Free Public Art: The Spheres at MacArthur Park

While visiting Langer's (of course!) for some pastrami this weekend, we walked by MacArthur Park to check out the striking The Spheres at MacArthur Park display.

MacArthur Park has always been a study in contrasts: A gritty urban landscape, where illegal activity abounds, yet a vibrant and exciting spot at the same time. "The Spheres at MacArthur Park" has added a big dose of color and depth to the historic park and lake.

Some details:

The Spheres at MacArthur Park is the largest public art and civic project in the U.S. More than 10,000 children and adults throughout Los Angeles have participated in visually transforming and revitalizing MacArthur Park as part ofPortraits of Hope’s latest project.

The majority of the floating spheres were painted by 7,000 children who took part in Portraits of Hope creative therapy and civic leadership sessions in schools and hospitals. Social service and community groups also participated highlighting the projects integrated themes of public art, civic education, community engagement, creative therapy, and teamwork.

This Portraits of Hope initiative is a continuation of the program’s large-scale, national projects which have visually transformed and brightened public settings and symbols ranging from the NYC taxi fleet, blimps, planes, and buildings to LA’s coastal lifeguard towers, NASCAR race cars, and frontline fire and rescue vehicles – providing youth in hospitals, schools and the community a chance to achieve in the public arena.

Founded by brothers Ed Massey and Bernie Massey, Portraits of Hope has involved tens of thousands of children and adults and more than 1,000 schools, hospitals, and social service programs in its large-scale collaborations and initiatives. At the conclusion of the exhibition in late October, the art spheres will be donated to social service institutions throughout the U.S. including senior centers, women’s shelters, schools and hospitals to beautify their interior and exterior setting.

A few more pics:

Scenes From KCRW's Masquerade Party

Maria and I dropped by the historic Park Plaza near MacArthur Park on Saturday night for KCRW's annual Halloween-themed Masquerade bash. The freaks were out -- and that's a good thing. Cool, clever and creepy costumes could be found everywhere, while we roamed the halls from ballroom to ballroom to check out DJ sets, live bands and acrobatics.


Plenty of photo ops could be found throughout the Park Plaza, including this Marquis de Sade-esque scene.



Creepiest mask ever? This baby costume (sorry, blurry pic was the best I could do) is now in my nightmares.


The Park Plaza lobby served as the grand central gathering spot as people dashed from room to room.


Above, Hollie Cook performs live. Later, Maria and I took a break to watch Tom Vek perform live. His set impressed.


In one of the rooms, as the music blared, I encountered the Photobombing Panda.


So Maria and I didn't go overboard with our costumes. I was a spider...man (a man with a massive spider attached to him) and Maria was a cat... woman (a woman with cat ears).

Scenes from a Sunday Ride on the CicLAvia Route

The classiest way to do it: Fine dining, CicLAvia style. Of course, extra props to these people for sticking with the plan even as the temps reached 90 degrees.

Another beautiful return to CicLAvia this Sunday, as a handful of streets from downtown to Venice were shut down for bikes, strollers and pedestrians. We parked near El Pueblo and rode through downtown, making our way through MacArthur Park and all the way to Arlington before turning around. So no, we didn't make it to Venice, but that's quite all right. We enjoy the downtown vibe and biking through all those old buildings. Plus, the crowds were lighter than usual on the street, as I assume most folks wanted to see CicLAvia on the west side for the first time.

Some pics from our day on the road:


At the El Pueblo starting point in downtown.


Not too crowded at El Pueblo.


Passing Caltrans


On Main, near the Pacific Electric building


Live music at the Silo Vodka Bar on 7th


A view of the Wilshire Grand demolition


MacArthur Park pit stop


Finding shade in MacArthur Park


Lunch break: Mama's International Tamales in MacArthur Park


Tamales at Mama's in MacArthur Park!


Mandatory dismount


Yes, they really are pedaling that thing.

CBS' Vegas Gives Langer's A Shoutout

CBS' Vegas just paid Langer's the ultimate compliment, giving the legendary MacArthur Park eatery a rave mention in a recent episode. What's cool, of course, is that Vegas takes place in the early 1960s -- but at that point, Langer's was already an institution. Now, of course, it's known for having the best pastrami in all of America. Watch the clip below.

UPDATE: There's an even sweeter backstory to this mention. Per CBS publicist Diane Ekeblad, Langer's was one of late screenwriter Nora Ephron's favorite spots. Ephron was married to Vegas executive producer Nicholas Pileggi.

Langer's Denied: No Free Sandwich For Us

I'm dreaming of a Langer's pastrami sandwich... and I'll keep dreaming, at least until I get back there and fork over some cash for a taste. Totally worth it, by the way. But still, I've been jonesing for one ever since we dropped by Langer's on Saturday to see if we could wait for a free No. 19. As I previously mentioned, Langer's was giving away the goods on Friday and Saturday in honor of its 65th anniversary.



But for us, it wasn't meant to be. We showed up around 11 a.m. on Saturday -- which honestly, was probably the absolute WORST time to go. The wait? An hour and a half. Might have been still worth it... but not with two little kids. Langer's, you will be mine again soon!

Free L.A.: Grab a Langer's No. 19 This Weekend

The best sandwich in the world is celebrating its 65th anniversary. In honor of Langer's milestone, the legendary MacArthur Park deli is handing out FREE #19 pastrami sandwiches today from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., and again on Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. You just have to dine in. I'm sure the line is going to be CRAZY. But hey -- free sandwich! (I'm partial to the No. 1 -- pastrami, cole slaw and Russian dressing, which is essentially a No. 19 without the cheese). Will you be there?

A "Drive" Tour of Los Angeles

The recent exploration of real, gritty Los Angeles in film and TV -- as popularized by everything from "Collateral" and "Southland" to "(500) Days of Summer" -- expands again in the new Ryan Gosling feature "Drive." Los Angeles Times architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne calls the movie "one of the most perceptive recent attempts to understand the peculiarly standoffish personality of L.A.'s built environment."

More:

Don't expect glamour shots of Walt Disney Concert Hall, Griffith Observatory and other postcard landmarks; what you see through the windshield of the cars in "Drive" is largely the drab, closed-off and forgettable cityscape of the Southern California commercial strip.

Whenever any building in the movie shimmers or gleams, it is because it is being seen from an impossible distance, shot from a helicopter gliding over Bunker Hill at night or hovering Oz-like way off on the horizon. Otherwise, the characters in "Drive" spend most of their time in elevators, cheap apartments, greasy spoons and parking garages, grimly navigating a downmarket version of the anonymous urban interiors that the architect Rem Koolhaas once dubbed "junkspace."

The L.A. Times film blog 24 Frames takes us on a tour of "Drive" locations here. Some highlights:

MacArthur Park
Real place: corner of W. 6th Street and S. Park View Street, Los Angeles

Echo Park market
Real place: Big 6 Market, 500 block of S. Rampart Boulevard, Los Angeles

Shannon’s Garage
Real place: Picture Car Warehouse, 8400 block of Reseda Boulevard, Northridge

L.A. River
Real place: L.A. River near Reseda and Victory boulevards, Reseda

Ninos Pizzeria
Real place: Vincenzo’s Pizza, 11000 block of Balboa Boulevard, Granada Hills

Pawn Shop
Real Place: Santa Clarita Elks Lodge, 17700 block of Sierra Highway, Santa Clarita

Point Mugu
Real Place: Point Mugu State Park and beaches

May Day Melee Leads to KTTV/Fox 11 Emmy

KTTV's coverage of last year’s May Day melee in MacArthur Park -- in which two of the station's staffers were injured -- has netted the Fox-owned outlet a pair of Emmys. (Here's a clip above.)

KTTV picked up the awards Saturday night at the 60th annual Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards, handed out at the TV Academy’s Leonard H. Goldenson Theater in North Hollywood.

As it did last year, NBC-owned KNBC led the total Emmy tally, netting eight. PBS outfit KCET, which tied KNBC last year for most wins, scored the second most this time around with six.

Also, KCBS continued its streak in the category for newscasts 35 minutes or less, as its "CBS2 News at 11," anchored by Paul Magers and Laura Diaz, won for the fourth year in a row -- the first time any station has achieved that feat. Sister station KCAL won the Emmy for newscasts over 35 minutes.

KTTV's Emmys include one for live coverage of an unscheduled news event for its coverage of last year's May Day march and resulting melee. The station's entire news team will share that prize.

The station's follow-up report, "After the Melee," also earned KTTV an Emmy. Reporter Phil Shuman and producers Pete Noyes and Debbie Kim were behind "Melee," which won for news special.

KTTV reporter Christina Gonzales and camerawoman Patti Ballaz were hurt during the May 1, 2007, clash, in which Los Angeles police officers used batons and force to break up a rally. This July, the LAPD brought disciplinary charges against 17 officers and two sergeants for their roles in the incident.

"After the Melee" won against tough competition: KTLA's "A Tribute to Hal Fishman," which aired during the "KTLA Prime News" slot following the death of the legendary anchor.

(Originally written for Variety.)

Dedicating "Langer's Square" -- What About "Pastrami Park"?

Via View from a Loft: In honor of late founder Al Langer, the city will dedicate the corner of 7th and Alvarado today as "Langer's Square."

1st District Councilmember Ed Reyes will dedicate the corner right before lunch. According to the release:

“Langer’s deli has been an institution in my community for decades,” said Councilmember Reyes. “Al Langer was known for his personal interactions with customers, even through economic hardships. He served up sandwiches with a smile for generations and generations of families, and helped revitalize the MacArthur Park area.”

The decidication takes place Thursday, January 24, 2008, at 11 a.m. (7th and Alvarado).

Maria's Thursday Three

1. Tamale Time: This weekend marks the third annual Tamale Festival in McArthur Park at Mama's Hot Tamales Cafe. We've missed this festival in the past but I think we are in for some tamales this weekend.

2. Steve & Barry's in Santa Monica: We stumbled into a Steve & Barry's store in the old Robinson's May location at the Santa Monica Place mall, and did a quick shopping spree with a toddler in tow. Normally, shopping with BT equals putting salt on an open wound but we couldn't resist the deals. Mike made off with 3 work shirts for under $20 and I got a couple of pants and a really soft t-shirt from Sarah Jessica Parker's Bitten line for under $40.

3. Homasote: Hom-a-what? I've scoured the aisles at Lowes and Home Depot looking for this product to make something like this, but could not find it and was too intimidated to ask. Is it called something else at the store?