Sunday, 10 November 2024

Los Angeles

Today is Wednesday, 13 November, and I am back home at Mountain View with Will. He is fine, but the whole place is under "lockdown" since there are so many cases of the neurovirus. "Lockdown" means that all activities have been canceled, all meals are delivered to residents' apartments, and everyone is encouraged to avoid interaction with other residents. We are free to come and go from the building as we desire, so we can see friends, eat out, and go shopping whenever we want. No word yet on when the lockdown will end, but we are hoping for next Monday.

So I will indulge the sweet dreams of memory as LFLat Sea heads back to Sunday in Los Angeles.

This morning I sleep in a bit and enjoy an excellent buffet breakfast in the hotel--more than enough to keep me going for the day.

I will use my favorite touring app, "GPSMyCity," to explore two large sections of downtown LA. The buildings of the first area present two faces--historic early 20th-century Art Deco style and contemporary post-modern high-rise glass towers.

Richard J. Riordan Central Library Entrance (B. G. Goodhue, 1925)

Central Library Building

Downtown Towers, Old and New

Along this route stands one of downtown's premier attractions, Grand Central Market. First opened in 1917, the Market is a mecca for all foodies and is particularly busy on the weekend from early morning to late in the evening.

Directly across the street from the Market is the Angels Flight Railway, LA's only municipal funicular. The Railway has appeared in more than 100 films and television shows, the most recent being the new Perry Mason series shown on HBO a few years ago. 

From the upper landing it is a short, level walk to Grand Street, with its parade of modern museums, definitive architecture, and large cultural centers. All LA museums are free and have excellent gift shops, especially MOCA.

Museum of Contemporary Art (above and below)

An Exhibition at MOCA, "Industrial Revolutions Pregame"

The Broad Museum, Another Fine Collection of Contemporary Art

The Monumental Escalator Inside the Broad's Lobby

At the Top of the Escalator Are the Vibrant Colors of Jeff Koon's "Tulips"

The Broad Has an Extensive Collection of J. Basquiat's Works . . .

. . . and a Lovely Early Andy Warhol

Next Door to the Broad Museum is Frank Ghery's Disney Music Hall with its swirling metallic shapes.

This blog is already very long and I haven't even completed the first of my two walks. So I shall sign off here and continue with exploring downtown LA in the next entry. Stay tuned.