^^ Knowing where the Mayan & Belasco are located, I was gonna jump in and say "Hill and Olympic". But I would've only been half right!

Press Release: Angels Flight to Reopen March 15, 2010
 

(Via AngelsFlight Twitter feed)

This JUST in (within the last hour): A press release was just, er, released stating that Angels Flight would re-open on Monday, March 15th.

http://pic70.picturetrail.com/VOL182.../384170737.jpg

Here is the website where that press release was posted:

http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/23044083

A beautiful Kodachrome slide from the 1940s.

http://img412.imageshack.us/img412/8...hrome1940s.jpg
found on ebay

:previous:

That is indeed beautiful. Those other photos are also great!

Very nice! I think this parking lot was at the NE corner of Aliso and Alameda. That pyramid-tipped tower actually belongs to the Engine Co. 4 fire station featured in this post. Union Station is on this site now; in fact, this is probably its parking lot.

-Scott

Lost Airfield in Los Angeles
 

http://www.laobserved.com/assets_c/2...400x289-22.jpg

The corner of Wilshire and Fairfax, used to be an airfield in 1920 before it changed to The Grove and Farmer's Market.

LAObserved.com

I don't know if this was posted, but i'll post it anyway:

http://images.snapfish.com/3427::472...3C7:::;:nu0mrj
Credit: http://www.usc.edu/isd/archives/la/p...roa/AF1959.jpg

It definitely looks like the picture captures the "Hollywoodland" sign:

Now THIS is right in my wheelhouse -- or cockpit, as it were -- since I'm an aviation geek as well as an L.A. history geek. Somewhere around here, I have an aviation book that has a fantastic aerial photo of that very airfield. But I could never find many details about it. Kevin Roderick saves the day again; that guy is a one-man History Channel.

I would think that is a small marquee or something, maybe for advertisements or menus?

The fact that that was a speakeasy is awesome.

Angels Flight Re-opened Today!!
 

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4022/...dbdc5f0179.jpg

Here's what it lookes like today. I was on the first ride at 6:45 this morning. :pepper:

So, is Angels Flight a real funicular railway again (a single cable for both cars), or does it still employ separate cables for each car?

It's now a single cable for both cars; they counterbalance each other, kind of like a diagonal elevator.

Boy hit, Crenshaw and Washington Boulevards, 1951
http://img697.imageshack.us/img697/7...nshawandwa.jpg
USC archive

Car accident on Wilshire near Fairfax, 1952
http://img686.imageshack.us/img686/4...lshirenear.jpg
USC archive

Phil Spector, 1958 at age 18 (he looks like a car wreck now hehe). A graduate of Fairfax High School, at age 18 he wrote the pop song "To Know Him is to Love Him"
http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/5...pector1958.jpg
USC archive

Hollywood Blvd. and Vermont Ave., pedestrian safety zone for streetcar, 1937
http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/6...etyzonehol.jpg
USC archive

I found it funny that you posted these pictures because coincidentally, while walking around downtown LA two Saturdays ago (March 6th 2010), I took these pictures:

http://img704.imageshack.us/img704/4012/p1100244.jpg

http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/9980/p1100245.jpg

http://img688.imageshack.us/img688/6264/p1100239.jpg

West 6th St. and Hill, downtown Los Angeles, circa 1940:
http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/4...d6thca1940.jpg
USC archive

Man, poor kid in that first pic! That's all he needs: Hit by a car, and then some busybody sticks a camera with a blinding flashbulb in his face.

That last shot illustrates an unfortunate reality: As big a fan of the old LA streetcar system as I am, I don't think it could work in today's world, even if all the tracks were still in place. The reason can be seen in the picture -- waiting or disembarking passengers had to gather in the middle of the street, with no separation from automobiles. I don't think that would fly today. Also, since urban streetcars ran in the left lane, people in cars would have to pass on the right, which is another no-no.

I often wonder how a comprehensive, citywide streetcar system would be implemented today, given all these limitations (I realize there's no danger of that actually happening, of course).

Funicular (Angels Flight)
 

Angels Flight has always been a funicular as the definition is to have an object move by means of a rope or cable (dictionary.reference.com). But yes, Angels Flight is now a "traditional" funicular in that both cars are attached to the same cable. There have also been other safety upgrades, such as computer controlled breaks and better safety checks.

It was kinda cool being interviewed by all the news stations.

Sopas_ej...all the photos you posted are great.
It was a joy to log in and see all these interesting posts.



Below is a photo of Angels Flight that I don't recall seeing before.


http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/6...neverseent.jpg
ebay/

The buildings adjacent (to the south at least) are now gone.

Here is another Angels Flight photograph that was new to me (and hopefully you).


http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/2...aflightcab.jpg
unkown

It's hard to believe all these buildings on the left were torn down. :(