I’m not ashamed to admit I love downtown Los Angeles. So when I heard that Carole Garland was showing her paintings of downtown at the TAG Gallery on Wilshire Blvd (near the Los Angeles County Museum of Art) I had to go. I took the Culver CityBus line #1 to the Metro line #217.
This was my first visit to TAG since the gallery moved from Bergamot Station in Santa Monica.
I really like the space. It gives the artists a chance to spread out. There’s also a second level.
The photo above is all Carole’s DTLA show.
Los Angeles Union Station
It was difficult for me to pick her three best paintings. I just had to be arbitrary or I would have ended up showing you all of them!
Bridge spanning the LA River
BTW, all Carole’s images are shown with her permission.
The heart of downtown with new Wilshire Grand building in foreground as it was being constructed.
After this I jumped on the Metro #720 bus thinking it would take me along Wilshire Blvd all the way downtown. Surprise, it was only going to Vermont. Fortunately, the bus turned the corner and dropped us all off at the Wilshire/Vermont Red and Purple Line Station.
Looking upwards to the station at the top of the hill
That actually worked out better as I was able to take the Purple Line all the way to Pershing Square for my next adventure. Angels Flight, the world’s shortest railway, had reopened recently (this was September 20, 2017) and I wanted a ride. I won’t go into the whole history here. It’s been pretty rocky. You’ll have to Google it.
The price is one whole dollar for the ride. As I have a TAP card it only cost me 50 cents each way.
I’ve ridden this little railway a million times over the years. I never get tired of it.
Having gotten my jollies on Angels Flight (up and down), it was time for coffee. I had read an article in the LA Times (I subscribe to the digital version) that a coffee bar had opened in the lobby of one of my favorite buildings, One Bunker Hill. Don’t have to ask me twice!
My coffee and the view from where I was sitting.
The building was originally called the Southern California Edison Building when it opened around 1930. It was on the very first architectural tour I took with the Los Angeles Conservancy in 1988 and when I saw the interior I decided I had to become an architectural docent. So I took the training and led LAC walking tours for sixteen years.
I think my little Canon point & shoot camera doesn’t do too bad of a job, does it?
I love the subdued light that comes in through the pastel-colored window panes.
This is the most elegant coffee bar I have ever had the pleasure of spending my time in.
The very friendly and personable barista.
When I was doing the tours I seem to remember there were something like 30 different kinds of marble used in the building. This was just before the Wall Street Crash of 1929 which hit the West Coast around 1930 as the building was opening.
Travertine, a porous rock formed in surface waters. If you ever go to Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone, you will be walking on it as it is forming. A fabulous experience.
So now it was lunchtime. I had read a review about Cabbage Patch so I decided to try it out. Mmmmm. I ordered two sides, mashed potatoes and cole slaw. Both were heavenly.
I was so happy, sitting at my window table watching the world walk by. What a lovely day. I was so grateful for my life.
I walked back over to Pershing Square to discover it was farmers market day. We have these pop-up markets all over the LA area on different days. I go to the Culver City farmers market on Tuesday afternoons to buy all my veggies and fruit.
Biltmore Hotel, Library Tower, Gas Company, California Plaza
And it was time to go home. Downtown is an endless source of enjoyment for me. This was a super day.
