Christos Anesti: Easter in Hollywood

Anyone who has driven along the 101 Hollywood Freeway in the last few years has no doubt noticed the spires of the Russian Orthodox Church visible near the intersection of Sunset Blvd. & Western Avenue. A couple years back I was driving by and decided to stop and take a look.

The church building is located in a commercial and very urban part of Hollywood. Don't mind the barbed wire, it's pretty much everywhere in Los Angeles.

I parked and took a walk around the neighborhood. Gas Station & Russian Church = Los Angeles, or more precisely Hollywood.

This needs a caption, but I'm not sure what. Definitely an "experiencing L.A." moment.

I finally found the entrance. The church is located at 5436 Fernwood Avenue, a half a block east of Western Avenue in Hollywood. Apparently, the church building has been around for many years. The cupola project - the massive golden onion domes - were added afterwards. 

In fact, they're still working on them. The crew (who spoke English, not a given in L.A.) was taking a break - and said they've been working on the domes for over nine years. Wow. Above is the scaffolding used on the project. That was two years ago. I'm guessing they're done. 


Aside from the guys working on the domes, no one else was around - and the church was locked. I saw this sign, which would be great - if I spoke Russian.

Walking around I finally found something in English: Holy Transfiguration Russian Orthodox Church. I tried to get some information off their website - but it seems to be "stuck." 

According to the City of West Hollywood's website, nearby West Hollywood is "the most concentrated single Russian-speaking region in US outside of New York." Who knew? Like other immigrant church's around the US, I think it's safe to assume that Holy Transfiguration is working to meet the spiritual and cultural needs of the area's Russian speaking community. 

If you're looking for an English speaking church in Hollywood, I recommend either Reality Los Angeles, or Hollywood Presbyterian Church. 

I don't have any personal experience with the Orthodox faith, although I would assume it has some similarities to Roman Catholicism. Regardless, I can certainly appreciate their church's building - it's very impressive, and certainly stands out. Hey, it got me to stop.

With Easter approaching, I would certainly wish them a greeting shared by believers around the world: Christos Anesti - Christ is Risen.

Directly across the street from Holy Transfiguration Church was the "Deluxe" lab. You know how at the end of every movie it says "Color by Deluxe"? Well, this is the lab where every Hollywood film is sent for final production. 


A half a block away from the church, looking across Western Avenue with the Hollywood sign in the distance. Most visitors from out of town are surprised how urban and industrial parts of Hollywood are. 

Another part of Hollywood. April 2011, my wife and I were at UCLA to hear Oxford professor John Lennox. Near the corner of Melrose and La Brea, we saw a billboard for "Easter At the Bowl".

"Easter at the Bowl" is an annual event free and open to the public. This year, Easter Sunday March 31, 2013, the event is being co-sponsored by Bel Air Presbyterian Church and Christian Assembly Church of Eagle Rock. 

My wife and kids and I went with friends a couple years ago; it's a great experience - highly recommended.

Happy Easter. Christos Anesti - Christ is Risen.

Even in Hollywood.

Perhaps especially in Hollywood.

View Hollywood in a larger map

© 2013 www.experiencingla.com - originally posted 4/21/2011

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Easter at the Hollywood Bowl

Easter Sunday 2009 my wife and kids and I joined friends at the Hollywood Bowl for a huge city-wide Easter Service. 

After a one year hiatus, Easter at the Hollywood Bowl is back, meeting Sunday morning March 31, 2013. 

This is a free event, open to the public. Here's a link to the event website with more information. 


Parking was - and is - free, but we decided to park on Cahuenga (pronouced Co-wang-a) a few blocks away to avoid the "stacked parking" in the lots around the Bowl.


Walking towards the Bowl, a large white cross nearby was visible. This cross was erected as part of the original "sunrise service" held at the Hollywood Bowl every year since 1921.


Walking up Highland: if you go, give yourself enough time to park, walk in, and get seated. 


The entrance to the Hollywood Bowl with the Easter Cross on the hill above it.


My wife and kids (and I) heading in. 


And if you've never been to a church service, or haven't been in years, this was an outstanding place to connect, or re-connect, with the central truths of Christianity. 


Everyone was given a program with the words to the songs and the order of the service.


When we attended in 2009, the event was sponsored by Bel Air Presbyterian Church, who's mission statement is "Making Los Angeles the greatest city for Christ." More than just hosting a large event, the church is also committed to serving the city of Los Angeles - prisoners, the poor, children at risk, homeless individuals and families, single mothers - through a dozen of different ministries.

This year Bel Air Presbyterian is co-hosting the event with Christian Assembly Church of Eagle Rock. 

Francis Chan, formerly of Simi Valley and now ministering among the working poor in urban San Francisco, will be speaking. 

Never heard of Francis Chan? According to a wikipedia article: as a pastor, speaker and author, Chan "gives away about 90 percent of his income, doesn't take a salary from his church, and has donated most of his book royalties, which have totaled about $2,000,000, to various charities. Much of it goes to organizations which rescue sex slaves in foreign countries. Furthermore, in 2008 it was reported that his church [Cornerstone Church] would give away 55% of its income to charitable causes." Wow. 

The cover to the program from 2009. True then. True today.


The Easter Service was very moving, very emotional. The music was outstanding - focusing on the historical reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.


The church choir, the live orchestra, and the contemporary band ... all volunteers, yet really helping focus our attention on Jesus Christ and the hope of the resurrection.


The message was relevant, thoughtful, and challenging.

The service was a real cross section of Los Angeles: singles and suburban families, kids and seniors, those in coat and tie next to those wearing shorts and sandals, aspiring actors from Hollywood next to executives from Century City. Sitting next to us was group of staff and those "in the program" who had come over from the downtown Union Rescue Mission.


My wife in pink with our kids and friends afterwards, next to an amazing old apartment building on Cahuenga in Hollywood, where we parked.

photo credit: Vintage L.A. Facebook Group

The photo above is from Easter Sunday, 1948. 

Even though we're no longer living in Los Angeles, we're so very glad Bel Air Presbyterian and Christian Assembly have teamed up to bring this event back.  

View Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood in a larger map

Here's a link to the Easter at the Hollywood Bowl website. 

Happy Easter - Christ is Risen.

© 2013 www.experiencingla.com - originally posted 4/12/2009



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Experiencing L.A. at Hollywood & Highland

This is Part II of a two part series on Hollywood in and around Grauman's Chinese Theater and the Hollywood and Highland complex. Here's a link to Part I from last week. 

In many ways the urban renaissance that Hollywood is experiencing can be traced back to this one spot: the El Capitan Theater.

In 1989 the Walt Disney Company partnered with Pacific Theaters in restoring the 1926 El Capitan to it's original greatness. The theater re-opened to the public in June of 1991.

The theater now serves as an exclusive location of first-run Disney films. Disney took a gamble in investing in this part of Hollywood, and it paid off. The El Capitan Theatre has hosted live stage shows, world premieres, and other special events that have helped restore showmanship to this stretch of Hollywood Boulevard. 

A quick peek at the entry court gives a glimpse at how much work Disney put into restoring the El Capitan. I've been inside on three separate occasions - it's a fantastic experience, one I highly recommend. 

This is Part II of a two part series on Hollywood. Click here for last weeks post on the Grauman's Chinese Theater, Kodak Theater, and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Kodak Theater, part of the much larger Hollywood and Highland complex, is the home to the Academy Awards, as well as a ongoing Cirque du Soleil performances. 

Here's a view across the street from the El Capitan Theater of the Hollywood and Highland complex. The complex opened in 2001 - ten years after the restoration of the El Capitan. More on Hollywood and Highland in a bit. 

Hollywood Blvd still has an abundance (an over abundance imo) of t-shirt shops, souvenir stands, tattoo parlors, and trashy lingerie shops. Most tourists who visit are usually surprised how, well, run down much of the area feels. 


Having grown up in Los Angeles in the 1970's, I can attest that this who area is much nicer, more cleaned up, than it was 30+ years ago. 

The area is not - and maybe will never be - a Beverly Hills, but it's become a much more enjoyable place to visit than when I was a kid.

At the intersection of Hollywood Blvd and Highland Avenue is the First National Bank Building. Built in 1928, is was at the time the second tallest building in Los Angeles. The 13 story structure was most known as one of the backdrops of Metropolis in the 1950's Superman TV series.

Looking east on Hollywood Blvd. There's a Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum on the southeast corner of Hollywood and Highland (never been - no interest). The Pantages Theater is a mile east (here's a link to a when my wife and I had to attend a show with friends). 

Meanwhile, the Hollywood and Highland entertainment complex has given the area a bit more of a "Times Square" feel and vibe - on a much smaller scale, of course. The City of Los Angeles (Hollywood is a community within the City of Los Angeles) relaxed some it's zoning regulations to allow these billboards, much to the chagrin of some neighbors. 

Out of town visitors reading the subway map. Yes, Los Angeles does have a subway - going 16 miles from downtown Los Angeles to Hollywood and finally terminating in North Hollywood in the San Fernando Valley. Plans include extending a second line west through Beverly Hills into Westwood and UCLA, but that's many many years away. 

The interior court of the Hollywood and Highland complex. Nice. But where is something like  NBC's The Today Show? A west coast version of the very popluar New York City based syndicated show?  Wouldn't something like THAT be a draw for both locals and out of town guests? 

The white elephants are designed to invoke the equally massive "Babylon Court" set from pioneer film maker D.W. Griffin's 1916 film Intolerance. It would be another twenty years before any studio would again attempt to built sets of this magnitude. 

A plaque commemorating the film and the set. What I found interesting is that the original set was considered the first tourist attraction related to the movie business. 

"The Road to Hollywood: How Some of Us Got Here." Along the pavement you'll find a series of interesting quips and quotes from directors, producers, actors and other professionals in the entertainment community in how they got their start in the industry. 

Here's a link to a website that catalogued every single quote - and with the actual person who originally said it. In this case the "Director" was Mervyn LeRoy.

Los Angeles, and Hollywood specifically, is a city of incredible ambition. Every year 19,000 people move to Hollywood to try and break into the entertainment industry. For every one person that does, at least  one hundred don't. It's very challenging, very demanding. 


Thinking about moving to L.A. to try and make it in the entertainment industry? Here's a link to a post a couple years back with some thoughts from a good friend from our church in L.A. who did just that. I'd suggest reading it before you pack your bags ...

Several months ago I heard a fascinating message on the topic of "ambition." Specifically, "what does it mean to be ambitious in a city like Los Angeles?" Here's a link to the talk, given by Pastor Rankin Wilbourne of Pacific Crossroads Church, part of a larger series "How To Live In and Love Los Angeles."

What would a visit to Hollywood be without a chance to see the world famous Hollywood Sign? Walk up to the third floor at Hollywood and Highland and you'll get nice view. Here's a link to a previous post on the best place to (legally) get "up close" to the Sign. 

The white cross is designed to be visible from the nearby Hollywood Bowl for their sunrise Easter Services, held since the 1920's. Here's a link to our experience there a few years ago. 

Back at Hollywood and Highland. Another view looking up Highland Avenue with the Hollywood Sign in the distance. 

Another angle of the same view. 

Looking south down Highland with another view of the First National Bank Building. Beautiful, classic building. 

Another view of the Babylon Court. Here's a link to a one minute clip from D.W. Griffith's "Intolerance".

Heading down towards the massive parking garage under the Hollywood and Highland complex, my wife and I noticed a large sculpture consisting of a series of mirrors. Fitting, in many ways, to both the ambition and vanity that is so often Hollywood. 

Hollywood and Highland, along with Grauman's Chinese Theater, is a good place to start if you want a little taste of Hollywood. You'll see a whole lot more tourists than movie stars - actually, you probably won't see any stars. But it's still fun to walk around for a hour or two, and experience a bit of Hollywood's past, present, and future. 

View Hollywood & Highland, Hollywood CA in a larger map

Here's a final link to the Hollywood and Highland entertainment complex. 


© 2012 www.experiencingla.com

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