KCRag Forum

Flew out to LA last weekend for a wedding.  I made it an extended weekend to check out some sites I missed last summer when I was there.  Here are some of the pictures I took, enjoy!

VENICE BOARDWALK, CANALS

I went to the boardwalk last trip, but I missed the canals.  Some pics of the beach area:



Lots of stoners hanging out here.  I got offered 'medical marijuana' by some random guy...haha



This neighborhood of canal houses is from the same era as KC's Plaza...but it has changed a lot since the 1920s.







Some of the original houses



A modern House



Frank Ghery Building



More pics to come soon!

BEL AIR

The Wedding was held in the Beautiful Bel Air Hotel.  It was located in a valley between two huge hills.  It seemed like it was deep in nature, but really it was just a few minutes away from Beverly Hills.  Amazing grounds with tropical plants and charming Spanish architecture. 







My friends were married next to this swan pond.  Very 90210...haha






BEVERLY HILLS

We were put up in a hotel near Rodeo.  I saw this area last time, but of course checked it out some more.  I noticed the economy has taken a toll on this area even!



FLW Building's details





Kind of a tacky little court...very 1980s









"The Witches House" - Built for a movie set in the 1920s.  Later moved to Beverly Hills for a private residence.







More to Come!

THE GETTY

The next day we went to the Getty.  This is an incredible complex, but the art collection inside is just OK.  Nothing compared to the Nelson's collection.  It is also really removed from LA, sort of like a fortress on a hill.  It is also pretty much only accessible by car and tram.











The Lobby



The Gardens were very elaborate.







View from the Getty.  You could see the Ocean on one side and Downtown on the other side.  I liken the I-405 to a moat.

Other General Pics





"OBEY"



Modern Gas Station





I'll post the last of my pics later.  They are some cool skyline shots!  Enjoy

All very interesting subject matter - I've never been to LA but always thought it sounded fascinating to visit.

That Frank Gehry building though.... good gawd I do not understand why people consider a lot of his stuff "architectural masterpieces." That one there looks like some frickin' awful 1960s-vintage university campus library building.

Very nice pics. Thanks for the photo tour!

Thanks guys.  Yeah, growing up I always hated the idea of LA and what I imagined it to be.  When I went last summer I was surprised at how many old buildings were left and how different all the neighborhoods were.  I still would never want to live there, but city does contain lots of charm, you just have to find the right places.  It's a pretty amazing city in any case. 

Here are some city views:

From the Plane



I like the cloud's shadows




From a restaurant in the Hollywood Hills:

Downtown







Toward the Ocean:



Hollywood (from miles away)

Next time check out the original Getty.  It is in his house which he had built to very accurately recreate a large roman villa.  The art there is classical (which may not be your taste but it is much more significant than the other collection).  The view and gardens are also spectacular. 

Been there, done that!    Last summer.  It was really cool!

http://forum.kcrag.com/index.php?topic=14631.0

The Getty Villa was never a residence for JP or anyone else.  It was built as a museum.  Before the construction of the Getty on the hill, it was more closed in and half filled with that awful French rococo crap.

Midtownkid wrote: Been there, done that!   :lol:  Last summer.  It was really cool!

http://forum.kcrag.com/index.php?topic=14631.0

Ah yes - I see I tell you nothing you don't already know.  Great pics in both threads by the way. 

hehe.  Thanks!

Is it a faux pas to revive an old string?  I just had a really really great weekend exploring LA (my first visit!) with a girlfriend who lives in Pasadena.  I will not bore you with my stories of our shopping and poking around exploring the city. I did not want to start a new thread because I only have a couple things I wanted to share that anyone here might find of interest.

First, we had a phenomenal dinner at Bazaar in Beverly Hills.  Very LA scene (not at all my schtick, but I enjoyed checking it out!), and the food and atmosphere were both excellent.  The space is really beautiful and unique.  Very "chic".  8)If anyone is looking for a nice + fancy dinner spot, in LA this is it.  It's expensive, but I very highly recommend, this is in my top 7 for amazing dinners along with one at Omaha Prime and a couple I've had at bluestem if that helps set the stage.  I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.  It's great because it is tapas style, so you can try a variety of things.  For myself, my friend and her husband, we ordered 10 or 11 items + dessert.
http://thebazaar.com/

Also, I had my first "food truck" experience.  Other than through my friend talking about it, I had not heard of such a thing, nor quite understand it.  That is until I tried it.  She is obsessed and I totally can see why.  These food trucks drive around, and send updates via their websites and twitter as to when they are going to be where.  I think avid followers find it to be somewhat of a "challenge", if you will, to keep up with their favorite trucks, and get there to be first in line.  My friend is a bit of a celeb in this circle and blogs and tweets about her experiences and has a ton of followers.  She's really into great food, so I trust her completely, but was a little skeptical.  Food they serve from a vehicle, not so sure, I was thinking.  I mean, I have heard about the "taco trucks" both here and in Mexico, but she's obsessed!  There was a truck event downtown at the LA Art Walk on Thursday night where a bunch of them got together and parked in a parking lot.  I tried a couple, and have to say, I had probably the best tacos I have had in my entire life.

http://www.thetruckchaser.com/

Great pics! Love Venice Beach! In fact, I recognize a pic in the thread where i bought a nasty slice of pizza and a stale corn dog.  Anywho.. Venice is amazingly beautiful as well as L.A. itself.

I love looking out of the window flying into LAX.  It's interesting to see the high rises along Wilshire from DT, K-Town, Century City, West L.A., etc.

Most incredible building in LA. The first time I drove by it on the freeway, I did a double-take. 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/agilitynut/2363485530/

Plenty of time to view it when stalled in traffic on the Orange Crush!