COOL STUFF – Hangin’ Out With Blue Whales!
PHOTO GALLERY BELOW – CLICK ON IMAGES FOR LARGER VIEWS
Yesterday, thanks to Aquarium of the Pacific & Harbor Breeze Cruises we got a chance to see the largest animal in the world, right off the coast of Palos Verdes… so of COURSE we jumped at the chance! They are debuting a new whale-listening device on their daily boat excursions and invited HiddenLA to tag along. Having never been whale watching in my life, I invited one of our beloved Facebook fans (Cindy and her totally awesome little six year old daughter) to join me on the maiden voyage.
Moments after we ran into a school of playful dolphin, we found ourselves sharing water with a blue whale as promised – one of only 2,000 in existence. It was amazing to realize that the creature I was looking at is larger than any dinosaur that ever existed. Scroll down and check out our photo gallery!
If you’re interested in seeing blue whales for yourself, they’re out there so now’s the time! Details below.
WHAT: Aquarium of the Pacific and Harbor Breeze Cruises three and a half hour whale watch excursion with Aquarium experts (more…)
VIDEO – Kitsch in Los Angeles
Famed songwriter and multimedia artist Allee Willis sure loves our local kitsch!
And if anyone is an expert on kitsch, it’s gonna be Allee… she owns a museum full of it! :)
IMAGERY – The Mighty LA River, 1895-1920
CLICK ON IMAGES FOR LARGER VIEWS
Two men standing near a water ditch at the bank of Los Angeles River, north side of Griffith Park.
I’m happy to say that our sold out Los Angeles River tour is this Sunday and there are actually upwards of 30 people on the waiting list for another one! Wow. There’s been a lot of discussion on our Facebook page about the revitalization of the river and its reputation as a drainage ditch this week, so I decided to make another dip into the ol’ USC Digital Archive to see what kind of imagery I could find. This 51 mile river that explorer Gaspar de Portolá named El Río de Nuestra Señora La Reina de Los Ángeles de Porciúncula in the year 1769 didn’t always look the way you might imagine. Although it changed course many times over history, the river shown below was the reason that the 44 Los Pobladores chose to stop and create a settlement here… The LA River is the reason that Los Angeles exists.
EVENT – Limited tickets left for our LA River Tour!
LA River Tour with Jenny Price – Sunday, July 18th, 2010
FULL TOUR AND PURCHASING INFO HERE
Above, a teaser from the upcoming movie ROCK THE BOAT.
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Learn about the past, present and future of the mighty (!?) L.A. River, PLUS enjoy some fantastic tacos and cream puffs along the way
*This tour is perfect for people of all ages who would like to learn more about the river that once brought fresh water to Los Angeles*
Difficult as it is for Angelenos or anyone else to believe, the Los Angeles River was once a very real flowing river, along the banks of which the city was founded. In 1781, 44 people (Los Pobladores) traveled from Sonora, Mexico to settle along its West bank. For more than 100 years, this 51 mile long river was the sole source of water for the city that grew around it.
Have you ever *really* seen the LA River? Do you ACTUALLY know anything about it? Sure, maybe you’ve passed a concrete slab with an LA River sign… but have you seen where it flows? Do you know the *true* stories of the river’s past and present beyond the fictional details you remember from seeing Chinatown? And what about its future? Sure, everyone in Los Angeles has seen the LA River, and many have heard that it’s being revitalized. But who knows where and what exactly is happening on its banks? There’s much more to the story than meets the eye as you pass from a speeding car while commuting. (more…)
HELPING – Save Homeboy Industries
As explained in the video above, Homeboy Industries is struggling to survive during a tough economy which has left even the most stable of businesses hard hit.
If you would like to help Homeboy, vote online at the Chase Community Giving Facebook page to make them eligible for $250,000 in funding. If you’d rather get involved and donate directly, contact them through their web site or just go to the Homegirl Cafe for lunch and spend some dough!!!
Homeboy Industries provides comprehensive job training, job development, social and educational support services, all offered free of charge, to the most disenfranchised segment of our community, formerly gang affiliated youth, parolees, the under-educated and poor. Homeboy Industries is a beacon of hope and opportunity for those seeking to leave gang life, for whom the barriers and challenges are great, and for whom there is virtually no other avenue to have a second chance to enter the mainstream of society. (more…)
IMAGERY – The Los Angeles Wheelmen
Angelenos have had a passion for bicycling for longer than you might think. The image below was taken in Boyle Heights in 1893, about ten years after the bicycle chain was invented. Reformed in 1945, the Los Angeles Wheelmen bicycle riding club is still going strong, with multiple rides every week. There are far more than eleven members now. And don’t worry, I doubt they’re still wearing that fancy uniform. :)
The club’s ride schedule is here.
From their site:
“We are a group of bicyclists who enjoy the pleasure of riding with friends. We are not a racing club, and we welcome members of all abilities. We offer easier, moderate and difficult rides. We hold some multi-day trips, and in late June we offer the Grand Tour, a 24-hour ride of 120+, 200, 300 or 400 miles. At our social events, we make up for all the calories burned while riding. Our monthly newsletter, “The Gooseneck,” contains a descriptive ride schedule and much other news. Newcomers are welcome to try a few of our rides before deciding whether to join. Helmets are mandatory on all rides.”
CLICK ON PHOTO FOR LARGER VIEW
Photographic portrait of the 11 Los Angeles Wheelmen posing as a group in cadet type uniforms at the East Side (Boyle Heights) track, October 3, 1893. “The Los Angeles wheelmen on the track include, left to right, standing — Jack Winters, John S. Thayer, Faye Stefenson, Phil Kitchen, W.J. Allen, E.S. Pauly, Tracy Hugh Rall, W.A. Tufts, and Walter Tyler; seated — Lord Gattensbury, A.D. Cummings, and Ernest Steuart, Paully.”
EVENT – It’s Grunion Night!!!!
FULL INVITE HERE!!!
Just so the directions ARE VERY CLEAR… we will be on the Malibu beach north of the pier. We *SHOULD* be the only people HANGING OUT WITH A GIANT FINDING NEMO PIÑATA.
View Larger Map
Tonight is our first grunion run!!!! Woo hooo!!!! Remember if you don’t have time to get a fishing license today you can’t bring the critters home… but a lot of people prefer catch and releasing anyhow.
It’s just a lovely night to hang out on a beach together! Sooo, we’re using mythical fish as an excuse… :)
It’s just a lovely night to hang out on a beach together! Sooo, we’re using mythical fish as an excuse… :)
Okay… so for everything you need to know about grunion runs… just check out the information from the Department of Fish & Game after the jump…
Please note, no dogs are allowed on the Malibu beach. We’re as sad about that as you are. (more…)
IMAGERY – A Hazy Day in Malibu
Found myself in Malibu the other day and decided to pull out my camera and take a lazy stroll around The Adamson House property… here’s some of the stuff I saw. I hope you enjoy looking at the pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them. :)
CLICK ON IMAGES FOR LARGER VIEWS
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MUST SEE TV – Things That Aren’t Here Anymore
This week, take the time to learn a LOT more about our local history by watching the fabulous KCET series Things That Aren’t Here Anymore. The latest episode, the third, will be airing on Thursday, June 10th at 8pm… but it looks like the previous episodes will be airing multiple times this week as well.
CHECK KCET’S PROGRAM SCHEDULE HERE and record these programs accordingly!
The series gives Angelenos a whole new sense of nostalgia and insight about this city we live in and the lives of the amazing people who have called Los Angeles home. Whether you’re remembering your own past or learning about the things you missed out on, it’s still great watching. Personally, besides reminding me of how many great things have happened here, Things That Aren’t Here Anymore also drives the point home of exactly why HiddenLA exists. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… while it may seem awesome to you that there are only two people in your favorite bar, it’s not great for the bar owner, especially during this economy. So if you don’t want to see your favorite places featured on Things That Aren’t Here Anymore #4… make a point to go outside today and spend every possible moment appreciating and discovering the great things this city offers.
Don’t keep the treasures of Los Angeles hidden… spread the word and support our current local businesses so they live a long time!
“Thursday, June 10 at 8:00 p.m. KCET is broadcasting “Things That Aren’t Anymore 3.” Produced by Saul Gonzalez and co-producer Isaac Mizrahi, and narrated by Patt Morrison, it’s a pledge special celebrating L.A.’s treasured, but lost, places of the 1960s, 70s and 80s. Stops include Pandora’s Box and Rodney’s English Disco on the Sunset Strip, Tail ‘o the Pup and Chasen’s restaurants, the Leimert Theater and that spawning ground of 80s Valley Girls, version 1.0 of the Sherman Oaks Galleria. The guests, who all share their memories and connections to these places, include Cherie Currie of The Runaways, KROQ’s Rodney Bingenheimer, L.A. City Councilman Eric Garcetti, and Ed Pearl, the owner and founder of The Ash Grove.”
MATINEE – Confessions of a Superhero
Today, Los Angeles Magazine posted a feature on local “outsiders.” I recognized Harry Perry immediately of course, but when I saw the man in the tuxedo it took me a moment to register it as Dennis Woodruff… the lone cowboy-hatted, crazy car-owning man who once clamored for attention by yelling “Put me in your movie!” in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theater long before the arrival of the smelly superheroes of Hollywood & Highland.
In the 1980s, Dennis Woodruff and Angelyne were the two most visible eccentrics on the streets of Hollywood… each determined to seize their 15 minutes of fame without offering any talent in return. My friends and I always got a good laugh out of sighting these strange local icons all over town, to us they were harmless eccentrics whose obsession with fame made us uncomfortable but caught our attention like a bad car accident. We just couldn’t look away… but we didn’t expect the “famous for nothing” path to become a goal for so many people in the future. We didn’t foresee that Angelyne would lead to Heidi Montag.
But I digress. Besides the Los Angeles Magazine article mentioned above, the topic of outsiders is prevalent today since it appears that there’s currently a serious crackdown on the previously mentioned smelly costumed characters of Hollywood Boulevard (or as KTLA painfully called it, a “Zorro Tolerance Policy” – click here for obligatory rimshot). Yes, it looks like there may be quite a few former Spidermen and Captain Jack Sparrows applying for barista jobs in the near future. So while I can’t say I’ll miss them much personally, in honor of these unique individuals we’re going to relive their former glory days by embedding the preview of Matt Ogen’s critically acclaimed documentary Confessions of a Superhero for your viewing pleasure today (a link is provided above to watch the whole film). Enjoy. :)
CONTEST – Be Fred Rated!!!
Submission deadline: NOON ON FRIDAY, JUNE 11TH, 2010
Some of you may recall our article on Fred Rated commercials a while back. Well kids, on June 15th Fred Rated himself (Shadoe Stevens) along with the entire production team of those crazy ad spots will be hanging out with us and Cinefamily at the Silent Movie Theater! AND WE’VE GOT TWO PAIRS OF TICKETS TO THE 11PM SHOW TO GIVE AWAY!
Are you creative with video? Are you a giant ham with a penchant for electronic appliances? Well, just send us a file or youtube link of your best attempt to create YOUR VERY OWN version of a Fred Rated commercial! We will pick the two best. Not only will the winners get free tickets to the show, but we might just air your spot at the show and on our Facebook page! You’ll be a STAR, baby!!!! (more…)
FOCUS – Self Help Graphics
By Mark Miller (Mark and Evonne, please scroll down to the bottom of the page for a special message.)
Many of you may not be aware of this embattled and historic local center for arts activism, but Self Help Graphics in East L.A. was the brain child of several artists including the late Sister Karen Boccalero, an Italian American, chain smoking Franciscan nun who had studied art in Rome. Sister Karen was apparently a force to be reckoned with. According to some who knew her she was loved, feared, reviled and adored, but never dismissed. Sister Karen had the moxy and the vision to tap into the emerging post 1960’s Chicano movement to bring about positive social change and empowerment through print making. The idea that she co-hatched in 1971 in an East LA garage endures as an important safe haven for artists, art students, and community groups. It’s a prestigous training ground for new and emerging print makers, and many artists who started there have gone on to national prominence. (more…)
DISCOUNT – Touring the San Andreas Fault
CHECK OUT OUR CAPTIONED PHOTOS AFTER THE JUMP!
WHAT: A road trip from LA! Tour the San Andreas Fault with Desert Adventures
WHERE: Indio, California about two hours east of L.A.
DISCOUNT: Normally their three hour off-road jeep tour of the San Andreas Fault costs $120 per person, which we realize isn’t exactly cheap for many of you. So for HiddenLA fans only, Desert Adventures will discount the price to $85 per person through September 30, 2010. Just purchase your tickets online and enter the discount code “HIDDENLA.”
TIPS: Don’t forget, the desert is hotter. We were there on a moderate day, but summer’s here. Desert Adventures will provide water but please be sure you lather on the sunscreen, wear comfy stuff and bring a hat.
DETAILS:
A few weekends ago we decided to take a road trip to the desert. When I saw a groupon deal for a tour of the San Andreas Fault, I was intrigued. We’re supposed to be in “discovering new things” mode here at HiddenLA and since I hate earthquakes with every fiber of my being, I figured it might be a good way for me to learn more about them. Besides, who doesn’t need a road trip once in a while!? (more…)
IMAGERY – Compton Boulevard, circa 1885
CLICK ON IMAGE FOR LARGER VIEW
View of Compton Boulevard looking west from Alameda Boulevard in Compton, ca.1885
IMAGERY – Wildflowers in Corral Canyon
Took a drive out to Malibu yesterday to go to the LA Urban Rangers‘ last Malibu public beach safari (the rangers are awesome and doing great work for Los Angeles, you should check them out!). Anyhow, after the safari I decided to do a little adventuring and ended up randomly following Corral Canyon Road from PCH until it turns into a dirt road. Here’s what I saw… a whole bunch of pretty! :)
While wildfires are destructive, they’re a part of nature… although there’s still evidence of burned plants along the hillsides, the new flowers and plants have all grown around them. To see video of what these hillsides looked like in 2007, scroll down after the jump.
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TIP – One FREE Tommy Burger For Every Year
On May 15, 1946, Tom Koulax opened a chili burger and hot dog stand on the northeast corner of Beverly and Rampart Boulevards. The key to Original Tommy’s initial success was its proximity to Belmont High School; the local student body was the core of his original clientele and employees. Now expanded to hundreds of locations and thousands of loyal customers, the original stand on Beverly is still going stronger than ever.
So just a little heads up… according to Original Tommy’s Facebook status today, you might wanna stop by 2575 Beverly Boulevard for lunch today and say a few magic words:
“Today is the Shack’s 64th birthday. At the Shack only from 12 noon till 1 PM we will give free chiliburgers to the first 64 people that say Happy 64th Birthday. The big party is next year when the Shack turns 65, it will be BIG.”
QUIZ – What Lies Beneath #7
Okay, sorry for the delay… we had some technical issues but the answer’s posted now! It’s after the jump. :)
We know we’ve been a bit behind on posting lately… we’ve been trying to focus on planning some events and getting root canals and stuff, so admittedly this quiz is long overdue. But here it is!
As a refresher, here’s how this little game goes… we’ll show you a spot on a google map (see below). We’re thinking of something notable within a block or two of the point on that map. Within 24 hours we’ll give you the full details… but as always, we’re going to give you a fair amount of time to guess what we’re referring to first. We encourage you not to cheat by googling the address and if you know the answer right away please try not to announce it too quickly and ruin the game for the people who don’t.
Today we’re headed to the San Gabriel Valley. Ready? OKAY! :)
HELP – This Pup Needs A Home!
Food trucks are so trendy in Los Angeles right now… and while we definitely do enjoy the occasional Kogi spicy pork slider, at heart we tend to be more old school and sentimental here at HiddenLA. So a big thanks to our friends over at Mapping Los Angeles for cluing us in to today’s LA Times article about the ongoing struggle of iconic food stand Tail O The Pup, which has apparently been gathering dust, covered up and sitting on wheels in a Torrance warehouse for four years now, waiting for someone to give the registered Los Angeles landmark a home.
CLICK ON IMAGE FOR LARGER VIEW 
(more…)
VIDEO – Beneath Los Angeles
Here’s a little tribute to the truly permanent residents of Los Angeles by Steve Goldstein, the man behind LA’s Graveside Companion: Where the V.I.P.s R.I.P. (and regular contributor to Find A Grave). This video features images from a book he’s working on… and for your internet pleasure, he also offers “GraveGrams” that you can send to your friends too.
Unfortunately, the video appears to have some buffering issues so for optimum enjoyment, I’d recommend pausing it to give it a chance to load before playing.
VIDEO – The Hidden Oil Rigs of L.A.
Anyone who has driven by down La Cienega to the airport or through Long Beach has found the local oil derricks hard to miss. Many people know about the rigs hidden between the kidney shaped buildings at Beverly Center and that the site of the Farmers Market/Grove Shopping Center was where Earl Gilmore once struck oil, but most don’t realize that black gold is actually being pumped from the ground below your feet every day. The video below really shows and explains that process.
Exploration #4 – Oil of L.A. – Twenty billion barrels of oil sit beneath Los Angeles. Hidden in plain sight, thousands of wells pump day and night all over the city covered by hollow office buildings, camouflaged next to high schools, and concealed behind shopping malls. We put on our boots and went exploring.
Exploration #4 – Oil of L.A. – Twenty billion barrels of oil sit beneath Los Angeles. Hidden in plain sight, thousands of wells pump day and night all over the city covered by hollow office buildings, camouflaged next to high schools, and concealed behind shopping malls. We put on our boots and went exploring.
This great video was filmed as part of VBS.tv “Uneven Terrain,” a series “devoted to urban exploration and uncovering the hidden, underground and forgotten corners of the world’s leading metropolises.” The second episode was about pirate radio in London.
QUIZ – What Lies Beneath #5
The answer is posted after the jump! :)
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Hint: this week’s What Lies Beneath is holiday-themed!
Just to refresh your memory, here’s how this little game goes… we’ll show you a spot on a google map (see below). We’re thinking of a reason this location is notable. Within 24 hours we’ll give you the full details… but as always, we’re going to give you a fair amount of time to guess what we’re referring to first. We encourage you not to cheat by googling the address and if you know the answer right away please try not to announce it too quickly and ruin the game for the people who don’t.
Here it is!
RIP – Jaime Escalante
UPDATE: Jaime Escalante passed away from cancer on March 30, 2010.
This article is a repost from July 2009.
HiddenLA’s HOT Angeleno of the Day: JAIME ESCALANTE!!!
Our HOT Angeleno feature was created to prove a point and counter the perception that we’re all shallow dimwits here. Knowing this, normally this is about the time I’d make silly jokes about whether or not the accomplished person being profiled has rock-hard abs – just to be a smart ass. Today I’ll refrain from the silliness out of respect for the subject, though. Jaime Escalante was born in Chochabamba, Bolivia, where he began teaching physics and mathematics. In 1964 he decided to find a new life for himself in America, although he spoke no english and had no valid American teaching credentials. He began to go to night school at Pasadena City and CSULA, and in 1974 was hired to teach basic math at Garfield High in East LA. His students were disrespectful, unprepared and uninterested. He considered giving up teaching, but over time his incredible educational and motivational skills as a teacher ended up turning around a low-priority public high school as he single-handedly built a calculus program rivaled by only a few well-funded private academies. His teaching style and students’ accomplishments were the focus of the 1988 movie Stand And Deliver.
So THAT’S why he’s our Hot Angeleno today. But unfortunately, the story of Jaime Escalante didn’t play out as happily as the movie, which is why I won’t joke about his abs. It just doesn’t feel respectful, and he deserves to be honored. Bureaucracy and office politics aside, for our own sakes we need to embrace our passionate and caring educators and leaders instead of underpay them, knock them down and drive them away.
*To see a great video of Jaime discussing his love for teaching, scroll down after the jump.* (more…)
QUIZ – What Lies Beneath #4
Our answer is posted after the jump! :)
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We’re heading a little outside of the city today and down to Long Beach! The rest of the game works the same as usual… below is a spot on a google map. Today we’re thinking of a specific *reason* that this location is notable (other than the general business it currently does every day). Within 24 hours we’ll give you the full details… but as usual, we’re going to give you a little time to guess what we’re referring to first. If you know the answer right away please try not to announce it too quickly and ruin the game for the people who don’t. No hints today, either!
Okay… here you go!
QUIZ – What Lies Beneath #3
Okay, time’s up. The answer is after the jump!!!
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It’s that time of the week again! :)
Just to refresh your memory, here’s how this little game goes… first we’ll show you a spot on a google map (see below). We’re thinking of a notable location that’s within walking distance of that exact point, less than a block or two away. Within 24 hours we’ll give you the full details… but as before, we’re going to give you a little time to guess what we’re referring to first. We encourage you not to cheat by googling the address (but we know how impatient some of you are). If you know the answer right away please try not to announce it too quickly and ruin the game for the people who don’t.
And no hints this time! BWAHHAHAHAHAAAHHHH!!! < ---(That's our evil laugh.)
Ready? GO!
