|
Posted Feb 18, 2020, 6:05 AM
|
|
them bones
|
|
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Santa Barbara adjacent
Posts: 7,448
|
|
Port of Los Angeles + Long Beach
The area around San Pedro Bay is home to what is (combined), the 5th largest port in the world and the largest in the Americas. While not as naturally stunning as say, San Diego or San Francisco Bay, the mudflats of Terminal Island and associated environs are brutally industrial, but also bracketed by the Palos Verdes Peninsula and downtown Long Beach.
I've been spending some time down there for a project Rolling Hills, and have been able to do more exploration than I normally get to do with the kids. We generally hit Long Beach about once a year to do the Aquarium of the Pacific, but there are beautiful neighborhoods throughout the area which i have yet to really scratch beyond drive-throughs.
Interestingly, in the 1890's, Santa Monica had designs on creating a major port in that city on Santa Monica Bay. The city of Los Angeles had other ideas and eventually annexed all the way through Wilmington and San Pedro by 1910 and lobbied congress and the President to provide funds to create a major port.
It's the largest polluter in the region, but absolutely vital to the economy of the state and the nation. Cabrillo actually called it the "Bay of Smokes". Interesting prognostication.
Originally the bay had three natural islands, Terminal, Mormon, and Deadman's. Terminal was substantially enlarged over many years, including being home to the U.S. Navy's Pacific Fleet from World War II through the early 1990's. Mormon Island was captured onto the rear of the bay with landfill, and Deadman's Island used to sit at the mouth of the LA River, and was dredged and demolished as a part of a Long Beach Port expansion.
LALB 000 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 001 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 002 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 003 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 004 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 005 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 006 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 007 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 008 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 009 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 010 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 011 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 012 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
The Vincent Thomas Bridge was built in 1962 and substantially altered access to the harbor. It's not a particularly long bridge, but it seems to have one of the most arched decks on a suspension bridge I've ever driven on.
LALB 013 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 014 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
Santa Catalina Island some 20+ miles offshore. Most of the ferry service to the island originates from San Pedro or Long Beach (though Newport Beach has seasonal service).
LALB 015 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 015 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 017 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 018 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
The breakwater is 8.5 miles long, with a large break for shipping traffic to each of the ports. Originally the breakwater was only 3.5 miles long, built in 1899, but enlarged 2X before World War II. The eastern breakwater is a source of much controversy as it severely affects the tides and beach conditions in the City of Long Beach.
LALB 019 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 020 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
Some of the properties up in the Palos Verdes hills are absolutely stunning, and quite expensive.
LALB 021 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 022 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 023 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 024 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
Once upon a time, Howard Hughes' Spruce Goose was housed within the dome, before being moved to Oregon.
LALB 025 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 026 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
The Gerald Desmond Bridge, a steel arch bridge on the eastern side of the port leading to downtown Long Beach, is being replaced by a new cable-stayed span, with towers well over 500ft tall.
LALB 027 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 028 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
I find cranes deeply fascinating.
LALB 029 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 030 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 031 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
A very zoomed in shot of downtown Los Angeles some 20 miles distant from the top of Rolling Hills (only accessible if you can get through the gate).
LALB 032 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 033 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 034 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 035 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 036 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 037 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
This is one of the few photos I have of San Pedro, which has nice bones and a decent commercial district.
LALB 038 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 039 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 040 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 041 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 042 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 043 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 044 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 045 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 046 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 047 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 048 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 049 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 050 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 051 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 052 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 053 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 054 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 055 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 056 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
I loathe cruise ships, and both ports are major launch points.
LALB 057 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
The USS Iowa sits in San Pedro, as a museum.
LALB 058 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 059 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 060 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
Long Beach has a wonderful and interesting architectural history, and the 4 small oil islands just off downtown were disguised as modernist apartment towers and festooned with interesting curvilinear walls and palms. The islands are named after the Apollo 1 astronauts.
LALB 061 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 062 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 063 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 064 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 065 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 066 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 067 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
Long Beach City
LALB 068 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 069 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 070 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 071 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 072 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 073 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 074 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 075 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 076 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 077 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 078 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 079 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 080 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 081 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 082 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 083 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
This is the old Long Beach Civic Center, a wonderful example of Brutalist architecture, now being renovated substantially now that the City government has moved across the street.
LALB 084 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
Long Beach used to have a boardwalk with rides, etc. similar to Coney Island (though smaller). Now it has a cheesy pedestrian bridge with a structure like a coaster.
LALB 085 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
Ocean Boulevard east of downtown out to Belmont Shores has some wonderful old mansions pre-war and apartment buildings. One of these days I need to get over there and take some photos.
LALB 086 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 087 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 088 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
Thanks to ChrisLA for his thread on the new central library by SOM. It's a wonderful place to grab a desk and work for the day if necessary.
LALB 089 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 090 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 091 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 092 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 093 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 094 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 095 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 096 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 097 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 098 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 099 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 100 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 101 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 102 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 103 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 104 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 105 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 106 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 107 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 108 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 109 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 110 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 111 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 112 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 113 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 114 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 115 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 116 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 117 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 118 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 119 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 120 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 121 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 122 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 123 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 124 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 125 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 126 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 127 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 128 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 129 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 130 by Michael Stroh,
on Flickr
LALB 131 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 132 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 133 by Michael Stroh,
on Flickr
LALB 134 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 135 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 136 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
LALB 137 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr
__________________
Even if you are 1 in a million, there are still 8,000 people just like you...
|
|
|