The Grand Tour, for the unfamiliar, was a custom that arose in Britain in the mid-1600s, which involved upper class young British men touring around Europe as part of their cultural education. By the 1800s, the custom had spread from the British upper classes to the nouveau riche of Europe, the Americas, and the Philippines. … Continue reading Nobody Drives in LA — The Los Angeles Grand Tour
Tag: Little Tokyo
Pan-Asian Metropolis — Japanese Los Angeles
Los Angeles was at one time home to the largest population of Japanese outside of Japan and the contributions of Japanese-Angelenos to history and culture are many. It was in Los Angeles that Hollywood created the first Asian-American film star. It was also in Los Angeles that a legal challenge in the Supreme Court re-shaped … Continue reading Pan-Asian Metropolis — Japanese Los Angeles
Urban Rambles – Exploring Bronzeville with Maya and Michael
2017 is my tenth year of exploring and writing about Los Angeles communities. In 2007 I explored Granada Hills, Montebello, and Alhambra, and titled my series California Fool's Gold in homage to Huell Howser's California's Gold (1991-2012). In 2014 I spun off a related series, Urban Rambles, in which I undertake short, small, loosely structured walks of various corners of Southern California. … Continue reading Urban Rambles – Exploring Bronzeville with Maya and Michael
Swinging Doors — Asian Bars of Los Angeles
I've heard Vietnamese and Koreans friends talk about how much Koreans and Vietnamese drink. More than once have I found myself drinking more than I should, egged on by Thai friends, Filipino family, and in one case a Japanese salaryman. No one drinks like Europeans, though, and European nations predictably occupy the top ten rankings of alcohol consumption … Continue reading Swinging Doors — Asian Bars of Los Angeles
High Rising — Los Angeles’s Asian-American Skyscrapers
The skyline of the modern city is largely defined by its skyscrapers; those towering, gleaming symbols of the architectural ambition, developer wealth, humanity's hubris, and usually crowned with a corporate logo. Before skyscrapers, cathedrals were nearly always the tallest human-made structure; Before them, the ancient pyramids. Their symbolic (and perhaps psychosexual) importance is subconsciously understood by … Continue reading High Rising — Los Angeles’s Asian-American Skyscrapers
Those Useless Trees — The Aoyama Tree
Although not native, many Moreton Bay Figs (Ficus macrophylla) dot the Southern California landscape. The oldest of these Australian immigrants might be those planted by agriculturalist Elijah Hook Workman on the Los Angeles Plaza in 1875. Around that same time, one was planted in Anaheim which later served as the model for the Disneyland's Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse. One planted … Continue reading Those Useless Trees — The Aoyama Tree
Pan-Asian Metropolis — An Introduction to the Asian Pacific Islander Communities of the Southland
Diversity has long been part of the fabric of Los Angeles and Southern California. Humans first arrived here at least 13,000 years ago and more than twenty Native American nations made their home here before the Spanish Conquest. The Spanish pueblo of Los Angeles was itself founded by people of Native, African, European, and mixed ancestries and … Continue reading Pan-Asian Metropolis — An Introduction to the Asian Pacific Islander Communities of the Southland
Nobody Drives in LA — Exploring the Regional Connector Transit Corridor
With bicycles, buses, ferries, planes, rideshares, sidewalks, subways, taxis, and trains at Angelenos’ disposal, why would any sane person choose car dependency? Nobody Drives in LA celebrates sense and sensibility in transportation. There are five Metro rail projects currently under construction in Los Angeles: the Crenshaw Line, the Expo Line, the Gold Line, the Purple Line, and the Regional … Continue reading Nobody Drives in LA — Exploring the Regional Connector Transit Corridor
Nobody Drives in LA — Get Out of the Car: Walking CicLAvia No. 5
With bicycles, buses, ferries, planes, rideshares, sidewalks, subways, taxis, and trains at Angelenos’ disposal, why would any sane person choose car-dependency? Nobody Drives in LA celebrates sense and sensibility in transportation. ***** Los Angeles, like many cities, is experiencing a new level of connectedness. The opening of new train lines, an increase in bicycling events and trails, kayak tours of … Continue reading Nobody Drives in LA — Get Out of the Car: Walking CicLAvia No. 5
California Fool’s Gold — A Downtown Los Angeles Primer
BEAT CITY DOWNTOWN As regular (and probably irregular) readers of Eric's Blog know, I'm a bit of a Southern California wonk and a big part of my focus is writing about the culture, character and history of the many diverse communities of Los Angeles and Orange Counties. Although so far there have been around 800 votes … Continue reading California Fool’s Gold — A Downtown Los Angeles Primer
Eric Brightwell 