Aerial Los Angeles, Santa Monica and the Bay

photo credit: ExperiencingLA.com

Aerial Los Angeles: flying out to LAX a few months back, I grabbed a couple photos out the window via my phone.

Lower left is Pacific Palisades. Following the coast south, where it starts to become urban, is Santa Monica. The buildings along Wilshire Blvd can be seen as they snake their way up through Brentwood, Westwood Village, around Century City, through Beverly Hills, Hancock Park, Koreatown, and into downtown Los Angeles.

photo credit: ExperiencingLA.com

From this angle, Hollywood is directly north of Pacific Palisades, about two thirds up the photo. The little white dot in the hills is the Hollywood Sign. Malibu begins at the very lower left. In the distance are the San Gabriel Mountains. As an aside, 40 years ago smog would have made this photograph virtually impossible. Today, of greater concern is traffic congestion.

Malibu, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, and downtown Los Angeles. Thanks to the entertainment industry, the influence that this swath of land has on the rest of the planet is incredible.

I like this quote from urban planning expert Dan Rosenfeld from this weekend's Los Angeles Times:

"We live in the greatest concentration of human talent in the history of the world. We spawn popular culture — film, fashion, food, even finance — for the entire planet. Further, we are the urban laboratory for the future world. Solutions to megacity challenges such as water scarcity, recycling, mobility, diversity and income inequality — those solutions will be invented and tested here. L.A. can be messy, crowded and hard to manage, but it's a good place to be relevant."

© 2015 www.experiencingla.com



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Experiencing L.A. in the Larchmont District

In February 2010, the last year our family was living in Los Angeles, I had to take my kids to an orthodontist in the Larchmont district of Los Angeles, located north of Hancock Park, and south of Hollywood.

What impressed me - to the point of going back to my car to get my camera - was the view out the windows. Wow! These photos were all taken from the orthodontist's 5th floor office at 321 Larchmont Blvd, just north of Beverly Blvd.

I liked the above photo so much, I ended using it as the backround for this blog. 

Above, the Hollywood Sign.


Looking to the right (east) is Paramount Studios located on Melrose Avenue, about a mile away.

Paramount is the only major studio actually located in Hollywood. Universal, Disney, and Warner Brothers are located "over the hill" in the San Fernando Valley. 20th Century Fox is located in Century City (just west of Beverly Hills) and Sony Studios in Culver City. They comprise what is known as "the big six" major film studios. 

And their influence is global.

Further to the right (east), the Griffith Observatory, what's been affectionately referred to as the "hood ornament" of Los Angeles. 

To the left (west) are the Hollywood Hills and - rising out of a sea of one story bungalows - the 80 year old "El Royale" apartment building, located at 450 N. Rossmore Ave.


I've driven by this building before at street level, but never before seen it from this angle. Definitely "old school" Hollywood, with a waiting list to get in, and pretty hefty rent, even by L.A. standards. According to the Larchmont Chronicle:

Long a celebrity magnet, the El Royale has been home to Loretta Young and Clark Gable and, more recently, Nicolas Cage, Uma Thurman and Ben Stiller. Units in the building range from 950-square-foot one-bedrooms that start at $2,000 per month, to the 3,000-square-foot, two story penthouses that rent for $4,000 a month. There are also two- and three-bedroom apartments and one-story penthouses. 


Looking left (west) towards the heart of Hollywood. 

By way of perspective, the tower a mile and a half in the distance just left of center is the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, located on Sunset Blvd next to the historic "Crossroads of the World." 

Four blocks further is the intersection of Hollywood Blvd. and Highland Avenue.


Pulling back a bit from the windows you can see that, yes, this really is an orthodontist's office. Nice view of the Hollywood Sign while getting your teeth worked on.


For some reason, we were the only people there at the time. I assume it gets busier later in the day?

My kids got x-rays and my son had his retainer adjusted. Ah, the joys of being a kid. But I guess adults get braces too ... forgot to ask if anyone "famous" ever comes in. You know, "orthodontist to the stars"? Hmm, maybe ... but maybe not.

Afterwards, we drove up Larchmont Blvd. for lunch. Hollywood sign in the distance.

We passed by Paramount Studios and stopped for a quick photo. You'll notice the Hollywood sign, visible just above the guard house.

I thought about taking my kids to "Pink's" hotdog stand in Hollywood, but driving by decided it wasn't very kid friendly. We ended up at a McDonald's about a block from this Target (this is what a Target looks like in Hollywood).

Thinking about the impressive views of Hollywood, I'm reminded of a friend from church - a very committed Christian - who moved to Los Angeles with his wife and kids several years ago to work in the entertainment industry. I wish I could say everything's been awesome career-wise in terms of breaking into "the industry." It's actually been a pretty tough road. He's very talented, but aside from some small things, nothing's really opened up for him. His advice for anyone thinking trying to work in the entertainment industry without a plan? "Don't come."

That doesn't mean "don't come" - it means "don't come without a plan." Actually, I think of all people, Christians should have a plan of how best to use their gifts, abilities, passions, and talents to glorify God. Whether behind a camera, a desk, a surgical mask, a counter, or broom.

Meanwhile, it's my hope that more Christians choose to live in Los Angeles. Why? Because it's arguably the most influential city in the world.

With a plan. Gotta have a plan. And even then, at least in terms of jobs, there are no guarantees.

By the way, these pictures were taken mid-February. So I guess one guarantee in L.A. is the weather. No complaints.

More information on the Larchmont district of Los Angeles can be found here. 

originally published 4/10/2010 

© 2013 www.experiencingla.com

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Experiencing L.A. at Grauman's Chinese Theater, Hollywood

Arguably the most famous movie theater in the world, Grauman's Chinese Theater is located on Hollywood Blvd in the heart of Hollywood.

The theater opened to the public in 1927 at a cost of $2 million. It's located at 6801 Hollywood Blvd.

As a fully operating movie theater, Grauman's continues to show first run films. Of course, the real draw for people from around the world is it's famous footprint "Forecourt of the Stars."

The story goes that in 1927 Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and Norma Talmadge accidentally stepped into some wet cement in front of the theater. Ever the showman, theater owner Sid Grauman quickly had them sign their names below their footprints and the rest, as they say, was history.

85 years later, the forecourt continues to draw people from around the world.

The are approximately 175 stars footprints (and in many cases, handprints) in front of the theater.

Here's a link to a map, on the theater's website, listing the stars and where to find their prints.

The forecourt is open to the public and absolutely free to visit. Hence, it's popularity - attracting two million visitors a year.

Just outside of the forecourt, on the public sidewalk, are celebrity impersonators posing for photographs, for tips (of course).

Apparently, Michael Jackson, Spiderman and all the rest can not legally charge for photos, but they can ask for tips.

Families pay hundreds of dollars to get into Disneyland - and then line up for 30 minutes to get a picture with Mickey Mouse. I guess tipping a dollar or two to get a pic with Darth Vader is a pretty good deal. I mean, hey, no wait.

Down the street, you'll find Elvis chatting it up with a Japanese geisha girl.

The King heading back to his "spot" on the sidewalk.

Of maybe he's going to meet up with the Scream guy.

Or Superman. Looks like a slow day for the Man of Steel.

By the way, you'll notice along the sidewalk are the stars of the Hollywood "Walk of Fame."

Unlike the very limited space in the Chinese Theater forecourt, there are over 2400 stars along Hollywood Blvd. Above, Harrison Ford's star at 6801 Hollywood Blvd (conveniently located directly in front of the Theater). Here's a link to a list of all the stars found on the Walk of Fame.

Back on the street to Michael Jackson: looks like the King of Pop was trying to drum up business.

Down the street from Grauman's Chinese Theater is the Kodak Theater, part of the larger "Hollywood and Highland" complex.

In between the Kodak Theater and Grauman's Chinese is the Hard Rock Cafe, a restaurant chain found in major cities around the world (we didn't bother to stop).

Another look at the Kodak Theater. The Kodak was specifically built to host the Academy Awards, although there is talk of possibly moving the Academy Awards to the larger Nokia Theater a few miles away in downtown Los Angeles.

"That's All Folks" - for now. More on the Hollywood and Highland complex in Part II next week.

Here's a link to the Grauman's Chinese Theater website.

© 2012 www.experiencingla.com

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Experiencing L.A. at the Pantages

In June of 2010 some friends treated my wife and I to join them in seeing the Broadway Musical "In the Heights" at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood. Sure, OK!

This being Los Angeles, the drive over was almost as interesting as the show itself. Above: traveling up La Cienega Blvd just north of San Vincente Blvd.

Another view. To the left is the massive Beverly Center shopping center (which, of course, is not located in Beverly Hills). More on the Beverly Center in a future post.

We turned right on Sunset Blvd and headed east into Hollywood. People from out of the area are surprised by how "un-glamorous" sections of Hollywood really are. You probably won't see any celebrities walking around this part of town.

"Cross Roads of the World" at Sunset and Las Palmas in Hollywood, considered to be America's first outdoor shopping center, and personally, one of my favorite spots in all of Los Angeles (which is saying a lot!). Here's a link to a previous blog post.

First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, located on Gower Street, just one block north of Hollywood Blvd. Of note, two of the church's senior pastors have gone on to serve as the chaplain of the U.S. Senate. My family and I have attended a couple of times with friends who are members. It's an excellent church, although if you're looking for a more contemporary style in the area, I'd recommend the non-denominational "Reality Church" meeting a few blocks away at Hellen Bernstein High School.

Hollywood and Hollywood (Hollywood Sign and Hollywood Blvd). This is out of the window of my car waiting for the light at Hollywood and Vine. Here's a link to a previous post if you're trying to get up close to the sign.

Looking up Vine Street towards the Capital Records Building. The building opened in 1956 and is designed to look like a stack of records on a turntable (remember records? remember turntables?)

The Pantages Theater is located just a few feet away from the corner of Hollywood and Vine.

Another view.

We parked the car across the street in the lot and headed over.

The newly opened "W" Hotel across the street.

Turns out we were going opening night, which I didn't know until we showed up.

Huge crowd, with photographers and cameras: something going on . . .

Hey, looks like actor Edward James Olmos.

Hey, it is! Turns out he showed up, along with a few of his Hollywood buddies, opening night. Definitely an "experiencing L.A." moment . . .

The inside lobby. I had been to the Pantages once before, when my son and I went and saw the "Wizard of Oz" themed musical Wicked back in October 2008 (here's a link to what that was like).

Inside, waiting for the show to start. The Pantages was built in 1930 and is an amazing theater. They have a very strict "no photography" policy during their shows, so this is the only photo inside the theater I got.

photo credit: www.playbill.com

In the Heights reminded me a lot of West Side Story - focusing on the lives of New York City immigrants in the Washington Heights neighborhood. It was enjoyable, although - unlike when we saw Wicked - I didn't walk out thinking "I gotta buy the soundtrack."

The Pantages at night. According to Wikipedia:

"The original plans for the Pantages were for a 12-story building: 2 floors dedicated to theater and 10 floors of office space. Completion of the 10 upper floors was halted due to the 1929 stock market crash which occurred during construction. In December 2007, plans were revealed to complete the original design and floors, much due to the rejuvenation of the Hollywood area and the demand for office space."

Looks like the "Great Recession" are putting those plans on hold once again. Someday, maybe.

View Pantages Theater, Hollywood in a larger map

The Pantages is located half a block east of the corner of Hollywood and Vine. Here's a link to their website.

© 2011 www.experiencingla.com