Walking along the uneven cobblestone streets with a taco in hand, Angelenos visit this historic monument by the hundreds everyday. The street is lined with 27 historic buildings and the essence of Mexican culture -- mariachi beats linger on visitor's ears. Unlike the rest of Los Angeles's growing Downtown, this street market is the oldest part of the city where several vendors make it a point to not accept credit cards, as to keep withe the tradition of a personal touch . . . . Though a place of festivities, fiestas and restaurants now, there was a time when a serious restoration was in need, and that's where Harry Chandler came in . . . . Olvera Street is a place where the oldest of Los Angeles meets the newest of California tourism and Mexican pride . . . . "
Olvera Street -- Jessica Fernandez
"Even for Broadway, in the heart of Downtown L.A. where Spanish villas resided next to Victorian mansions, the Bradbury building stuck out as something different, something "other.' IN the early 1890s, mining millionaire, Lewis Bradbury commissioned architect George Wyman to design the monument, but Wyamn refused until he received a message from his dead brother telling him to take the project. Keeping with the Angeleno style of borrowing from many cultures, countries and styles, the Bradbury building draws inspiration and material from France, Belgium and Mexico. Wyman cited his inspiration for the architecture as life as he imagined it in the year 2000....I will explore the history behind the Bradbury Building, its use in modern cinema and detail how the building's old-fashioned style is exactly what has kept in in use for the last 120 years."
The Bradbury Building -- Andi Edgett
Even now, walking down Abbot Kinney Bouleveard, one gets a glimpse into the quirky, artsy past that has characterized the seaside town of Venice. Named after it's founder, Abbot Kinney was originally developed as an extension of the bohemian Venice Beach lifestyle. Once can get a sense of this free-spritied lifestyle walking down the street which is still dotted with numerous art galleries. There are still the family-owened businesses with water bowls sitting out front for customers to stop by with their pets, showing that Venice still remains a "dog town." However in the past few years, Venice has begun to shift toward a Beverly Hills-esque sophistication . . . . The collision of old and new is what make Abbot Kinney a perfect example of Arcadia and Utopia combined into one
Abbot Kinney -- Megan McMurtrey
While Disneyland, in Anaheim, is not technically part of Los Angeles, the development of this theme park has had direct correlation to the city of Los Angeles during its entire existence. For instance, the Walt Disney Company originated in Los Angeles and still has its major offices in Burbank. But for this piece, I hope to explore how Disneyland and its neighboring park, Disney's California Adventure (DCA), have been places for tourists and natives to experience idealized aspects of the city in a controlled environment. In DCA, an entire "land" of the park is dedicated to Hollywood while many other areas pay homage to the entire city. . . It can be argued that the Arcadia here is the real elements of Los Angeles that are depicted while the Utopia is the hyper-reality that Disney has successfully created.. . . "
Disney's Los Angeles -- Reilly Wilson
" . . . Angels' Fligtht and the Grand Central market are still downtown making it a place where old/new and invented/naturally beautiful collide"
-- Angels' Flight -- Jackie DiBiase
(images: eric chan, jim winstead, mousetalgia, lifesuperchanger via flickr creative commons; abbot kinney, via caviarand cashmere.com)
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