Hidden Public Places
 

I've been taking public transportation to work lately, and one of the pluses of this experience is that I get to walk through LA's Union Station twice a day. It's Spanish Deco styling continues to delight me, the architecture, the tile work, the floors. It is truely a work of art.

The other day I took a bus from Irwindale (future work location) to UNion Station via the El Monte Busway (who knew such a thing existed). And the bus dropped me of at the side of the station not the front (where I am usually picked up in the morning) or the modernist back (where I am dropped off in the afternoon). To get into the station, I found myself walking through a rather well maintained rose garden. It featured a variety of roses, seperated by hedge lined planters surrounding a rather pleasent spanish tile fountain - I wish I had taken pictures.

I'm amazed that such a hiden treasure continues to exist in our city, experienced only fleatingly by commuters hurrying to catch their trains, or indulgently by a few homeless that have stopped here to nap. It makes me wonder what other places I pass everyday that really I ought to stop and linger through.

Union Station is one of my favorite L.A. places - not only because I love trains in general, but I just love the building. They've got great art deco chairs in the terminal, and there's a whole section that's used mainly for filming and wedding receptions, that sort of thing.

If you get the chance, eat at Traxx - wonderful food.

Traxx is great, NA took me there for my birthday last year. On my way home, I've been tempted to check out their bar on the other side of the Hall.

Oh yes, and Union Station was one of the locations for Bladerunner - that always makes me smile.

Those in the Hollywood area might not consider this place hidden, but I know that we were surprised to find that it existed. Off of Sunset and Doheny is a place called "Greystone Mansion". It is leased by the American Film Institute and has been seen in numerous movies. It also has an interesting history behind it. The grounds are for public use (as long as they aren't filming) and it is a really beautiful and serene place with a spectacular view.

Here is a link

Oh what a delightful site for a swanky picnic!

What cool place! Not all that expensive if you want to rent the place (outdoors only) for a wedding or other soirée.

Across the street from south Coast plaza in Costa Mesa is a movie theater and office buildings. Behind the movie theater and in between the buildings is a great artsy courtyard that displays the various landscapes of california - from forest to river to desert. All in seperate areas you can walk through. It's lit at night. I don't know what it's called - but it's near Anton and Bristol.

If memory serves, it's The California Experience. I love that place! I used to go there all the time when I saw shows at OCPAC. We'd have dinner at TGI Friday's then walk through there.

The California Scieniero - Noguci Gardens!

I love that place. It was designed by sculptor Isamu Noguci who has other garden installations throughout the world. He also did the modernist paper lanterns that you see in swanky design magazines. Great contemporary artist. He died in 1988.

A friend of mine in LA took me to the Doheny mansion, or Greystone while he was attending UCLA... I fell in love..
I looked in every window I could, and wanted to know so much more about the site, the grounds...

If you havent seen it, I reccomened it without question.

That's the one. When I was a teen we just stumbled across it while waiting for a movie. I thought it was the neatest thing - an enormous public art display that you could stand in and walk through.

We need more of that sort of thing.

That is an AWESOME place. I've spent more than a few hours there and turned quite a few locals on to it, who never had a clue that it existed.

The Japanese Garden at Cal State Long Beach

I've never been there for a stroll, but I have DJ'ed many a wedding and Bar/Bat Mitzvah there. In fact it was a Bat Mitzvah at this location that started my desire to retire from DJing: I was doing a Dual DJ gig (me as the older and the other DJ as the younger - works well for Mitvahs). The gig went great, but as we were doing the load-out, a snotty, pain-in-the-ass, I hope she burns in hell*, 13-ish brat came up and said, "You guys were great. Are you a father/daughter team?"

Bitch




* Actually, I am sure she is a fine upstanding young lady - she was quite polite. She deserves a lifetime of misery and a husband with a tiny penis for her question!

YES! This little garden is a GEM! I am always trying to go back and never seen to make it. It is like, 5 miles from my house?

Yes, I love the Japanese Garden at CSULB....

I took my sisters there before the semester began, and had a lovely time, though I recall it from when I was a child, and a number of their services began to dwindle as funds stopped coming in. If/When any of you go, drop off a few bucks in the donation box!

Also, I don't know how many of you knew that CSULB has a museum, including an outdoor sculpture garden. I'm spoiled by it as I run from class to class, running by the dynamite sculpture (done in the 60's it looks like something between a lotus and an onion... bulb-like in any case) staring up at sculpures mounted on the wall, odd benches, and other little gems I find while running around. And while I haven't quite made the time to do it the University Art Museum always has some interesting exhibit going on. It's adjacent to the computer lab, so I'm always peeking into the first part, but haven't made the steps through the door... Maybe some of you will meet me there for lunch? :)

I used to work across the street from Mount St. Mary's College and would walk through their grounds at lunch. The Doheny Mansion is impressive (they hold concerts inside but I've never been to one) but the whole campus is these large old houses surrounded by gardens and it's quiet even when classes are in session.

(My desk used to be next to a window overlooking this area. Now I'm in the O.C. with a stellar view of the 405 and the Big Giant IKEA.)

You have an unobstructed IKEA view...... how heavenly......

I went to school there and never set foot in the place. That's what I get for going to a commuter college! It's always on my list of places to go though...the list of Random Places to Go Check Out.

I do love Noguchi Gardens. At least I've been there.

I'm liking this thread a lot. Keep 'em coming!

I went to a very non-commuter (97% out-of-towners) college - Cal Poly San Luis Obispo - and never once went to Hearst Castle or a single football game. Have been to the castle a couple of times since, but still no football.