Ray's Rabbit Hutch: Los Angeles

Saturday, May 12, 2007

Taking a stroll from 7th St./Metro Center to Civic Center, 11th Day in the States

We got off the train at the 7th St/Metro Center station and strolled to the Civic Center station on the 11th day in the States.

The centerpoint of Downtown LA, the Financial District was built adjacent to and parallel with the redevelopment of Bunker Hill. The area is dominated by upscale corporate office skyscrapers, hotels and related services as well as banks, law firms, and real estate companies. The Financial District is served by the Metro Rail Red Line and Blue Line, with the 7th St/Metro Center as the primary station. (Information Source Wikipedia)

The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) --^

The MOCA downtown Los Angeles location is home to almost 5,000 artworks created since 1940, including masterpieces by classic contemporary artists, and inspiring new works by emerging and mid-career artists from Southern California and around the world.
In 1986, the celebrated Japanese architect Arata Isozaki completed the downtown location's sandstone building to international critical and public acclaim, marking a dramatic achievement in the contemporary art world and heralding a new cultural era in Los Angeles. (Information Source Wikipedia)

Walt Disney Concert Hall ---＾

The Walt Disney Concert Hall is the fourth hall of the Los Angeles Music Center. Bounded by Hope Street, Grand Avenue, 1st and 2nd Streets, it seats 2,265 people and serves as the home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra and the Los Angeles Master Chorale.
The Frank Gehry-designed building, an example of Deconstructivism, opened on October 23, 2003 and features his trademark steel cladding. (Information Source Wikipedia)

The Civic Center is located in the northern part of Downtown LA, bordering Bunker Hill, Little Tokyo, Chinatown, and the Historic Core of the old Downtown.

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Santa Monica, UCLA, Beverly Hills, Holleywood--9th Day in the States

On the 9th day in the States, we got up early, put the key in a key drop box at the hotel, jumped in the car and drove to Los Angeles; it's 450 km away from Las Vegas.The strip (main street) in the morning was quiet in contrast with it at night. You can see only hotel workers, construction workers or delivery workers. No tourists were walking on the streets.During five hours' driving, at first we grabbed a bite of sandwiches we had bought them for breakfast. Secondly, two daughters and my wife fell into sound a sleep as usual and I silently drove the car.

Clear crisp sky, bright light and vast ocean welcomed us in Santa Monica beach. The scene was just same as I had imagined in Japan.I had been wondering if I reserved the Hotel California that I wanted to stay, but I chose the hotel closer to LA downtown for easy access to a shopping area, so I only took a couple of pictures.

-----UCLA------------------------------------------------------------------

We went to UCLA and looked around the campus. Unfortunately, all classes and shops were closed on the day because it was Easter holidays during March 30th and April 1st.
I wished I could have bought some souvenirs at the shop in UCLA.
But, luckily, only one restaurant was opened, so we had a lunch there.

Prices of dishes in college restaurants in Japan are set lower than those of restaurants on the streets for the sake of students. But prices in a restaurant in UCLA were almost same as prices on the streets. Moreover, I don't know about Japanese college restaurants but UCLA accepted credit cards.

UCLA campus and its school buildings were beautiful and huge.

We happened to see a couple wearing formal wedding dress and suit come out of a limousine. I heard that it's possible to have a wedding ceremony in some Japanese colleges. They walked toward us and entered a schoolhouse.While passing us, my wife whispered, "Co...Congratulations." They didn't reply and just kept walking.