March 14, 2011

• The Splendor of L.A.

  I often write about my hometown, Chicago, being the most beautiful city in America. Over the years, I’ve lived in or spent a great deal of time in New York City, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle and Washington D.C., but I’ve always considered Chicago home. When I moved to Los Angeles 9 years ago, I never expected to like it as much as I do. L.A. isn’t exactly known for its beauty. It is urban sprawl defined and I could never live here if I had to drive every day. But if you take the time to explore, there’s a lot of hidden beauty in the City of Angels. With sweeping mountain vistas and lush beaches, it’s hard to compete with such natural beauty. Couple that with world class cultural venues and the glamor of Tinseltown; and Southern California really shines. I might even say it has become “homey”. Here’s some recent proof. All photos by me, for use under a Creative Commons license:

  
  The Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s “Urban Light” exhibit is one of my favorite places to take photographs in L.A. It’s even better with a spectacular sunset, like this one last month.
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  Nestled in the heart of a dead end lot in one of the most notorious neighborhoods of Los Angeles, lie the Watts Towers; a 34 year labor of love by an eccentric artist named Simon Rodia. Reminiscent of Gaudi’s, Sagrada Familia in Barcelona or Niki de Saint Phalle’s, Il Giardino Dei Tarocchi in Italy; these towering structures made of discarded glass and steel are a must see treasure off the beaten path. I’ve been meaning to visit here since I moved to L.A., and finally made the trek a few weeks ago. Truly a site to behold.
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  My friends tease me for the sheer amount of sunset  and cloud photos I take…but like snowflakes, they’re never the same. Here’s one example from Venice Beach.
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  You might expect to find a lighthouse like this in coastal Maine or maybe the Pacific Northwest; but the Point Vicente Lighthouse in Palos Verdes is truly a hidden gem along the Southern California coastline. It’s the perfect place for a first date at sunset!
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  L.A. isn’t know for its skyline…save for buildings being blown up in Hollywood action movies. But when the light is right, the city sparkles!

  
  The Grove is more than just home to Mario Lopez’s “Extra” or a place to star watch, it’s also quite beautiful at dusk on an early spring night.

  
  The famous intersection of Hollywood Blvd. and Highland Ave. is home to the Oscars as well as superheroes and Marilyn Monroe’s footprints, among others!
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  The Walt Disney Concert Hall is one of Frank Gehry’s masterpieces. It has spawned a renaissance of downtown Los Angeles that has been helped by L.A. Live and the Nokia Theater.

  
  Though not technically in Los Angeles, Disneyland will forever be associated with La La land!

  
  Who ever said there’s no nature in the big city? This hummingbird is guarding her nest on my cousin’s front porch last week.
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  I couldn’t leave Chazz & Rio out of a photoblog dedicated to the beauty of Southern California. Here they are walking the beach with Claudio yesterday.
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  Even something as simple as a dandelion can make someplace seem beautiful. This was shot on the grounds of the above mentioned Watts Towers.
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  • 8:42 pm
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