Los Angeles State Historic Park

We have often talked about how conveniently located downtown Los Angeles is from Downey.  And I am always looking for another view of the LA skyline. This Saturday we had an easy 20-minute drive to downtown LA where we enjoyed walking around the 32-acre Los Angeles State Historic Park directly adjacent to Chinatown.

Not only is it a beautiful setting with a variety of different trees and plantings, it has incorporated some of the history of the area.

The Zanja Madre—"Mother Ditch"—is the original aqueduct that brought water to the Pueblo de Los Angeles from the Río Porciuncula. The original open, earthen ditch was completed by community laborers within a month of founding the pueblo.

Panorama pictures

This is a panorama picture of the sky over Balboa Island that I took on a recent vacation there. It's just 30 minutes south of Downey.

I'm showing it because of its beauty but also to show how far photography has come. I took several stills of the skyline and made sure that they were at the same level and overlapped each other. Then Google pictures put them together as a panorama. Years ago you would have had to do this with a special lens that would have distorted the horizon. Or you could have achieved it by using very time-consuming special techniques in the darkroom. But this is so easy and beautiful. I use it when I want to show the 180-degree view I have somewhere. Try it sometime.

"A well-ordered life is like climbing a tower; the view halfway up is better than the view from the base, and it steadily becomes finer as the horizon expands."
~ William Lyon Phelps

Sunset skyline

Well, it wasn't the clearest of skies tonight, but it's always fun to see the sun reflected in the LA skyline.

Day is done

The end of the day is so peaceful. The light begins to fade and the shadows grow. We were walking in the area of downtown Downey and as we circled around one of the little residential streets, you could see just a little piece of St. George Greek Orthodox Church towering above the houses on this block. It made for a pretty evening scene.

Day is Done

Day is done,
Gone the sun,
From the lake, from the hills, from the sky.
All is well, safely rest,
God is nigh.

Skylines

Who would think such a mundane place as the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP) office building could provide one of the best views I've ever seen of the Los Angeles skyline? This is Los Angeles at its best, just after sunset, with the Music Center and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in the foreground on the left.

The DWP building (out of sight to the right of this picture) is itself an iconic Los Angeles building. The 625 by 350 foot reflecting pool that surrounds the building serves as part of its air conditioning system.

Here's a view from the same location, from the 1970s. This picture comes from the Water and Power Associates website, which has some very interesting notes and photos of the area from as far back as the 1930s.

Riverbed cityscape

I found this view of the LA cityscape when I was commuting to USC, which surprisingly is only about 13 miles via surface streets from Downey. I liked that it looked as if the city buildings were sitting on this bridge.

According to Wikipedia, a cityscape is the urban equivalent to a landscape. In the visual arts, a cityscape (urban landscape) is an artistic representation, such as a painting, drawing, print, or photograph, of the physical aspects of a city or urban area. So, for fun I also created a more artistic cityscape.

Unfortunately, as with many views from the riverbed, it's hard to escape the power lines.

"The life of our city is rich in poetic and marvelous subjects. We are enveloped and steeped as though in an atmosphere of the marvelous; but we do not notice it."
~ Charles Baudelaire

Los Angeles sunset

In the past when I wanted a view of the surrounding area, I went to the top of the Embassy Suites Hotel. Recently, I discovered that there are good views from the top of the downtown Downey parking structure, including this one of the Los Angeles skyline at sunset.

"The City"

I was on my way home from school on the 10 freeway (about 10 miles from Downey) a couple of days ago when it started to rain. The light had such an odd quality. The buildings looked bright and bluer than usual. I shot this really quickly with my cell phone, not knowing if I had even aimed it straight. But when I looked at it later at home, I liked the image. It is as if this big group of clouds has converged on the city. There was thunder, even though I didn't see the lightning.

It reminded me of an Irish blessing I read some time ago...

"May God give you...for every storm a rainbow, for every tear a smile, for every care a promise and a blessing in each trial. For every problem life sends, a faithful friend to share, for every sigh a sweet song and an answer for each prayer."

The secret stairs of Echo Park

For Christmas, a friend gave me the book Secret Stairs, A Walking Guide to the Historic Staircases of Los Angeles. So today, three of us explored Echo Park Lake, an area of Los Angeles about 15 miles from Downey.

The stairs pop up here and there, letting you move between the lake and the neighborhoods that sit above and around the lake. Some of the stairs are rather fancy, like the double staircase at right. Some of them are narrow, steep, and a bit worn. Some are short (12 steps) and some are long (84 steps). But they were all quite fun.

I've never been to Echo Park Lake before. It has a wonderful view of the Los Angeles skyline (above), from a different direction than what we typically see.

Several parts of the lake are covered with netting, which at first glance looked kind of trashy. But it turns out that we picked the right time to visit. After a two-year rehabilitation project, the park has only recently been reopened to the public. The Secret Stairs book comments that the park is the site of the annual Lotus Festival, even though the lotuses have died out in recent years. But part of the rehabilitation project is the restoration of the lotuses, and the nets are a part of that effort.

Sunset serenity

As I came home today with the setting sun behind me, I decided to climb the eight flights of stairs to get to the top of the Embassy Suites building so that I could get the best view of my city. Since it was so clear however (it rained last night), all I could focus on was how far I could see! The mountains to the north were clear and snow sprinkled and the Hollywood sign (pictured far right) glimmered in the sunset behind the Los Angeles skyline. Both God-made and man-made creations dazzled me today.

Closer than you think

One of the nice things about living in Downey is that you are close to so many other cities. Over the last few years, I have enjoyed getting familiar with downtown Los Angeles (which is only about 13 miles west of Downey on surface streets). I have also come to realize, since we started blogging every day, that winter is a great time to take pictures in Southern California. The sky is generally more blue and we often get puffy clouds to show up!

Here is the LA skyline on a winter day. One of my favorite haunts in LA is Olvera Street. It is where Los Angeles began. And, there is a significant Hispanic culture still vibrant there. The old marketplace is filled with booths selling musical instruments, clothing, toys, food...and rosaries. It is fun to walk around and get a sense of our local history, close to home.

California Historic Parkway

Coming home from Dodger Stadium late in the afternoon, we drove along a quiet street that crosses over the freeway leading into Los Angeles. It gives an interesting view of the LA skyline. The 110 Freeway (shown below) connects San Pedro with Pasadena. This section (from the 101 to Pasadena) is the historic Arroyo Seco Parkway, the first freeway in California.

Hazy days of March

I have a European vacation planned for this summer, and I'm determined not to leave any tower unclimbed. So in preparation, I've started climbing the stairs at the Embassy Suites Hotel. Embassy Suites, at 8 stories, is probably the highest building in Downey. I walk up once (with one rest stop), then down, then up (with two rest stops), then down. When I can do that without the rest stops, I'll add another round.

And my reward? A spectacular view of downtown Los Angeles. The LA skyline is about 10 miles away to the west. On the rare clear day, you can actually see the mountains that lie behind those buildings. Today? Not so clear. But if I keep this up, one of these days, I'm going to get a great picture!

Approaching Los Angeles

For the past year we have posted pictures taken in Downey, after all, our blog is Downey Daily Photos. But Downey is sourrounded by so many other cities with many interesting sites, we thought we would throw in a few now and then. So, here goes...this is a view of downtown LA, entering the city via surface streets. I have always been drawn to the skyline view of the city — and I loved how the city popped into view as we were driving in along Whittier Blvd.

Many people don't realize how close Downey is to downtown Los Angeles. In fact, there is a historical marker (placed in Downey in 1908) on the sidewalk by the Rives Mansion that indicates that the distance from the corner of 3rd Street and Paramount is 13 miles to the Los Angeles County Courthouse.

Night lights

Believe it or not, this is the LA skyline as seen from the 8th floor of the Embassy Suites in Downey. The rain stopped just long enough for me to take a photo.