Glendale Blvd: Geometric Concrete Art Yard

There's landscaping, there's xeriscaping, and then, at 2677 Glendale Blvd., there's this. I'm going to call it cretescaping.

A lot of people in LA trade in their front yards for a slab of concrete on which to park their cars. I hate this practice because it makes the city a heat-reflecting, water-deflecting, man-made desert. But the people at this house said, "I would really like to come out every morning and see something like 70s super graphics, but in painted concrete. Can we do that?" You can, and you did. I like it.



So if it will end up looking like this, go ahead and create a paved front yard.




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Glendale Blvd: Hallelujah Prayer Center Jesus/Sheep Mural

The Hallelujah Prayer Center is a Korean-oriented church. I'm not sure, but I think it's Pentecostal. Anyway, they've got a great mural.

Here's the front wall in detail:







I love the interplay between the painted imagery and the actual landscape.













Check out this little guy on the right side. He's hiding behind the painted bush as well as the actual bush. That's the work of a mastermind.









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Glendale Blvd: Glendale-Hyperion Viaduct

The Glendale-Hyperion Viaduct is really two bridges that merge into one. You have one bridge for Hyperion Blvd. and one for Glendale Blvd. (both start in Silver Lake) and they merge over the LA River and the 5 Freeway to become one road (Glendale Blvd.) in Atwater.



The bridge was completed in 1929, and dedicated in 1930. For an amazing history of the bridge and its construction, complete with old construction drawings and photos, check out this post on the amazing LA blog Big Orange Landmarks.

Of particular interest on this site is a link to some pictures of an electric cable car that used to run on the bridge. Why did LA get rid of these?







I love the details on this bridge, such as the molding at the joint here. Why can't they do something this interesting with a freeway?













Under the bridge is a whole other world.



How did the graffitier get down here paint? Did he or she take a boat? I'd love to see some graffiti kids getting in a canoe and getting down here to paint. It would almost make me love graffiti.



The bridge is also home for one person. He wasn't there when I shot this, but he came up from the river when he saw me poking around.

Now I see this guy all the time when I'm crossing the bridge in my car. It's strange because I feel like I kind of know him, or at least I know where he lives, which is more than I know about most people.



Next to the bridge is an entrance to the middle of the LA River's bike path. The path starts just north of the 134 and continues almost all the way down to where San Fernando crosses the river.

It's a great ride and provides a unique glimpse of LA, fitness freaks next to homeless people next to the freeway next to wildlife next to power lines next to garbage and graffiti. But at least there are no cars.







Here's the plaque that gives all the important names. Click it to see a larger version, or, like I said earlier, go to Big Orange Landmark to get the history on who these people are.



Next to the bridge, just inside Atwater, is this place, Cabellero School of Dance and Dave's Accordian School. Back in 1971, Dave had a dream, to teach the world to play accordion. Keep the dream alive Dave. Read his history here.



Of particular interest to me was who Dave has worked with. From his website:

Dave provides repair and technical services to a growing list of both local and out-of-state professional accordionists and bands, including Weird Al Yankovic, Glen Hartman of New Orleans Klezmer, Dennis Prager of KRLA radio, Danny Elfman enterprises, the James Taylor band, Thomas Koppel of Savage Rose, Eric Melvin of NOFX, the Dixie Chicks and the Pogues.

Dennis Prager the asshole bigot, Weird Al the genius from Lynwood, and the Pogues who I'm kind of ambivalent about. Interesting mix of clients.




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Glendale Blvd: Tacos Villa Corona and Pampered Birds

The best breakfast burrito in LA is at Tacos Villa Corona, a small little storefront on Glendale Blvd. It's run by a mother and daughter, I believe, and they have one of the best-seasoned burrito grills in the city. I think that one of the things that makes their breakfast burrito (on the menu as the pappas burrito) so good is that their potatoes are very soft and mix well with the other ingredients so it becomes like one mess of flavor.

Here's a blurb on them from ChowHound.

Also after you order, be sure to put your name on the back of a raffle ticket and put it in their fishbowl. They draw three names every week, write them on a paper plate, and these winners get a free lunch. When I went in last weekend I saw my friend Kime Buzzelli won. If you don't know Kime Buzzelli (artist, illustartor, and founder of the now defunct Show Pony in Echo Park), check out her fashion/art/cat blog here and her Etsy page here.



My tradition after going to Tacos Villa Corona is to goto Pampered Birds next door and check on the parrots, the parakeets, and the toucan. They wouldn't let me photograph in the store, but if you're ever in the neighborhood, go in and see what they have in here. The toucan is particularly cool.

Of course, I also like the sun that is slurping up the rainbow, presumably consuming the birds that ride it. The birds, for their part, are oblivious to their fate, apparently too busy strutting. Only the green one on the end suspects anything is wrong.







A few buildings down from Pampered Birds is a tattoo removal place. Now that you're an investment banker rather than a roadie, do you need to get rid of that tattoo of a peace sign with wings on your hand? Yeah, these guys know your dilemma and can help.




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Glendale Blvd: Cactus Mural for Russell Lorette

This mural at the corner of Glenfeliz Blvd. and Glendale Blvd is a tribute to Russell Lorette, a TV camera man for various news and sports programs.



I found this picture of Russell online. I think his sister posted it. I like that I was able to find this picture and put a name to the face. I work in production and I can definitely imagine this guy on set. He just has the look of someone in production.

On another website, Pictures of Murals in Los Angeles, it says that Russell committed suicide. I'm not sure how they got that information. The site also has pictures of an earlier version of the mural, before the sky was expanded and before the electrical box was painted.







The mural was done by Rafael Escamilla, a Salvadoran-born artist with murals around Atwater and other parts of Los Angeles.



I love that the electrical boxes have also been painted so that it doesn't become like an editing device in a John Baldessari piece.






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