Experiencing L.A. - "Upper Deck" View from Santa Monica

Two years ago this month I had a doctor's appointment at the Santa Monica Medical Plaza, at 15th & Arizona. I expected a routine visit.

What I didn't expect was the view.

Wow, nice. Glad I had my camera.

This is looking northeast towards the Los Angeles communities of Brentwood and Westwood. 


A close up of the same location (click on any of these photos for a larger view). 

On the left is Brentwood, and on the right, Westwood. The hills in the distance are part of Beverly Hills and Hollywood - and in the far distance are the much larger San Gabriel Mountains.


Barely visible in the distance are the snow capped mountains, to the right. 

As an aside, later that same month (April) my wife and kids and I were at a conference in the local mountains, which had just received six inches of snow. We stopped at the beach on the way up and were in the snow about two hours later. Our kids were able to play in the surf and two hours later play in the snow.


From the same office tower, this is looking south toward the Pacific Ocean, with the western edge of Catalina Island - about 40 miles away - visible in the distance.


Turned out the doctor wasn't in that day - I had to reschedule. I had a few minutes, so I took the elevator up to the top floor for (in my opinion) an even better view. This is looking up Arizona Avenue, which runs between Wilshire and Santa Monica Blvds through Santa Monica into West Los Angeles.


Another close up looking the same direction. On the right side of the photo, just above the last tall building, you can see the Hollywood sign. 

As I've blogged previously, I was constantly reminded how fortunate we were to live in this area. It also was a reminder of the responsibility that comes with that. As the pastor at my church said many years ago, "if God has blessed us economically or materially, we shouldn't feel guilty - we should feel responsible."

I think it's easier just to feel guilty. Responsibility implies actually doing something.

Jesus said on multiple occasions "to whom much is given, much is expected."

I - and others on the westside of L.A. - honestly have been given much. And it was (and is) challenging thinking what that means in terms of investing my time, my abilities, and my resources in the lives of others. There were certainly lots of needs and opportunities. We hope that in a small way our lives made Los Angeles a better place for others.


A few more shots: this was looking north towards Brentwood is the massive Getty Center.


Looking northwest towards the community of Pacific Palisades with the Santa Monica Mountains and Topanga State Park in the distance.

Here's a final wide angle shot. Towards the right are the office towers of downtown Los Angeles, about 15 miles away.

The Santa Monica Medical Plaza is only about 10 or 12 stories tall - but it's a great location if you'd like a view of Santa Monica, the Pacific Ocean, and metro Los Angeles. 

Here's a final link to a previous post with a map of metro Los Angeles. 


View Arizona & 15th Street, Santa Monica in a larger map

© 2012 www.experiencingla.com - originally posted 7/4/2010


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