Westwood, UCLA, and Santa Monica

[fflint]

Originally Posted by soleri

The UCLA campus is quite impressive even if the architecture is a pastiche of several traditions. I sometimes marvel at the difference is between the America of the 1920s (in LA, USC's campus also stems from that era) and the contemporary period. Even in depression-era LA, there were some jaw-dropping buildings going up. If a civilization is judged by its art and buildings, we're in a period where even the grandiose looks cheap. I know there are exceptions but it almost seems like we don't care anymore.

I don't think the architecture at UCLA is more a pastiche than that at most American universities. There was a traditional, founding theme--Lombardian/northern Italian in particular--and then came the modernist era, the postmodernist jumble, and now whatever the hell we call the current architectural era.

[BTinSF]

^^^That seems to be true of the largest universities but the two medium-sized ones I attended have been pretty consistent at trying to adhere to the original style (one Georgian, one Gothic).

Anyway, nice pictures of this part of LA. Santa Monica looks as much like Berkeley at the beach as I would have guessed. The Westwood photo does show a nice density, but what contrasts with other dense cities in my mind is the width of the streets--I count 9 lanes of traffic with no median. That's an almost uncrossable barrier for many pedestrians (e.g the aged or disabled or just slow). Clearly this part of LA, like the other parts with which I'm more personally familiar, is still a car-centric place.

[fflint]

Originally Posted by BTinSF

^^^That seems to be true of the largest universities but the two medium-sized ones I attended have been pretty consistent at trying to adhere to the original style (one Georgian, one Gothic).

Are you familiar with UCLA architecture?

[dktshb]

Originally Posted by BTinSF

^^^That seems to be true of the largest universities but the two medium-sized ones I attended have been pretty consistent at trying to adhere to the original style (one Georgian, one Gothic).

Anyway, nice pictures of this part of LA. Santa Monica looks as much like Berkeley at the beach as I would have guessed. The Westwood photo does show a nice density, but what contrasts with other dense cities in my mind is the width of the streets--I count 9 lanes of traffic with no median. That's an almost uncrossable barrier for many pedestrians (e.g the aged or disabled or just slow). Clearly this part of LA, like the other parts with which I'm more personally familiar, is still a car-centric place.

You're looking at Wilshire Blvd there. On the north side of the street all the way to UCLA there is a very pedestrian oriented area which is Westwood and incorporates the campus. You can choose to live in a variety of many other cities and neighborhoods that are pedestrian oriented throughout the Basin of Los Angeles from the Santa Monica, to Downtown, and south to Long Beach. The problem is that none of these cities and neighborhoods are quite as connected by Mass Transit as they should be.

[kznyc2k]

Astons Martins do have nice asses, don't they?

[ady26]

^^^

[stranger]

Originally Posted by Buckeye Native 001

Jeez, I can't remember the last time I was out that way. I may have to visit sometime before I leave SoCal. Great pics

Out of curiosity, were the first couple of shots taken in the last few days during the fires, or during the morning sometime in the past when the marine layer's in full swing?

I believe the UCLA photos were taken in December of 2006. I have never seen nice weather in Los Angeles -- every time I go, it is completely overcast

[ColDayMan]

Nice!

[James Bond Agent 007]

Did UCLA?

[Kingofthehill]

My school is like 2 blocks south of there