LOS ANGELES, U.S.A.- Our collective memory of a Los Angeles we have never been to exists only in the backlot of Universal and in raw footage of clips from the 70’s. In that age of television, neon signs and permed hair abound. The skyline is still much the same these days, but on a given day, the haze will take over the surrounding hills and the parkway and passing Metro disappear into the distance.
There are still places throughout Los Angeles that are safe from the endless gridlock of four-wheelers these days. The man-made canals that were built next to the ocean offer a surprising, roundabout path. Outside of the neighborhood, people still stream to work, in the sprawling concrete jungle that is South Hollywood, but here it is serene and eerily empty.
Venice Canal in springtime
Just a few blocks away, Venice Boardwalk provides another illustration of a layman’s image of iconic CA. There is a laissez-faire attitude, as the free-for-all piano is strummed by musicians and roller bladers wiggle by, leaving behind an invisible Pigeon’s walk of neon afterglow.
late afternoon lull in Venice
Somehow, the route winds back to the center of the city. The oldest park in L.A. is Elysian Park. Nestled inside is the LA Police Academy. It has been included as scenes of many a Hollywood T.V. show like The Rookies and Charlie’s Angels.
nestled in central L.A.
The winding hills of L.A. are not unlike those of San Francisco, except for the hot sun beating down on the back of your neck. It is unrelenting in the same character as the city. Quiet neighborhoods dead end onto busy streets, with vendors lined along the sidewalk, quietly existing in the waves of heat and droves of the street smart and street illiterate alike.
Another path for another day. Above lies the secret staircase in Pasadena’s hills. They wind between quiet residential streets. Every so often, you hear a passing car, but otherwise, you are left alone, to the sound of your own footsteps. Exploring the city, one day at a time.
Los Angeles Book Recommendations:
A Student of History, by Nina Revoyr, 2019.
A look into the socioeconomic strata of L.A. of past and present.
Kindred, by Octavia Butler, 1979.
Though it jumps through time, portions of it is set in Altadena with minimal contrast with today’s environs.
Play it as it Lays, by Joan Didion, 1970.
Perspective of a woman mechanically going through each day with a certain precision to maintaining the delicate balance of her life.
Hollywood, by Charles Bukowski, 1989.
Told to the backdrop of L.A. in its raw form.
Tropic of Orange, by Karen Tei Yamashita, 1997.
Modern-day Los Angeles with its myriad of imperfections.
The Big Sleep, by Raymond Chandler, 1939.
The typical noir characteristic of Southern California mystery. A mood.
postcardsfromanne.com 