In the 1930s, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy tried to push a crated piano up one of Silverlake’s pedestrian staircases. That process – and its outcome – are the subject of their short film, The Music Box. I’m not much of a Laurel & Hardy fan, but it’s still pretty cool to incorporate a bit of cinematic history into one’s exercise routine!
I stayed in LA last night, so before heading home I thought I’d get in a little stair climbing training. Thanks to Google, I found secretstairs-la.com, and decided on the Music Box Steps loop. Author Charles Fleming does a great job describing the walk, so I won’t get into details here. Suffice it to say that it was a nice little jaunt – 2.3 miles and 705 
steps in all. Along the way, you take in the many sights and sounds of urban life. I’ve driven right past this walk many times on Sunset Boulevard and never known this was so close to the road.
And who knew? – there’s even an annual event (at the appropriately-named Laurel & Hardy Park) to commemorate the film and the steps. Perhaps it’s time to track down this movie…
BONUS – YouTube to the rescue again: Here’s a 30-year-old Dutch documentary on the movie/location, and here’s a more general story on the Hidden Staircases of LA.
US Bank stairs, here I come. Fortunately, I won’t have to climb them with a piano in tow.
The excitement I felt after climbing the 55 stories of the Wells Fargo Tower quickly dissipated last evening when I tried the 42-story One California Plaza and took the same amount of time. Maybe it was the warmer weather, maybe it was the larger crowd of people climbing with me, but it opened my eyes that the US Bank Tower just might not be a slam dunk.
So it was nice to at least have dinner with friends to look forward to. L and I met E at his downtown loft (where I finally saw the incredible Richfield Angel, worthy of its own post one day) and we headed to Weiland’s when the line at Wurstkuche was far too long.
But it was the post-dinner drinks at Villains Tavern that were the highlight of the evening. Opened just a month ago, Villains is in practically the last place you’d ever look, but the setting is perfect for this nonconforming bar. That setting is an industrial area on the edge of downtown, right next to the LA River between the 4th and 6th street bridges. It’s an easy walk from the Biscuit Company or Barker Block Lofts, but you’d never know there was a great spot there. Clearly, though, that’s just the impression it conveys - as both inside and the outdoor patio were practically full at 9PM. With an outdoor music stage, I hear later crowds line up around the block.
Villains is distinguishing itself with creative food and signature cocktails. Dave Whitton tends bar, and the attention he put into every drink was awesome to watch. He tested one of his new creations on E – I’m not quite sure of all that was in it, but I was intrigued that he had to wait weeks before he could make it, until he was able to attain a special framboise strawberry. Similarly, my own “Fatal Hour” relied on a certain kind of chocolate chili bitters to give it its advertised “evil twist”. Everyone was raving about the Montmorency cherries that appear in certain concoctions, and I confess that the one in my glass was a treat after the last drop of the drink.
The owner is an interior designer and has created a Wild West saloon feel inside. A myriad of old glass bottles in the entry windows are said to provide a fantastic stained glass effect during daylight hours. This place is going to do great. But it sure won’t be a secret for long.
I haven’t posted in a while, but it’s not for a lack of doing things. They’ve either been repeat activities, like Hollywood Bowl (RENT and Sergio Mendes this summer) or out-of-state trips, like a great weekend in NJ/NY.
But last night provided a perfect posting opportunity. I met L after work at Spring Street, a fun new little watering hole near the intersection of 6th and (you guessed it). We decided to take the long way back to Pershing Square and happened up the recently-opened mac&cheeza. I’d been meaning to try it ever since friend T put it on my radar. And as luck would have it, we were starving.
You can only buy 3 things at mac&cheeza: their namesake macaroni & cheese, sweets (cookies & cupcakes) and soda. Ordering mac & cheese is basically a construction project: you choose your size (from baby to Mac Daddy), your noodle (traditional elbow or gluten-free rice noodle), your sauce (traditional cheese or soy), any additions (I chose peas, black olives and bacon) and your topping (3-cheese blend or toasted walnut). They assemble it, run it through the Quizno’s-like oven, and 10-minutes later, you have a perfect aluminum pan of macaroni and cheese. It stayed hot the whole ride home, and I loved every bit. I think mac&cheeza has a great formula – but we’ll have to see how it plays in Bakersfield…
We even had a non-comestible treat as we waited outside: a red double-decker Star Line bus drove by, with none other than urban anthropologist Eric Lynxwiler on top. This was my second unexpected Lynxwiler encounter in a day, so I’m starting to think he’s a good omen…
Last year I wanted to participate in the Stair Climb to the Top at the US Bank Tower – 1500 steps to the top of the tallest building west of the Mississippi. But I wimped out, mostly because I had no way of finding out beforehand whether I’d have the endurance to make it. They offered pre-event training, but since I don’t work downtown I didn’t have the opportunity to take advantage of it. Sure, I climb the stairs to the 5th floor office each day, but that’s not quite the same as 75 flights.
This year I found out that a co-worker is thinking of doing it – and through her learned that you can also climb the stairs at the Wells Fargo Tower. Although it’s “only” the 7th tallest building in LA (and 92nd tallest in the US), it’s no slouch, with 55 floors to climb.
And so we set out after work. A mere 18 minutes later we reached the top – not bad at all for the first try. Watch out, US Bank Tower – here I come!
Tags: hiking
The second day of the Dwell On Design Home Tour focused on the “Eastside“, which this year consisted of Silver Lake, Larchmont, Hollywood and Atwater Village. And unlike the first day’s tour, this one had much more varied terrain, from the shadows of Chavez Ravine to the top of the Hollywood Hills.
Ridgewood Residence
We met up at the Ridgewood House, designed by David Thompson, and it easily became one of my favorite houses of the tour. To begin with, the neighborhood is a hidden gem. Located just a few blocks from the gritty intersection of Beverly and Western, it’s a leafy street lined with beautiful old craftsman homes. And there situated at the end of it, on the corner, is Thompson’s modern home. But instead of conflicting with the other buildings, his fits in wonderfully, using materials and design that complement the existing houses (the New York Times even featured it in an article, Thoroughly Modern But Downright Neighborly. He evokes the spirit of Schindler, Neutra and Lautner by bringing nature into the home through light and materials – and in extending the home outdoors through wonderful decks located throughout. The master bedroom is especially wonderful, with sliding glass that opens a full corner to the outdoor deck.
The Kameon/Otsea House was located in a seemingly impossible site right near Dodger Stadium and the 110 Freeway. We had to follow a maze-like path to get to the neighborhood of somewhat run-down hillside homes. This house sits among them like an island; you can’t even really see it from the road because of the landscaping. Once you enter the gate, the house unfolds down the hillside. I really enjoyed the different outdoor living areas and the trees that surrounded the home. It felt quite the oasis in the midst of the busy city.
The Atwater House also had a nice feeling of woodsy tranquility to it. It was neat to see what the architects did with an extended remodel that transformed an older bungalow into a more modern residence. The Auburn 7 homes were a cool concept right in the neighborhood of the Avenel Cooperative, but didn’t impress me as much as the Gregory Ain homes. The Los Feliz Residence was an eclectic funhouse of modern architecture – worth a peek to see all of the creative architecture and design concepts.
Deronda Drive Residence
Sharing the spot for my favorite home was the Deronda Drive Residence. The exterior shot used as a preview told me that it would be a special place, and the house lived up to my expectations. A Hollywood Hills location with a sweeping view of Downtown LA is a pretty awesome thing; the architects took full advantage of it with the siting of the house, and the pool in the front. At the same time, the house had both of feeling of privacy and being open to the outdoors. Inside, it had friendly and open living spaces and a very comfortable feeling.
12 homes in 2 days was a lot to take in, but the opportunity to see many of these wonderful homes doesn’t come around often so I couldn’t pass it up. I also enjoyed having the company of friends J & M. Their presence made the tour more interesting and entertaining.
A few links from others who took the home tour are here…
Tags: Architecture
This past weekend, the Dwell on Design convention was in town, and consequently I was able to enjoy two of their home tours. Once again, my feelings could be summed up in a word: wow. This event is a fantastic way to discover the endless ways that architects and designers have created living spaces suited to individual lifestyles and all the wonderful variations of the LA environment.
Beitcher Residence, Santa Monica
The Saturday tour focused on the westside communities of Venice and Santa Monica. And while none of the homes were on the beach, they all enjoyed the mild coastal climate and flat lots. In all, we visited 6 homes in 6 hours, taking time for travel and breaks. Dwell is the best organized of the home tours I’ve done in the past year; I especially appreciate that you can visit the homes in any order and stay as much or as little time as you’d like (indeed, I was ready to move in to a couple of them).
Each house had something notable – whether it be the way it defined a space, or the types of materials it employed. Some of them stood out as my favorites, so those are the ones I’ll describe here. Photography rules were clearly posted. Most allowed photos for personal use but not publication (including blogs). A few allowed all photography. Some didn’t allow photography at all, which I think is lame. I’ll respect the wishes of those not allowing photography for publication by just including the photos I took from the street.
Reilly/Biddle Residence
The Beitcher Residence was the first stop on the tour, and one of my favorite residences from both days. As was to be common in many of the structures, the inside merged seamlessly with the outside, with plenty of light and sliding walls of glass. It’s just as easy to live outside as inside and to flow between the two. We saw several homes on the tour that used an “L” shape, with a front that spanned the full width of the lot, and a back living wing that ran along one side. This allowed the home to close in a back area containing pool, small lawn or garden, and patio area. I enjoyed talking with the home’s owner, and this was something we encountered in many of the houses. In fact, many of them were owned by the architect who designed and built them.
The Reilly/Biddle House was another favorite of mine. I was struck in particular by the beautiful wooden “roof” (ceiling doesn’t do it justice) that spanned that whole open great room and even floated above it thanks to the clerestory windows. It also cleverly employed a bookcase wall to showcase treasures and separate the living area from sleeping quarters running alongside it. The very deep lot allowed for both a long house and plenty of pool and garden space in the back.
Skywave House
The Walnut House unfortunately didn’t allow photos, but it was special in the way that it was built to preserve and benefit from a huge stone pine in the backyard. The architect explained how he worked with the corten steel to create the distinctive colors and geometries that characterize the home.
I was impressed that all of these homes showcased building materials and methods characterized as “green”. Most had wood floors that were not only beautiful, but made of reclaimed or sustainably harvested wood. Several had no central HVAC, instead taking advantage of insulation and ventilation for temperature control. Some even harvested rainwater, and all took full advantage of natural light. I was impressed when the owner of one residence shared her electric bill = $9/month, with 2 refrigerators.
Rainbow Living just happened to be featured that day in the LA Times. The construction itself didn’t stand out to me as much as some of the design – rubber sinks and a very creative custom kitchen island, whose stools fit perfectly into the island itself when not in use. The Skywave House was a veritable funhouse, with glass rooms, multiple levels and unusual building materials. But you can only see it from the street because they also wouldn’t allow pictures.
Curbed LA has done a nice job covering several of the homes of the tour. You can find their write-up and pictures here.
Tags: Architecture
