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Tuesday Morning
8 SepBack to the grindstone.
Hope everyone had a great weekend!
Really, what is the point here?
Abandoned
2 SepThis building is so shabby, it’s a wonder the city didn’t bull-doze it to the ground ages ago when we all got caught up in building modern sky-scrapers and sleek apartment buildings; but Burbank is a bit old-school. It’s still a 1950’s suburban sprawl. So it fits that this barrel – this former Spanish restaurant, turned hole in wall eye-sore – this place has a story, albeit a small one (but historical!).
The La Caña Restaurant was built in 1941 (or 1935 according to another source) by a Universal Studios designer. Of the three giant wooden barrels, the largest is 23′ tall and 38′ wide. A large rectangular building at the rear served as the restaurant and flamenco club. The building has been vacant since at least the 1970s.
In fact, there are more than three barrels around the nation.
DB at Flickr posted this story:
I worked next door to La Cana during the late 1970’s. It was closed even then. What I remember of those times was the woman who owned La Cana. Dark haired, she epitomized the classic flamenco dancer, with her vivid red dress.
I happened by there yesterday and she was sitting out in front, reading the newspaper. She asked me what I was photographing and we struck up a conversation about the Iliad Bookstore, which is next door to La Cana, but moving a couple miles away because of “a lawyer who lives in Bakersfield”.
She is old and weathered now, but lucid and engaging. When I asked to take a photo, she pointed down to the Iliad’s mural and urged me to photograph the part of it where she is dancing. When I came back, she was gone.
The Fires
31 AugAnother California summer brought along with it dry heat and dry grasses; ergo the palpitating, unrelentant, blazing flames. On Saturday morning at 7:30am, atop the 3 mile hike that is Runyon Canyon, the smoky city is ghostly and stinks of sizzling debree, like burning rubber.
The entire Valley.
Varsity Blues
28 Aug
I’m not sure what to say, except that I was pretty sure the arc on Boy Bands had finally come to the end of its rainbow; Justin ran off with the pot of gold and Lance ran off with the Leprechaun, and we were all over the phenomenon faster than the resurgence of the 80’s shoulder pad. Yet, we have this….
I Hate L.A. by Suzi Barrett
26 AugThis is Suzi Barrett.
Suzi Barrett has a friend who’s moving to L.A. So she made an inspiring video about what the city has to offer.
You don’t want to miss this.
For a $1.25
26 AugYesterday was a stinky day. A cantankerous and particularly odorous, crinkling nose, watering eyes, please move about five feet that way, kind of way. Not myself of course, but the people on the bus ride home. Particularly, on public transportation after 5pm, there exists the unforeseeable possibility that passengers on the metro will be pungent to an unsatisfactory degree with a chance of crazy. In the mix: Richard Simmons long lost brother and three dreggy peripatetic homeless; hoary, grayed, women with canes pointing at you to get out of their seat, lost tourists, local hipsters, kissing couples, ogling men, loud mouths, numerous packages, and foldable grocery carts. The homeless tend to waft heady combinations of urine and the decay of garbage, while others smell like a fresh bag of Fritos, and high-notes of sickly sweet perfume hang in the air. In total a physicality of hands, arms, and legs frisking against each other for lack of space. I only had three miles to go.
Fifteen minutes never felt so sleazy.
Photo by Mariano Perez
Arrested
25 Aug…and we’re back…
Another day ends in a bust.
I have absolutely no experience with crime in l.a. The closest I came was a possible car break-in, and even that is suspect since no evidence was found, just a sneaking suspicion that a checkbook had been stolen, drawers rifled through and the doors unlocked (this most likely due to the forgetful driver); but crime here is hard to ignore. If you haven’t been watching the news (of which there is plenty: crime ring busts, drug arrests and trafficking of all kinds), there are the sights and sounds of a busy city with urban troubles and future inmates – broken car windows, flashing police cars, nightly helicopter surveillance, highway car chases and sidewalk arrests. Though certain areas, such as the infamous south central barrios, produced a majority of the headlines for a time, crime in the last decade has expanded through every neighborhood in the city, inching along the fault line of police patrol, making crime in L.A. a widespread experience. A story:
Dear Friends, Collectors and Venice visitors,
This past Friday the 14th I was attacked from behind and punched in the face by one of the guys that hangs out in the parking lot near Rose Ave. As many of you may have witnessed, Venice’s beauty and charm is unfortunately accompanied by violence, gang activity and intimidation. I was punched cowardly from behind without any notice because I guess I had parked too close to a car that belongs to a group of individuals that have made the parking into an outdoor “BAR”. After punching me the offender publicly announced that he would do it again and in his own words ” THIS IS NOT THE END OF IT”. I have not been back since that day, basically resting and recovering from my injuries. I am left with bruises and a fractured nose.I am also extremely disappointed with the way police handled the situation. They seemed unmoved and did not make any attempts to catch this guy as he was hiding somewhere in the parking. It is both sad and amazing that when a 911 call is made several large fire engines with 3-4 men crew show up, but after 10 minutes all left, leaving me vulnerable to possible more attacks. The guy had a network of friends working to hide him and eventually secretly sat in his car and drove off the parking without any problems. At this point he is on the loose and police are looking for him. Being an artist and going through all the difficulties of finding a spot, attending an unfair lottery system every week, fighting with all the commercial sellers that
have turned Venice into a swap meet was enough challenge. Now I have to fear for my life, since the police for sure won’t be able to protect me! I realize cops can not be everywhere at all times and obviously they are not able to protect us. They are overwhelmed with more important cases.The reason I am writing to you, is because you all signed my guest book and some of you own my art.
I am interested in finding the support I need to use this incident as an example to help make boardwalk a safer and more pleasant place to visit. You should all know that this was not the first act of violence and it won’t be the last and unless the community does something about it laws won’t change. We always think things happen to other people until it happens to us, and then we get shocked. I am meeting with some of the city’s policy makers to present my case. If any of you are interested in writing to our council man Mr. Bill Rosendahl, here is his email address and website
WEBSITE: http://cd11.lacity.org/
EMAIL : councilman.rosendahl@lacity.orgRemember Venice is not “SAFE” with the way things are.
I don’t mean to affect any fear-mongering here. I’ve been to Venice plenty of times without aforementioned trouble; drank some beers, walked on the beach, paid my $8 for parking and left with some nice five-dollar jewelry…Just be safe out there.
NO SAINTS IN L.A. 