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The Nation's Pulse
Getting to Know the City of Angels
A tourist in America’s second largest city.
(Page 2 of 2)
However, this city also boasts highbrow appeal, having amassed an impressive array of world-class museums and arts venues.
We lunched at the lovely, outrageously expensive Polo Lounge in the Beverly Hills Hotel and Bungalows. This pricey, albeit delightful meal pretty much scratched plans to visit Spanish TV chef José Andrés’s new restaurant, the Bazaar where, according to the Wall Street Journal, “All meals are made up of tapas, and signature items include drinks and canapés dipped in vats of liquid nitrogen…A palm-reader roams the floor, offering predictions.” Oh well, maybe the next trip.
After feeding the body, it was time to feed the soul.
Does art follow the money, or does the money follow art? The latter seems to be the case in Los Angeles where the world’s richest man (at the time), the late J. Paul Getty, a world-class collector, endowed and established two of the most spectacular art institutions to be found anywhere in the world. The National Gallery in Washington and the Louvre in Paris have more art masterpieces per square foot, but both the Getty Center in town and the Getty Villa in Malibu, a short drive through gorgeous Santa Monica, are unparalleled in terms of their topography, architecture and presentation of myriad treasures of Western civilization all in combination.
The Getty Center, which must be reached by tram, is located on 750 acres in the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains with public and private buildings housing a museum, research and conservation institutes and the Getty Foundation. The Central Garden is marvelous as are the structures which constitute an artistic experience unto themselves. The views here and at the Villa are magnificent.
The Getty Villa houses over 1,200 works of art from Greek, Roman and Etruscan antiquity. You do not need a classical education to appreciate the beauty of the antiquities assembled by Mr. Getty. Again, as with the Getty Museum, the Villa-the structure itself-is an object to be contemplated and enjoyed. It is a precise, archeologically correct, replica of the Villa dei Papiri, a Roman country house in Herculaneum. That would be the Herculaneum buried in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. The structure also draws from other Roman homes in Pompeii and Stabiae.
There is an atrium, formal and herb gardens, a floor plan of alternating triangles of Numidian yellow and africano or dark gray Lucullan marble, fountains, Corinthian columns and streets paved with irregular stones.
Moreover, it has burgeoning neighborhoods that bear little resemblance to those featured in The Hills or Entourage.
As much fun as was the wretched excess of Beverly Hills and environs, on Sunday we did manage to make it to the impressive though hyper-modernist Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown L.A., a structure “with virtually no right angles.” The architect thought this conveyed a sense of mystery and other worldliness, I believe.
We were privileged to have the new Archbishop, the Most Reverend José Gomez, a native of Mexico and a fine homilist, celebrate Mass and offer his thoughts on giving unto Caesar the things that are his and to God the things that are His. It sounded like one of my book reviews for TAS. Great minds think alike, right?
Besides being the seat of the Archbishop, the Cathedral is a vibrant parish, largely Hispanic, blue collar and devout. The service was in English but there is a Spanish mass at another time on Sunday. When the lector welcomed first-time visitors to the Cathedral and asked them to stand, they were almost all Anglo conventioneers and tourists. We received a hearty round of applause from our Hispanic co-religionists. The Cathedral, by the way, was packed.
After mass, we strolled around the plaza outside where there are several interesting shrines and features celebrating Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas.
When in Los Angeles, do as the Angelenos. We left the Cathedral for a historic Mexican neighborhood, festival and market area — El Pueblo de Los Angeles — to have lunch at an excellent Mexican restaurant and down a few margaritas with my wife’s nephew, an aspiring teacher in town. No question, California Dreamin’ is hard to deny.
America’s second largest city has more depth than paparazzi shutters can ever capture. So set aside your preconceived notions and take a look at L.A. Today.
About the Author
G. Tracy Mehan, III served at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in the administrations of both Presidents Bush. He is a consultant in Arlington, Virginia, and an adjunct professor at George Mason University School of Law.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (25) | Leave a comment
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gearjammer| 11.2.11 @ 7:52AM
What was the occupy LA scene like ?
Tryon| 11.2.11 @ 11:29AM
The trees, shrubs, and flowering plants of Los Angeles are stunning. Magnificent! Miles and miles of tall palms, ficus trees, bouganvilia, flowering plants with blooms so brilliaint the term Technicolor comes to mind.
The natural environments of Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and surrounding areas are worth the trip.
The beauty of Los Angeles is in the landscaping. It's a natural paradise.
Forget about the hideous popular culture crap, and come look at the gorgeous trees, shrubs, flowers. You will be delighted; I guarantee.
Occam's Tool| 11.2.11 @ 4:20PM
Tryon: my advice is to forget LA and go to Mobile, Alabama. See if Quin will take you to the Bellingrath gardens. Wow!
A Janeite| 11.2.11 @ 7:57AM
What trip, Mr. Mehan!!!
Pecos Pete| 11.2.11 @ 8:51AM
Been there, lived there, done that ... wouldn't go back to Los Angeles, or California, for any reason.
jan| 11.5.11 @ 1:53PM
I would not even want to be buried there!
DTOM| 11.2.11 @ 9:14AM
Sounds like you missed one icon: the twelve foot tall statue of John Wayne at the Orange County airport. The first time I saw it, I just blurted out,
"Oh! It's life-sized!"
PS It's really named the John Wayne Airport. And the statue is only nine feet tall, ya know, big as Sasquatch!
Stormzeye| 11.2.11 @ 10:49AM
Oh great, another Ben Stein!
Seek| 11.2.11 @ 12:24PM
Clint's 2008 movie was called "Gran Torino," not "Grand Torino." Ford made 'em; Americans bought 'em.
nohussein| 11.2.11 @ 12:24PM
It's a wet back infested dump, I know, I lived there for 28 years.
PolishKnight| 11.2.11 @ 1:18PM
I lived there for 10 years. Some of them quite fond memories. Some great (reasonably priced) restaurants, 2 Opera houses, some very interesting places to shop, and near LA a great outdoor PUBLIC shooting range that Charlton Heston used to go to.
On the negative side, it's very much like Bladerunner. The ethnic diversity, and it truly is diverse with Mexican, Asian, Black, and European influences tends to produce both benefits (see above) and a drawback that most people don't have a lot in common with each other. Your friends will live several miles away from you and each mile taking about a half hour to drive in traffic. In addition, the cities roads are crumbling except for the nice, new shiny speed and red light cameras they set up.
Like NYC, it's not a place most sensible people will live in for long.
LA does have a lot of industry going through it. It's one of the top manufacturers of clothing outside of China. As a port, it's a large conduit of imports from China into the USA. These factors allow the city to have an industry besides entertainment holding it up (it needs it with all the people in it.)
Doctor Right| 11.2.11 @ 1:48PM
Does anyone else think it's kinda' dumb that their AL baseball team is called "The Angels"..???
Since "Los Angeles" means "The Angels"...?
So basically, the team is called "The Angels The Angels"...
Weird.
Occam's Tool| 11.2.11 @ 4:17PM
Well, I lived in LA for 5 years, doing an internship in Pedsa and a Residency in Psychiatry.
The place is physically painful to live in as the traffic is outrageous and the people are, to a very large extent, swine. I am glad I am gone and live in rural Minnesota. The only thing better about LA is the Thai food and the weather. Otherwise, advantage is ALL MN.
That being said, yes, the Getty is fantastic. I used to visit the earlier version in Malibu, before it moved. But it was very annoying to have to plan a visit to a museum a week ahead of time (For the reservation for PARKING!).
Except for my educational experiences at UCLA, I don't think about LA much anymore. I have been in many more interesting places since then.
Steve C.| 11.4.11 @ 8:31PM
I am stubborn and refuse to call the Angels the Los Angeles Angels. I still call them the Anaheim Angels.
They won a World Series as the Anaheim Angels.
What was wrong with that name is beyond me, but they never asked my opinion before they made the change.
jan| 11.5.11 @ 2:02PM
Just like Chai Tea or Rice Pilaf , Chai meaning tea and pilaf meaning rice in Turkish!
G. Tracy Mehan, III| 11.2.11 @ 2:49PM
Seek, good catch on the "Grand" Torino goof. Will ask Wlady to correct forthwith. Thanks.
gearjammer| 11.2.11 @ 6:51PM
So he made a little Malibooboo.
calvin | 11.2.11 @ 3:48PM
What exactly is the point? I would rather visit a rodeo in Montana for the honest Americana it could provide.
Skippy| 11.2.11 @ 5:12PM
I love L.A.
Westwood/Brentwood/anywhere west of the 405 is the civil part of town.
UCLA campus is stunning.
One of the most American cities ever, in so many of the best and worst ways.
I love L.A.!
nohussein| 11.2.11 @ 6:11PM
prog town skip, dump.
Skippy| 11.3.11 @ 12:57PM
And which American city is not?
e track from saq| 11.2.11 @ 6:40PM
Take a trip to the OC once a year,to visit relatives .
What really sticks with me is the explosion of food
coming out of the valley.The climate is unique in all the US,think Greek.And if you go and do go,try to be there in the end of May when the jacarandas are in beautiful purple bloom.
Red River Ratten| 11.2.11 @ 7:35PM
Was this an article trying to soften us up for when we'll be told that California needs its $$$gazillions bailout?
RJ| 11.2.11 @ 11:38PM
Having lived most of my life in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, I am saddened by the decline of California. It was truly the golden state in the 1950-60s. Most of the construction was new; the population was small enough so that crowds and traffic were not a problem; and the people were considered polite and friendly. The weather was great and wonderful things happened in California.
These days, the infrastructure is old and overwhelmed; crowds and traffic are everywhere; rudeness is a fact of life; the government is dysfunctional; and Californians have been leaving the state for over 20 years. How quickly the Golden State turned into the Collapsing State.
Vern Crisler | 11.3.11 @ 4:37AM
What, you didn't go to Disneyland? Well, okay, but next time. For me, the best part of visiting LA is the Reagan Library, an oasis of substance in the midst of a profoundly frivolous culture.