THANKS to everyone who participated in THE GREAT LOS ANGELES WALK 2009!
More than 250 walkers joined us as we hiked down Adams and Washington Boulevards, from Downtown Los Angeles to Venice Beach. Read the recap (and see pics -- including a cameo by Magic Johnson!) here!
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Caltrans Changes Signs on 110 North; Richard Ankrom's Famed "5 North" Installation Feared Lost
(Pic: Gary Leonard/Downtown News)
If you're driving north on the 110 past downtown Los Angeles this weekend, you'll notice the brand-spanking new freeway signs installed by California's Department of Transportation.
The new signs are much more reflective, and also for the first time give equal weight to both the 5 and 110 freeways. The new signs designate the 5 North for drivers in the left two lanes, and the 110 North for the right two lanes.
Quite a difference from a few years ago, when the signs didn't mention the 5 North at all. Back then, motorists were left scrambling to figure out on their own how to find the 5 North from the 110 North.
That is, until artist Richard Ankrom's infamous August 2001 installation "Guerilla Public Service."
Ankrom took two years to design an exact replica of the Interstate 5 logo, as well as the word "NORTH" in an identical font to Caltrans signs. Then, in the middle of a sunny day, Ankrom -- dressed as a Caltrans worker -- installed the markers on an existing "110 North" sign.
And then... nobody noticed! The helpful signs finally directed 110 drivers to the 5, and yet Caltrans didn't have any idea. Nine months later, the Los Angeles Downtown News finally broke the story.
Caltrans, amazingly, agreed that the new signs were helpful -- and kept them up! The agency even installed a similar marker on another 110 North sign.
Sadly, these brand new freeway signs installed this weekend -- while even helpful than the old ones -- mean that Ankrom's work has now disappeared. I emailed Ankrom on Friday, and he hadn't heard the news:
Missed the change on the freeway signs until you pointed it out. Immediately went to look, hopefully I can recover the sign.
A little disappointed that it's down, but the new signs are a big improvement. After being up for 9 years and three months it was a good run. It helped my career in a subtle way. Still get surprised when it comes up.
Here's hoping the sign is somewhere in storage and can be saved. I'm a bit sad to see it go -- I often think of Ankrom's installation when I pass under the "5 North" marker on the 110.
Photo composite of Ankrom's installation, by Jim Payne.
Here's how Ankrom described "Guerilla Public Service":
The installation and documentation of missing information on the freeway sign system, guerrilla public service. Exact reproduction of guide signs (Caltrans part numbers G-27, G-47) placed on existing structure (gantry 23100) to aid motorists to their destination and ease traffic congestion. To prove the integrity of the arts, its place in culture and why civilization needs it. The benefits of the artistic endeavor in everyday life, what we see, don’t see, and take for granted. For the hundreds of millions of motorists in their commute, in which they use the freeway sign system.
FRANKLIN AVENUE CONTEST: LA Phil Presents Piano Spheres: California Keyboard
Looking for something to do on Sunday night? We've got a pair of tix to see LA Phil Presents Piano Spheres: California Keyboard, courtesy Allied Live.
Details:
Piano Spheres Sunday, November 29, 2009, 7:30 PM at Walt Disney Concert Hall Featured Artists: Gloria Cheng-piano, Vicki Ray-piano, Mark Robson-piano, & Susan Svrček-piano
Piano Spheres will be part of the Los Angeles Philharmonic's West Coast: Left Coast Festival on Sunday, November 29, 2009 at 7:30 pm in Disney Concert Hall.
Displaying powerhouse technique while bringing contemporary works to life, the innovative Los Angeles-based Piano Spheres presents California Keyboard, an exploration of the sounds and styles of notable California composers.
Send an email to our franklin_avenue(at)yahoo(dot)com address, we'll pick a winner tomorrow!
GREAT LOS ANGELES WALK 2009: Eight Hours and 17.4 Miles Later, We Did It!
OK, so it was a tad longer than expected. I had promised 13.5 miles, but walker Will Campbell's mileage counter said 17.4 miles. That sounds a lot more impressive, so let's go with it!
For the fourth annual Great Los Angeles Walk, we decided to make it more about just walking down a major Los Angeles boulevard. With so many amazing homes, buildings, mansions and churches in the West Adams district, it made sense to do Adams.
But I also wanted to start the walk at some place grand -- and the Shrine Auditorium fit the bill. (Plus, we were able to walk by the always cool Felix Chevrolet.) But with Adams' interesting sights petering out by Mid-City, the solution was obvious: Let's finish the walk on Washington -- and for the first time, wind up in Los Angeles City Limits (Venice Beach) rather than Santa Monica.
So approximately 250 of us gathered early in the day (some had been up super early, parking in Venice and then taking the bus out east) for the event. We started at the Shrine at about 9:30 in the morning (accounting for stragglers, and folks spinning the Yelp wheel), and after I smartly eliminated a plan to walk down to the Coliseum, we headed north on Figueroa.
It was at the St. Vincent de Paul church that West Adams Heritage Association member Laura Meyers told us about the history of West Adams -- including the endangered Woolen Mills Zanja, the last evidence of the concrete irrigation system that brought water to folks down there more than a century ago.
We then headed West on Adams, through Mount St. Mary's campus (where the amazing Doheny Mansion stands), through St. James Park (Stearns/Dockweiler mansion) and back down to Adams (Second Church of Christ Scientist, now closed). Another detour took us down Hoover, to see beautiful Victorians like the Cockins House, the Salisbury House and the Forthmann House. Back to Adams again by way of 27th and Magnolia, we saw the Roger Williams Baptist Church, the Menlo Ave. National Register Historic District, the First AME-Zion church and the Van Buren Place Historic District.
It was then up Normandie to hit the Angelus Rosedale Cemetery at Washington, and later the Ray Charles RPM International recording studios. Back down Gramercy, we saw the Marvin Gaye house (right smack next to the 10!). We walked through the Kinney Heights and Gramercy Park neighborhoods and got back to Adams, where we saw the Britt Mansion (now home to LA84) and the Fitzgerald mansion.
It was then another detour, on Arlington to see the Six Feet Under house and the South Seas house. Back down 4th, we saw the Gray Residence (used on "Numb3rs") and then on Adams gaped at the Guasti Villa/Busby Berkeley estate and the MacGowan mansion. We walked to the McCarty Memorial Christian Church, then turned around and headed up 10th to Washington -- and through Mid-City (spotting Magic Johnson at the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center!) to our midway point, the Atomic Cafe.
Whew! The second half of the walk wasn't nearly as eventful, but we took Washington through Culver City, past Marina del Rey and finally to the Venice Beach pier.
And then we celebrated at Venice's Baja Cantina.
It was cool to hear from a number of USC grads who noted that they lived around there for four years -- yet had never ventured out into the neighborhood. (It's definitely a much safer and gentrified area than it once was -- but I know several of you were warned by cops to be careful!)
I've uploaded a ton of photos at our Flickr group site: www.flickr.com/groups/glaw09/. If you were on the walk, feel free to add your pics to the group as well!
And please send me the web addresses to your blog posts and photo collections, we'll post all the links here, for easy access.
THANKS to the West Adams Heritage Association (especially Laura!) and the Mid-City Neighborhood Council (especially Bruce Durbin) for making this walk extra special.
Now, some shots from my camera:
Will and Joni, ready to go!
And they're off!
Thomas Stinson mansion
The crowd gathers in the St. Vincent de Paul parking lot for a talk from WAHA's Laura Mink
Marching down Adams
Doheny Mansion
Cockins House
Forthmann House
First AME-Zion Church
I'm not sure what's going on here, or whether it makes me want to cash more checks.
The imprisoned trees of Washington Blvd.
Ray Charles' RPM recording studio
Marvin Gaye house
"Six Feet Under" house
House used in "Numb3rs"
South Seas house
McCarty Memorial church
You hear that, 10 Freeway? No stopping at any time!
Crossing over the 10
We're on camera!
The Great LA Walk's big celeb sighting: Magic Johnson, at the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center.
Cool "GEM" sign on Washington
Walkers take a break at the Atomic Cafe
The Mid-City Neighborhood Council provides a rest stop at the Atomic Cafe for walkers
Pooped!
The youngest walker -- 4 mos. old! (Blogger Baby 2.0 was in the car, so he doesn't count.)
Apparently you can put a price on romantic notions -- and they're half-off!
Wedding at the Culver City City Hall.
Winner for sketchiest business on this year's route. A few walkers poked their head in and asked what he sells -- and he couldn't tell them!
Now that's a wash that went horribly wrong.
One of several groups to make it to the very end.
We'll see you again next year, on Saturday, Nov. 20, 2010 for the fifth annual Great Los Angeles Walk!
The Great Los Angeles Walk 2009 takes place tomorrow morning at 9 a.m.! For those of you walking, a reminder: You that you should make sure you have a transportation plan in place, so you're not stranded after walking all day!
The best option for those of you without anyone picking you up is to carpool... or to PARK IN THE MORNING in Venice, and take the bus all the way to USC/Shrine Auditorium BEFORE the walk. (That way, your car is waiting for you when it's all done.)
Also, a reminder: This isn't a race! We're going to take our time zig-zagging through West Adams to take in some of the best-loved historic homes in Los Angeles. We'll see the house from "Six Feet Under," the house from "Numb3rs," the home where Marvin Gaye died, Ray Charles' music studio, classic mansions and so much more. How fast or slow you walk is up to you -- but if you leave us all in the dust, you're gonna miss the fun of doing the Great LA Walk -- experiencing a part of the city you wouldn't usually see by foot.
It's always hard to time these things, but we'll probably hit the Atomic Cafe in Mid-City -- the official half-way mark of the walk -- at noon or so. Atomic can accomodate a lot of us, but there are other restaurants around the same area too -- we'll have the details tomorrow. The walk will start back up again around 1:30 from Atomic Cafe.
WEATHER: It's looking good for a walk! Weather Channel says to expect partly cloudy skies and a high of 66 degrees. You know how temps fluctuate here, especially at the coast -- so be prepared to be hot at mid-day and then chilly at the afterparty.
A quick reminder: This is a loosely organized event. We're all coming together to have fun and walk L.A. streets -- but this is not backed by any major organization. We're all responsible for ourselves -- so make sure you have money for meals (and drinks at the afterparty!), transporation set up and... sunscreen.
I'll be updating mile by mile, as well as when we stop and start, take breaks, etc. at www.twitter.com/greatlawalk.
Here I am on ABC's "Good Morning America" this morning, chatting about the news that you're going to be hearing about non-stop for the next two years: Oprah Winfrey's decision to end her daytime talkshow.
Before the 1986 launch of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" into nationwide syndication, Winfrey hosted the local "A.M. Chicago" on WLS-TV in Chicago. Here she is in those "A.M. Chicago" days, interviewing John Denver.
Most disturbing note: She was doing that I'll-scream-my-guest's-name-in-a-shrill-sing-songy-way thing even back then. ("Johnnnn DEN-VERRRR!")
Of course, Oprah announced on Thursday her intention to leave the talk show in September 2011 to focus on her new cable network.
And Starring Pasadena, Glendale and Burbank as Pawnee, Indiana
Viewers of NBC's Amy Poehler comedy "Parks and Recreation" have probably figured out that the Pasadena City Hall doubles as Pawnee, Ind.'s city hall. (Above, another view from a recent episode.)
And as we've written before, the empty pit (recently filled) on "Parks and Rec" is located in Van Nuys.
A few more recent shots from the show:
The coffee shop where Ron Swanson takes his ex-wife (played by Megan Mullally) is Frank's -- located in real life at 16 West Olive and Victory Blvd in Burbank.
The Motel Glen Capri, on San Fernando Rd. -- near the Glendale/Burbank border. It's where Ron and his ex-wife sneak away for their tryst. And according to the motel, the location -- perhaps because of that cool, '60s era neon sign -- is a popular spot for filming:
Movies such as The Good Girl with Jennifer Aniston, Raising Helen with Kate Hudson, and Georgia Rule with Lindsay Lohan, are just some of the actresses that have visited the Glen Capri Inn & Suites-San Fernando.
When you get an invite for dinner at Animal -- the Fairfax meat-centric eatery that I hadn't yet tried -- along with promises of sampling an extra strong beer, you don't say no.
And indeed, the invite came from Samuel Adams, which was interested in touting its 2009 Samuel Adams Utopias -- a dark beer that actually looks, smells and tastes much more like a port. Guinness Book of World Records calls the Utopias -- with 25 percent alcohol by volume -- the strongest beer in the world.
Animal chefs Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo came up with the menu to pair with a range of Samuel Adams beers. Here were the highlights (and yes, we were stuffed):
First course: Crispy hominy and lime (left) and lettuce/beets/avocado/pita/feta/creamy sumac. (Not pictured: Fluke, grape & yuzu granita, apple, orange, serrano, mint.) Paired with the Samuel Adams Coastal Wheat.
The Fluke/grape/yuzu granita combo was fascinating, and one of my favorite dishes of the night. The icy yet crunchy texture of the granita fit well with the raw fish. Extremely refreshing. The crispy hominy, meanwhile, was a guiltly pleasure. No interest in the lettuce though -- feta's a deal breaker for me.
Second course: Melted petit basque, chorizo, grilled bread. Paired with Samuel Adams Cranberry Lambic.
In small doses, great. But don't want to overdo this one.
Second course, continued: Poutine, oxtail gravy, cheddar.
This was unlike any poutine I've ever encountered. If poutine normally looked like this, I'd be a fan.
Second course, continued: Barbecue pork belly sandwiches, slaw.
The winner of the night, of course. Can't go wrong with pork belly sandwiches. Could have kept eating this.
Main course: Ribeye roast, escargot butter, mash, brussel sprouts. Paired with Samuel Adams Boston Lager.
Steak was a little too red for my taste. And the brussel sprouts were ordinary.
Dessert: Panna cotta, saba (left); bacon chocolate crunch barm s&p anglaise. Paired with Samuel Adams Holiday Porter.
I think the edge went to the panna cotta; was intrigued by the bacon chocolate -- one of their signature items -- and thought it was fine.
Joe's doughnuts -- cinnamon sugar, caramel; paired here with the Samuel Adams Triple Bock (1994)
How could this be anything but fantastic. And it was. The triple bock, meanwhile, is a bit too bitter.
The Samuel Adams Utopias (2009)
Gotta say, did like the Utopias; it was like a nice port, but didn't taste as strong -- even with the high alcoholic content.
I'll be interested to try Animal again in a normal dining situation. But definitely a pretty nice meal.
It would be a good concert on its own; but the Pablove Foundation's Saturday night benefit concert also comes with an important mission: Raising funds for pediatric cancer research and treatment.
Show, which takes place this Saturday at the Avalon in Hollywood, features Band Of Horses, Sea Wolf, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Shirley Manson, Tom Gabel (Against Me!), Jarrod Gorbel (The Honorary Title), Charlotte Martin, Butch Walker and Songs for Kids.
Details:
The evening will be dedicated to celebrating the triumphant return of Jeff Castelaz, co-founder of Dangerbird Records, who is currently pedaling his way across the country on a bicycle in order to raise awareness and funds for the Pablove Foundation. Castelaz’s pilgrimage is deeply rooted: he’s riding in honor and remembrance of his 6-year old son, Pablo Thrailkill Castelaz, whose individual fight with cancer ended June 27, 2009 after a 13-month battle. The Pablove Foundation was founded by Castelaz and his wife Jo Ann Thrailkill at the onset of their son’s diagnosis.
The Great Los Angeles Walk 2009: TENTATIVE Route Map
Unlike past Walks, this year we're going to take a bit of a zig zag in the beginning in order to take in and really appreciate the homes and architecture of West Adams. This is a rare opportunity to see the sights up close!
KCRW Pledge Drives Will Never Be The Same: Ruth Seymour Retires
KCRW general manager Ruth Seymour, who turned a tiny, little-heard community college radio station into a pubcasting giant, will retire in February.
Seymour announced her plans on Wednesday via a memo to KCRW staffers and a separate e-mail to KCRW subscribers.
“I am leaving a station that is strong in its identity, a station like no other in the country,” Seymour said.
Santa Monica College, which owns KCRW’s license, will spend the next several months searching for Seymour’s replacement.
Seymour first joined KCRW in September 1977 as a consultant, before being named general manager several months later.
As GM and also program director, Seymour grew the station’s format into a mix of music programming, public affairs shows and NPR newscasts. The station also expanded its Southern California footprint by adding several more transmitters and translators throughout the region.
Locally-produced series include the long-running “Which Way L.A.?” and its nationally-distributed spin-off, “To the Point.” KCRW distributes six programs nationwide, including “Left, Right and Center.”
Seymour is also familiar to KCRW listeners as an ocassional host of “The Politics of Culture.” She also handles much of the station’s on-air pledge drives, particularly during the daytime hours.
Her stewardship has also come with some controversy -- such as Seymour’s decision to fire commentary host Sandra Tsing Loh after an expletive accidentally made it to air.
More recently, KCRW has found great success on the web, via its KCRW.com program streams; the station said its 26 podcasts are downloaded 1.2 million times monthly.
But according to Arbitron, KCRW’s on-air listening has been surpassed in recent years by rival KPCC, which now ranks as Southern California’s most listened-to NPR affiliate. KCRW has questioned those ratings, however.
There Was a Party (Actually) in Our City This Weekend
There was a party in our city this weekend -- and everyone from Snoop Dogg, the Cold War Kids, Sarah Silverman, Biz Markie and the Aquabats were invited.
As you know, we're huge "Yo Gabba Gabba!" fans at Franklin Avenue headquarters. (Yes, as Maria kids, between me and the Blogger Preschooler, I'm possibly the larger fan of the two). That's why we made sure to get down to the Shrine Expo Center on Saturday morning and brave the USC game traffic in order to catch Yo Gabba Gabba Live: There's a Party in My City."
And what a party it was. Hosted by quite possibly the coolest dude on the planet, DJ Lance Rock (he of the Run DMC specs and ultra cool furry hat) mingled on stage with costumed characters Muno, Brobee, Plex, Toodee and Foofa as they grooved to songs from the show.
Having listened to the "YGG!" soundtrack ad nauseum in the car over the past few weeks, Evan and I know those songs by heart as well. Later, Biz Markie came out to demonstrate beat boxing to tykes in the audience, while three of the "Freaks and Geeks" stars did a "dancey dance." The Aquabats also played the quick-timed verson of "Pool Party."
We attended the first show of the tour; others that followed featured different guests.
A few pics:
There's a party in my tummy!
"My name is MUNO! M-MUNO! Muh-muh-muh-muh-muh-mamuh-MUNO!" (He's tall and friendly!)
Weird Al Yankovic, behind the stage. Weird Al is no stranger to kids TV, having starred in his own short-lived show for CBS.
Hey kids, just gather round, fro Biz's Beat of the Day, I'mma teach you some sounds!
"Dancey Dance" featured Samm Levine, Martin Start and John Daley -- the geeks from "Freaks and Geeks".
Balloons are made made for me and you!
Aquabats sing -- Pool Party baby! It was a cool party, cool pool party, LA LA LA LAAAA.
DJ Lance Rock!
Sorry, Angelenos: This weekend's two shows were the only ones in L.A. for this tour. But given how all shows sold out, methinks there will eventually be a reprise at some point.
Of course, true fans could also fly to see one of the other shows around the country.
"Yo Gabba Gabba Live" travels this Saturday, Nov. 21, to New York; show will then be in Dallas on Nov. 28 and in Chicago on Dec. 5.
"The quizmaster of 72 Whooping Cough lane, Ken Ober!"
Ober was the unofficial game show host of Generation X, and his "Remote Control" helped usher in an age of programming on what previously had been a diet of music videos on MTV.
It's strange to think that the folks our generaton grew up with are already dying, but Ober, 52, passed away this weekend in Santa Monica. From the L.A. Times:
Lee Kernis of Brillstein Entertainment Partners, who represented Ober, confirmed the death but said the cause was unknown. According to Kernis, friends said Ober had been feeling ill with a headache and flu-like symptoms Saturday and did not meet them later as planned. An autopsy is planned.
Ober was a stand-up comic when he landed the job as host of “Remote Control” in 1987. On a basement set featuring college-age contestants and audience members, Ober introduced categories spanning the universe of TV reruns -- beginning with the old black-and-white days of "Car 54, Where Are You?" and "Mr. Ed" but returning again and again to "The Brady Bunch." If the players, who were strapped into garish reclining lounge chairs, answered correctly, they got to choose the next category. Those eliminated were ridiculed, then pitched backward in their chairs through the wall of the set.
You may also remember that Ober was paired with former "Brady Bunch" star Susan Olsen for a radio program on 97.1 KLSX, back when the station marketed itself as "Real Radio." More recently, Ober had been a TV writer for shows such as "The New Adventures of Old Christine."
This Is What It Takes To Get Everyone to Ride Mass Transit
Apparently, all it takes is free rides -- too bad the Metro wouldn't be able to withstand such an economic model for long.
But just like it has on opening day for all of its lines (including the original portion of the Gold Line in 2003), Metro went fare-free on Sunday to celebrate the launch of the Gold Line extension into the real Eastside.
We got on at our usual Gold Line stop -- the Mission station in South Pasadena -- and realized this may not have been the best idea. We had the baby and stroller, which were tough to navigate on a train packed with riders.
Then, the dealbreaker: As we approached the Chinatown station, a voice informed the crowd that the elevator was broken at Union Station -- and that we'd have to get off there anyway and then reboard the same train going to East L.A.
I guess that was the only fair way to get people on the Gold Line a shot at getting on the train. Otherwise, anyone who didn't board in Pasadena would have been stuck without a seat on the packed trains.
As much as we were interested in checking out the new Metro stops, and perhaps grab a tamale or lunch on the Eastside, it was just too much. The Gold Line extension isn't going anywhere --so we've decided to check it out and plop down a few bucks to ride it in the coming weekends. Piece of mind comes at standard fare.
Instead, it was margarita time (for me) and lunch time for all of us, on Olvera Street.
Yes, I love to be nitpicky on some things -- and it especially bugs me when things aren't consistent. Take the new Gold Line map found on the Metro, which divides the train's stops by city: Pasadena, South Pasadena, Los Angeles, Boyle Heights and East Los Angeles.
Wait. One of these things is not like the other. Boyle Heights is not a city, but a community within Los Angeles City Limits.
That'd be fine, I suppose, except that the map chooses not to recognize other L.A. neighborhoods. Why the love for Boyle Heights, but not Highland Park? Chinatown? Little Tokyo?
Yes, like I said, nitpicky. But someone's gotta be!
As first reported by Serious Eats at the end of last year, Mother's Cookies -- yes, the brand famous for those pink-and-white-frosted (and sprinkled) "Circus cookies" -- was set to return to grocery shelves on the West Coast this summer.
And indeed, they do appear to be back. Mother's, which had been based in Oakland, filed for bankruptcy last year. As a result, it looked like the brand was toast (and indeed, it went away for almost a year).
But Kellogg's, which already owns Keebler, saved the day by acquiring the rights to the Mother's Cookies product trademarks and recipes.
Why Manny Pacquiao's Win Makes Me Thirsty for a San Miguel
I'm guessing the San Miguel was flowing last night in Vegas after Manny Pacquiao dominated in his fight vs. Miguel Cotto. (I'm partial to San Mig Light -- available at Trader Joe's -- myself.) Above, Pacquiao and trainer Freddie Roach (along side one-time Pacquiao opponent, Erik Morales) promote the brew.
