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Friday, December 25, 2009

Merry Christmas from Los Angeles


Peruvian Nativity Display

"Where is the one who has been born King of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." Matthew 2:2

Merry Christmas

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Saturday, December 12, 2009

Happy Hanukkah from Los Angeles


Earlier in December I was driving up the Pacific Coast Highway when I did a double take on what (at 50mph) looked like highway road signs. I actually circled back around to get a photo of the green "Happy Chanukah" sign, and the yellow "lighten up," "celebrate freedom" and dancing rabbi signs. Very engaging - I sincerely mean that. Really well done.



Outside of New York City, Los Angeles has the largest Jewish community in the world.

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I'm continually impressed by the impact that Jews - who make up just 2% of U.S. population - continue to have in American society.
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As I've shared before, I'm convinced that I - and other Christians - can learn from the Jewish community in that respect: the idea of impacting the larger society from a minority religious position.
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Here's another link - this one to comedian Adam Sandler's "Happy Chanukah" song - . It provides an amazing list of Jews, esp in the entertainment industry.
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I'm not a big fan of generic "Happy Holidays" greeting - and prefer what my son's Scout leader wished all the boys as we finished out the year: "I hope you all have the best Hanukkah .... and a very merry Christmas."

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Happy Hanukkah from Los Angeles.


© 2009 www.experiencingla.com

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Saturday, December 5, 2009

Americana at Brand: The Effects of Time (Part 2)


We had heard a lot about "Americana at Brand" in Glendale, but had never been there. As my family and I were at Travel Town - here's a link - we decided to drive the extra three miles to see what it was all about. Pictured above, driving south along Brand Blvd in Glendale.

Americana at Brand, a large outdoor shopping center, opened in May of 2008.


Located at Brand Blvd and a street called Americana Way, it's the creation of Los Angeles area developer Rick Caruso. Caruso also developed "The Grove" next to Farmer's Market (in the Fairfax District of Los Angeles). Here's their website: www.americanaatbrand.com

Another view from Brand Blvd. The complex has a nostalgic, early 20th Century industrial look and feel.



Here's a view showing the size of the development, including the large two acre park in the center of the property.


In addition to dozens of stores and shops, there are also 238 apartments and 100 condominiums.

If you've ever dreamed of living in a shopping center, then - brother - Americana at Brand is for you!
Here's another view - this one from the upper deck of the parking structure.



As soon as we got off the elevator, my kids ran to see the fountain.



The fountain jets moved to "crooner" (think Frank Sinatra) music.


You can see the apartments and condos in the background. Wonder how the HOA works?

Ah, my ride. Here's the trolley car we had heard about.
It's about as authentic as the rest of Americana (meaning, not at all) but my kids - ages 9 1/2 and 7 - thought it was great. And, yes, it's free.

The thing my kids like most about this place is that it was clean. Americana may been somewhat contrived, somewhat "fake" ... but, yes, it was clean.


And, compared to, say, the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, it felt like Disneyland.


There is no question it's a beautiful development. Rick Caruso and his team did an amazing job.

But thinking back an hour to our time at Travel Town, I wonder how the effects of time will treat Americana? I don't mean the physical structure. The complex looks well built, and they'll no doubt do a great job keeping it up in terms of maintenance.
But styles and tastes change.

How will Americana feel in 20 or 30 or 40 years? Will it look and feel like an enclosed shopping mall from the 1970's (dated -or even defunct)?

Or will it somehow be able to defy the odds and capture the timeless magic of, say, a "Main Street, USA" at Disneyland?

In some ways, Americana reminds me of the "Old Towne Mall" in Torrance http://mallsofamerica.blogspot.com/2007/03/old-towne-mall.html. Growing up in the 1970's I loved going to that place. But it doesn't exist anymore.


I'm not really into shopping, or shopping centers. Americana felt a bit too "Stepford Wives" for me, but I appreciated the open, outdoor feel - versus an enclosed mall (aka "maul").


I wouldn't make a special trip just to see it, but once we were in the area it was nice to stop by for an hour or so.

Most of all, especially in contrasting it to Travel Town, I'm curious to see how the effects of time treat it.

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Travel Town: The Effects of Time (Part 1)


Earlier this year I took my kids and some visiting family members over to Travel Town in Griffith Park. Here's their website: http://www.traveltown.org/. Admission is free.



Travel Town began in the late 1940's when steam trains were being decommissioned and replaced by diesel engines. Charley Atkins, a Parks and Recreation employee, and some friends wanted to create a playground of sorts, a "petting zoo for trains," where children could climb on top and play on these old train engines.

Over the next few years, Los Angeles Parks and Recreation was able to obtain a couple dozen engines, as well as freight and passenger cars. According to their website, the engines pictured above were built in 1899 and 1904 - and donated in 1953 and 1952 respectively.

Travel Town also has a unique collection of Pacific Electric rolling stock and passenger cars. The Pacific Electric was a huge electric rail system that at it's height included over 1,000 miles of track stretching from the Inland Empire to the Pacific Ocean.

Here's a great example of a Pacific Electric "Red Car". These cars carried millions of passengers throughout metro Los Angeles from the early 1900's up until the early 1960's. Los Angeles, which now has the nation's worst traffic congestion, can only dream of a system like that today.


At closer inspection, it's obvious that the effects of time and elements have taken their toll on the old PE "Red Car" - as well as everything else at Travel Town.

By the 1980's Travel Town had evolved from a playground into a museum. A large covered shed was eventually built at the southern end of the park, protecting a few of the engines and rolling stock from the effects of time and damage from the elements.

Perhaps more importantly, it allowed a space for volunteers to begin the restoration work on the individual cars and engines.


I have fond memories of visiting Travel Town in the 1970's. As kids, we were able to not only climb into the cab of these engines, but literally climb on top of and explore them. They were like giant jungle gyms.


Dangerous? Sure, a little. But that's what made it fun. There were a few railings and handholds, but for the most part we kids just had to use common sense.

Today, there are large "KEEP OFF" signs preventing anyone from climbing on top of anything. Why?

First, the threat of lawsuits. Los Angeles, like every other city and corporation in America, is afraid of being sued by someone getting hurt.

Second, the effects of time: a few of the engines have deteriorated so much that it would be dangerous not just to climb on top of them, but literally walk around in the cabs.

Third, what were considered unique climbing toys in the 1940's today are now considered museum pieces. Most of these engines are now over 100 years old, and Travel Town is working to restore them for future generations. If not to climb on top of like a jungle gym, at least to at least to step inside and look at.

The effects of time: a San Francisco Cable Car (above) awaits restoration.

I heard that there was some sort of operating trolley car just a few miles away at a new outdoor shopping center called "Americana at Brand" in Glendale. Having never been there, we decided to check it out, see what it was all about. Here's a link to Part II. 

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