It seems to me I heard somewhere that BeaForoni@msn.com wrote in
article <1114110410.602968.31940@l41g2000cwc.googlegroups.com>:
> Years of driving cab and living in LaLa land have given me a bad taste
>for the city in general. I guess everyone should see it before it is
>annexed to Mexico.
> First, if you see alot of graffiti, leave.
> Do not go below Third St., except at the beach.
Third Street runs two blocks south of the City Hall and the Civic
Center, home of Disney Hall and the Music Center, and four blocks
*north* of the W. 7th Street hotel the OP is asking about. The two
blocks from the Civic Center to Third Street don't change the
surroundings significantly; the city's downtown financial center and
the Biltmore and Bonaventure upscale hotels are several blocks south
of Third Street. LA's Third Street, moreever, doesn't go anywhere
near the beach. That honor probably belongs to Venice or Santa
Monica, quite a few miles from downtown Los Angeles.
> Do not walk around at night.
Generally good advice any time in unknown territory.
From here it gets bizarre. :-)
> Do not believe any one who tells you they can get you in the movie
>bizz.
> If you see a very pretty woman- it's a man
> If you see a very ugly woman- it's a man.
> Be sure to check out Olvera St., the cities oldest.
Here's a page that discusses a lot of what's available in LA:
http://www.experiencela.com/MA_Elpueblo.htm
"A colorful marketplace lined with merchants offering a wide variety
of Mexican and Latin American merchandise and artisan goods, Olvera
Street opened on April 20, 1930.* Representing many of the customs and
trades of early California, Olvera Street's shops have leather goods,
jewelry and western wear."
* You will find sites calling it the oldest street in the city, but it
opened in its current Mexican Village Marketplace personna in 1930. It
is " Named for Augustin Olvera, a Mexican resident and later first
County Judge and first County Administrator under U.S. rule,"
substantially later then the founding era.
http://www.losangelesalmanac.com/topics/Geography/ge13.htm
All the streets surrounding El Pueblo area are old, but don't exist in
their original form any more. Many of the original buildings do
survive, however, including the 1818 Avila Adobe and the 1784 Old
Plaza Church, still in use. The area is always worth a visit.
Here's a fun site for a lot of Los Angeles area place names:
http://www.losangelesalmanac.com/topics/Geography/ge13.htm |