in a completely different part of the city. He expressed that it is hard for him to be a chameleon and change his clothing according to what he is expected to wear.

--Julian

Photo Credit: Myself

Brick-and-Mortar Jewel Boxes

Some of the brightest gems I love in Los Angeles are its movie theaters. What could be a better tribute to the art of film than to house them in celestial-inspired shrines? The exterior facades are as alluring as the magic inside flickering on film. Embellished stone or color-encrypted light bulbs decorate what would otherwise be a normal building. "Going to the big picture show" isn't just "going to the movies." It's an entirely unreal experience: from the first footfalls approaching an exterior illuminated to a state of spectacular, to the moment we look over our shoulder, remembering a world outside our own. 

The Majestic Crest:

 

Since its opening in 1940, the Crest Theater has undergone many transformations, renamings, and remodels. Located close to the UCLA campus, the theater was known as UCLAN for a time, in concordance with the university's name at the time: University of California at Los Angeles. It has also been known as the Westwood Theater or the Westwood Crest. By the 1980s, the interior was redecorated in art-deco style, complete with a ceiling of stars. Before a show starts, a shooting star explodes across the mimic-night sky. 

Grauman's Egyptian:

The Egyptian Theater is the site of Hollywood's first movie premiere in 1922 for Robin Hood. Tickets for the opening were $5, a hefty price at the time. Showman Sid Grauman and real estate developer Charles E. Toberman built the theater, deciding on the Egyptian theme soon after plans for a Hispanic theme were already in development. Hieroglyphics paint the walls, and huge columns stand throughout, although in one ceiling section, Hispanic designs remain intact. Grauman built the world renown Chinese Theater five years after the Egyptian opened. 

The Million Dollar Theater:

Quite possibly L.A.'s oldest theater, built in 1918, is the Million Dollar Theater. It was designed by Albert C. Martin, a prominent architect at the time, and was developed by Grauman before the Egyptian was built. Carved into its stone facade are figures of bison heads and long horn skulls, in traditional Spanish Churrigueresque style. Located in Downtown, it stands across from the Bradbury building, another historic architectural landmark. When it opened, it housed 2,345 seats, one of the largest theaters in the world at the time. After refurbishing in 2008, the theater reopened and now plays shows on a special basis. 

The El Capitan Theatre:

The El Capitan originally housed live performances, instead of films. It opened in 1926 with Charlot's Revue, starring Jack Buchanan, Gertrude Lawrence, and Beatrice Lillie. Also developed by Toberman and Grauman, the theater was built across the street from Grauman's Chinese and a few blocks away from the Egyptian. In keeping with the ongoing cultural theme, the El Capitan was designed with Spanish Colonial influences. The world premiere of Orson Welles' Citizen Kane was held at the El Capitan in 1941. From 1941 to 1991 it was known by the name of the "Hollywood Paramount." It is now operated by Walt Disney Pictures.

-- Jennifer Pellerito

Photo Credit: Jennifer Pellerito

Greystone Mansion

 A FEW weeks ago, I was headed to a party in the Hollywood area. After doing my usual pre- Los Angeles driving rituals, such as making sure I had enough good songs to get through the drive, filling up on gas in case I ran out on the free way, programming my iPhone GPS, and leaving about an hour earlier than necessary in case of excessive traffic, I was on my way to what I thought was Greystone Manor, the night club located on La Cienega. However, it wasn’t until I entered an upscale Beverly Hills neighborhood with old-fashioned mansions lining the streets that I realized I was in the wrong place. Obviously, I should have realized this sooner, but I thought, “This is L.A. Maybe part of the appeal of this apparently very popular night club is that it’s hidden away in Hollywood Hills…” No. I soon discovered that I was actually at Greystone Mansion, a famous and historical movie set and park. As we discuss frequently in class, many times the “hidden gems” of Los Angeles are found my accident, so maybe it was not a coincidence that I should end up here, in light of my “Telling L.A.’s Story” class. The next day, I decided to research this mansion and find out more about it. What is it? What’s its story? Why is it tucked away in a neighborhood? How interesting would it be to live next door to a historical mansion?

In 1892, Edward Lawrence Doheny, a successful oil migrant, discovered one of the first oil wells in Los Angeles. (L.A. Trivia: Oil gushers soon became part of the landscape of Los Angeles). In 1926, he gave his son and daughter-in-law a piece of land where the mansion was built. It soon became “the largest undertaking of a family estate in the city of Beverly Hills.” The story gets interesting and twisted when, after moving into the mansion in 1928, Doheny’s son was found in the mansion “in a murder suicide with his long time trusted family assistant” at the tender age of 36, just four months after moving in. (Upon reading this, I realized why, when I started typing Greystone Mansion into Google search, one of the automatic engines that came up was “Is Greystone Mansion haunted?”

Now, Greystone is owned by the city of Beverly Hills and is famous for being the set of movies and commercials, as well as existing solely as a historical piece of land and park for people to enjoy. According to “Friends of Greystone,” a website of people dedicated to preserving and taking care of this mansion:

“Today, Greystone serves as the setting for a myriad of cultural and educational activities. Movies, commercials, T.V. shows and photo shoots are a major source of revenue for the upkeep of Greystone as are the exclusive weddings and reception sites located throughout the grounds. Most of all, Greystone provides the visitor with the opportunity for a quiet moment in a pastoral park, offering sweeping panoramic views of the city below, moments away from a busy urban environment.”

--www.greystonemansion.org

The idea of Greystone existing as a movie set reminded me of some of our class discussions, namely Chapter four of “The History of Forgetting,” entitled “Movie Locations.” In this chapter, the author discusses Los Angeles as a movie set for movies such as Heat, and one particular quote stands out to me:

“The locations for crimes are traditional as well. Murders look best on the western fringes of downtown….The flatlands are lit for violence near downtown. The safe houses are always up on hills, facing the lights of Hollywood.”

“Murders look best” in a specific location of Los Angeles reminds me particularly that in many ways, Los Angeles itself IS a movie set, a playground, a site.

This lead me to research what movies have been filmed in part at Greystone Mansion or on its ground, and the results were outstanding. Dozens upon dozens of major films have scenes filmed here, including Spiderman, X-Men, What Women Want, Indecent Proposal, Town and Country, Gilmore Girls, and more. (For a complete list, visit: http://www.seeing-stars.com/live/Greystone.shtml)

But despite all of this, the website featured above claims that not too many people know about Greyston Mansion, and it is “one of L.A.’s better kept secrets.”

--Photo Credit: greystonemansion.org

What is it Like to Beat LA?

LOS ANGELES has a temperamental attitude.  One minute it is spitting fire through the brushes in Malibu while the thick dry winds blow, when suddenly the sky turns deep gray and large raindrops cut through the smog that is as thick as the scandals that surround the city. Until finally the sky is clear again, but only for a moment, because the winds have begun again bringing blood shot eyes of the city dwellers with it. LA is a volatile boss, a big CEO of a production company, and when the newcomer enters into his realm he throws everything he’s got at the innocent intern. LA is constantly testing those who inhabit this town of insanity, because it is only those who can handle its mood swings that survive. If you don’t watch your back, LA will swallow you whole and spit you out with crazed eyes, bloodshot from the wind and smog.  One who came into this atmosphere as a youthful amateur of LA and came out alive and on top of the city is Larry Welk III.

Today, Welk is the president of Angle City Air, but back in 1990’s, he was only a newcomer in the field of news reporting from the air.  He held a camera to film while the pilot steered a helicopter through the LA’s battlefield. He was merely an intern, innocent to LA’s constant attitude problem.  “I was constantly biting off more than I could chew, but LA taught me how to deal with the unexpected,” Welk remarks about his first days in the sky. 

One unexpected event occurred in 1990’s.  LA decided that it was rain was going to fall.  For days, sharp rain sliced through the sky filling every nook and cranny of the city with water.  LA has trained it inhabitants against the Santa Ana’s and fires, which leaves the people of the city dumbfounded against water.  It wipes the city clean, yet leaves so much danger in its midst.  On this day, however, it rained so much that the LA River began to flood and the current crashed in the Sepulveda basin where the current would destroy anyone who got too close.  The city was in turmoil, not knowing how to handle this foreign moisture flittering from above. Welk was covering the chaotic events occurring on the ground through his lens above.  It was at the conclusion of this stormy week; there were car accidents, flooded streets, and a flooded river.  Young Welk and the crew flew back and forth between a press conference the LA Fire Department was holding and footage of the flooded river.  Moving in time with LA’s irony, “the Captain of the Fire Department just announced that they had the flood under control and the public was safe, when I saw a man in the river,” Welk remarked, his eyes growing wide.  “We called the Fire Department, but they didn’t believe us.  Apparently, they already rescued everyone who was in danger.” 

The man went under.  He disappeared below the dirty, gray surface.  Welk set his camera aside and told the pilot to take him down. Then, he jumped. Welk jumped from the helicopter into the Sepulveda basin and grabbed the man.

The pilot filled the copter around and personally picked up the rescue team.

But LA wasn’t done with him yet.  The currents crashed and thrashed them, while Welk attempted to keep himself and the man attached to his body alive. 

“It was one of the biggest struggles I have ever experienced.  It was unreal, like I was in a dream and survival mode just kicked in. If my pilot hadn’t flipped around and picked up the rescue team I would have died.”

Welk was a hero.  He risked his own life to save another.  He went into LA’s battlefield, outsmarted his brutal boss that gave him everything nature’s got and prevailed, survived, passed the test.  This drive has given Welk the courage to combat LA’s temperament every day since then.  He has covered fire storms, traffic, bank robbery shootings, and car chases, all results of LA’s insanity and has come out alive, on top and with the best story LA could have produced. 

-- Elise Fornaca

 Photo by Mark Luethi via the LAist Featured Photos 

 

Atwater? Where is Atwater?

ON ONE of my weekly theater outings I landed in the tiny Twilight-esque neighborhood of Atwater. Atwater is nestled in between Glendale and Silver Lake and if you were to blink you might miss it. I knew I had reached my destination when driving down the main drag and every shop was named after it’s city, Atwater Dry Cleaners, Atwater Market, Atwater Tacos, etc. etc. The theater I was looking for was not easy to find, turn right on a street so tiny that they obviously require people to park on both sides, just to make driving down it like a game of dodge ball. Turn left on a street full of speed bumps, and then another right on a street full of warehouses. That’s right this theater is in a warehouse. There is one thing you can always count on when driving to a new part of Los Angeles, that it will definitely be an adventure.

Of course when I arrived at the theater I was two hours early, I always leave a ridiculous amount of time to get to a new place because, well its Los Angeles. So I was hungry and I naturally decided to drive around looking for food. Atwater is pretty much just hole-in-the-wall restaurants and after talking to people familiar with the area there are great hole-in-the walls over there. However, I did not know that and I was skeptical. So I ventured down the road and apparently into Silver Lake, however I did not know this until I looked up my restaurant choice after the fact. Nicky-D’s Pizza in Silver Lake was rather odd, with its upstairs location and muggy smell, but the food was absolutely delicious and one I will remember for a while.

Now Nicky-D’s was not far from my final destination but as I said it was not considered to be in Atwater Village. That is just how tiny this place is. Driving back down the main drag to get to the theater, because there is only one way to get there, I couldn’t help but be confused by one of the storefronts. There was a record store that had a “Grand Opening” sign out in front. Now to me this seemed like an oxy-moron but perhaps it was in the perfect location to try a new start.

Once I parked and actually went to the Atwater Village Theatre I noticed that much of the warehouse district had been renovated. There are two theaters in that location, as well as a posh dining hall and even a storage facility where a sculpture for the next “Burning Man” is being built. There is a heavy artistic crowd in Atwater and that became clear very quickly. After spending an evening there I almost felt as if I had found the Greenwich Village of Los Angeles. So in hindsight, the idea of a record shop just opening up, in the couple of blocks that is Atwater Village, Los Angeles, actually makes perfect sense.

--Mickala Jauregui
Photo Credit: myself

Too Complicated for Words

Inspired by J. Michael Walker's literary map of Los Angeles, I decided to compile a handful of my favorite quotes about Los Angeles and make a collage out of them. I wanted to try to represent what Los Angeles means to me using the words of others - from writers like F. Scott Fitzgerald to popular culture celebrities like Mary-Kate Olsen to eccentric authors like Andy Warhol as well as a combination of others - in order to detail its multi-faceted nature. Everyone has a different opinion of Los Angeles, yet anyone who has lived in L.A. can understand how the other feels, no matter how different the attitude. L.A. is a melting pot of opinions, ideals, personalities, types. Some of the quotes are ones I have had written down for a long time while others were discovered on the internet when I decided to expand my idea. I identify with each of them respectively, but only when viewed as a whole do they represent my Los Angeles.

I would like to attribute the quote that is most meaningful to me in the bunch to J. Michael Walker, because if it did not appear on his literary map, I probably would not have stumbled upon it. The quote is from John Fante, and it goes: "Los Angeles, give me some of you! Los Angeles come to me the way I came to you, my feet over your streets, you pretty town I loved you so much, you sad flower in the sand, you pretty town!" I find those words incredibly beautiful and poetic, because to me L.A. is so multifaceted, there are no words to speak of it, but to speak to it is a different story. L.A. is like a person, our own moody little friend that we spend time with day in and day out and aren't ever sure what it will bring. To talk about Los Angeles as a "sad flower in the sand" behind it's back would feel like somewhat of a betrayal to it, it is too delicate even amidst its chaos. Los Angeles is absolutely a "pretty" town, and the word "pretty" can mean so many things. It is "pretty" in the sense that the landscape (in certain areas) is beautiful, it is also "pretty" in the sense that appearance means so much in Los Angeles, the people are "pretty," the trends are "pretty," the glossy magazine photos of stars strutting the streets are "pretty," the idea of chasing one's dreams in the City of Angels is "pretty." Los Angeles is a gem between desert-land in one direction and the cow-land that surrounds it all the way to Northern California. And to ask Los Angeles to "give me some of you" is such a beautiful and interesting thought. Los Angeles is unattainable. It draws people in but gives away none of itself. It is not homey, it is not cozy, it does not lend out its arms in the motherly way that many towns do; yet it is not uninvitingly urban or industrious like New York - it is mysterious. To some, it gives back what it put into it, and to others it gives nothing back to hard work and determination. It depends a lot upon luck, about ties and making the right connections. Ultimately, to many who come to Los Angeles, no matter how "pretty" the town is, it is no more than a "sad flower in the sand." But that is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, I see it as a beautiful thing. It is dangling there, waiting for people to inhabit it, to make their own land of opportunity.

The John Fante quote is just one of many quotes I drew from in making the collage. I wanted to make sure to represent Los Angeles' beauty, it's zest for life and it's undeniable amount of opportunity. To do that I used several different quotes, one of which being Frank Lloyd Wright's "Tip the world on its side and everything loose will land in Los Angeles." Los Angeles attracts "loose change" type of people, people who don't particularly mind where they will fall, people who are not afraid to leave home and try something different; something new and exciting. Another one I used to capture the enchanting feeling of Los Angeles is a quote by Tom Bradley: “People cut themselves off from their ties of the old life when they come to Los Angeles. They are looking for a place where they can be free, where they can do things they couldn’t do anywhere else.” That is an important thing to recognize, and judging by my experience in Los Angeles and the people I have met here, that seems to be true. Another is a quote by actress Jennifer Love Hewitt, one where she speaks of coming to Los Angeles and finally feeling that she fit in somewhere. "When I came to Los Angeles, it was the first time that I ever felt like I belonged somewhere. Not because I was wacky, but because people here understood what it felt like to perform, and there were other kids my age who wanted to do it. I didn't get looked at as God, you freak." Since the original reason I came to Los Angeles was to act, I very much identify with that quote. People in Los Angeles do know what it feels like to perform. They know the rush of adrenaline that comes with not only being on stage or in front of a camera, but the kind that comes from being motivated to do something you love, to get up in front of people and perform - whether it be in the board room, in their writing, or creating cuisine at a gourmet restaurant. There is an energy about Los Angeles that isn't found quite anywhere else.

And, of course, I had to represent the more negative aspects of Los Angeles. There is the Rona Barrett quote "Pick your enemies carefully or you'll never make it in Los Angeles," which is so true, because even though Los Angeles is large, the circles are small, and to step on someone's toes in the industry you want to go in would be very damaging. I also have a humorous quote from David Letterman poking fun at the city's lack of seasons, “Fall is my favorite season in Los Angeles, watching the birds change color and fall from the trees," among many others.

In short, the collage represents the complexities that make up the way I feel about Los Angeles from the positive aspects that made me fall in love with the city to the very difficult ones that have made me contemplate leaving and returning to Northern California after I graduate. I will end my post with another of my favorite quotes on the collage, one by Miranda Richardson, that sums up how I feel about the city: “You can have a laugh in Los Angeles, or you can weep in Los Angeles, depending on your attitude towards it."

-- Jordan Younger

Summer Sounds in Los Angeles

"Single Fins & Safety Pins" by Japanese Motors was a song I never knew I had until just today when it popped up on my iTunes shuffle. I'd probably downloaded it for free in some distant time of my musical wanderings online, and it got lost in the mix. For a moment, I considered switching the track until I listened closer to the lyrics and found that it was a song written about summer in Los Angeles. 

What I found was that the music video and lyrics replicated much of what we've talked about in class: this glamorized idea of LA, where beach babes suntan abundantly and you can "kick your shoes off and just unwind". Once outside of the clutches of congested freeways, the band members sing out their love for a carefree beach-bound summer. 

I thought the music video was funny, with its 50s-inspired glam vintage look that my generation tends to wistfully attempt to replicate. The video's got this rebel-without-a-cause feel with the band members rockin' out oceanside. Even when the waves try to overtake them, they keep on jamming, breaking guitars and mounting fury against the forces that rise against the sounds of their song. I don't quite understand why all the musical equipment need go to waste in such an unnecessary way, but some might say differently. Perhaps they are true to the spirit of Los Angeles: a distinctive voice that refuses to be suppressed. Or, they could be unfortunate perpetrators of the pretentiousness associated with L.A. and the music industry.  

Either way you see it, the song and video still merits enjoyment. Although it may not be a true representation of all our lives in Los Angeles, I can definitely appreciate the fun-loving spirit and carefree attitude on a hot, summer day at the beach that this song embodies. 

Single Fins & Safety Pins by Japanese Motors

Well I'm stuck on the 405

Red lights, traffic... I don't really dig that vibe

Trying my best to carry on

But the traffic's, no fun, in the summer

I said...so come on down

To the beach where the sun shines

Kick your shoes off and enjoy some wine

When the sun is shining in the summer

The summer time...

More the merrier, don't be a bummer

Dance like the waves of summer

Thank your momma for the summertime

The summertime

Drop your pants and grab your shades

And those single fins

Tell your girl to grab her suit

Weell come on...make it soon

We got time..the weather is fine,

To lay around all day

Hey dudes...what about that new swell

It's going to be breaking in the bay

Do you see the sun when it shines

Don't you know you can get so wild

When the sun is shining in the summer

The summertime...

More than ever, don't be a bummer,

Dance like the waves of summer

Well the sun is shining 

The summertime

I don't even know how much pain you've put me through

I just want to tell you baby

I'm giving up on you

To the beach where the sun shines

Kick your shoes off and enjoy some wine

When the sun is shining in the summer

The summertime...

Don't got a bike, you can borrow mine

You get drunk off and enjoy wine

When the sun is shining in the summertime

The summertime

-- Jennifer Pellerito

Saigon Dish: The Best in Los Angeles

MY FAVORITE thing about Los Angeles is that it is home to Saigon Dish, arguably the best Vietnamese restaurant with the best prices in Los Angeles. The small restaurant is located in Lawndale off of Hawthorne Boulevard and Manhattan Beach Boulevard. I discovered Saigon Dish when I was fifteen and have been a repeat customer ever since, and is the first restaurant I go to if I have been out of town for a while. However, the delicious food is not the only reason I find my self returning for the high school special, which is not on the menu and is known by few.

The owner John remembers every face and name of his returning customers, even if they’ve only come in once before, and he somehow creates the feeling of eating at a good friend's house and not in a room full of strangers. John will also have a chat with you before asking you for your order, though if you are a repeat customer he probably already knows what you want. The restaurant is decorated in a simple fashion. There is a row of tables on each side of the restaurant and in the middle, tables are pushed together for big parties or when the lunchtime rush arrives. Each table has Sriracha sauce, Brown sauce, and chili paste, and red and white paper placemats with the Chinese zodiac. There are two paintings, one on each wall. Saigon Dish doesn’t need to try very hard to draw in customers like other Vietnamese restaurants that need catchy and comical names like “Pho Sho” or “Pho Ever.” People keep returning because of John’s hospitality (which is hard to find in a restaurant these days) and the inexpensive and tasty food.

Nothing on the eight-page menu is over ten dollars. The most expensive dish is called Com Bo Luc Lac, which is marinated diced cubes of filet mignon, stir-fried onions and rice, and goes for $9.90. But if you know about the high school special, you can get a smaller portion of this plus a small warm bowl of Pho, which is a noodle soup, usually served with thinly sliced beef that cooks in the broth of the soup for under ten dollars! And if you are really hungry you can ask for a bigger sized portion of either the Pho or the beef for a little bit more. Everything on the menu tastes fresh from the Pho to the spring rolls. And usually when you find yourself in a restaurant that offers cheap food they only accept cash, but this little gem accepts cash or plastic. The only flaw I can find with Saigon Dish is that it is closed on Sunday. I have tried plenty of other Pho restaurants in Los Angeles, New York, and even London, but nothing comes close to the taste or atmosphere of Saigon Dish. I recommend all lovers of Pho and Vietnamese food, and those who have never tried it to go check this place out, and I guarantee you will not be disappointed and might find yourself returning on a weekly basis like myself.

-Nastassja Habers

-Photo Credit: Nastassja Habers (I couldn't resist eating some and putting Sriracha sauce all over my food before i snapped a picture.)