Bookworm Press

I’m obviously a slow blogger. This post is about the last day of Shawn and my Los Angeles city adventure back in October of 2017. This time, we ventured downtown again, to a historical restaurant/Tiki bar/almost a museum, called Clifton’s. Here is some information about the place:
http://www.cliftonsla.com/

But first we had to find parking and that’s one of the problematic sides of downtown Los Angeles. During the day I now take our new Metrolink train from Santa Monica to downtown. In the evening and at night, however, the car feels a little safer. Fortunately, street-smart Shawn was driving and we did find a spot close-by. Well done, Shawn.

And here we were, stuffing ourselves on an elaborate buffet-style dinner.

It wasn’t exactly “fine dining” but plentiful and there was an amazing variety of food! Having regained our strength after the hunt for a parking space, we ventured upstairs and checked out the mysterious and glamorous environment and the art works. Here are a few photos:

You can tell that Shawn was overwhelmed!

I don’t have more pictures of that evening. I had too much fun and forgot to take pictures, but Shawn did a better job of documenting this amazing place.

Hop on over to his blog! https://monsterago-go.blogspot.com/2017/11/off-to-la-la-land-part-2.html

My friend Shawn and I spent a weekend exploring Los Angeles, a city of many surprises. I’ve lived in the area for many years and I still discover new and interesting spots. Shawn was doing research for some articles for one of his freelance journalist projects and I was tagging along, having fun. While waiting for the Griffith Observatory to open
(see last post: https://www.christa-polkinhorn.com/2017/11/20/los-angeles-a-city-of-urban-sprawl-and-the-most-exciting-as-well-as-quirky-attractions/),
we had breakfast in a nearby coffee shop and then checked out another quirky and very interesting place, called Wacko/Soap Plant in Los Angeles. This is a store that sells an amazing collection of magical and crazy stuff as well as sophisticated works of art and some splendid books.

But first we checked out the current art exhibition in the store. I knew of my friend’s love of Tiki bars and Tiki drinks and took it for just another one of his many quirks. I have to admit though I’ve acquired a taste for these Hawaiian inspired drinks myself. What I wasn’t familiar with though was the more serious aspect of this international movement of Tiki Art. The exhibition of paintings and sculptures was truly amazing. One of the famous artists among the group is a guy by the name of Shag. More about him here:
http://www.shag.com/

And here are a few pictures of the Wacko store and of the art exhibition. It’s located at the end of Hollywood Blvd. where it leads into Sunset. Here is the outside–you obviously can’t miss it.

And here the inside: paintings and sculptures, the true Tiki phenomena. I was really excited about it!

Our next stop after Wacko and the Griffith Observatory was Olvera Street in downtown Los Angeles. This part of the city, which is now mainly a tourist attraction, was founded in 1781 and has an interesting and at times controversial history and Latin heritage. More about this here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olvera_Street#Early_days

We visited Calle Olvera October 21 and the street was already decked out for the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) on November 2 and 3. Here are some pictures of the tourist attractions and the more historical buildings.

More follows–another fabulous Los Angeles highlight, Clifton’s Cafeteria. Stay tuned!

The week after Shawn and my research/fun trip to Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo, Cambria and Morro Bay, we explored a bunch of exciting places in Los Angeles.

I remember very well when I first came to the United States and traveled through part of the country eons ago, my initial thought was that Los Angeles was the one city in the United States I would never ever want to live in. Famous last words! I still don’t enjoy the urban sprawl and the impossible traffic congestion, but  I’ve come to love Los Angeles for its wonderful museums, concert halls, libraries, and its many exciting and quirky entertainments.

Los Angeles can be intimidating and I always dread driving in it. My friend Shawn, however, is much more adventurous and so I always love it when he visits because he takes me to places I either have never been to or don’t know very well.

Anyway, here we were and our first visit was to the famous and amazing Griffith Observatory.

For information on the history and activities at this world famous observatory, check out its website: http://www.griffithobservatory.org/

More to come!

The city of  Los Angeles has many faces. Some people see it as a cancerous urban sprawl, with awful

rush hour traffic, bad air, and crime. For others it’s the glitz of Hollywood, the metropolis of business. It is all these things, but the city, including its neighboring areas, is also one of the most important cultural centers of the world. What?! I hear some people call. Yes, and I repeat it: Los Angeles is one of the most important centers of art, architecture, music, and literature. It has some of the most interesting and amazing museums, theaters, and art galleries. If you do just a little of research, you’ll find out that many of the world’s most famous writers, musicians, singers, sculptors, painters, and other artists have at one time or the other called Los Angeles their home. So, move aside San Francisco and New York! Just kidding.

Of course, the negative sides of Los Angeles do exist. It is a sometimes ugly urban sprawl and anybody who is forced to drive on the freeways during rush hours knows the challenge. And let me tell you, when I first came to Los Angeles over thirty years ago, I told myself that the one city I never wanted to live in was Los Angeles. Well, famous last words. I changed my mind and here I am.

There is a secret about Los Angeles. Well, it’s actually no longer a secret. In the midst of cars, gasoline fumes, skyscrapers (some of the world’s most beautiful, by the way), and clogged freeways, you find amazing treasures. In two of my last posts, I wrote about the beautiful Huntington Library and gardens in Pasadena.

Today, I want to show you another treasure–the Los Angeles Central Library downtown with one of the most extensive collections of books, maps, and works of art. It’s not only a repository of literature, art, and culture, but an architectural landmark. It has been designated a Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument. And I have to admit (and hang my head in shame) that after living here for over two decades, this is the first time I have visited the main library. I’ve never been without a library card but I have always frequented my local library in Santa Monica. The main reason was that driving downtown and parking there can be such a hassle. But now, that we have a new train line that connects Santa Monica with downtown L.A., the journey is a breeze. And the last station of the newly opened Expo line is just a couple of blocks away from the library.

So yesterday, I embarked on the adventure and here are some pictures.

The new train! Expo Line Santa Monica to Downtown Los Angeles

Left: View from the train

Most of the descriptions below are from the walk-in tours you can either to take on your own or with a docent.

And here it is: Main Entrance from Hope Street

The main lobby with the rotunda, wall paintings, and chandelier

There are three sculptures by artist Lee Lawrie. This marble figure symbolizes what the Library represents. In her right hand is a book with quotations in five languages. In her left hand is a torch which represents civilization’s power over land and sea. The crown contains a miniature model of the Library–two angels for the City of Los Angeles and the bear and star for the State of California.

How many of you remember this? I do! When I did research in my early college years, that’s how we found the books, by going through the card catalog, often very tedious and painstaking work. Nowadays, this is merely a nice memory as we breeze through the search engine on our computers!

I hope you enjoyed the short tour through one of the pearls of Los Angeles. If you want to know more about the library and its history: https://www.lapl.org/branches/central-library