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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Big Chair, Los Angeles

This oversized chair sits at the corner of the Buena Vista Furniture store on Alhambra Rd. in Los Angeles.

Boarded House, San Gabriel

This vacant and boarded-up house on Walnut Grove Ave. in San Gabriel is nearing demolition. It's one of three houses in a row that face imminent doom because a bulldozer is ready and waiting for action next door. I can't help but feel some sadness when a home is destroyed, especially when it's obvious that children lived here. (Notice the tether ball in the yard.) I wonder what kind of memories were created here, and whether past tenants even care that the home will be gone the next time they drive by to reminisce.

Festival of Books, UCLA

The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books drew large crowds on opening day for its 12th annual event at the UCLA campus. The festival is billed as the country's largest celebration of the written word.

Manhattan Beach Pier, Manhattan Beach

This is from my archives. Ten years ago today, my little brother died. One night after visiting him in the hospital before his death, I decided to drive down to Manhattan Beach to shoot some images of the pier. It just happened to be one of those nights when the sunset colors go way beyond expectations, and this photograph captured what I believe to be God's artistry.

Hansen Dam Aquatic Ctr., Lake View Terrace

The calm before the storm. A 1.5-acre swimming lake is prepared for the upcoming busy season at the Hansen Dam Aquatic Center in Lake View Terrace. The Aquatic Center also includes an adjacent 9-acre recreation lake.

Miller Brewing Company, Irwindale

In 1855, Frederick J. Miller began brewing beer in a small Milwaukee, Wisconsin brewery. After the repeal of prohibition in 1933, the company he built officially became the Miller Brewing Company. There are now seven Miller Breweries across the United States, including this one next to the 210 Freeway in Irwindale.

Heritage Square, Los Angeles

Heritage Square is a unique museum in Los Angeles, offering glimpses into the culture and architecture of the area from 1850 to 1950. The home pictured here was originally built in 1876 by lumber baron William H. Perry in Boyle Heights. It was moved to its current museum location in 1975 and is an ongoing restoration project.

Pallets, Los Angeles

Stacks of wooden pallets are loaded onto a truck at Infinity Pallet Co. in Los Angeles.

Cherry Blossom Festival, Monterey Park

The Cherry Blossom Festival is "Monterey Park's tribute to the beauty of the Japanese culture." Held in Barnes Park, the festival includes exhibits, demonstrations and performances, plus food and games. Shown here is a short assembly line from a group called Kodama Taiko, preparing samples of mochi (rice cake).

Low Income Housing, Boyle Heights

The Wyvernwood Garden Apartments in Boyle Heights is L.A.'s largest low-income housing tract. The barrack-style structures, home to thousands of mostly poor Hispanic tenants, were the subject of a lead poison (from old lead-based paint) scandal several years ago.

Rainy Day, Pasadena

On a wet Friday in Pasadena, a woman walks between two large umbrellas while carrying a smaller version for herself in the courtyard of Paseo Colorado.

Tam O' Shanter Inn, Los Angeles

The original member of Lawry's Restaurants, the Tam O'Shanter Inn on Los Feliz Blvd. has the distinction of being L.A.'s oldest restaurant operated by the same family at the same location. Established in 1922, it's celebrating 85 years in business this year.

Parking Lot Booth, Vernon

This old dilapidated booth is in the parking lot of Reliable Tape Products on 50th Street in the City of Vernon, which was founded in 1905 as "the first industrial city in the Southwestern United States".

Ad on Water Tank, Huntington Park

The large advertisement to "Shop in Huntington Park" was placed on the water tank by the Chamber of Commerce in the 1960s. It's at the corner of Slauson Ave. and Miles Ave. Huntington Park celebrated its 100th year as a city in 2006.

Abandoned Train Depot, Azusa

The old Santa Fe train depot in Azusa has been abandoned for quite awhile, but it appears slated for renovation as part of the Gold Line light rail service planned for the community. It was originally built in 1888, then torn down and rebuilt to its current structure in 1946.

Hearse, Verdugo City

A Cadillac hearse built by Miller-Meteor (circa 1970s) sits quietly in a small parking lot in Verdugo City. This is one of those L.A. areas that falls into another city's zip code (Glendale 91208), and has businesses with street addresses listed in La Crescenta (91214), but is part of the Montrose Chamber of Commerce (91020). The hearse belongs to Crippen Mortuary.

Idols, South San Gabriel

This mound of ceramic idols is on the grounds of residential property in South San Gabriel, but there was a sign in what appears to be Vietnamese characters indicating it may be a Buddhist home study center.

Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles

The view from Loge 151 at Dodger Stadium as Luis Gonzalez rounds third base after blasting a solo home run off of San Diego Padres' pitcher David Wells in the 2nd inning. The Dodgers went on to win, 9-1. Dodger Stadium has been a cherished landmark of Los Angeles since 1962.

Zoo, Los Angeles

The L.A. Zoo opened in 1966 and nearly 1.5 million visitors pass through the grounds each year to view over 1200 animals from all over the world. It's nestled in the northeast corner of Griffith Park in Los Angeles.
I had trouble choosing one image today, so 4 separate shots were combined into this small collage. Clockwise from upper left are the main entrance; a jaguar; an American alligator; and a hippo being fed papaya by a lucky family chosen by zookeepers to help out with the afternoon snack.

New Homes, Montecito Heights

Montecito Heights is a rugged hillside district with great views of the L.A. area. It's an interesting mix of old homes and new ones like these at Montecito Terrace.

Big CATS, Whittier

The Quinn Company sells heavy equipment and construction machinery, like these Caterpillar hydraulic excavators on the lot in Whittier.

Costco, Norwalk

The food court at Costco stores is usually a pretty busy area, mainly because of the great prices they have on a quick meal. For example, a plump beef hot dog on a fresh bun with a soda is only $1.50. The Norwalk store is between Imperial Hwy. and Firestone Blvd., just east of the 605 Fwy.

Easter, Monrovia

This simple flyer placed on our front door this week by Calvary Solid Ground in Monrovia sums up what Easter means to Christians around the world. It says, "Rejoice! 2000 years ago, Jesus died on the cross to pay for the sins of all men. Three days later, He triumphed over death by coming back to life." The resurrection of Christ is the cornerstone of the Christian faith.

Laundromat, Lynwood

A not-so-inviting coin laundry sits at the back of property facing Atlantic Ave. in the city of Lynwood.

Mural, Los Angeles

A 3-panel mural for Clippers and Lakers basketball at Staples Center hovers above Olympic Blvd. on the Figueroa Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. The players highlighted are Elton Brand and Kobe Bryant.

Local, Leimert Park

This cool dude is a Leimert Park local, and was completely comfortable with being photographed while reading his book on a public bench. The neighborhood is a focal point of the L.A. African-American arts scene, and also infamous for the unsolved Black Dahlia murder in 1947.

Store, E. Rancho Dominguez

Pools are the featured items of the day at a "STORE" on Atlantic Ave. in East Rancho Dominguez, which shares the same zip code as Compton. There were no other visible signs that this generic shop was called anything other than "STORE".

Refinery, Paramount

The Paramount Petroleum Corporation produces asphalt at this 54,000-barrel-per-day refinery in the city of Paramount. This view is looking north from Compton Blvd.

Airstream Trailers, Bellflower

Airstream Travel Trailers appear to be waiting in line just outside C & G Trailer Service, an authorized service center in Bellflower.

Classic Service Station, Altadena

Ronnie's Automotive Service on N. Lake Ave. in Altadena has maintained the classic architecture and gas pumps of a service station from another era. It appears that the pumps are no longer working, but the location is used for films and commercials that need a vintage appearance.