There are some experiences in life that are so rich in detail that you can’t wait to share with others. My fascination with  historical Downtown and greater Los Angeles started last year through the  Smithsonian Magazine’s National Museum Day. Excited with the concept of visiting a  museum for free, I chose the one that had eluded me the longest: The Museum of Neon Art. Little did I know that less than a year later, that choice would result in one of my most successful photography events to date.

At the Neon Museum, serendipity ensured. One thing led to another  and  by the end of the evening, I was on the Museum of Neon Art’s Neon Cruise touring and listening to the history of neon, architectural design and even bathhouses in Los Angeles, Chinatown, Hollywood, West Hollywood and adjacent areas.

Traveling the street of Los Angeles on a double decker bus and acting like a true tourist in my own city, I learned so much by just turning my head and looking UP. The Art Deco, the Greco Roman, the over lofting of DTLA – everything from the two giant “Jesus Saves” neon signs, the historic  Orpheum Theatre and the bathhouse neon signs in Hollywood – I was in love.

That love continued this year with my  attendance to the Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk. Somewhere between gallery visits, experiencing the vibrant nightlife and seeing the cultural and social economical impact of gentrification, I realized that capturing the energy and hidden gems of DTLA would be perfect for the LAH&P photo group.

Continuing my year long goal of volunteering at least once a month to a cause, I planned the “Hidden LA: The Architecture, History and Urban Landscape of Downtown Los Angeles” walk around my volunteer time with Reading to Kids. Perfect for another complimentary photography opportunity, my chosen school was White Elementary, next to MacArthur Park (formerly Westlake Park) / MacArthur Park Metro Red Line station.

Even with an overcast June sky and morning sprinkles, the event went off perfectly. MacArthur Park and Koreatown were lively, beautiful and rich in history, culture and great buildings. Walking back from the morning’s volunteering activity, I took a few shots of the Masonic temple, located next to the school, birds on the ground and signs. From the General Harrison Grey Otis statue at MacAuthur Park to the  to the street corner hustlers on Whilshire and Alvarado St selling fake papers, calling cards and food, the sights and sounds were a good warm up to the rest of the day.

Taking the Red Line to Pershing Square, I got to our designated meet up location a half hour early. But, not early enough to be the first one there! Hardcore group member Rich was another eager and early arriver. Before I knew it, it was 1:00pm. After my introduction, going over the walk route, and taking attendance while everyone introduced themselves, it was a little after 1:30 pm. With 60% attendance in relation to the 57 “Yes” RSVPs, I was shocked and delighted at the great turn out.

Even better? The feedback and the shots from other photographers. No bitch asses attended this walk. Only inspiring and fun photographers that wanted to combine learning new techniques, discovering new places, being tested by the soft box cloud cover and sharing in the community of other photographers.

With waiting for people, maintaining the group additions and departures and various breaks, the event ended up lasting five hours. Returning to Pershing Square at the end, about ten of us remained. Those that were interested accompanied me to my new favorite downtown Happy Hour location, McCormick & Schmick’s.

Comments:

“Wonderful, thoughtfully planned walk through downtown. Enjoyed the girls’ dinner out afterward too. Thanks for a great day, Kim.” – Eliza

“I found nooks and crannies of culture that made me proud to live in Los Angeles. A BIG thank you to everyone that attended!” – Me

“Events where you learn something to improve your game is always a step in the right direction. This one was no exception. From architectural lines to high dynamic range shots, I was surprisingly being pushed to the limit (and the overcast weather showed no mercy). With the spot on planning by Kimberly, this was a no stress and wonderful event (minus the tired feet). – Kenny

“I am so unfamiliar with the downtown area. It was fun to walk the streets and see the sites with others. Seeing it this way, with focus on a good photo, caused me see so much detail I would have missed otherwise.” – Linelle

“Kim is just amazing. The entire day was so well thought out and organized. Everyone enjoyed the sights, the photographic opportunities, the exercise and the company. Way to go!” – Larry M

“It was a nice walk up, down and around downtown! Kim really makes the meetups great experiences in architecture and scenery around and near LA.” – Michelle

“Too much fun!!!! and GREAT organizer, route and assorted group of nuts” – Jeff R

“This was simply a great event, lots of interesting/beautifularchitecture to see and a really fun walk thru downtown LA with so many nice people — thank you again, Kim!!!” – Bruce

“Lots to see and snap…Another great Kim find!!” – Rich

“Just awesome. Started at Pershing Square. meandered to the Bonaventure, LA Public Library, back to Pershing, took a side trip to Olvera St., Philippe’s and Chinatown.” – Bruce E.

Gallery:

Panorama of the Central Library from Hope St.

Panorama of Broadway St. at the Orpheum Theatre

Downtown Los Angeles Photo Gallery	MacArthur Park Photo Gallery

Event Information from Meetup.com Page:

Backed by the monumental success of the first Hidden LA themed walk, come walk and photograph the roots of the city known around the world: Los Angeles. It’s amazing what you can see if you just look up and around. Downtown Los Angeles is a cornucopia of sights, sounds, buildings and history. From Bunker Hill to the Financial Core and ending in Historic Downtown with the Broadway theatres, this is a great opportunity for historical urban photography and walking.

RSVPs

This event was capped at 60 Yes RSVPs.

Meeting Place:

We will be meeting at the Pershing Square meeting platform, at the corner of Hill Street and 5th. This is ACROSS the street from the Pershing Square metro station and diagonal to the Subway sandwich shop. This is also a Metro Red Line stop. It’s a flat, easy to see area.

Parking:

There are metered street parking spaces and pay lots available.

Map:

Google Map of Walk: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=103415982710179934346.000468e45ab9893ddf0cf&ll=34.046757,-118.255184&spn=0.011165,0.01914&z=16

The Walk:

We will begin our walk at historic Pershing Square, at S Hill Street and W 5th Street. Continuing northwest, we will follow 5th Street and pass the Millennium Biltmore Hotel. This hotel is a fantastic Beaux Arts landmark that is just beautiful. If you’ve never seen it, you’re in for a visual treat. Classical art deco architecture is abound in this area. At 5th and Grand, we will turn right – up a refreshing incline – to the Water Garden at Two California Plaza. The Water Garden lives up to it’s name with a cascading waterfall and a dancing water fountain.

We will cross the street towards Hope Street to the sculpture garden at Wells Fargo Plaza. Continuing down Hope Street, we will continue toward the Bunker Hill Steps toward the Central Library at 5th Street. At the top of the steps, we will meander around the various metal sculptures before walking through the outdoor plaza, taking the steps down to 5th Street, and walking towards the famous circular Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Shopping Gallery.

After entering and exiting the Bonaventure (crossing Flower and 5th via the skyway), we will cross Flower and enter one of my personal favorite places: The Central Library sculpture and water garden.

Turning right onto Flower Street, we will continue our journey to the beautiful Los Angeles Central Library. This is one of my favorite buildings in DTLA, showcasing a timeless 1920s architecture, blending various identifiable cultural design styles. We won’t enter the library, but will explore the external architecture of design, the beautiful quotes in stone and the key figures in history, science and the arts that adorn the structure.

Walking away from the library on S Hope Street, we will continue to 6th Street, walking toward Pershing Square.

Continuing down 6th Street, we will cross Hill St. and turn right on Broadway. Welcome to the historic and a testament to classic Los Angeles beauty: Broadway District. This is one of my favorite places to walk during the Downtown LA Art Walk. Following South Broadway, we will pass the Los Angeles theater (French Baroque style), The Tower, The Rialto, The Orpheum, The State Theatre, and the Palace Theatre.

While at the Orpheum, we will also have a chance to photograph the beautiful Eastern tower and clock. We will end at the United Artist Theatre.

Turning around, we will continue back up Broadway, turning right at 9th Street. At Main, we will turn left and continue toward 6th Street. This is a good time for relishing the architecture of Old Downtown meeting its new, loft centric version. Coming to 5th, we will turn left and then right on Broadway towards our starting point, returning to Hill and 5th at Pershing Square.

*We will not be going by the Million Dollar Theatre, at 307 S. Broadway. Also, please note that many of the theatres of yesteryear in this area have been converted into various other things… from store fronts to concert halls.

Mileage:

This walk should be about 2.67 miles.

Helpful Books and Websites:

• Walking LA: 38 walking tours exploring stairways, streets, and buildings you never knew existed by Erin Mahoney Harris: Walk 38: Downtown Financial and Jewelry Districts: More Than Meets the Eye (page 209)
• Bunker Hill Staircase Information: http://books.google.com/books?id=Dd9mAQbLzUYC&pg=PA23&lpg=PA23&dq=los+angeles+bunker+hill+staircase&source=bl&ots=yjMpgnN_OE&sig=Q-zA4kS-nrUotNu7yeNfvEuCovQ&hl=en&ei=Rd7_SbjyCaa6tAOX043pBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1#PPA23,M1
• History of Bunker Hill, Los Angeles: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunker_Hill,_Los_Angeles,_California
• Beaux-Arts architecture- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaux-Arts_architecture
• LA Times: Street Scenes: Downtown Los Angeles: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-streetscenes-20080707,0,7376790.htmlstory
• LA Conservancy: http://laconservancy.org
• History of Broadway Street: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadway_(Los_Angeles)
• Cinema Treasures: http://cinematreasures.org/search/query=los+angeles&search=city&method=n&show=all
• History of the Broadway Theatre District’s theaters: http://www.seeing-stars.com/theatres/BroadwayDistrict.shtml
• Cartifact: http://maps.cartifact.com/ (zoom in and click on the loop to view historic maps of Los Angeles from 1800, 1928 and 1981.