Architecture and History on Wilshire Blvd
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- Опубликовано: 22 май 2024
- A walk down the eastern end of Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles California and checking out the history, architecture, and sites along two miles of one of L.A'.s most famous streets.
Informational Links
Angels Walk LA: www.angelswalkla.org/walks_wil...
Wilshire Blvd Homes: wilshireboulevardhouses.blogs...
La Fonda: www.lafondamexicanrestaurant....
Elk Lodge/Park Plaza Movies: www.laweekly.com/slideshow/la...
Harrison Grey Otis: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriso...)
HMS Bounty: www.yelp.com/biz/hms-bounty-l...
Bullocks Department Store: laist.com/2016/07/12/wilshire_...
92 Los Angeles Riots: • Top 5 Facts: 1992 LA R...
92 Riots from Korean POV: • 'CLASH OF COLORS' The ...
The Wiltern Theater: • Insider's Peek #13 - T...
Written/Produced/Edited by Douglas W. Johnson
Camera Operator: J Van Auken
Sound Design & Original Music by Patrick McBride
Thank you so much. In 1974 my mother and I took a camera and drove down Wilshire Boulevard. We started at one Wilshire in downtown and went all the way to Santa Monica in our little Volkswagen bug. We agreed that one day we would go back and document the changes, so in 2018, when she was 94, we returned. For the first time in my life, I saw my mother cry.
This video, is where it all started. Glad that this channel became what it was meant to be.
i had an older friend in LA in the 80's that was an architect, probably from era 60's, that designed many buildings on Wilshire blvd. She was divorced from an attorney ....Robert Shapiro. LA had a lot of those fascinating stories back then.
Wonderful video of that section of Wilshire Blvd. From 1977 to 1997, I worked in an advertising agency across the street from the Bullocks Wilshire Dept store. The area thrived with business thru most of those years. The Rodney King riots in 1992 devastated and brought down the area. There were different small business in the area that made it thrive. You didn't mention the Sheraton Townhouse hotel a block east of Bullocks Wilshire. Mae West's last movie at age 86 in 1978 was filmed at the Sheraton Townhouse. The Elks building was where I went as a child with my siblings for their Christmas party for underprivileged children. I'll always remember walking up their red carpeted grand staircase into their main hall for the shows which included all kinds of entertainment, food and a Christmas gift (usually an expensive Mattel toy). Always looked forward to their shows. Have great memories of those wonderful times as a child.
My great grandfather ran a news stand at 1 Wilshire in the late 1800s.
That's awesome. Your family has deep roots in Los Angeles. Most people I meet are 1st generation at most, their parents having moved in back in the 30s and 40s.
I love LA!
As a City of LA native of 4 gens. Thanks for your interest in what many don't care about. The cities great architecture. Not much remains sad to say. But still, there are gems to enjoy and appreciate
Bravo! I'm a native Angeleno, and I learned a few things here. Keep up the great work!
Nicely done, sir. You packed more significant LA architectural history into eleven minutes than some have taken hours to cover. Thank you for a pleasant walk down Wilshire.
I lived in the Bryson as a kid for almost 5 years.
The elevator in the front lobby was run by a person who had to turn a wheel similar to a ship instead of numbered buttons.
The lights instead switches were turned on by pushing circular buttons.
The steam furnaces actually worked from the boiler room.
Until the late 70's there were switchboard operators in the lobby that ran the phones. I got in trouble for talking to them as a little kid because they were right there on the other end if you picked up the phone.
Wonder what ever happened to the Bryson?
Did it shut down?
As I m getting older I am starting to appreciate more architecture and the history behind it, thanks again, by the way the pastrami sandwich is the best sandwich I’ve had ever eaten
While there is still enjoyment to be had in seeking out classic LA sights/sites (2022), it is both sad and terrifying to see and feel what downtown and metro LA have become--truly a testament to all that ills much of the country. I'm pushing 60 now, and have lived/worked all around the world, so while I become more and more aware every day just how much I don't know and have yet to learn, it's pretty clear to me that my once great nation has long since entered its twilight. Que sera sera, and all that. Great piece, thanks for taking the time to put it together and present it. Already hit the subscribe button, cheers.
Things have indeed gotten bad over the past three year, but then again, things got waaaay better over the past 20 years before that (anyone living in LA in the 70s through the early 90s can tell you what downtown LA & the Echo Park area was like). I am a firm believer in change, especially in cities, we see it all the time. So, I'm optimistic that things will change again for the better. How long it will take for that change to happen.... that's the real question.
@@DayTrippingAdventurer Well, I certainly hope you are right. Peace, and be safe.
Nicely done! Worthy of anything I've seen on PBS.
What agreT show you did on Wilshire Blvd. I use to live in west Hollywood years ago. Miss bullocks department store and other great buildings on Wiltshire Blvd. I have driven from downtown to the beach. If I ever had a car again I would take that drive again. Thanks again for the great program on Wilshire blvd.
I always thought about walking down Wilshire from Downtown to the Beach, so much to see along the way. Now with the new Metro line going in it's going be even easier to get to place on Wilshire even you don't have a car.
Langer's was great. Worked on Wilshire Blvd for many years at and around 3200 Wilshire in the insurance industry. Good times then. Moved to Oregon 15 years ago and really don't miss downtown Los Angeles.
This was so fun to watch. Great video! Interesting and informative
Amazing job you do. Top. Congrats from zsao Paulo, Brasil.
We are at a point in america where we have the luxury to preserve our history in a unique way.
There's that whole debate of: Preserving the past vs progress. Old buildings are are old buildings. As much as I love em they can, in some cases like parts of the Realto theater falling off and hitting people, become problematic for upkeep. For me, i love that so many of the old architecture is still around in Los Angeles if you look for it. Most of it is still less than 100 years old, so hopefully it'll will be around for a while.
Awesome..thank you
Thanks for schooling me on Wilshire architecture and history! I've always been a big fan of Art Deco buildings and the ones you highlighted are amazing examples.
I would also really like you to do a old red car line path. If you were to go down Santa Monica Blvd. into West Hollywood you would see where the old red car used to travel because of the island that stretches down Santa Monica from West Hollywood all the way into Beverly Hills and that is walkable.
Awesome video!!!
Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it.
LA native here: Great video. A great overview of one of my favorite stretches of Wilshire Blvd.
There's so much more to see on that street!
Thank you for this beautiful presentation. Americans should take better care of their built heritage. Too many buildings have been destroyed to make way for soulless office towers.
Glad you liked it. I do agree that many of the 'what was' are now 'no more' but time and industry roll on and in cities you just can't keep old buildings around if they no longer serve a purpose. In some places, however, they have rules which state that you have to keep the facade, so you'll get these weird looking places with classic 19th, early 20th century fronts with modern metal and glass behemoths behind. It's like a modern building playing dress up.
Wilshire Bl. was my childhood playground in the sixties. The clock that was on top of the WILTERN theater was clearly visible from my bedroom window and my dentist was in the building and a THRIFTY drug store faced Wilshire. The temple was second to my church Saint Basil's where I was baptised and went school for holy communion. IBM was located in a in a building on the ground floor with glass walls with a array of "Computers" visible from the street doing what computers did in 1960. I was in bed sick with the measles when a few blocks away at the a Ambassador hotel Bobby Kennedy was killed. Now my neighborhood is called KOREA TOWN for some reason when I remember I had only two Korean friends and the neighborhood was very diverse, my god mother was Lebanese and my best friend was philppino .
Good job!!!
Fantastic information on an incredibly historic area. Thanks Doug!
Wilshire Blvd was a show place when I was a child in the 1960's. It was known for it;'s unique architecture like a camera shop that looked like a camera. It has since fallen on hard times, especially after the Rodney King riots.
Everyone tells me about the good ole days of Wilshire. The buildings and architecture are still there, just people rarely take the time to appreciate it.
Among the mansions along Wilshire -- now torn down -- was the house they used in the movie "Sunset Boulevard" (I guess "Wilshire Boulevard" didn't fly as a title).
Great video!
I used to drive along Wilshire Blvd everyday in '95/'96. Good video
3:27 Look at all that greenery in downtown LA. Bring it back.
we need some greenery in all cities
Wonderful! Terrfic tour! Thanks so much!!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I need to live in LA
I’d love to visit California☀️
California would love for you to visit. So much to see and do for everyone no matter their interests. Hopefully you'll get there one day!
This is so interesting, thank you! Can’t wait to walk this some day
I used to live in the GAYLORD back in the 80s. Thanx 4 the memories
VERY WELL SAID NO SHORT FILM YOU'RE HOSTING IS AMAZING 👏
Note the tarnished-copper webbing inlays on the Bullock’s facade (6:11-6:19). These are identical or similar to those on the Pellissier-Wiltern Theater building. Bullock’s was completed in 1929 and the Pellissier-Wiltern in 1931 and both are deco style,
Have you done a video on the usc area? Or millionaires row which is now mount st Mary’s? Beautiful old homes of the wealthy in the 1890-1900’s. So sad that so many are gone. I love the area, even though it’s not very safe.
I'm sure you've tried it by now, but as a guy who works a block down from La Fonda and who is an inveterate pastrami junkie... I've eaten a lot of them over the years, but Langer's #19 is hands down the best, anywhere I've been. Pricey? Yes. Worth that price? Without question.
First time I went to Langer's was in 1995. I just moved into Los Angeles and a local took me there. Been back a few times and yes their Pastrami is great, and coming from NY that says a lot. I think the only other place in L.A. to compare is Canters. At the end of my Siren Walk 1, I stopped in there for an Eggcream. Again, being a Newyorker I just had to compare, wasn't bad. Unfortunately I heard it might be closing down. I hope that's not true.
wow man I cant beleive i havent found you sooner, your videos are amazing, def subscribing, have you done any san deigo yet?
Have not been down to San Diego in several years. Trying to hit up all the spots the LA Metro can take you before going abroad. Covid just slowed me down. Glad you enjoyed!
@@DayTrippingAdventurer if you ever get the chance, theres alot of cool historical shit down here, not even counting balbao park from the opening scenes of citizen kane, would be cool to see see your take, much love and keep up the good content!
Would you please explain all those buildings in 8:40 , that' a huge thing there that has never been explained.
Hope this video helps answer your question: ruclips.net/video/JIeAG7HWcQY/видео.html
Nice tour! So glad you mentioned the HMS Bounty and the Gaylord lobby. One of the best ways to enjoy Wilshire is by taking the bus- yes, the bus- all along the length of the "spine" of old L.A.. You have time to soak it all in. PS looks like the Wilshire Temple is more Moorish Revival than Gothic?
I suppose it might be seen as Moorish Gothic, but I'm hesitant to label it that for several reasons. 1: Its a Jewish Temple so why would they build it in a style that is Muslim? And 2: From additional research I see its called Byzantine and Romanesque style which when you compare it to buildings like the Hagia Sofia and the Pantheon seem more fitting.
But I love these type of stylistic debates and can certainly be convinced otherwise. I took the bus from Vermont/Wilshire to Santa Monica for several years for work and can say from experience: Definitely a great way to see that street.
Glad you enjoyed the video.
I took many buses up and down Wilshire, it was wonderful! From Westwood to the beach and back.
Can you do a trip down Mulholland Drive
I'm not sure that's the sort of thing I would do since most of my trips are focused on places you can spend a day walking. That's not to say that there's nothing to see on Mulholland. There are many interesting homes and killer scenic overlooks (I remember when I first moved to LA in the 90s Mulholland was this amazing drive I would often take)
That being said, the one big thing I think I would totally do is a trip to the Nike missile site off of a dirt Mulholland.
Hmmm..... scratches note onto pad.
Can u do one of pico Blvd or Olympic blvd
That's the plan.... once Covid is over. Glad you liked it and good to know people want more.
The Gaylord is incredible. A little creepy but incredible. I feel like you can see the original tenants in the lobby sometimes.
I've spent much time just taking in that lobby, it's definitely an experience that has presence. It used to be that you could just walk in and look around the lobby, but the last time i went they were kick to ask what I wanted and get me out. Not sure if it's still there, but they had a display case that had a lot of historical trinkets and photos.
Gothic?
To which are yo referring?
@@DayTrippingAdventurer The first time you used the term.
I went back and reviewed it, you're talking about the Wilshire Temple, and then also went back and redid my research and the information is all over the place.
Technically speaking its Moorish, but it could also be said to be Romanesque or Byzantine (I think more the latter and I should have commented on its similarities to the Hagea Sophia) and then there's two articles I found which call it Gothic.
I think if you compare it to the heavily Moorish styled The Shrine Auditorium near USC you can totally see the 'Gothic' differences in the Temples Architecture.
All that to say, yeah, I could be wrong about it being the best representation of Gothic in the US, but it certainly has Gothic elements.
Thanks for calling that out, it's only way to make sure the information I'm giving is accurate!
@@DayTrippingAdventurer You're very welcome. Keep up the good work!
Eastern ?!!!
To which part are you referring?
@@DayTrippingAdventurer
0:18
"...eastern end...."
I was guessing western.
Eastern has the older buildings.
Wilshire Blvd kinda ends right there at MacArther park after which it turns into 6th or 7th St. So, it is indeed the Eastern end of the road.
@@DayTrippingAdventurer
ie
Wilshire from Beverly Hills to Westwood into Santa Monica.
.
Nobody has done a series of videos on the buildings of specific architects in the area ie Paul Williams, John Lautner etc....
I used to live on Strathmore Avenue in Westwood and later realized there was a unique John Lautner building there I barely noticed.
I mentioned covering specific architects to Christopher Choo who is a real estate agent with a RUclips channel.
It could be a great TV series?
Some of these buildings are like inhabitable sculptures!
This guy's hilarious without meaning too, 😂. Example: On the lions, " can't have too much protection".
Too bad that area is so unsafe to be in now..
Let's hope 'now' is the main context of the sentence. I'm hoping by end of 2021 things will start getting back to normal.
Good video!
Can u do one of pico Blvd or Olympic blvd
I would love to! That is a great idea.