Category: Southland Parks

Southland Parks — The Beaches and Public Pools of Los Angeles

~ Eric Brightwell ~ 1 Comment

Since arriving in Los Angeles in the 1990s, Iโ€™ve always been surprised at how just many swimming pools there are โ€” and how infrequently most of them (especially the private ones) are seemingly used... other than as bee graveyards to be occasionally skimmed by some unfortunate charged with dragging a pool rake across their otherwise … Continue reading Southland Parks — The Beaches and Public Pools of Los Angeles

Southland Parks — Los Angeles’s State Society Picnics

~ Eric Brightwell ~ 1 Comment

From the 1900s through the 1970s, large numbers of migrants to Los Angeles gathered in themed picnics organized around their states of origin known as State Society Picnics or just State Picnics (although that sounds confusingly to me like an outdoor state banquet). They were known as "State Society Picnics." The phenomenon was huge. One … Continue reading Southland Parks — Los Angeles’s State Society Picnics

Greater Streets โ€” Visiting Silver Lake’s Sunset Triangle Plaza

~ Eric Brightwell ~ 2 Comments

Itโ€™s the tenth anniversary of Silver Lakeโ€™s Sunset Triangle Plaza. In its first decade, Silver Lakeโ€™s first (and thus far, only) street-to-plaza conversion has truly emerged as one of the primary hubs of the community. That's no small feet when the actual center of the neighborhood is a giant, fenced-off reservoir and none of the … Continue reading Greater Streets โ€” Visiting Silver Lake’s Sunset Triangle Plaza

Southland Parks — Visiting Elysian Park

~ Eric Brightwell ~ 23 Comments

INTRODUCTION The other day, I explored Elysian Park, because it was leading in the California Foolโ€™s Gold neighborhood poll. When I created that poll, I hadnโ€™t yet created Southland Parks. While Elysian Park is sometimes described as a neighborhood (e.g. the Los Angeles Timesโ€™ Mapping Los Angeles and Wikipedia) and there are a few homes … Continue reading Southland Parks — Visiting Elysian Park

Southland Parks — Visiting MacArthur Park

~ Eric Brightwell ~ 12 Comments

Neighborhoods often take their names from significant features within them, which in Los Angeles are often major street intersections and parks. Neighborhoods named after intersections include Vermont-Slauson, Broadway-Manchester, Central-Alameda, and Adams-Normandie. Neighborhoods named after parks include South Park, Alondra Park, Cypress Park, and, of course, MacArthur Park. MacArthur Park, however, was for half a century … Continue reading Southland Parks — Visiting MacArthur Park

Southland Parks โ€” Visiting Granada Park

~ Eric Brightwell ~ Leave a comment

A week ago I visited Oโ€™Melveny Park, often said to be Los Angelesโ€™s second largest park โ€” but actually its fifth. A few days later I visited the actual second largest park, albeit of Alhambra, not Los Angeles. That communityโ€™s Granada Park is a pleasant community park second in size only to Almansor Park. ***** … Continue reading Southland Parks โ€” Visiting Granada Park

Southland Parks โ€” Visiting Oโ€™Melveny Park

~ Eric Brightwell ~ 8 Comments

Iโ€™d wanted to visit Oโ€™Melveny Park since first getting wind of its existence several years ago and seeingย repeated references to its beingย the second largest park in Los Angeles (afterย much better known Griffith Park). However, whereas I can easily walk or ride my bicycle to Griffith Park, Oโ€™Melveny is about fifty kilometers from Pendersleigh and public … Continue reading Southland Parks โ€” Visiting Oโ€™Melveny Park

Southland Parks — A Directory of Asian Gardens in Los Angeles

~ Eric Brightwell ~ 7 Comments

In Europe, there are several formalizedย traditions of botanical garden design including the Dutch, English, French, Greek, Italian, and Spanish. In Asia, there are at least long-establishedย Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Persianย schoolsย and May being Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, I'm focusing on Los Angeles's Asian-style gardens. The tradition of Japanese-American nurseriesย stretches back to the 1850s when Japanese … Continue reading Southland Parks — A Directory of Asian Gardens in Los Angeles

California Fool’s Gold Episode Guide… and links to related series

~ Eric Brightwell ~ 2 Comments

I thought that it might be useful to publish an "episode guide" of my California Fool's Goldย series of explorations. When I explore a new community, I usually rely upon the vox populi which is why anyone may vote for what communities they'd like to become the subject of future articles by clickingย here for Los Angeles … Continue reading California Fool’s Gold Episode Guide… and links to related series

Southland Parks — Exploring Dodger Stadium Without Baseball

~ Eric Brightwell ~ 6 Comments

I don't like baseball. Despite that fact, I have for some time entertained the idea of visiting and exploring Dodger Stadium. Dodger Stadium has long struck me as one of Los Angeles' greatest examples of monumental architecture, and I'm not completely sure why it's not more of an establishing shot clichรฉ for films set in … Continue reading Southland Parks — Exploring Dodger Stadium Without Baseball