Central Plaza, Chinatown

The Central Plaza in Chinatown, located just north of downtown Los Angeles, was established in 1938, moving the Old Chinatown from about a mile away to this area that was once the Little Italy of L.A.
On the final day of 2006, just as these two men contemplate their next move in a game of Chinese chess, many of us consider what we will do to accomplish our goals in the coming New Year. Best wishes for making all the right moves in 2007.

Phillipe's, Los Angeles

This is a cornerstone restaurant of Los Angeles. Established in 1908 by Phillipe Mathieu, the inventor of the French Dipped Sandwich, Phillipe's still has a great old fashioned menu and an atmosphere that manages to make you feel like you've stepped back in time. This Saturday afternoon crowd is what you're likely find here any day of the week, but it's worth the wait.

Cruising, Santa Fe Springs

Cerritos may have that huge Auto Square, but they don't sell any cool classics like this one (1954 Chevy Bel Air?), cruising east on Washington Blvd. in Santa Fe Springs.

Cerritos Auto Square, Cerritos

The Cerritos Auto Square is the largest and most financially successful auto mall in the world, according to J.D Power and Associates. It's a great place to test drive several different manufacturer's automobiles without having to drive to dealers all over Southern California. Located next to the 605 Freeway at the South Street exit in the city of Cerritos, there's currently 25 dealerships lining the 100 acres of property.

Aerial Lifts, Pico Rivera

These aerial lifts were actually photographed a few days ago and I didn't use the shot on that day. But something about the dinosaur-like appearance of these "cherry pickers" made me go ahead with it and post it today. Lifts and other equipment are available to rent from United Rentals in Pico Rivera (not Pico Riv-i-era, as some people call it).

Cloudy Sunset, Manhattan Beach

This lifeguard tower on Manhattan Beach appears to be watching the sunset from just south of the pier as the last rays of light spill over the horizon.

Merry Christmas, L.A.!

OK, so Santa is cool and represents what is good about the spirit of giving at this time of year. But God gave the greatest gift of all through the birth of His only Son, Jesus Christ, who came into this world to save us from our sins. The image of the Bible passage here is from Luke chapter 2. It's what Christmas is really all about.

Christmas Eve, Monrovia

Santa may be exhausted from working the malls yesterday, but tonight he's making the annual trek around the world to deliver gifts. He's a pretty cool old dude. Impressive.

Mall Santa, Arcadia

This Mall Santa Claus has just enough time to stretch his legs before another child visits him with Christmas wishes at Westfield Santa Anita in Arcadia.

Masonic Lodge, Covina

I'm not sure what struck me about this side view of the Covina Masonic Lodge, but I thought it was worth taking a moment to photograph it. The Lodge is located at the corner of 2nd and School St. in Covina.

Fosselman's Ice Cream Co., Alhambra

Fosselman's Ice Cream Company has been a family owned and operated business since 1919. They have won numerous awards for their delicious premium ice cream and malts. This is one of those cool places that has a retro feel and offers high quality products with friendly service. They are located at 1824 W. Main Street in Alhambra.

The Donut Hole, La Puente

This drive-thru donut shop on Amar Road in La Puente is the sole survivor of four Donut Holes that were built in the 1960s. Business looked a little slow today.

Cactus Garden, East Los Angeles

This cactus garden is near the intersection of Floral Dr. and Humphreys Ave. There seems to be something interesting around every corner in East L.A.

Train Depot, San Dimas

The old Santa Fe train depot in San Dimas now serves as home of the Pacific Train Museum and the San Dimas Historical Society. This town has managed to keep its Old West character and has a very interesting little downtown area along Bonita Avenue.

11th Tee, La Verne

After some much needed rain yesterday, it was one of those picture-perfect days in Southern California as a golfer hits a drive off the 11th tee this afternoon at Sierra La Verne Country Club in the city of La Verne.

The Getty Center, Los Angeles

It's difficult to put this place into words, but there's plenty of information available on the Getty Center website. Architect Richard Meier designed the complex to utilize a lot of natural light on a ridge in the Santa Monica Mountains. The travertine stone - 16,000 tons of it - was imported from Italy for the building exteriors. Best of all, the museum is free to visit. You only need to make a reservation and pay for parking.

Hilltop, Bradbury

The driveway of a hilltop estate in Bradbury leads into a great view of the San Gabriel Valley and beyond. This exclusive gated community covers less than two square miles, but its serenity was jolted on March 16, 1988 when racing legend Mickey Thompson and his wife Trudy were murdered in their home.

Chicken, North Hollywood

The Los Angeles area isn't exactly a farming community, but North Hollywood High School has an agricultural department with a cooperative farm, and a magnet program through the L.A. Zoo for animal studies. The livestock at the high school includes chicken, goats and a pig.

Undie Run, Westwood

UCLA students jockey for position at the start of the quarterly Undie Run, a ritual at the Westwood university where students mark exams week by running across the campus in their underwear.

Christmas Tree Lane, Altadena

No, this isn't a photograph of Christmas fireworks. It's just an in-camera enhancement of the colorful holiday lights on the deodar trees lining Christmas Tree Lane, a National Historic Landmark. It's actually Santa Rosa Ave. in Altadena, looking north from Calaveras St. The old trees on this street are strung with 10,000 lights every Christmas season, a tradition since 1920.

Evergreen Cemetery, Boyle Heights

Founded in 1877, Evergreen Cemetery is the oldest existing cemetery in Los Angeles. It's in an area of the city known as Boyle Heights, just east of downtown L.A. This lonely, generic tombstone leaves much to the imagination.

Old Building, Baldwin Park

This old industrial building sits at the intersection of Ramona Blvd. and Badillo St. in Baldwin Park. The razor-wire fence surrounding the deserted structure gives it a sinister look. I don't know what type of business used to be here, but it appears to be well-protected from trespassers, so maybe it's going to be preserved or restored for commercial use.

Range "Rover", Tarzana

This big black dog is cruising in style, getting a ride through Tarzana in the back seat of a cool Range Rover, westward on Ventura Blvd.

Olvera Street, Los Angeles

Delicious taquitos are prepared by hand at Juanita's Mexican Cafe on historic Olvera Street. This tiny cafe has been in business since 1944 and continues to carry on the tradition of making simple but tasty Mexican food. Olvera Street is the birthplace of the city of Los Angeles in 1781 and is a popular tourist attraction.

Sierra Madre Playhouse, Sierra Madre

The Sierra Madre Playhouse is one of many small theaters with an annual adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic tale of redemption, "A Christmas Carol." This theater is unique in that it is non-profit and staffed by volunteers, including many of the performers and production crew. It's the type of place that fits perfectly into the character of the city of Sierra Madre.

Produce Market, Sun Valley

The parking lot was full and Sunland Produce was bustling with shoppers looking for the best local deals on fresh produce at this independent market in Sun Valley.

Graffiti, Lake View Terrace

I have mixed feelings about even posting an image of graffiti, not wanting to draw any attention to the "tagger" of this type of trash that's sprayed across walls, fences, buildings, bridges, homes, trucks, etc. in the L.A. area. The city of Lake View Terrace, merchants and homeowners must spend a lot of money to paint over all the mess. What kind of person would willingly deface someone else's property?

Trailer Park, Glendora

Vintage mid-century photograph? No, this was shot today at one of the many trailer parks that line legendary Route 66 in Glendora.

Bike Path, Irwindale

A lone bicyclist reaches the top of the bike path at the Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area in Irwindale. This city of gravel pits was once considered as a possible stadium site for the NFL's Raiders.

Trojan Marching Band, Pasadena

The Trojan Marching Band played loud and clear outside the Rose Bowl prior to the big game between USC and UCLA, but it was somewhat muffled later in the day as the underdog Bruins defeated the Trojans, 13-9, to knock USC out of contention for a BCS title.

Santa, Beverly Hills

The countdown to Christmas becomes more tangible as the calendar hits December 1st and many people, especially children, begin to open the daily doors of their Advent calendars. Santa is a big part of the season as seen here in the windows of the House of Bijan boutique on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.