Thursday, May 31, 2007

Casa Bianca, Eagle Rock


Casa Bianca has been serving Italian food in Eagle Rock since 1955. Their pizza is supposed to be "worth driving across town for", but I have to admit that it doesn't live up to its reputation. Good, but not great. The place is a local favorite, though and still draws crowds at dinner time.

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Parked Cars, Charter Oak


These three classic 1950s automobiles, including a DeSoto and two Chevys, are parked in the driveway of a home in Charter Oak, an unincorporated area of Covina.

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Abandoned Service Station, Los Angeles


This old service station has been forsaken and fenced-in, but it still has an interesting appeal. It's located on Beverly Blvd. at the corner of Hobart Blvd. in Los Angeles.

Monday, May 28, 2007

Memorial Day, Azusa


Victor Subia, 92 years old, served in the U.S. Army during World War II in the South Pacific and as far away as Australia. After photographing him at a Memorial Day Ceremony in front of the Azusa city hall, I spoke with his wife, Eva. They've been married for 66 years and she told me that Victor is proud to be an American and he often says that this country "is worth protecting and serving."

Sunday, May 27, 2007

Bahay Kubo Natin, Filipinotown


The Bahay Kubo Natin restaurant features Filipino home-style cooking, served in a cafeteria setting, in the Filipinotown district of Los Angeles.

Saturday, May 26, 2007

Newsstand, Larchmont Village


Above the Fold is a newsstand in Larchmont Village, a short stretch of restaurants, cafes and shops along Larchmont Blvd. near Paramount Studios.

Friday, May 25, 2007

Patriotic, Torrance


Joe's Market, at the corner of Torrance Blvd. and Berendo Ave in Torrance, is ready for the Memorial Day weekend with a patriotic mural painted across the east side of the store.

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Classic VW, Los Angeles


This cool vintage convertible Volkswagen Bug was parked on East Olympic Blvd. in Los Angeles and drew plenty of admiring glances by people passing by on the sidewalk.

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Disneyland, Anaheim


Although Anaheim is in Orange County, it's been very much a part of the L.A. landscape as the home of Disneyland for over 50 years. The old submarine ride will resurface on June 11th as the new Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage and the yellow subs are currently running some test voyages in Tomorrowland Lagoon.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Dry Riverbed, Saugus


The Santa Clara River is dry and dusty as it winds through Saugus. The 100-mile-long river was on the 2005 list of America's Most Endangered Rivers.

Monday, May 21, 2007

Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena


The Norton Simon Museum is a landmark in Pasadena and is home to a world-class collection of art, including paintings, sculpture and photography. Pictured at the end of this gallery is Basel Mural I, an oil on canvas by American painter Sam Francis.

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Oak Tree, Santa Clarita


The City of Santa Clarita has an ordinance in place to protect and preserve the thousands of oak trees that make up much of the natural landscape in this area. The oak pictured here is on a hillside just east of the 5 Freeway.

Saturday, May 19, 2007

Parade, Monrovia


A local ROTC unit marches down Myrtle Ave. in the Monrovia Day Parade, celebrating Monrovia's 121st birthday. The City of Monrovia was established in 1886 by William N. Monroe, a Civil War army officer and railroad builder.

Friday, May 18, 2007

Magic Mountain, Valencia


The Colossus roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia is a classic dual-track wooden coaster that reaches speeds of over 60 miles per hour. Magic Mountain opened on Memorial Day weekend in 1971.

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Chips Restaurant, Hawthorne


Chips Restaurant, established in Hawthorne in 1957, is a simple example of Googie architecture that was popular in that era. Chips is located at the corner of Hawthorne Blvd. and 119th St.

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Student Designs, Fashion District


These student sketches and material swatches are on display at the Otis College of Art and Design's School of Fashion Design at the California Market Center. Located in the Fashion District of Los Angeles, aspiring designers are trained to succeed in a very competitive field.

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Watts Towers, Watts


The Watts Towers were built by Italian immigrant Sabato "Simon" Rodia over a period of 33 years, beginning in 1921. The sculptures are located on a residential street in the Watts district of Los Angeles.

Monday, May 14, 2007

Freeway Tunnels, Elysian Park


The four Figueroa Street Tunnels cover portions of the northbound Pasadena (110) Freeway through the Elysian Park area of Los Angeles. The tunnels were built between 1931 and 1935 and helped traffic flow from L.A. to Pasadena.

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Tombstone, Sierra Madre


It's Mother's Day, and despite all of the cheerful recognition of our mothers, there are still those who have most likely been forgotten in the passage of time. This tombstone at Pioneer Cemetery in Sierra Madre has no other identifying information, but it's obvious that someone's mom is buried here. So, Happy Mother's Day to all moms, both past and present.

Saturday, May 12, 2007

Bowling Alley, Montrose


The Montrose Bowl is a retro style bowling alley with only eight lanes, and is available by reservation only for private parties. It's located on Honolulu Ave. in the Montrose Shopping Park area.

Friday, May 11, 2007

The Darkroom, Los Angeles


This cool storefront on Wilshire Blvd. was originally a camera shop, and is one of the last remaining examples of programmatic architecture in Los Angeles. Built in 1926 and remodeled in 1938, it is now a restaurant.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Rialto Theatre, South Pasadena


Landmark's Rialto Theatre in South Pasadena, was built in 1925 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The single-screen theatre features cult favorites and an ongoing midnight screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Truck, Alhambra


The varied text on the side of this truck parked on Chestnut Ave. in Alhambra is a microcosm of the area's ethnicity. But it's still all Greek to me.

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Raging Fire, Griffith Park


Arson is suspected in a fire that roared through Griffith Park today. This view is from Round Top Drive in the Eagle Rock area of Los Angeles. (If you look very closely, the small black speck in the top center of the image just above the horizon is a helicopter, giving some perspective to the size of the fire.)

Monday, May 07, 2007

Mansion, Hancock Park


Hancock Park is a neighborhood of beautiful homes, like this one on Hudson Ave. Prior to the subdivision of land for residential use here in the early 1900s, oil wells dominated the local landscape.

Sunday, May 06, 2007

Miracle Mile, Mid-Wilshire


The Miracle Mile is a stretch of Wilshire Blvd. between La Brea Ave. and Fairfax Ave. in the Mid-Wilshire district of Los Angeles. This view is from La Brea looking west.

Saturday, May 05, 2007

Driving Range, Koreatown


A multi-level driving range at Aroma Golf Academy is a popular place for golfers to practice in Koreatown. Golf balls are fed onto the tee area by an automated system and whacked into nets suspended above the parking structure.

Friday, May 04, 2007

Farmers Market, Los Angeles


Established in Los Angeles at the corner of 3rd and Fairfax in 1934, Farmers Market now has over 100 shops, grocers and restaurants - including Bob's Coffee & Doughnuts.

Thursday, May 03, 2007

National Day of Prayer, Los Angeles


On the 56th annual National Day of Prayer, an elderly woman approaches a statue of Jesus Christ following mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles.

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Great White Hut, Glendale


The Original Great White Hut in Glendale is a little burger & taco stand, serving lunch at the corner of California Ave. and Orange Street since 1941.

Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Library, Norwood Village


Norwood Village? Well, this is a first for L.A. Snapshot. Maybe I should preface this post with a quote from Rod Serling, creator of The Twilight Zone: "You're traveling through another dimension -- a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination." While the Norwood Library is at a real location on Peck Road, the community of Norwood Village does not exist. It's an area otherwise known as North El Monte. Apparently, there was an intent to designate it as a separate district, but the plans fell through and it never happened. So, how did I find Norwood Village in the first place? In a Thomas Guide map book from the year 2000.