My Los Ángeles - Page 33

sopas ej · #**641** Posted **Mar 22, 2026, 6:13 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by citywatch

I recall the shrine before it got a long overdue paint job....it once had red lines highlighting the base of its 2 domes & a plain white-pink color elsewhere....& the area in front of it was treeless & still came with wood phone poles...

Me too. Hehe and as a regular Oscar watcher myself, during the last 2 years that the Oscars were held at the Shrine (2000 and 2001), in the opening shots of the show, it was evident that by 2000, the wooden utility poles had been removed, and in 2001, the Shrine had been painted in its current colors---which incidentally, I thought I read somewhere that those were the original colors the Shrine had when it first opened back in 1926. Not sure when the palm trees were added.

Quote:

Originally Posted by citywatch

I recall when University village was still a tired 1970s shopping center....the area to the west of the coliseum was still a large parking lot...the area all around USC not that long ago really wasn't ready for its close up, Mr. DeMille.

I recall that too. And yes, the area immediately surrounding USC has cleaned up considerably in the last several years. In fact I think this is the best that area has looked in my lifetime.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrnyc

i parked in front of the shrine one morning and walked around. it was a lot of fun there is a lot to see. the felix sign, the addams family house site, doheny mansion, usc, st vincent, stadium, etc. recommended for urbanistas.

Oh yes, I've always thought that the area around USC was very interesting, even decades ago when it was more run down. All the different kinds of architecture, the old homes, the USC campus, Exposition Park... all very interesting with much to see, and the history of the area.

sopas ej · #**642** Posted **Mar 22, 2026, 6:37 PM**

Random photos, taken within the last 10 days.

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Hung out at this place and had coffee while my car was being serviced---I needed new front brakes.

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"Happy hour" is supposedly dead; I guess Pasadena is behind the times, because happy hour is very much alive here.

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My turkey club sandwich.

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I'm really looking forward to the opening of the David Geffen Galleries at LACMA, which opens to the general public later this spring.

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ChrisLA · #**643** Posted **Mar 25, 2026, 3:09 AM**

Nice, I was in that neighborhood near the LACMA this past Saturday. They haven’t started up yet for the (summer concerts) but the outdoors Latin Jazz concerts on Saturday,s are a lot of fun, lots of people salsa dancing and very nice to watch, you can bring your own chairs and drinks. We like to pick up food at Yuko Kitchen up the street from here so we’re in the area a lot lately. They have a restaurant in downtown LA as well but the one just off of on Wilshire one of the side streets we like better.

sopas ej · #**644** Posted **Mar 29, 2026, 5:11 AM**

Thanks for the comments, Chris!

And thank you for mentioning Yuko Kitchen; we've never been there, maybe we'll check it out some time.

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Random photos...

Yesterday, a Friday, I was in the mood for tortilla soup. I don't recall this particular Mexican restaurant having a Lenten menu before.

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Tortilla soup. Mmm...

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Photos taken today.

Thanks, Dumbass Donald!

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While having dim sum for lunch in Pasadena, we saw the No Kings protest go down Colorado Boulevard. We went to the protest rally in front of Pasadena City Hall afterwards.

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A beautiful 1959 Cadillac.

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This hotel was the site of a big protest last year when word got out that ICE agents were staying here. The protest was large enough to drive the ICE agents outta there.

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sopas ej · #**645** Posted **May 18, 2026, 2:48 AM**

Random photos.

Taken in April.

A pre-birthday tiramisu.

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Eaten at what's become our go-to Italian place.

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I've mentioned this a lot, but I love seeing cars with Mexican license plates, especially when it's on a car that isn't sold in the US market. Here's something called a Volkswagen T-Cross. I snapped the picture just as its turn signal blinked. Notice how small the turn signal is. I don't believe that would meet the size requirement for turn signals that the US/Canadian market requires; if this car were sold in the US, either it would have a totally different taillight cluster design, or the brake light (because it's much larger) would blink and act as the turn signal.

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Someone with Pinoy pride.

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Taken in May (some days ago).

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Quick errands before/during the golden hour.

Pavilions run. I liked the look of the sky from the parking lot.

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Getting gas across the street from Pavilions.

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Taken yesterday.

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Taken today.

We took Metro Rail from South Pasadena, all the way to the new end of the D Line in Beverly Hills.

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I rode the D and I liked it. In fact, I was bouncing on it.

We only explored the new Wilshire/La Cienega Station. We'll explore the other 2 new stations later, since we have a planned excursion to LACMA coming up.

This was our first time on the newer subway trains. Cleaner, better lit, and it even has the little signs with the denoted subway stops where the light changes from green to red once you pass that particular station.

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The Wilshire/La Cienega Station.

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I haven't read about the artwork in the station yet, but I assume that some of it was influenced by the Art Deco theater just down the street from it. I could be wrong.

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The new subway stations/platforms are really nice and clean. They really make the older ones look really grubby. They really have a spacious feel, too, compared with the older ones, because the older subway platforms have pillars down the center.

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Back on the train. It's nice to see the LA Metro Rail map continue to grow.

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From the Wilshire/La Cienega Station, we took the D Line and transferred to the B Line to get to Thai Town for a somewhat late-ish lunch.

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Koong Kroob.

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Crispy ground catfish salad on the left, panang curry with beef on the right.

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Walking back to the subway station.

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See, the older subway stations have the pillars down the center.

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LAsam · #**646** Posted **May 19, 2026, 12:42 AM**

Nice observation about the central columns in the old stations. You're right that the new stations seems a lot more open without them! Those new access gates look great for making sure people riding have paid fares. Are those getting installed at the older stations as well?

sopas ej · #**647** Posted **May 19, 2026, 9:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by LAsam

Nice observation about the central columns in the old stations. You're right that the new stations seems a lot more open without them! Those new access gates look great for making sure people riding have paid fares. Are those getting installed at the older stations as well?

Yes, those new taller gates have already been installed at some of the older stations. According to the Metro website, they've already helped in terms of fare evasion as well as increasing safety at the stations. In fact, on this recent excursion by train, I observed 2 people at different stations trying to piggyback off of people who actually did tap to get into the station. The gates seem to close as soon as the person who tapped has entered.

ColDayMan · #**648** Posted **May 20, 2026, 2:06 AM**

I wonder if that old Taco Bell-turned-Thai place is still in Thai Town. That place was a mess.

sopas ej · #**649** Posted **May 22, 2026, 3:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ColDayMan

I wonder if that old Taco Bell-turned-Thai place is still in Thai Town. That place was a mess.

Yes, it still exists, we walked by it: Thai Original BBQ. It's sort of a local chain (each one is supposedly independently owned and operated, but I'm not sure if it's a real franchise) that's been around for decades.

I've never eaten at this location. How was it a mess? When I was younger, I ate at 2 of their other locations. I remember the food wasn't bad, though I'll admit, it's been literally decades since I last ate at one.

sopas ej · #**650** Posted **May 29, 2026, 4:16 AM**

Random photos...

Margarita Mondays never get me down.

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Yummy beer.

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The Los Angeles Central Library building is 100 years old this year. It officially opened its doors in July 1926.

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Construction on the new Samuel Oschin Air & Space Center is complete, housing the Space Shuttle Endeavour, but I don't think an opening date has been announced yet.

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We went to the California Science Center for the Mummies of the World exhibit, which was very interesting. It goes into how some corpses were of course deliberately mummifed for burial, while other corpses naturally got mummified (not intentional).

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We thought we could go to this part of the building to look at the views, but we realized it was all blocked off.

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The Baron von Holz, a 17th century nobleman believed to have died in Sommersdorf, Germany during the 30 Years War (1618-1648), was discovered in 1806 by his own descendants in the crypt of the Sommersdorf Castle located in Ansbach, Germany. His mummy was dressed in high-quality leater boots which appear to have never been worn in life but put on just for burial.

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The Baroness Schenk von Geiern is another naturally preserved mummy found at Sommersdorf Castle. She is a direct ancestor of the von Crailsheim family, who still resides at Sommersdorf Castle. Analysis of a CT scan shows that she was about 37 years old when she died, and had severe scoliosis.

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Incan mummies. Death and the afterlife was an important part of Incan culture. The Inca worshipped the spirits and the bodies of their ancestors, thus the tombs and mummies were considered holy.

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Egyptian mummies.

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Face masks.

I was appalled to learn from this exhibit that during the Victorian era, mummies were often sold in parts as souvenirs. Also during the Victorian era, there would be "mummy unwrapping parties" where they would hold parties and unwrap a mummy that someone had bought or obtained. These bodies would basically be desecrated at other people's amusement.

Here's a mummified foot.

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A mummified head, This head comes from ancient Egypt. The age and sex of this person is unknown. This head was likely sold to a tourist as a souvenir. It is unknown where the rest of this mummy ended up---other parts may have been sold, or the body may have been destroyed and used as fertilizer, train fuel, artist's pigment or medicine.

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The mummy exhibit was pretty crowded. Lots of people interested in this exhibit.

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Veronica Orlovits. She married Michael Orlovits at a young age and had three children who all died before the age of two. Despite suffering from severe illness, Veronica remarried after the death of her husband, Michael, in 1806, but died a year later. Through DNA analysis we know that Veronica had tuberculosis, although it was not necessarily the cause of her death. Analysis of a recent CT scan shows that Veronica's upper leg bones were very delicate, and she may not have been able to walk in the last few months of her life. Recently, a tiny tube was inserted into Veronica's stomach to collect a tissue sample, which will be tested for Heliobacter pylori - the bacteria associated with stomach ulcers and gastric cancers. She is wearing a replica of the original dress in which she was buried.

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Johannes Orlovits. He was born in 1800 and died just one year later. His mummy has not been studied, and the cause of his death is unknown. Johannes was the son of Michael and Veronica Orlovits. The gown and bonnet he is wearing are replicas of the original clothes in which he was buried.

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Michael Orlovits. Church records in Vác, Hungary, show that Michael Orlovits was born in 1765. He worked as a miller, grinding grain into flour, and died in 1806 at the age of 41. The clothing he is wearing is a replica of the original clothing in which he was buried. Analysis of a recent CT scan showed that Michael broke both bones in his left lower leg. The fracture was only partially healed, and was not healing properly. He would have walked with a limp.

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While waiting at the Metro Rail station, my partner said, "That's an ugly building." I agreed.

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After the mummy exhibit, we decided to have dinner.

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Waiting for the train back to South Pasadena.

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sopas ej · #**651** Posted **May 30, 2026, 4:31 AM**

Went to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) on Monday, which was the Memorial Day Holiday. We checked out the newest building at LACMA, the David Geffen Galleries, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning Swiss architect Peter Zumthor, his first building in the US. It of course houses LACMA's permanent collection. Checked out the new Wilshire/La Brea and Wilshire/Fairfax subway stations, too, being that we only checked out the Wilshire/La Cienega station prior. I like all 3 stations, but I will say that I like the La Brea and Fairfax stations more than the La Cienega one.

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Baseball bats, scissors, bow ties, saxophones...

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Bunnies and shovels!

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Lunch, before LACMA. Plum wine.

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Chirashi.

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We took the elevator into the David Geffen Galleries. That was our intro to the interior. The building has no prescribed layout; it's designed with no "front" or "back" entrance, or grand lobby or anything. You enter, wander through, and exit however you want to. Most people entered and exited by way of the stairs closest to the sculpture garden.

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Up the elevator, and then... BAM. I may or may not add descriptions of the art later. The art spans thousands of years, and many different cultures, and different media and forms of art. It's so huge... we actually got tired wandering through, and didn't see everything. We definitely plan on going back to see the rest. I'm thinking of going again some time next month. I really think this building is emblematic of Los Angeles, as corny as that sounds: The art displayed is international and multi-cultural, just like LA; the buliding is sprawling, amorphous, and difficult to summarize---just like LA. The building, as a museum, is non-conformist---just like LA... no neo-classical façade with white box galleries. It's badass---just like LA.

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Performance art.

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A 1963 Studebaker Avanti. A rare car.

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Pit 91 of the La Brea Tar Pits, which is still regularly excavated by researchers and paleontologists.

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A Kashmiri moon shawl, from the 18th century.

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Check out the pompis on this one.

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An installation that was still being worked on.

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We both started getting tired so we took a break outside. We're definitely coming back another time to check out the rest of the Geffen Galleries.

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Part of "Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads" by artist Ai Weiwei. They're the animals of the Chinese zodiac.

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We went into the Resnick Pavilion to see what they had there.

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A 12th century ritual crown from Nepal.

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On our way home...

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EastSideHBG · #**652** Posted **May 30, 2026, 1:30 PM**

I've been regularly enjoying this thread, thanks for sharing

ColDayMan · #**653** Posted **Jun 5, 2026, 1:53 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by sopas ej

Yes, it still exists, we walked by it: Thai Original BBQ. It's sort of a local chain (each one is supposedly independently owned and operated, but I'm not sure if it's a real franchise) that's been around for decades.

I've never eaten at this location. How was it a mess? When I was younger, I ate at 2 of their other locations. I remember the food wasn't bad, though I'll admit, it's been literally decades since I last ate at one.

The service was insane. Everyone was coked up and got all the orders wrong, even with a limited menu at the time.

sopas ej · #**654** Posted **Yesterday, 3:37 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by EastSideHBG

I've been regularly enjoying this thread, thanks for sharing

Thanks very much!

Quote:

Originally Posted by ColDayMan

The service was insane. Everyone was coked up and got all the orders wrong, even with a limited menu at the time.

Wow. I can't imagine coked up, frazzled servers at a Thai restaurant.

sopas ej · #**655** Posted **Yesterday, 4:12 AM**

Random photos...

Who here is excited about the World Cup? I sorta kinda am, and kinda not. Not going to any games in person myself, but I do plan on maybe going to a fanzone somewhere and/or watching a game on TV at our go-to pub or a bar or something.

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Scenes from a strip mall lunch from last Sunday...

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Pulled pork sandwich and coleslaw.

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On another day during the week, the view outside the window of the restaurant we were having dinner at.

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A cantarito.

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Mole enchiladas with chicken.

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Scenes from another strip mall lunch, from today.

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A Little Rascals mural. Yes, many of those films were filmed in the Palms District of Los Angeles.

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A "houpty" Tesla.

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We had some really yummy Indonesian food.

Martabak Telur.