# a Wednesday in downtown L.A.



## Hollywood (Jan 16, 2003)

we closed the office today so I decided to hop on the Redline subway and head downtown, see what I can find. 

My usual embarking point: the subway station at Universal Studios.
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First stop: the Los Angeles Central Library, downtown. Its been years since I've been inside and I had just read in the newspaper that they have one hour docent-guided tours at 12:30. Got there just in time to join in.
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The Children's section, part of the "old" library. An arson fire in 1986 ruined hundreds of thousands of volumes and closed the library for 7 years while it was repaired and restored.
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Checking out the pomegranates and persimmons at a Farmers market
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Next stop is [url="https://www.cliftonscafeteria.com/pages/brookdale_photos.html]Clifton's Cafeteria[/url]. Opened in 1931 and still going strong. My mother used to take the trolley cars here as a teenager to have lunch with her girlfriends.
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the cavernous, kitschy interior makes you feel like you're in a lodge in the Sierra-Nevadas. Moose, deer, bear and running waterfalls compliment the downtown dining experience.  
<img src="https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2416/2054671220_df539dd0a7_o.jpg"border=5>

wouldn't be a cafeteria without Jello.
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Across from Clifton's in the deco Eastern-Columbia building, built in 1929.
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Old meets new.
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the original Hipster? or, a nod to MB1. :smilewinkgrin: 
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Broadway Bar
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Next stop: the rooftop bar at [url="https://www.standardhotel.com/]The Standard[/url] hotel. Its a trendy see-and-be-seen spot after dark, but it has one of the best views of the skyline. I ignore the phonies and enjoy for what it is - a great location for a drink with a killer view. After getting a couple shots, I got the "no photography, sir" tap on the shoulder. Seems to be happening to me a lot lately. Rooftop pool adjacent to the bar. 
<img src="https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2393/2053923201_eaebc2576d_o.jpg"border=5>

Waterbed pods
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Standard after dark, from my seat at the bar.
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bike and Frank Gehry's Disney Hall.
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BUSTED!!! I rode by and saw these kids _inside_ a building! Then I looked closer and realized it was an art piece in a performing arts building. Whew!  
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At 6:30pm I met up with the messenger crowd for their annual Cranksgiving alley cat race. Racers must hit 7 markets, purchase specific food items and get their manifest signed off. All the groceries are then dropped off at a chosen charity at the end of the race.
<img src="https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2147/2054673570_c9092a8820_o.jpg"border=5>


Rode back to the train station and headed home. A pretty full day!

happy holidays.


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## doowde (Aug 27, 2007)

those are some sweet pics there hollywood! what kind of camera are you using? are you usually the only one on the subway with a bike? do you get funny looks? i'm diggin' the livewrong sticker and your ride!

//gettin' funny looks is cool.


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

Sweetness!


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## lx93 (Jun 14, 2007)

Your pics & bike = art.

"Then I looked closer and realized it was an art piece inside a performing arts building." But hat kind of art- well, beauty truly IS in the eye of the beholder.


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## BentChainring (Jun 23, 2005)

Dang. That was freakin sweet!


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## Hollywood (Jan 16, 2003)

MB1 said:


> Sweetness!


thanks!! But I'll leave the *real* photography to the pros  

This was pretty much just a stop/shoot/pedal/repeat kind of day, but something I've been wanting to do for a long time. SO much more to see and shoot. A beautiful day downtown, sunny and maybe 70. There were a few more undocumented stops; coffee, bikes shops, etc. I covered a pretty good area too, cruising the city looking for photo opps, and not all areas were, er, *expensive camera friendly*.



> what kind of camera are you using? are you usually the only one on the subway with a bike? do you get funny looks?


Nikon D200 dslr. 
No.
usually  


//thanks for making me sticky.


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## roadfix (Jun 20, 2006)

Excellent!


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## aosty (Apr 9, 2004)

Awesome! 
Envious!
Looked like fun!

gobble gobble


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## mohair_chair (Oct 3, 2002)

It's really amazing sometimes to see the wonderful old buildings downtown, because it was always so rare to actually go there when I was living in L.A.

It was always a special treat when grandma would take us to Clifton's cafeteria, but we would go to the one in Century City.


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## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

Great post, Hwood. I have two nearly identical shots of Clifton's, taken the same day as the b+w shots I posted in your other thread. I won't post them here because 1) I don't want to hijack yet another of your threads, and 2) I'm saving them for somethin' special (that I'll be lucky to finish this time next year)

The Chrome bag around the statue: brilliant.
The "no photography, sir" tap: WTF??? Same here. All the time now. It's made me really, really self-conscious.

Wish I could have joined you but duty called. I'll take a raincheck though.


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## yetisurly (Sep 30, 2005)

nice. really nice. tripping on the library.


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## roadfix (Jun 20, 2006)

Is that the statue in front of Starbucks in Little Tokyo? I used to pose at that Starbucks and I thought it looked familiar.


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## il sogno (Jul 15, 2002)

Great stuff I've never been to most of those spots. Cept for Clifton's back in the 70's.


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## orbit (Feb 7, 2007)

Hey H'wood, that was fun! Great glimpses into the city, thanks for the trip, really made me feel like I was there.

(... and I particularly loved the idea of the messenger race & charity drop, +eleventy !)


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## BentChainring (Jun 23, 2005)

Damn, that looks like tons of fun. I was thinking about the "urban" feel of the valley, rather the lack of it. 

Again, good stuff dude! What do u do for a living? if you dont mind me askinns?

nK


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## Mapei (Feb 3, 2004)

*Fine pics*

Like George Hurrell, you really found Downtown's "good side." Coincidentally, at Thanksgiving Dinner tonight, my brother-in-law was babbling about the Eastern Columbia Bldg. Either he has a client there or he just got an office there. I couldn't quite hear over the din.


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## hfc (Jan 24, 2003)

Nice pics. Thanks for bringing us along!

The cafeteria reminds me of the Madonna Inn in SLO.


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## empty_set (Nov 1, 2006)

Great pics and looks like a good day.


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## northcoast (Jul 11, 2003)

Fantastic job, Hollywood.

Tomas


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## Hollywood (Jan 16, 2003)

roadfix said:


> Is that the statue in front of Starbucks in Little Tokyo?


the very one!

turns out its also a popular Starbucks for the law enforcement crowd. I've never seen so many sidearms, or felt more safe at any other SB's.  


Roebuck: thanks for not hijacking. again.  I'm realizing you have a much better eye for scenic shots, while I try to just document a story. nttawwt. I'm working on a blog piece were I shot some other photos and got "the tap" again. Crazy. I try the "these aren't the droids you're looking for" technique. Works sometimes!


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## majura (Apr 21, 2007)

Awesome post! It's nice to see the city from a different point of view. Cheers :thumbsup:


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## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

Hollywood said:


> I'm working on a blog piece were I shot some other photos and got "the tap" again. Crazy. I try the "these aren't the droids you're looking for" technique. Works sometimes!


I just find it obscene that the point of the Standard is they have this great view, yet you can't take pictures from it. What a load of crap.


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## rcordray (Jul 30, 2006)

That is a sweet trip report w/ superb pix.

How secure are the bike racks on the train?


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## Hollywood (Jan 16, 2003)

DrRoebuck said:


> I just find it obscene that the point of the Standard is they have this great view, yet you can't take pictures from it. What a load of crap.


no, you can take pictures _from_ it, just no lenses pointing inward at the decor. I got busted for the pool/pod shots. After that I shot all I wanted facing off the ledge.


rcordray: no bike racks on subways.


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## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

Hollywood said:


> no, you can take pictures _from_ it, just no lenses pointing inward at the decor. I got busted for the pool/pod shots. After that I shot all I wanted facing off the ledge.


Better, but still lame.

I wonder how they'd react if I busted out a tripod.


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## kyler2001 (Sep 8, 2005)

A full day indeed...with all the hustle and bustle that goes on in a big city, it's nice to see people taking time out to enjoy and appreciate the urban side (instead of always heading
to the hills or beach). 

BTW, not sure how you dress when you're out touring but did you happen to make it in the Standard Bar wearing lycra? If so I wish I could have seen the faces on some of the "in" crowd choking on their Martini's. The girl in the aquarium is an unexpected suprise.

Thanks for the tour.


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## Chris H (Jul 7, 2005)

Love those pics.

It's always nice to see an insiders street level view of a city.


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