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.