LOS ANGELES - now that I have your attention

[trinacriabob]

Company paid for it so I took the opportunity to come down to LA and get some continuing education credits at the AIA (read "geek") convention.

SENSORY OVERLOAD..not the convention but LA, rather. The convention is at the Convention Center downtown. All of the hotel prices were high in the immediate area, so I stayed in El Segundo (by LAX) where you can take 2 subway/light rail cars (Green Line to Blue Line) and get to downtown for a pittance. This is the first time I have ever been in South Central! An eye opening experience. All the houses have bars on windows. Also, this historically African American area is almost fully Hispanic at this point judging from the store signs I was reading. Also, Hipanics tend to surround their houses with wrought iron fencing that has an arch-top pattern. So then, where did all the black people go? Doesn't matter, but I was wondering.

Downtown is NOT very nice. They're getting on the loft - condo bandwagon and they are NOT cheap. Move a couple blocks in the wrong direction and it's not very nice. So, they want a million bucks or so for these? Get real.

This morning, I drove my rental (Impala 3.5 VVT) to the Universal Studios station so I would feel safer leaving it there with crap in the trunk. I rode the Red Line...this is a real world class subway that doesn't run on the surface streets. It kicks ass. It is sickening that LA inagurated this in 1995 while BART kicked off in 1972. There should be at least 4 other subway lines given that the city alone has 4 million people, not counting the "undocumented." There are so many people not doing well here that the subway is the best way to make sure they don't operate a motor vehicle they can't maintain or insure.

On the way back, I was a real ass hole. I get on the train outside the convention center. This architect dude (60ish, smug looking) has his badge on. It boasts the name of one of the name partners of Atlanta's biggest architectural firms. He sees me looking at it so he takes it off as if he is annoyed. At this point, I though "f*** you" since I was surrounded by smug and pissy architects for 2 entire days. So I look at him and say "So, buddy, slummin' it and riding the rails, huh?" He mutters something under his breath that I couldn't quite make out. As I left the train car to catch the Red Line connection back to the Valley, I gave him a good back slap to say "good-bye" or "you're a piece of $h! who thinks he's too good."

As far as I can see, if you omit O.C., you almost have to live on the West Side, the South Bay or the West Valley. The rest of LA is pretty gross and depressing.

This is not the "I love LA" that Randy Newman sang about. Innocence lost, for sure.

Edited June 12, 2006 by trinacriabob

[Croc]

I don't think it's that bad. Sure, downtown is pretty much financial 9-5 stuff, but it isn't quite as bad as you're making it out to be...seems like those pissy architects really got to ya :AH-HA_wink:

[sciguy_0504]

An architect convention doesn't seem geeky to me. It seems like a cool art gallery. I love architecture.

By the way, with the "undocumented" population in LA, you might want to add on 2 million to that population number.

[regfootball]

An architect convention doesn't seem geeky to me.  It seems like a cool art gallery.  I love architecture.

By the way, with the "undocumented" population in LA, you might want to add on 2 million to that population number.

loving architecture and working in the biz are two different bits.

so, did the tiny eyeglass, bow tie, and turtleneck salesman prop up kiosks right outside the convention hall yet?

you can take a short drive down to Irvine and take a look at one of my recent projects.....3000 the plaza

link

the local architects did the design and we are doing the third phase cd's because the local architects didn't exactly do the best job on the first two phases cd's, but they were a good bunch I felt in my interaction with them

or you could run up to SF and look at another job they stuck me on for awhile some condos on 5th and berry on the water in SF.

funny, looking up links for those its interesting seeing the talk of possible housing busts in CA. I hope it don't, except my sister moved out there about 2 1/2 yrs ago and i haven't talked to her since, so if her house busts, i guess i can live with that.

nice jab at the dude in the vator. some of those guys need to be brought down a bit.

It's not an Architect's convention as much as it probably is an egomaniacs convention. I'm surprised all of it can coexist under one roof.

Sad thing is, there is/are plenty in the business that are quality folks and an a normal level with the rest of society, maybe its even a safe majority of them. But its a way overly large percentage of people that I feel have self image issues and have gravitated to the profession en masse as some sort of safe harbor and breeding ground for a lot of societies malcontents and social elite but not there yet wannabes....and folks who just flat out want to be non-mainstream but want the esteem of what lawyers and doctors have. a lot of folks in this biz seem to need all sorts of affirmation and such, professionally and personally. Its those types I love to loathe. No humility whatsoever. It might be worth it if they were all making big money but none of them are, which is the hilarious part. And too many of them want to think of themselves as artists or something, but there's not enough of that creativity outlet in the business to go around. A lot of them want to be artists and sit in coffee shops waxing rhetoric about social things museums and and art design and books and urban master planning and yada yada yada........

meh. and its always a bunch of those types that can't draw or read plans even sometimes.

Edited June 11, 2006 by regfootball

[The O.C.]

Company paid for it so I took the opportunity to come down to LA and get some continuing education credits at the AIA (read "geek") convention. 

SENSORY OVERLOAD..not the convention but LA, rather.  The convention is at the Convention Center downtown.  All of the hotel prices were high in the immediate area, so I stayed in El Segundo (by LAX) where you can take 2 subway/light rail cars (Green Line to Blue Line) and get to downtown for a pittance.  This is the first time I have ever been in South Central!  An eye opening experience.  All the houses have bars on windows.  Also, this historically African American area is almost fully Hispanic at this point judging from the store signs I was reading.  Also, Hipanics tend to surround their houses with wrought iron fencing that has an arch-top pattern.  So then, where did all the black people go?  Doesn't matter, but I was wondering.

Downtown is NOT very nice.  They're getting on the loft - condo bandwagon and they are NOT cheap.  Move a couple blocks in the wrong direction and it's not very nice.  So, they want a million bucks or so for these?  Get real.

This morning, I drove my rental (Impala 3.5 VVT) to the Universal Studios station so I would feel safer leaving it there with crap in the trunk.  I rode the Red Line...this is a real world class subway that doesn't run on the surface streets.  It kicks ass.  It is sickening that LA inagurated this in 1995 while BART kicked off in 1972.  There should be at least 4 other subway lines given that the city alone has 4 million people, not counting the "undocumented."  There are so many people not doing well here that the subway is the best way to make sure they don't operate a motor vehicle they can't maintain or insure.

On the way back, I was a real ass hole.  I get on the train outside the convention center.  This architect dude (60ish, smug looking) has his badge on.  It boasts the name of one of the name partners of Atlanta's biggest architectural firms.  He sees me looking at it so he takes it off as if he is annoyed.  At this point, I though "f@#k you" since I was surrounded by smug and pissy architects for 2 entire days.  So I look at him and say "So, buddy, slummin' it and riding the rails, huh?"  He mutters something under his breath that I couldn't quite make out.  As I left the train car to catch the Red Line connection back to the Valley, I gave him a good back slap to say "good-bye" or "you're a piece of $h! who thinks he's too good."

As far as I can see, if you omit O.C., you almost have to live on the West Side, the South Bay or the West Valley.  The rest of LA is pretty gross and depressing.

This is not the "I love LA" that Randy Newman sang about.  Innocence lost, for sure.

Yeah....L.A. isn't that bad....it's just that the few areas you were in are very "ethnic."

L.A. has it's "Manhattan" and that would be roughly the area from mid-wilshire over to West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and the westside. It's not as high-rise-centered as Manhattan is, but from a culture, nightlife, dining, and living standpoint, it's the area most comparable to New York's swankiest borough.

Everyone expects downtown L.A. to be SoCal's version of New York's "Manhattan" with all the highrises and skyscrapers. But it's not. You have to move a bit west to get more of the true L.A. "Manhattan-like" cultural scene. Downtown IS mostly a 9-5 financial, banking, and business powerhouse. Other than Staples Center, the rest of downtown rolls up the streets in the evenings.

Other than that, you could say the areas you were in were most comparable to L.A.'s version of the Bronx....or some areas of Queens or Brooklyn. VERY ethnic, lower-income, but beginning to prosper in some areas (the increase in the building of lofts that you noticed.)

To get a true sense of what constitues "Los Angeles,"....because of the sheer size of the city, you have to spend more time driving around and spending time in different areas than you do more centric cities such as New York, Toronto, Chicago, or San Francisco.

Remember, Los Angeles spans 469 square miles, and that's JUST the city limits of L.A....that does NOT include the suburbs such as O.C., the South Bay, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, the San Gabriel Valley, etc.

New York? Including all five boroughs, 309 square miles.

Chicago? Only 227 square miles.....less than half the size of L.A. city.

Toronto? Only 243 square miles.

San Francisco? A tiny, but compact 45 square miles.

Some people say that L.A.s massive sprawl is one of it's significant downsides. I see it as a true advantage in one way.....in that it offers a truly dizzying number of different neighborhoods, cultures, ethnicities, and sights to experience.

Edited June 11, 2006 by The O.C.

[sciguy_0504]

If I had any sort of artistic talent I would become an architect.

[Flybrian]

California sucks, LA sucks, and Orange County sucks.

*runs away*

[trinacriabob]

Yeah....L.A. isn't that bad....it's just that the few areas you were in are very "ethnic."

L.A. has it's "Manhattan" and that would be roughly the area from mid-wilshire over to West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and the westside.  It's not as high-rise-centered as Manhattan is, but from a culture, nightlife, dining, and living standpoint, it's the area most comparable to New York's swankiest borough.

Everyone expects downtown L.A. to be SoCal's version of New York's "Manhattan" with all the highrises and skyscrapers.  But it's not.  You have to move a bit west to get more of the true L.A. "Manhattan-like" cultural scene.  Downtown IS mostly a 9-5 financial, banking, and business powerhouse.  Other than Staples Center, the rest of downtown rolls up the streets in the evenings.

Other than that, you could say the areas you were in were most comparable to L.A.'s version of the Bronx....or some areas of Queens or Brooklyn.  VERY ethnic, lower-income, but beginning to prosper in some areas (the increase in the building of lofts that you noticed.)

To get a true sense of what constitues "Los Angeles,"....because of the sheer size of the city, you have to spend more time driving around and spending time in different areas than you do more centric cities such as New York, Toronto, Chicago, or San Francisco.

Remember, Los Angeles spans 469 square miles, and that's JUST the city limits of L.A....that does NOT include the suburbs such as O.C., the South Bay, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, the San Gabriel Valley, etc.

New York?  Including all five boroughs, 309 square miles.

Chicago?  Only 227 square miles.....less than half the size of L.A. city.

Toronto?  Only 243 square miles.

San Francisco?  A tiny, but compact 45 square miles.

Some people say that L.A.s massive sprawl is one of it's significant downsides.  I see it as a true advantage in one way.....in that it offers a truly dizzying number of different neighborhoods, cultures, ethnicities, and sights to experience.

OC, OC, OC...you're preaching to the choir.

I am Santa Monica-born and West L.A.-raised and with the exception of 4 years divided between Italy and the NY suburbs, I did all of my schooling through college(all of it Catholic) on the west side of L.A. It just feels SOOOOO different now, that's all. I remember it as a "kinder, gentler" LA and a more affordable one, too. This afternoon, I pulled an open house flyer for a townhome on the Woodland Hills/Canoga Park border with 1150 sq. ft. and they were asking $ 459,000. I'm sorry, that's $ 400 a square foot for a crappy late 80s townhome. Get bigger and get closer in and it becomes a veritable nightmare.

I don't mind it at all...it's just that I'm on edge in a few places. When I was growing up, I pretty much stayed on the West Side, the South Bay and the West Valley...that's it. Sometimes, because of friends, I might venture to Pasadena/Arcadia or to Whittier. Today, Sunday, I went and spent the day in Santa Barbara...truly a superlative. The weather can be described in one word: GLORIOUS.

[trinacriabob]

loving architecture and working in the biz are two different bits.

It's not an Architect's convention as much as it probably is an egomaniacs convention.  I'm surprised all of it can coexist under one roof.

But its a way overly large percentage of people that I feel have self image issues and have gravitated to the profession en masse as some sort of safe harbor and breeding ground for a lot of societies malcontents and social elite but not there yet wannabes....and folks who just flat out want to be non-mainstream but want the esteem of what lawyers and doctors have.  a lot of folks in this biz seem to need all sorts of affirmation and such, professionally and personally.  Its those types I love to loathe.  No humility whatsoever.  It might be worth it if they were all making big money but none of them are, which is the hilarious part. 

I can't stand them and I'm fairly good at it because I work hard and think the clients are entitled to get good work for their money. It's out of respect to the client, mostly. I graduated with a 3.9 and passed the registration exam easily. I just shut it off and only like to hang around the ones who don't eat, breathe and sleep architecture. In fact, I have few friends who are architects....they all do other things. I want to talk about travel, cars, dirty jokes, ethnic jokes, the economy, sex, music and movies in my spare time. Can't do that with most uptight architects. I did have lunch with a Jewish architect friend who came down from the Bay Area along with some of his Cal Poly SLO buddies. They were hilarious. We went to "The Pantry"...a dive, but a downtown LA institution that doesn't even take credit cards.

Incidentally, don't you generally find the pissy, elitist and higbrow architects to be "less than" masculine? They're kind of pussified, IMHO. Those are the ones that annoy me, whether it was in school or in the workplace. I really love reminding them that they are quite a few notches below a doctor or a lawyer....both in how they are viewed and especially in the thickness of their wallets.

Edited June 12, 2006 by trinacriabob

[trinacriabob]

Orange County sucks.

*runs away*

Orange County, Florida, right? Ha ha. Gotcha back.

Hey, Flybry, I was in your fine state 2 weeks ago for vacation. If you were in the FLL/PBI area, I would have looked you up, but you are on the other side of the state.

C'mon, you love Cali, admit it!

[Flybrian]

Orange County, Florida, right?  Ha ha.  Gotcha back.

Hey, there's no argument that Orange County, FL sucks. Not from me at least.

Next time you're on the West Coast, let me know!

[The O.C.]

OC, OC, OC...you're preaching to the choir.

I am Santa Monica-born and West L.A.-raised and with the exception of 4 years divided between Italy and the NY suburbs, I did all of my schooling through college(all of it Catholic) on the west side of L.A.  It just feels SOOOOO different now, that's all.  I remember it as a "kinder, gentler" LA and a more affordable one, too.  This afternoon, I pulled an open house flyer for a townhome on the Woodland Hills/Canoga Park border with 1150 sq. ft. and they were asking $ 459,000.  I'm sorry, that's $ 400 a square foot for a crappy late 80s townhome.  Get bigger and get closer in and it becomes a veritable nightmare.

I don't mind it at all...it's just that I'm on edge in a few places.  When I was growing up, I pretty much stayed on the West Side, the South Bay and the West Valley...that's it.  Sometimes, because of friends, I might venture to Pasadena/Arcadia or to Whittier. Today, Sunday, I went and spent the day in Santa Barbara...truly a superlative. The weather can be described in one word:  GLORIOUS.

You know....I THOUGHT you had spent some time down here....or was from here.....but your email sounded like someone that hadn't been here before.....so I was confused....