Art Deco on Wilshire Blvd.

For my 36th anniversary (how did that ever happen! (Ok let’s say I got married at 15), Joel got me a new IPad. I had been using the original first generation, no camera, super slow.  I am having so much fun! I went to Mood to buy fabric (more about that in another post).  I’ve been thinking of the many pictures I can take in this city, having my iPad with me, as well as a good 45 minutes on the meter I went exploring. This is the corner of Wilshire and La Brea, big busy intersection. I have no idea if Samsung still has anything to do with this incredible Art Deco, but their big blue sign sure disrupts the view. In the 1930’s Los Angeles was marching westward. This section of Wilshire is known as the miracle mile, it used to all be Art Deco. This was Desmond’s Dept store, this being the heyday of such stores. View from the front.Right across the street is this new mixed use building. As wonderful as Art Deco is, it can’t all be saved. Btw, this is what we use umbrellas for here, as sun protection.Right next door to the Desmond is this wonderful little gem known as The Deco.Wonderful details, this little jewel was designed by Stiles O. Clements, maybe he had leftover tile from the Atlantic Richfield building downtown. That masterpiece was torn down in the 70’s when people were completely bored with Art Deco. So having this small example around is wonderful. 
The black and gold  in the ARCO building represented black gold – oil.  Which is why I think he must have had some left over, just enough for a small building.Like most of these buildings, the public facade is gorgeous, the side of the building, drab, and utilitarian. I went inside and asked to take pictures. I was told that wasn’t posible, I was very polite and commended them for taking such good care of this gem.A block up, on La Brea one can see this wonderful tower, View from Sycamore Ave over the roofs of old Spanish style homesToday this is a modern bistro, For years it was Campanile, and before that, an office building built in 1929 by Charlie Chaplin.  His studios were just up the street. Once again, drab side but a nice view of the tower.