A Los Angeles Guide
City Guides are compact, highly selective introductions to cities where I have lived, as well as cities I have visited. Unlike traditional city guidebooks that endeavor to name all the popular sites and implicitly claim to provide an unbiased or objective view of the city, these simple guides are not in any way "definitive" but merely reflect one person's experience of the city.
They are works in progress, still evolving and updated. For more about City Guides.
My Connection to Los Angeles
Los Angeles was the city of my childhood and youth. During my first eighteen years of life every Sunday morning without exception our family would drive from our home in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains into the heart of the City of Los Angeles to attend church. Frequently, in the middle of the week, my mother and I would ride the Pacific Electric Red Cars into downtown LA where we would meet my father at a Manning's Cafeteria--for cafeterias were everywhere during those years--to have dinner and then travel together to the church for choir practice. My discovery of a spiritual tradition was thus closely intertwined with my discovery of a city.
Following college and graduate school I returned in the late 1960s to Los Angeles for three intense years of work as a community organizer during the height of the civil rights movement and the flowering of the counterculture. After moving to Portland (Oregon) in 1970 I have returned frequently to Los Angeles to experience both its delights and its challenges. I currently reside part-time in the Los Angels area.
I invite you to share with me your experience of Los Angeles.
Getting Oriented
When arriving for the first time in Los Angeles it helps to do a few things to make you feel more confident in this new place.
READ A BOOK OR TWO ON LOS ANGELES
Banham, Reyner. Los Angeles: The Architecture of Four Ecologies. (Berkeley: University of California Press, 171.)
Davis, Mike. City of Quartz: Excavating the Future in Los Angeles. (New York: Random House, Inc., 2006).
George, Lynell. After/Image: Los Angeles Outside the Frame. (Santa Monica, California: Angel City Press, 2017).
Pulido, Laura, Laura Barraclough and Wendy Cheng. A People’s Guide to Los Angeles. (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2012).
Siusman, Doug. Los Angeles Boulevard: Eight X-Rays of the Body Politic. 25th Anniversary Edition. (San Francisco: ORO Editions, 2014).
Ulin, David L. Sidewalking: Coming to Terms with Los Angeles. (Oakland: University of California Press, 2015).
Wakida, Patricia (Editor). LA Attitudes: An Angeleno’s Atlas. (Berkeley: Heydey, 2015).
LISTEN TO KCRW
KCRW, a NPR broadcasting affiliate, is my go-to radio station when I am in Los Angles for news, insights and an introduction to some of the most interesting recent music. KCRW also has an app so you can capture the spirit of Los Angeles before you arrive.
If you want a more news-focused, non-profit radio station you will want to tune in to KPCC, more recently re-branded as LAist 89.3.
TAKE A LOS ANGELES CONSERVANCY TOUR
Cities, like people, have stories. One of the best ways to begin to get oriented to the city is by taking one of the tours offered by the LA Conservancy. My suggestion is to begin with the “Historic Core” of Downtown for a good overall history of downtown and how the city developed. Their website is a rich introduction to significant LA buildings and neighborhoods.
CONNECT WITH ZOCALO PUBLIC SQUARE
Zocalo Public Square is not a physical but a virtual space. The folk at Zocalo practice what they call “ideas journalism with a head and a heart.” Zocalo curates stimulating events, which they hold in a variety of settings throughout the city. Go to their website or get on their mailing list.
A Quick Los Angeles Index
POPULATION OF THE CITY: 3,976,322. (2016) Note: It is the second most populous city in the United States following New York.
POPULATION OF THE METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREA: 13,353,907. (2017)
LOCATION: SITS IN A LARGE COASTAL BASIN SURROUNDED ON THREE SIDES BY MOUNTAINS.
ORIGINAL SETTLEMENT: BY TONGA (GABRIELONS) AND CHUMASH TRIBES.
FOUNDED: 1781. Note: The original name for the city was "El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles del Río Porciúncula" which translated into English is "town of our lady the Queen of Angels of the River Porciúncula.”
HOUSING: 54% OF HOMES ARE OWNER-OCCUPIED
HOUSELESS: 3,400 PORTLANDERS ARE HOMELESS
FORM OF GOVERNMENT: A CITY COMMISSION SYSTEM WITH FIVE ELECTED COMMISSIONERS INCLUDING THE MAYO
POPULATION
+ The population estimate for Los Angles in 2016 is 3,976,322. It is the second most populous city in the United States following New York. [Source: Wikipedia]
+ The metropolitan statistical area population estimate for Los Angeles in 2017 is 13,353,907.
LOCATION
+ Los Angeles sits in a large coastal basin surrounded on three sides by mountains.
EARLY HISTORY
+ The Los Angeles coastal area was settled by the Tongva (Gabrieleños) and Chumash which are Native Californian tribes.
+ The City of Los Angeles was founded in 1781. Los Angeles is sometimes referred to as the City of the Angels. This derives from the original name for the city as "El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles del Río Porciúncula" (translated into English—"town of our lady the Queen of Angels of the River Porciúncula").
DEMOGRAPHICS
+ The overall population of Los Angeles today is a rich racial and ethnic mosaic. For example, 92 languages other than English are spoken in Los Angeles Unified School District schools. This mosaic represents a dramatic change from the period prior to World War II. In 1940 non-Hispanic whites, for example, comprised 86.3 percent of the population, while in 2010 they were only 28.7 percent.
+ Hispanics or Latinxs of any race were 42.8 percent of the population in 2010 while African-Americans were 9.6 percent and Asian-Americans were 11.3 percent.
+ Los Angeles has the largest Urban Indian and Native Alaskan population of any city in the country.
HOUSING
+ As of 2017, the rate of homeownership stands at 50.1 percent of residents in the Los Angeles metro area (which includes Los Angeles and Orange counties) owning the homes they live in. [CurbedLA]
+ The average rent for an apartment in Los Angeles in 2023 is $2,781 with an average apartment size of 788 square feet. [Source: RentCafe]
+ The number of those living in the streets and shelters of the city of Los Angeles and most of the county surged 75% — to roughly 55,000 from about 32,000 — in the last six years. If you include Glendale, Pasadena and Long Beach, cities that conduct their own homeless counts, the total is nearly 58,000. According to the LA Times: "Three out of four homeless people — 41,000 — live in cars, campers, tents and lean-tos, by far the biggest single group of unsheltered people in any U.S. city. If you took out Los Angeles, national homelessness would have dropped last year for the first time since the recession."
POLITICS
+ Los Angeles has a Mayor-Council form of government with the Mayor elected citywide and council members (of which there are 15) elected by district.
+ In 2020 political affiliation by voter registration for the city was 46.10% Democratic, 24.20% Republican and 24% no party preference.
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Navigating the City
NAVIGATION IS ABOUT THE VARIED WAYS URBAN DWELLERS MOVE THROUGH SPACE TO EXPERIENCE THE CITY AND TO CONSTRUCT MEANING IN THEIR LIVES.
We begin our search to discover” the soul of a city” by intentional acts of navigation, finding our way to some of the places that are iconic, places that create a spirit of community, places that tell the city’s story (including its hidden story), places of nourishment and places that are engaged in transforming the life of the city.
Spiritual Navigation
Spiritual navigation involves moving beyond our customary patterns of movement. In spiritual navigation we strive to see the city through the eyes of others, especially people we don’t encounter in our everyday lives. Our spirit will be enlarged as we open ourselves to the world of those who differ from us in their life experience. These places and personal encounters will inevitably raise questions, pose challenges, yield insights and perhaps even move us to action.
When I am in Los Angeles, one resource I draw upon is A People’s Guide to Los Angeles by Laura Pulido. This guide has introduced me to some of the places where significant struggles involving race, class, gender and sexuality have taken place.
Spiritual navigation also involves seeking out places of inspiration and renewal. These "spiritual places" might include designated sacred sites (a church, temple, mosque or synagogue) as well as places of natural beauty (an urban park, a fountain or even a river view).
Hopefully, over time, some of these places we discover in intentional acts of spiritual navigation will lead us to new habits and routines and an evolving urban lifestyle.
Now a brief word about LA Freeways
Los Angeles is a city of freeways. To really discover the city, you need to get to know these freeways. They can sometimes be terrifying, with traffic often passing you by and darting in front of you at what feels like warp speed. On other occasions, cars may be reduced to moving at a crawl. When I was growing up in the area, all the freeways had names. Every Sunday we drove to church on the Arroyo Seco Parkway (also known as the Pasadena Freeway) and once as a small child I stood on top of a linear mound of dirt that became the Harbor Freeway (now the Interstate 110). Today most of the freeways have become better known by their numbers. You will need to memorize some of those numbers if you want to talk intelligently with Angelinos about where you’re going.
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Discovering the City
Watts Towers
Discovering the City
DISCOVERY IS ABOUT LEARNING HOW TO "READ THE CITY" AS A NATURAL, HUMAN, BUILT AND SPIRITUAL ENVIRONMENT.
This kind of discovery takes us to places that mark the identity of the city, places that awaken us to the city's story or narrative (Including its "shadow stories") and places that allow us to experience community. In pursuing the city as spiritual geography we seek out places that take us beyond the familiar to places where we can exercise compassion or work for justice. We also explore places of hidden beauty and "sacred spaces" that can renew the spirit.
I have organized these places in the following groupings: iconic sights; museums; bookstores; parks, lakes and squares; and places to eat.
Eight Iconic Places
1. WATTS TOWERS [South Los Angeles]
The Watts Towers are one of the most significant works of public art in Southern California. Located at 1727 E 107th Street, the towers are the creative lifework of Simon Rodia, an Italian immigrant who between 1921 and 1954 created 17 interconnected structures out of scrap rebar and decorated with pottery shards, bottles and shells. Sister Corita Kent brought many of us to an awareness of the art of the Watts Towers in the late 1960s. She understood that they were a soaring achievement of the human spirit. The towers are a protected public space that for many of us believe should be considered "a sacred space." Adjacent to the towers is the Watts Towers Art Center which has featured over the years outstanding exhibitions by African American artists. The Watts Towers Campus is one of the many cultural centers administered by the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.
2. LA PLAZA DE CULTURA Y ARTES (THE PLACE OF CULTURE AND ARTS) [Downtown]
So often the early history of Los Angeles and of California has been understood through a romanticized telling of the story of the California Missions.La Plaza de Cultura y Artes provides a corrective to this reading of history. "The mission of LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes is to celebrate and cultivate an appreciation for the enduring and evolving influence of Mexican and Mexican-American culture, with a specific focus upon the unique Mexican-American experience in Los Angeles and Southern California." Located near the historic plaza, Olvera Street and Plaza Church (The Church of Our Lady the Queen of Angels), The Plaza of Culture and Arts provides a rich cultural immersion and contains a variety of interactive exhibitions including "LA Starts Here."
3. THE BRADBURY BUILDING [Downtown]
The Bradbury Building, located at 304 S. Broadway, is one of the most architecturally distinguished buildings in Los Angeles and has been designated as a National Historic Landmark. The exterior is fairly unremarkable. It is the interior that dazzles the eye with “bird cage elevators," Italian marble, ornamental cast iron and a skylight atrium. A frequently used movie and television location, Blade Runner was filmed here. More personally, in the late 1960s a friend and I rented an office in the Bradbury Building which was at the time largely occupied by the piece-work garment industry.
Nearby the Bradbury Building is the Biddy Mason Memorial Park, a tribute to Biddy Mason, an African American woman who was a nurse, real estate entrepreneur and philanthropist. She founded the First African Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles.
While you’re in the area stop over at the Grand Central Market for a bite to eat and take in the exteriors of the elegant movie palaces built along Broadway.
4. THE HUNTINGTON LIBRARY, ART COLLECTIONS AND BOTANICAL GARDENS [San Marino]
The Huntington is a unique institution that has exquisite gardens (the desert garden is my favorite), a notable art collection (“Blue Boy” and “Pinkie” are there) along with changing art exhibits and a rare book collection in the library where you can see a copy of the Gutenberg Bible. In recent years The Huntington has been diversifying its collections, commissioning, for example, A Portrait of a Young Gentleman by Kehinde Wiley. A comfortable restaurant at affordable prices is located inside The Huntington complex.
5. THE GAMBLE HOUSE [Pasadena]
The Gamble House is simply the most beautifully preserved Arts and Crafts home in the world. The house was designed by the Greene and Greene brothers for the Gamble family (of “Procter and Gamble” fame) to be their winter home. If a home can ever lay claim to being a sanctuary, this would be the home.
6. UNION STATION [Downtown]
Union Station was built in 1939 and is widely regarded as “the last of the great train stations.” It has been and continues to be an integral part of the California dream.
The design of the station by the father-son team of John and Donald Parkinson is a triumph of the Mission Moderne architectural style. In my childhood the restaurant at Union Station was a frequent destination for Sunday dinners and today the station is coming into its own once again, serving as an increasingly significant hub in LA's evolving transportation network and as a vibrant event space.
7. WILSHIRE BOULEVARD [Downtown to Santa Monica]
Wilshire Boulevard is the spine that links downtown Los Angeles to the Pacific Ocean. Drive or (preferably) walk the boulevard to experience some of the diversity of ethnic communities and cultural enclaves, the neighborhoods and districts that comprise the Los Angeles region. The LA Conservancy has created a useful guide to exploring some of the historical structures along the boulevard.
Doug Suisman writes about the significance of boulevards (like Wilshire) in the life of Los Angeles: "As technology continues to dematerialize our activities and therefore erodes the functioning of physical places, it becomes all the more important to recognize the boulevard as the critical thread of an endangered public realm."
8. THE LOS ANGELES RIVER
When you discover the story of the Los Angeles River you will learn a great deal about the story of Los Angeles. In the Los Angeles of my childhood the LA River was a giant concrete channel almost totally devoid of water and littered with debris including old furniture. Today the river is undergoing a renaissance with parks springing upon alongside the river. Experience the Los Angeles River Greenway at one of many access points.
Three Unique Museums
Los Angeles offers a vast array of outstanding museums including nationally significant institutions like The Getty, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, MOCA, and The Broad. There are also three unique museums that I find especially attractive in providing unique windows on the life and spirit of this city and its region.
1. MUSEUM OF NEON ART [Glendale]
When I first arrived at the Museum of Neon Art (MONA) I knew I had come home. I grew up in the Neon Age of Los Angeles. On Sunday evenings when we left my grandparents home in the Pacific Palisades we would drive back to Pasadena along one of LA's many boulevards -- each corridor lit by neon signs that competed to arrest the attention of travelers. Neon is an essential part of the LA story, so I affirm the mission of MONA: "The Museum of Neon Art encourages learning, curiosity and expression through the preservation, collection and interpretation of neon, electric and kinetic art."
2. THE HAMMER {Westwood]
The Hammer is a museum that lives up to its mission: "The Hammer Museum believes in the promise of art and ideas to illuminate our lives and build a more just world." That is why for me almost every visit to LA includes a stop at the Hammer to see the work of a featured artist or to attend one of their many outstanding public events. The Hammer's biennial exhibition, Made in LA, is a short course in some of the best of the current work of artists residing in LA.
3. MUSEUM OF JURASSIC TECHNOLOGY [Culver City]
In many ways the Museum of Jurassic Technology, like LA itself, almost defies description. This little museum can only be experienced. I sought out this strangely beguiling place after reading Lawrence Weschler's book about the museum, Mr. Wilson's Cabinet of Wonder Horned Humans, Mice on Toast, and Other Marvels of Jurassic Technology. The book is your best guide to exploring this odd assortment of collections of life's real and imagined mysteries.
Two Great Bookstores
1. THE LAST BOOKSTORE + 453 S. SPRING [Downtown]
The Last Bookstore has become a regular place to visit every time I’m in the historic core of LA. Spring Street was once known as the Wall Street of the West. The space occupied by the bookstore was once the home of the Citizens National Bank.
2. VROMAN’S BOOKSTORE + 695 E. COLORADO BOULEVARD [Pasadena]
Vroman’s is Southern California’s oldest and largest independent bookstore) While much smaller in size than, say, Portland's Powell’s, Vroman’s is very smart in their selection of books. One of my first stops when arriving in Pasadena is at Vroman’s to check out their Los Angeles section, the new fiction and non-fiction tables and the sidewalk magazine selections. Invariably, I find something arresting to add to my library or to start reading at Tepito Coffee & Tea House that is located inside Vroman's.
A Few Urban Parks, Lakes and Squares
Los Angeles has a variety of parks, lakes, squares and other public spaces to explore. I find myself visiting the following places for nostalgia (Ferndell Park, MacArthur Park, Pershing Square), community gatherings (Grand Park) or simply enjoyable walks (Echo Park Lake and the Eaton Canyon Nature Center trails).
FERNDELL PARK [Griffith Park]
MACARTHUR PARK [Westlake]
PERSHING SQUARE [Downtown]
GRAND PARK [Downtown]
ECHO PARK LAKE [Echo Park]
EATON CANYON NATURE CENTER [Pasadena]
Some Places to Eat
The act of eating can be a time of conviviality and community. I have selected a few places to eat that I find to be unique to the identity of the city or that provide a window onto the city's evolving story or where I have experienced a sense of community. These selections are organized by their location within the larger Los Angels urban region.
DOWNTOWN
PHILLIPPE THE ORIGINAL
Philippe the Original Is known as the acclaimed home of the “original” French Dip Sandwich. Stand in one of the lines behind the counter and watch your order being assembled. Ask for a double (or triple) dip and don’t forget to include their amazing cole slaw.
RED BIRD
Redbird is aptly named because this restaurant was once the residence of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Los Angeles, a post where the reigning archbishop typically is awarded a Cardinal’s hat. Try to get a look into the “event space” next door which was once St. Vibiani’s Roman Catholic Cathedral.
MID CITY
EL CHOLO
Established in 1923 El Cholo is LA’s oldest Mexican restaurant. While there are multiple locations, the original on Western is the place to visit. I can remember first being introduced to their green corn tamales as a child and their guacamole prepared tableside is not to be missed.
EAGLE ROCK
LITTLE BEAST
Located in a 1911 Craftsman bungalow, Little Beast is a place to delight any food lover. It features what they call “progressive American comfort food.” with Indoor and outdoor seating available.
CASA BIANCA
It was only a few years ago that a friend introduced me to Casa Bianca--an old style Italian family restaurant since 1955. I quickly discovered why this place is loved by so many regulars from Eagle Rock and beyond.
HOLLWOOD
THE MUSSO AND FRANK GRILL
The Musso and Frank Grill opened in 1919 and is a LA legend. It's a place where you might be served by a waiter who has been working there for over 30 years. Slip into one of the red leather booths and you will feel as though you are part of Hollywood and literary history (F. Scott Fitzgerald was said to have proofed his novels here). My first visit was late on a Saturday night during the Watts Revolt in the summer of 1965 when as a young seminarian I was struggling to prepare a talk to give at a Hollywood church the next day.
PASADENA AND ALTADENA
MARSTON'S [Pasadena]
At 151 E.Walnut Street Marston’s Restaurant has been a family favorite for years. This cute little cottage is known for their breakfasts (French toast) and lunches (I like the Pasadena Salad). The Food Network has called Marston’s the best breakfast place in California.
PIE N' BURGER [Pasadena]
Pie n’ Burger on 913 E. Colorado is a legendary Pasadena hamburger joint, specializing in exactly what the name says, burgers and pies. It’s rumored that this was the birthplace of “the cheeseburger.” I never fail to pay a visit to this Pie n’ Burger when I’m spending time in the Pasadena area.
UNION [Pasadena]
Union is my favorite Pasadena restaurant. An intimate restaurant in the food tradition inspired by Alice Waters, Union specializes in Northern Italian cuisine.
BULGARINI GELATO VINO CUCINA [Altadena]
Bulgarini is one of Altadena’s hidden treasures. This tiny gelato shop serves the most amazing Italian gelato in the most unlikely of places— an alley next to a Rite Aid drug store. Considered by some--and I’m among them--the best gelato they’ve tasted anywhere outside of Italy. If you want more than gelato, Bulgarini also serves some amazing Italian food.
CARMELLA ICE CREAM COMPANY [Pasadena]
If you are an ice cream lover, you will want to rush to Carmela Ice Cream Company at 2495 E Washington Boulevard. No surprise for some of us that salted caramel (a flavor I first tasted at Portland’s Salt & Straw) is one of the favorites there! Carmela’s started in 2007 selling to Farmers Markets and opened their own micro-creamery in this Pasadena location in 2011.
VENICE
GJUSTA
Gjusta on 320 Sunset is my go-to place when I'm in Venice and looking for a delicious salad, sandwich, or small plate.
While you are in the neighborhood, don't miss an opportunity to see the Venice Canals, one of the last surviving remnants of Abbott Kinney's grand dream.
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Transforming the City
All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena
TRANSFORMATION IS PURSUING A VISION OF THE CITY WHERE ALL ARE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE FULLNESS OF LIFE IN COMMUNITY.
The work of urban transformation takes many forms including advocacy and direct action, social empowerment, community development, compassionate service, civic awareness, and the socially engaged arts. While there are creative public sector efforts in planning and policy-making, here are a few examples of Los Angeles area non-profits devoted to the transformation of life and the life of the city. I endorse and actively support each of these valuable organizations.
HOMEBOY INDUSTRIES
Homeboy Industries was founded in 1988 by Fr. Gregory Boyle, S.J., the author of Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion. "Homeboy Industries provides hope, training, and support to formerly gang-involved and previously incarcerated men and women allowing them to redirect their lives and become contributing members of our community.” I love to support this agency because it is a mission-driven, creative, and successful approach to gang intervention, rehabilitation, and re-entry into the life of the wider community. Listen to this interview with Fr. Greg by Terry Gross and you too might become a convert to the work of Homeboy Industries.
ALL SAINTS EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN PASADENA
All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena has been a leader in the struggle for social justice and for the full inclusion and empowerment of all persons within the Episcopal church and the wider society. The stated mission of All Saints is “to make God’s love tangible through Spirituality, Community, and Peace and Justice — and Jesus’ central message of compassion and respect for all people undergirds all that we undertake.”
UNION STATION HOMELESS SERVICES
Founded in 1973 and located in Pasadena, Union Station Homeless Services is a program that effectively assists houseless individuals and families in rebuilding their lives. I continue a longstanding family tradition by supporting this agency.
THE FOUNTAIN THEATRE
The Fountain Theatre is a socially engaged arts organization and a Los Angeles treasure. Their highly acclaimed productions stretch and challenge the mind and the heart. Some triumphs were “The Chosen” and “Building the Wall.”