Dennis Hopper, Hollywood

This image of actor/photographer Dennis Hopper was shot last night in what can be described as an "only in L.A." moment. I was invited to an event of the American Cinematheque at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. There was a screening of the 1961 Beat film "Night Tide", starring Hopper and Linda Lawson (inset, from the movie). After the film, host and author Domenic Priore introduced special guest Dennis Hopper and invited him to come up and discuss the movie and his career, which includes "Easy Rider", "Apocalypse Now" and "Blue Velvet". He even answered questions from the audience. There were also a couple of independent film shorts and a slideshow presentation about the Beat Generation in L.A. from 1956-1966.

Rusted Car, Glendora

This 1930s era automobile has a completely rusted body and a ripped-up interior visible through the broken rear window. It sits in the salvage lot of Andy's Auto Center in Glendora, on Historic Route 66, with a glimmer of hope for restoration to its glory days.

Little India, Artesia

A woman wearing the traditional East Indian salwar kameez crosses Pioneer Blvd. in the Little India area of Artesia. There are a large number of Indian owned shops and restaurants along Pioneer Blvd. south of the 91 Freeway.

Judson Studios, Garvanza

An artist carefully cuts the stencils in preparation for a new stained glass project at Judson Studios in Garvanza. The business was established in Los Angeles in 1897, and is still family run, by 4th and 5th generation Judsons. In 1997, the Highland Park Heritage Trust officially recognized part of the area as Garvanza, which was its original designation at the end of the 19th century.

Wildflowers, Gorman

This image is from my archives, circa 1991. Gorman is at the northwestern-most tip of L.A. County and is known for the annual springtime blanket of California poppies and other wildflowers covering its hills. But, because of the dry winter, flowers are not blooming as abundantly.

Snack Bar, Los Angeles

It was difficult to tell if this eerie old snack bar is permanently closed or not because there were no signs. It's on N. Alameda St., just east of Chinatown, in Los Angeles.

Bulldog, Sierra Madre

This happy bulldog enjoys the attention during the street fair at the annual Wystaria Festival in Sierra Madre.

Hawthorne, Blvd., Lawndale

Hawthorne Blvd. is a major north-south artery of the southern section of L.A. County. This is the view north from just above Redondo Beach Blvd. in Lawndale.

Red Truck, El Sereno

This old Chevy truck greets customers at the entrance to Newland's Hardware on Huntington Dr. in El Sereno. The red truck is also featured in murals on the exterior of the building.

Power Lines, North Hollywood

L.A. Department of Water & Power, the nation's largest municipal utility company, runs electricity through these power lines 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This view is looking north from Vineland Ave. in North Hollywood.

Sacred Heart Church, Lincoln Heights

A young man prays by himself in the cavernous sanctuary of Sacred Heart Church, which was established in 1887. Lincoln Heights is one of the oldest neighborhoods of Los Angeles, dating back to the 1880s, and was once home to a large population of Italian immigrants.

Pony League Baseball, Arcadia

Despite a light rainfall this evening, an Arcadia Pony Baseball game is played between the Dodgers and A's at Bonita Park in Arcadia on the first day of Spring.

Cinema 21, Pasadena

Cinema 21 in Pasadena, formerly Washington Theatre, was built in 1924 and is currently boarded up. But it is apparently scheduled for restoration as part of a new project that will include additional retail space and offices.

LAC-USC Medical Center, Los Angeles

Founded in 1878, the L.A. County-USC Medical Center is the largest single healthcare provider in Los Angeles County. It also provides training for about 1500 medical professionals each day, many of them from the USC School of Medicine.

Wedding Chairs, Topanga

Empty chairs await the arrival of guests for a small wedding at the Inn of the Seventh Ray in Topanga Canyon.

Closed Auto Dealer, City of Industry

The banner on the left at this shut-down auto dealer in the City of Industry proclaims "Your No Problem Dealership".
No cars, no customers, no problems.

Ornamental Ironwork, Valinda

I don't know if there's any statistics kept on a subject like this, but driving through the small residential community of Valinda, it might be a safe bet that there is more ornamental iron gates and fences per capita here than anywhere else in L.A. County.

Horses, Avocado Heights

Avocado Heights is an unincorporated area of equestrian property in the San Gabriel Valley. The shaggy little horse in the foreground was not camera-shy, and friendly enough to come over to the fence and let me pet him.

Descanso Gardens, La Canada Flintridge

A lone bench is surrounded by trees in a peaceful area of Descanso Gardens. Located in La Canada Flintridge, the site covers 160 acres in the San Rafael hills north of downtown Los Angeles.

Apartments, Cudahy

In contrast to the expensive homes from yesterday's post to L.A. Snapshot, the homes and apartments of Cudahy are very modest and relatively inexpensive. The cities and demographics are completely different. They are both part of Los Angeles County, but separated by racial and financial boundaries.

Suburb, Porter Ranch

For roughly a million dollars, you can own one of the cookie-cutter homes with no yard or driveway, in a tract like this one along Corbin Ave. in Porter Ranch.

Bob's Big Boy, Burbank

The city of Burbank is home to the oldest remaining Bob's Big Boy Restaurant in America. Built in 1949 and designated as a State Point of Historical Interest in 1993, they still offer car hop service on Saturday and Sunday nights.

Hospital Mural, Los Angeles

"Los Angeles", a tile mural based upon original artwork by Jose Ramirez, is located at the entrance to the White Memorial Medical Center in the Boyle Heights area of Los Angeles. The location is significant for me today because it is my birthplace.

Stoney Point, Chatsworth

Stoney Point, near the northern end of Topanga Canyon Blvd. in Chatsworth, is a popular hiking and rock climbing area. There are great views from the top of the surrounding San Fernando Valley.

Old Chevys, Athens

A beat-up collection of old Chevrolets, circa 1938, sit at the entrance of an auto repair shop on El Segundo Blvd. in Athens, an unincorporated district of South Los Angeles.

Beach Boys Landmark, Hawthorne

The city of Hawthorne dedicated a landmark to The Beach Boys in 2005 at the site of the childhood home of brothers & bandmates Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson. The home on 119th Street had been demolished in the late 1980s to make way for the construction of the Century Freeway. The image above is of the center section of the monument.

Madrona Marsh, Torrance

Torrance was once known more for its business and industry, but it's also a city that strives for balance. So it shouldn't be much of a surprise to find the Madrona Marsh Preserve in the middle of an urban landscape, surrounded by major boulevards. The marsh is a natural habitat for varieties of birds, insects, plants and small mammals.

L.A. Marathon, Universal City

Runners begin to gather in Universal City near the start of the 22nd Los Angeles Marathon. A new flatter course was expected to bring in faster times for the 25,000 competitors.

Sports Center, Bell Gardens

Well, guess what? Right next door to the city of Bell is Bell Gardens! And they have a really nice Sports Center, with baseball & softball fields, 4 soccer fields, spectator seating, a concession stand, picnic tables and many other renovations within the Ford Park area adjacent to Municipal Golf Course.

Mobile Home Park, Bell

The scene here may have the look and feel of a lazy summer afternoon from the 1970s, but it's actually the Bell Mobile Home Park today in the city of Bell.

Huntington Library, San Marino

The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens in San Marino was founded by railroad and real estate tycoon Henry E. Huntington in 1919. The Library Exhibition Hall, pictured here, houses an extensive collection of rare books and manuscripts, including some of the early editions of Shakespeare's works and a Gutenberg Bible.