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LA Day Trip

postal

In LA on a job, but only for a day or half of it...

Where shall I go? what shall I do? Let's get a list of buildings one absolutely must visit if they've never been before...

I'll actually be down in Costa Mesa, but am lookin to drive all over the place...

i should've posted this friday, eh well, I get to go back twice more...

 
Apr 22, 07 10:02 am
dierxap

Depends on what you are interested in..

some thoughts..

close....

venice - intersting area..some old morphosis, gehry,
malibu - meier akerberg, lautner both facing beach. can walk up to them. Old Getty..just renovated by Machado Silvetti.
culver city - see moss' experiments. all within about a city block.
downtown - gehry disney moneo cathedral, isosaki moma, morphosis caltrans (all within waking distance)
beverlyhills/westwood area - morphosis kate mantilini, schindler house, wright
Getty
silverlake - various neutra, schindler, lautner, goff (most private..not much to get into)
pasadena - wright, gamble gamble

further south

la jolla - Kahns salk

further east

morphosis - diamond ranch

Apr 22, 07 10:11 am  · 
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jakebek1

lloyd wright's - wayfarers chapel

Apr 22, 07 10:47 am  · 
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postal

is there like an equivalent of the chicago architecture foundation, where I could drop by and pick up some maps or somethin?

Apr 22, 07 1:53 pm  · 
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treekiller

down in costa mesa, there is shopping nirvana next to a great noguci landscape 'california experience'. not much else in the oc except if you are an evangelical phillip johnson fan.

Apr 22, 07 1:58 pm  · 
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by the time you drop by and pick up the maps, not only your full day will be gone but you might also miss your plane next day.
i'd do what treekiller suggests.

Apr 22, 07 2:07 pm  · 
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strlt_typ

getty villa-what machado and silvetti did along the upward path and entry pavilion to the plaza was elegantly muted with planes of formed concrete and masonry retaining hillsides and creating pathways within the lushness of it all...great collection of artifacts within a simulated villa...it's located along the pacific coast highway so you'll get a good drive along the pacific on your way there and out....stop by venice on your way south...

tickets is by reservation only by i heard it's possible to snag one if you call early in the day...





Apr 22, 07 2:43 pm  · 
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KEG

probably too late now , but....

considering it can take 1-2 hours to get to LA from CM (or take the train in an hour from Santa Ana to Union Station), I would pick one or two areas and stick to it. Walk downtown for LA's aforementioned glory or drive though Hayden Tract in Culver City for EOM's work.

LA is big....1/2 a day trying to "go all over" will have you driving the whole time (unless you follow the walk Michael Douglas did in "Falling Down"-didn't he walk from south central to the Santa Monica peer in half a day?).

have fun...

Apr 22, 07 2:50 pm  · 
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mdler

I would just hang out at the beach...

Like everyone else has said, driving all over to see a few buildings will land you in traffic. You may want to just pick an area (Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Silverlake, Pasadena, etc) and stick to that area. Many of the houses that you may want to see are private and not very accessible.

If you really want to do something fun, drive Muhullond drive and get a sense of the dichotomy between man and nature that is LA (I know that sounds like a second year studio project statement, but is is true). It is one of the most amazing drives in the city because you are constantly going between the mountains, the valley, Hollywood, $20 million homes, helicoptors, etc... There is a Shindler house and a Lautner house along the drive (a few Lautners, actually).

Also, getting lost in the hills is always fun.

Apr 22, 07 3:11 pm  · 
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el jeffe

"unless you follow the walk Michael Douglas did in "Falling Down"-didn't he walk from south central to the Santa Monica peer in half a day?"

yup - 15 miles at 30 min/mile = 7.5 hours.
nice day's work if you can get it.

i agree with treekiller - south coats plaza.
across the street is the performing arts center. carl karher (carl's jr.) was a big benefactor.
burgers = high cultchah...

Apr 22, 07 3:38 pm  · 
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el jeffe

or south coast plaza - both are fascinating....

Apr 22, 07 3:38 pm  · 
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el jeffe

jeez - carl karcher...

Apr 22, 07 3:39 pm  · 
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el jeffe

oh yeah - does anyone know if the autopia drive-thru restaurant is still there in newport beach?
haven't been there in 8? years...

Apr 22, 07 3:43 pm  · 
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KEG

el jeffe...nice math- hahaha....

but remember all of the incidences along the way? the golf course, liquor store, army surplus store, etc.

...all because of traffic.

Apr 22, 07 4:27 pm  · 
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9

not architectural, but... grab a burger at in-n-out and stop at diddy riese for an ice cream sandwich. both are in westwood and minutes from the getty and santa monica.

Apr 22, 07 4:40 pm  · 
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n_

make sure the burger is animal-style

Apr 22, 07 5:04 pm  · 
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9

oh and go to pinkberry (also in westwood) if you're into frozen yogurt. it's currently the best thing to happen since...

Apr 22, 07 11:57 pm  · 
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postal

hehe,... yeah I chickened out...

i went the the restaurant attached to my hotel, hooters, *shudder*, man I will never go back...

then after my early walk-thru...went to newport beach, chilled with a sea lion (i think that's what it was...) had a panini and some gelato, then got lost on the way back John Wayne, and couldn't find a gas station within a 10 mile radius of that damn airport... (had to fill up the rental)

but, I'll be back twice more with hopes to extend my stay and do a whole day downtown... I'll probably park it and walk...

Apr 24, 07 9:52 am  · 
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KEG

haha...they hide the gas stations in Irvine to keep the riff-raff from getting off the freeway.

Seriously, though there are a couple off the freeway, they are not visible and billboards aren’t allowed so, unless you are a local, they are hard to find. We don't call Irvine the bubble for nothing...the impenetrable bubble.

What a perfect "planned community". Can you imagine growing up there? It sucked. Now, I love living amongst the riff-raff in LA.

Apr 24, 07 11:14 am  · 
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postal

hidden is no joke, i saw a tiny chevron sign when i was bookin down macarthur, slammed on the brakes and cut over two lanes because i was so desperate... and what's with those crazy spring things that make you hold the pump in your take, pain in the ass i say.

Apr 24, 07 11:35 am  · 
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no one has mentioned Schindler's Lovell Beach House over there in Newport Beach, 15 mins away from Costa Mesa. I think it's at 15th st., right on the sand. Afterwards, go get a frozen banana at the Balboa Pier and have a nice afternoon. Take the ferry and see the only real public space in Orange County, the Newport Harbor.



Like the others say, you will spend ALL of your day in traffic just trying to see one or two buildings in the city.

Apr 24, 07 2:02 pm  · 
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postal

crap!!! i was so close!!!

Apr 24, 07 2:16 pm  · 
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postal

man i just looked it up in google earth, i was probably a block or two away and turned around and went back to the pier!

Apr 24, 07 2:19 pm  · 
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Say No to Student Loans

If you are in Costa Mesa you should consider driving to La Jolla - Saulk Institute. I think this is the best peice of architecture in SoCal. Considering traffic, Costa Mesa is half way between Downtown LA and San Diego. Also, there are some great beaches in the Saulk area, including the Torrey Pines and La Jolla Cove. For lunch go to In n' Out, a California favorite..

Downtown LA also has a concentration of great buildings, within walking distance of eachother. It might be hard to drive around the region, going to different buildings.

Apr 24, 07 3:14 pm  · 
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