Union Station (Revisted), Los Angeles

L.A. Snapshot concludes after a one year photographic tour of the Los Angeles area. I've returned safely to Union Station, the starting point of the journey and it's been a gratifying experience to share my views of L.A. with you. Thank you for taking the time to visit, and feel free to browse back through the archives. Also, I'd love to hear from you regarding L.A. Snapshot, and also about ideas for a photography series you'd like to see.
(Watch for a link to a new photography blog, beginning January 2008.)

Brentwood Gardens, Brentwood

Shopping is upscale at Brentwood Gardens on San Vicente Blvd. in Brentwood. The mini-mall includes 3 floors of shops, boutiques, services and restaurants.

Rose Arbor, San Marino

It's a quiet afternoon in the Rose Arbor at Lacy Park in San Marino. Southern California residents have been staying indoors this week to avoid the poor air quality caused by the local fires.

Painted Building, Eagle Rock

The side of a building on Shearin Ave. at Colorado Blvd. in Eagle Rock is painted in a way that it kind of looks like a rug. The business at this location is a Pilates gym.

Twohey's Restaurant, Alhambra

Twohey's Restaurant in Alhambra is the "Home of the Little Stink-O", the mascot on their neon sign seen here. In business since 1943 and famous for their onion rings and sundaes, this restaurant used to have a car-hop service, but it was discontinued after remodeling in 1977.

Hotel Lobby, Monrovia

This is the lobby of the historic landmark Aztec Hotel on Foothill Blvd. in Monrovia. It was originally built in 1925 and has been undergoing restoration over the past several years.

Skyscraper, Los Angeles

The U.S. Bank Tower, also known as the Library Tower (across the street from the Central Library), is the 8th tallest skyscraper in the United States. It rises over 1,000 feet above the streets of Los Angeles.

Country Squire, Sierra Madre

This old (1955?) Ford Country Squire Wagon parked in an alley of Sierra Madre has seen better days, but may be someone's living space.

Church, La Verne

This United Methodist Church of La Verne is the same church used in the wedding scene of the 1967 movie The Graduate, starring Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft and Katharine Ross.

Historic Garage, San Dimas

A scarecrow guards an old Ford at the entrance of the San Dimas Garage. Built in 1910, the garage on Bonita Ave. is a San Dimas historical landmark.

Padua Avenue, Claremont

Padua Avenue leads straight up to the base of the mountains above Claremont on the eastern edge of L.A. County.

Rooftop Cadillac, Los Angeles

This model Cadillac convertible, complete with a blonde "starlette", sits on the rooftop of one of the small eateries at St. Vincent Court, an old Los Angeles alley that has been designed to look like a Parisian street.

Beggar, Jewelry District

A beggar wearing an over-sized sombrero waits patiently for spare change on Broadway in the Jewelry District of Downtown Los Angeles.

Country Club, San Gabriel

Wine is served to guests at the San Gabriel Country Club in San Gabriel before a dinner presentation on heart disease by a local cardiologist.

Clifton's Cafeteria, Los Angeles

Clifton's Cafeteria has been serving meals in Downtown Los Angeles since 1931, and it appears to be stuck in a time warp. I have to admit that I had not been there in about 40 years, but when I walked in this afternoon it looked like it hadn't changed. They still offer "quality food at affordable prices", too.

Racks, Harbor Gateway

These metal racks are at the back of an industrial building on Torrance Blvd. in Harbor Gateway, a two-mile-wide corridor between Western and Normandie Avenues in south Los Angeles.

Residential Street, Ladera Heights

This view is from 55th St. and Holt Ave. in Ladera Heights, looking south. The row of buildings in the distance is along Century Blvd. near LAX.

Walk in the Park, Baldwin Hills

A nice day for a stroll in the park at the Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area in the Baldwin Hills area of L.A.

Home Depot Center, Carson

The Home Depot Center is a sports complex in Carson with a soccer stadium, tennis stadium, event center (including a velodrome) and track & field facility.

Relaxing, Redondo Beach

A young woman relaxes on an uncrowded stretch of Redondo Beach during a beautiful Columbus Day on the West Coast.

Closed Entryway, Silver Lake

The locked entryway to this abandoned building on Vendome St. in Silver Lake was photographed earlier this year. So I don't know if the building is even standing anymore, but it's another piece of interesting architecture in L.A. that has been deserted.

Leprechaun, Pasadena

A leprechaun approaches the entrance to the Rose Bowl Stadium shortly before the start of the UCLA-Notre Dame college football game. The visiting Fighting Irish have not played in Pasadena for over 80 years, when they beat Stanford in the 1925 Rose Bowl Game.

Attention Grabber, Studio City

The unique sign on Ventura Blvd. grabs your attention as you pass Hand Car Wash in Studio City. The replica Corvette on top of the giant sponge and hand had to be lowered from its previous high perch due to a city ordinance.

Kiosk, Altadena

This photo kiosk in Altadena, called FotoBuster, is no longer in business. It's a standing relic of what used to be a popular and convenient way to get film processed and printed. The leader of this drive-thru industry was Fotomat, which once had over 4000 locations throughout the United States.

Alex Theatre, Glendale

The Alex Theatre has been hosting movies and performing arts in Glendale since 1925. It underwent a $6 million restoration after Glendale's Redevelopment Agency purchased the landmark theatre in 1992.

Traffic, Cahuenga Pass

The 101 Freeway and Cahuenga Blvd. carry traffic through the Cahuenga Pass at dusk in this view looking north towards the San Fernando Valley from the Mulholland Highway Bridge.

Solitary Fisherman, Arcadia

A fisherman has the lake all to himself at the Peck Road Water Conservation Park (a.k.a. Peck Park) in an unicorporated area of Arcadia.

Hidden Highlands Road, Agoura Hills

This locked gate at the entrance to Hidden Highlands Road leads to a private community of multi-million dollar homes in Agoura Hills.

Wedding Reception, Shadow Hills

Rusty and Lindsay celebrate their marriage during a reception at the home of the bride's parents in Shadow Hills.

Car Wash, Duarte

Customers of a self-service car wash on Huntington Drive in Duarte get their cars clean for the weekend.

San Jose Creek, City of Industry

The San Jose Creek runs right through the middle of the City of Industry, where it flows into the San Gabriel River.

Helicopter, Whittier

L.A. County Sheriffs Department Rescue 5 helicopter prepares to land at the STARS (Sheriffs Training and Regional Services) center in Whittier.

Mobile Home with Palm Tree, Covina

This view of a mobile home and palm tree in the Starlite Mobile Home Park is from the back parking lot of a furniture store on Azusa Ave., just north of Cypress St. in Covina.

Hospital Tour, Pasadena

A group of contractors and hospital administrators inspect the kitchen/cafeteria during a tour of the nearly complete $170 million West Tower of the Huntington Hospital in Pasadena.

Conveyor, Irwindale

A conveyor rises into the early morning sky at United Rock Products. The Irwindale plant supplies the construction industry with sand and gravel produced at this 300 acre site.

Train Depot, Monrovia

This abandoned train depot, originally built in 1926, will be given new life as the hub of Transit Village in Monrovia (click here for an artist's rendering). The redevelopment project will include offices, retail space and housing, along with a new stop for the Metro Gold Line.

San Gabriel River, South El Monte

The first clouds from an approaching storm appear as a reflection in the San Gabriel River in South El Monte. This view is from Peck Rd. near Durfee Ave.

Prepared For Rain, East Los Angeles

After a hot dry summer, the weather forecasters are saying that rain is on its way. This pedestrian is prepared with a huge umbrella at the corner of Ford Blvd. and 3rd Street in East Los Angeles.

L.A. County Fair, Pomona

The L.A. County Fair is in full swing for its annual run at the Fairplex in Pomona. This shot is of a vintage Pomona Fire Dept. truck carrying mascots and employees during the parade across the fairgrounds.

Old Barn, Montebello

This old barn is part of the Taylor Ranch property, a community facility used for art classes and receptions in the City of Montebello.

Bonaventure Hotel, Los Angeles

The Westin Bonaventure Hotel has been a downtown Los Angeles landmark for over 30 years. Its unique cylindrical towers and glass elevators give it a futuristic appeal.

Panda Express, La Canada

Panda Express isn't a five-star restaurant for Chinese food, but when you want some pretty good fast food other than burgers & fries, this is a tasty choice. It's also the fastest growing Chinese restaurant chain in North America.

Neon Sign, La Crescenta

These two images of the same sign, shot from opposite directions, show that the unlit letters in "MOTEL" on one side are lit up on the other side. The location is the La Crescenta Motel on Foothill Blvd. in La Crescenta.

6th Street Bridge, Los Angeles

The 6th Street Bridge in Los Angeles as seen from behind a pile of gratuitous garbage along the west side of the L.A. River. The bridge was built in 1932 and has been deteriorating to the point of needing to be retrofitted or replaced.

The Original Pantry Cafe, Los Angeles

A Los Angeles landmark since 1924, The Original Pantry Cafe is owned by former Mayor of L.A., Richard Riordan, who says, "We never close. We're never without a customer."

Lunada Bay, Rancho Palos Verdes

Lunada Bay sits below some of the most beautiful and expensive real estate in California. This somewhat secluded coastline of Rancho Palos Verdes is guarded by local surfers who prefer that visitors keep out. Those who enter at their own risk are often harassed and may return to their car to find that the tires have been slashed.

Hay Bales, Lomita

The parking lot of Lomita Feed Store is stacked with bales of hay, ready for customers from neighboring communities with horse property. The City of Lomita still has plenty of old-school businesses that help maintain the city's character.

Harbor Regional Park, Harbor City

The marshy surroundings of Lake Machado at Harbor Regional Park were the stomping grounds of Reggie the alligator for nearly two years. He had been released there by pet owners, then eluded teams of hunters until finally captured earlier this year. Reggie managed to put Harbor City on the map as animal lovers around the world checked in on his status during his stay in the park.

Project Playhouse, Thousand Oaks

Thousand Oaks is just outside L.A. County, but is the host city for the 7th Annual HomeAid Los Angeles/Ventura Project Playhouse. This service project helps build or renovate transitional housing for temporarily homeless individuals and families. The playhouses, like the firehouse being forklifted into place here last week, are on display starting this weekend at The Lakes for about a month before they are auctioned off to the highest bidders.

"McMansion", Mayflower Village

Mayflower Village is a small neighborhood on the border of Monrovia and Arcadia. This McMansion on Loganrita Ave. is typical of a house overbuilt compared to the general architectural style of homes in the area.