[alester young]

I have recently discovered this brilliant site and have for the last month been working through the thread (I am currently on page 290). The mixity of architecture and social history is compelling -it's a form of travel that can't be bought at the travel agents.

My initial interest in L.A. urban architecture/ history was from having read Raymond Chandler's books in my late teens and early twenties. It has been facinating to see what Bunker Hill was really like. In some ways Chandler probably was a catalyst in Bunker Hill's downfall -the popularity of his books maybe concretised the area's poor image as crook town. Although the area was lost, it may have taken the pressure off Downtown and led to the survival of some of the wonderful Beaux Arts and Art Deco buildings there.

I don't know whether this has yet been covered in the thread, but L.A. locations frequently crop in music videos:

Pico/ Union -West Pico Boulevard between S New Hampshire and Dewey Avenue in Massive Attack's Unfinished Symphony. Filmed c. 1990 -1993? The street scene looks much more animated than on current Google Maps.

??? First Street Bridge (1:48 on) in Beastie Boys Sabotage. If not First Street Bridge it looks like one of the Los Angeles river bridges. Any ideas? In the video there are also shots of a motel (unidentified) and also a building with interesting green art deco reliefs. White building at start = city hall? The music might not be to everyone's tastes, but the video shows a fair bit of L.A.

Interestingly, I haven't been able to find any location credits on the internet.

I like the distressed old 1980s Ford Crown Victoria!!! Not quite in the same league as a classic as Lucille Ball's Caddy earlier in the thread. In time, maybe?