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Los Angeles' Central Avenue and Environs - South LA, Watts, the Arts District
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This past Sunday I wanted to drive the whole length of Central Avenue, which stretches from Los Angeles' Little Tokyo neighborhood at its northern end, and then goes all the way to the City of Carson at its southern end, and take pictures of whatever popped up. Instead I just drove part of the way down to Watts, and then drove back north. Here are some pics, of which I didn't realize I took more than I thought. Here's the Coca Cola Bottling Plant. I've always read about this building but have never actually been to it. From what I remember reading, it's actually a 1937 remodeling of an older warehouse building, done up in a Streamline Deco Moderne vernacular, in the form of a ship; I don't see the connection between Coke and a passenger ship, but whatever, I like it. http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/2...tlingplant.jpg This building is catty-corner to the Coca Cola Bottling Plant. Apparently it's the African-American Firefighter Museum; it was closing up by the time I arrived; I wish I had gotten there earlier just to look at the exhibits. Looking at the plaque on the building, the building was built in 1913, and used to be a firehouse that was completely staffed by African-Americans. I think I'll go to it on another day, it sounds interesting to me. http://img2.imageshack.us/img2/9123/...anfirefigh.jpg Driving further south on Central Ave., I stumbled upon this building. It looks like it was once some kind of theater, but now it's an Iglesia de Jesucristo, Ministerios Juda. What does Juda mean, I wonder... I'm too lazy to look it up right now. http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/793...teriosjuda.jpg I love me some pupusas. ¡Ay que rico! http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/3...nquistador.jpg Didn't stop for pupusas, though. I thought I would continue journeying south... Ah, the Dunbar Hotel. Back in the day, this is where all the great African-American performers stayed at, because they weren't allowed to stay at other hotels. Oh that is a MESS. It was once LA's most prestigious hotel for the African-American community. In the 1930s-1940s, it hosted Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Lionel Hampton, Count Basie, Lena Horne and many other jazz legends. Other noteworthy people who stayed at the Dunbar include W. E. B. Du Bois, Joe Louis, Ray Charles and Thurgood Marshall. Former heavyweight champion Jack Johnson also ran a nightclub at the Dunbar in the 1930s. http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/169/dunbarhotel.jpg Here's a 1938 postcard of the Dunbar Hotel: http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/7...rhotel1938.jpg From USC archive These hearses were catty corner to the Dunbar Hotel. http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/7778/hearses.jpg Further down, I entered Watts. http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/5307/wattssign.jpg This is in front of a housing project. And notice the green box on the tree trunk, I think it's a trap for fruit flies, but I could be wrong. Here's another shot of the housing project. http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/1920/projecks.jpg Very dismal, but I saw worse; I felt funny taking pictures of the worse ones. People started looking at me funny when I took my camera out. Here's the 103rd St. Station on the Metro Blue Line. A long time ago it was the Watts Station on the much-storied Pacific Electric streetcar line. In fact the Blue Line pretty much follows the old Pacific Electric right-of-way from downtown Los Angeles to downtown Long Beach. http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/4549/wattsstation.jpg Here's a pic of the same station back in 1906. http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/6...tation1906.jpg From USC archive Ah, the Watts Towers. I've been here once before a few years ago but didn't take pictures. Close up, they're pretty Gaudi-esque. These are only some of the many pictures I took of them. http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/695...owersplaza.jpg http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/878...towerssign.jpg http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/8061/wattstowers2.jpg http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/6...tstowers15.jpg http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/131/wattstowers5.jpg http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/4514/wattstowers6.jpg http://img512.imageshack.us/img512/2...ttstowers7.jpg http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/3...tstowers13.jpg http://img329.imageshack.us/img329/9...ttstowers8.jpg http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/3269/wattstowers10.jpg http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/5898/wattstowers4.jpg http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/4936/wattstowers14.jpg Some people showed up 10 minutes after I did to look at the towers. http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/6...rstourists.jpg The neighborhood around the Watts Towers is pretty dismal. There was actually loud Mexican banda music coming out of one of the houses for a bit while I was at the Watts Towers. The area has really become more Latino. http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/5...ghborhood1.jpg http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/852...attstowers.jpg After admiring the Watts Towers, I drove back north up Central Avenue. http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/7...ehairsalon.jpg http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/9...newandused.jpg Notice the burned utility pole. A remnant of the 1992 Riots, perhaps? And the vacant corner lot, probably a result of the '92 Riots too, maybe? http://img295.imageshack.us/img295/6...ephonepole.jpg http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/3...zabienfria.jpg http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/7762/dickers.jpg I wonder if this woman is pondering getting her 100% natural extensiones de cabello. http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/5...sdecabello.jpg I saw a lot of Virgins de Guadalupe on Central Avenue. http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/7574/guadalupe.jpg http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/6102/jazzmural.jpg Would you buy your kitchen cabinets here? The place is in business, so apparently people do. http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/7...encabinets.jpg At this Louisiana Fried Chicken place, you can also get Chinese food! Something for everyone, I guess! http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/5...iedchicken.jpg In addition to all the Virgins de Guadalupe I saw, there were plenty of Mariscos places too. Not an area I would imagine that would specialize in seafood. http://img295.imageshack.us/img295/8...restaurant.jpg http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/465/neighborhood.jpg In my twisted imagination, this couple is going to the no-tell motel for an illicit fling. Hehe! http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/5665/notellmotel.jpg http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/8725/vacantlot.jpg http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/6...ionaltamal.jpg http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/4576/polleriaw.jpg http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/3815/serentan.jpg I found this scene interesting. The liquor store is called "MY Liquor Bank." I guess you can cash your checks there too. I noticed a lot of people using payphones in this neighborhood too; is this guy calling his jaina? And look at the man in the ballcap; looks like he pissed his pants, the poor guy. http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/1...liquorbank.jpg http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/4...sandbrooms.jpg http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/3411/malcolmxway.jpg I thought this warehouse off of Central Ave. was interesting; it looks like it had an upper story that was lopped off. http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/5642/warehouse.jpg http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/884/warehouses.jpg Looks like she bought her bottle of water and is wheeling it in her stroller. http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/948...nastroller.jpg http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/7669/graffitiktu.jpg I eventually made it back to where I started. But instead of going into Little Tokyo, I headed into the Arts District, which is just east of Little Tokyo. http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/2...strictsign.jpg Walked around a bit before catching a bite to eat and beer. http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/4...tsdistrict.jpg More housing going in, I suppose. http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/1952/p1060230.jpg Here's an old rendering of what was the Santa Fe Freight Depot, which opened in 1907, from ulwaf.com. http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/1...eightdepot.gif It was eventually abandoned; early in this present decade, the Southern California Institute of Architecture (Sci Arc) moved into the building, which by the 1990s had been stripped of its detail. http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/2958/sciarc.jpg According to Wikipedia, the building is 3/4 of a mile long and if it were stood up lengthwise, it would be taller than the Empire State Building. http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/755...eandsciarc.jpg The dormitory for this school is across the street in this building: http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/8761/sciarcdorm.jpg Here's an old lithograph map of the location of the old Santa Fe Freight Depot, courtesy of ulwaf.com: http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/1...htoverhead.gif The graffiti here is interesting. More artistic, if you will; I doubt it's gang-related. http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/5...lgraffiti2.jpg http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/2...lgraffiti3.jpg http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/7...olgraffiti.jpg http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/3...lgraffiti6.jpg Someone was working on his wall: http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/638/artist2.jpg http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/2696/artist.jpg http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/9374/artist3.jpg Got my bite to eat and beer here, at the Cafe Metropol, Good place. http://www.cafemetropol.com/pics/font.jpg From cafemetropol.com I could even see the graffiti from inside the restaurant. The guy in the baseball cap ordered what looked like a really good pizza, but then he doused it with Tapatio and Tabasco! Why'd he ruin it like that!? http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/8...emetropole.jpg I got the cheese plate and two beers. Yum! Didn't douse it with Tapatio and Tabasco, though. The End. |
Excellent job!
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Very cool Sopas! It is nice to see a very different part of Los Angeles I think never seen on this forum before. Great looking photos and informative too. Thanks for sharing. :tup:
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Nice research too. You'd be great for tours.
Now you just need to hit the San Fernando Valley... |
I enjoyed the commentary too! As well as the photography. Thanks!
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Wow, definately hitting up all the tourist spots! ;)
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Interesting tour.
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Aaron (Glowrock) |
Thanks for all the comments!
A San Fernando Valley photo thread, huh? Hmm... that would be a challenge; no offense to Valley boys and girls but I don't really like the Valley; if I do go there it's to go to the Great Greek and La Fondue Bourguignonne, both in Sherman Oaks. But if it's any consolation, I live in the San Gabriel Valley, and IMO apart from the immediate Pasadena area, most of the SGV is pretty gross too. But regarding the SFV, I already have it in my head of what pics to take-- but we'll see. |
Well it is too fricken hot in the SFV right now to take photos. It's going to be above 100 the rest of the week with most areas around 105.
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Hehe! Well, I was actually including it when I said "immediate Pasadena area," which to me is Pasadena/South Pasadena/San Marino/Altadena. Honestly, though, I don't like San Marino-- too Republican, the few businesses they do have aren't open on Sundays, and too many rules and regulations. People say South Pas is hoity-toity and snooty but living in South Pas I know that isn't true; South Pas has many left-leaning residents (in fact voters here voted no on Prop 8) and I feel people are friendlier here. I live near the San Marino border, and one time, while taking my evening walks, I crossed into San Marino. A woman was out on her driveway, she looks at me and I thought she was going to say hello, but the first words out of her mouth were "You don't live here, do you." I said "no, I live in South Pas, I was just out for a walk" and kept walking. From then on, my opinion of San Marino and its residents was cemented. |
Awesome pictures. Your next tour should be the Baldwin Hills/Crenshaw District/Liemert Park area. I think it would be really interesting to show one of the few wealthy African American areas in the US.
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Those Watts Towers are really something. Thanks!
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Nice tour of a rarely seen place on this page!! Thanks!! :tup:
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I think it's worth noting that this building is actually a quarter of a mile long, not three-quarters of a mile long, although your point about it being longer than the empire state building is probably accurate. Regardless, nice pics Sopas. Watts is one L.A. 'hood i've never been to so it's cool to get a free tour. |
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Nice tour, parts of the city that I'm very familiar with since I grew up in these neck of the woods. BTW are neighborhood around the Watts tower had been majority Latino for a very long time. From what my father tells me who grew up in Watts in the 40's and 50's. Watts was a bit segregated, and most blacks lives on one side, and Latino's on the other. The area for Latino's was around the Watts Tower.
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