Los Angeles 2017...II

My second day in Los Angeles found me walking around downtown a bit since my hotel (Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites) was right in the middle of everything! My first stop was the Walt Disney Concert Hall, designed by my favorite architect Frank Gehry. Across the street was the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, home of the Los Angeles Opera. Walking down the street, I see throngs of people hurrying to get in line at a cool looking building called The Broad. The Broad is a contemporary art museum showcasing Eli and Edythe Broad's collection of over 2,000 post-war works. Admission is also free, which would probably help explain the long line. Another highlight was Nancy Rubin's "Chas Stainless Steel, Mark Thompsons Airplane Parts, About 1000 Pounds of Stainless Steel Wire and Gagosians Beverly Hills Space" sculpture sitting outside the The Museum Of Contemporary Art. Other highlights in the area are the Los Angeles Superior Court, Jacques Lipchitz' "Peace On Earth" sculpture inside the Los Angeles Music Center plaza. Also in the plaza is the Mark Taper Forum, one of three music halls in the music center. Further down the street is the Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels and the Ramon C. Cortines School Of Visual And Performing Arts.

After taking a photo of the 101 Freeway, I head towards the government buildings area. First up...the landmark Los Angeles City Hall. I really love this building. It was completed in 1928. Dedication ceremonies were held on April 26, 1928. It has 32 floors, and at 454 feet high it is the tallest base-isolated structure in the world...having undergone a seismic retrofit from 1998 to 2001 so that the building will sustain minimal damage and remain functional after a magnitude 8.2 earthquake. Across the street, I was able to photograph the Los Angeles Times building, Los Angeles Police Department Headquarters, Brigid LaBonge's "Sister Cities of Los Angeles" monument and the California Department Of Transportation, also known as Caltrans. After a quick break sitting in Grand Park, I continued down the street to the U.S. Court House and Hall Of Justice. Outside the Hall Of Justice is a larger-than-life statue called "Embodied" by Alison Star. Driving past the United States Post Office Terminal Annex, I make my way to the Little Tokyo area. After checking out the small shops, restaurants and gift shops, I check out the Smithsonian Institution's Japanese American National Museum and Nicole Maloney's "Oomo Cube" sculpture sitting outside. Before leaving the Little Tokyo area, I photographed Jonathan Borofsky's "Molecule Man" sculpture outside the Edward R. Roybal Center and Federal Building. From there, I drive over to Cesar Chavez Avenue and North Broadway, where I find one of the entry gates into Chinatown.

As I make my way down Broadway, I pass by the Teo-Chew Association Of Southern California. They were closing, so I couldn't go in and check them out. Further on Broadway I entered the Chinatown East Gate where I was able to walk through to see some of the shops and stores, and grab something to eat. But the first thing I see when walking through is a statue of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, founding Father of the Republic of China. The colorful and decorated plazas were great to see. And in the middle of the plaza outside the Grand Star Jazz Club is a life-sized statue of martial artist and fan-favorite Bruce Lee. Leaving Chinatown and heading back to my hotel, I drive past Union Station...seeing the palm trees standing taller than tall out front. Before I turn off my exit, I snap a quick photo of the hotel with other downtown buildings behind it...making for a nice framed photo. A few hours later, and heading back out in the streets of Los Angeles, I snap a few photos of some palm trees and a row of ficus trees on Temple Street. Later driving along Hollywood Boulevard, I spotted The Church of Scientology's International Building and the Museum Of Broken Relationships, which should be very interesting! From there I continue my drive into the evening!