Getting a taste of old SoCal (Los Angeles, San Diego: best city, hall, hotel)

[Tex?Il?]

Hi all,


I've been to San Francisco, but I've never been in southern California at all. Now, its no surprise that southern California gets a bad rap for many reasons, but if I were to take a vacation I would concentrate on places that have a bit of that old 50-100 years ago charm to it.

Now I know what you are thinking: There is none. But this is what I can gather:

Pasadena is probably the best city to get some sense of historic charm. Also the movie studios themselves have a lot of romantic history.

It seems like Ventura County is the place to see where there are still lots of orange groves betwen towns.

Also, Antelope Valley from what I've seen probably can easily pass as any intermountain west state with some wide open spaces.

Any other suggestions? Similar places? Comments?

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Tex?Il?

Hi all,


I've been to San Francisco, but I've never been in southern California at all. Now, its no surprise that southern California gets a bad rap for many reasons, but if I were to take a vacation I would concentrate on places that have a bit of that old 50-100 years ago charm to it.

Now I know what you are thinking: There is none. But this is what I can gather:

Pasadena is probably the best city to get some sense of historic charm. Also the movie studios themselves have a lot of romantic history.

It seems like Ventura County is the place to see where there are still lots of orange groves betwen towns.

Also, Antelope Valley from what I've seen probably can easily pass as any intermountain west state with some wide open spaces.

Any other suggestions? Similar places? Comments?

There are so many places and I don't think, as much as I love Pasadena I would put up toward the top of the list: There are a couple of places to eat that have been around for years: 1-Phillipes french dips right on the edge of downtown L.A. and then the Pantry which is downtown. Visit either Santa Barbara and the mission or San Gabriel Mission. Of course there is Olvera Street, yes it is touristy but has been around for longer than any of us. Yes, the movie studios and Rodeo Drive plus drive through Hancock Park. If you want to do Pasadena, you may want to add So Pasadena and San Marino to your list. Of course Pasadena has the Rose Bowl and Brookside park. Oh, something else, take a drive on the now Pasadena Freeway, used to called the Arroya Seco Speedway and then the Arroya Seco Parkway before it was re-named. I believe it is either the first or nearly the first freeway built in the country dating back to the 30s or very early 40s.

In Arcadia you can visit the Arboritum and Santa Anita Race tract. The track has been there since the early 30s.

Others will give you more suggestions I am sure.

Nita

[uptown_urbanist]

Actually, it would the last thing on my mind to suggest that "there is none" when talking about historic charm in Southern California. There is lots of it. I mostly know the LA area, so most of these are fairly LA-specific.

PASADENA AREA: yes, I think you're right that Pasadena has history. Check out Old Pasadena, which has a lot of restored early 20th century buildings. The City Hall is amazing, the Colorado Street Bridge is one of the most beautiful anywhere, and there are some fascinating historic house museums (Gamble House, etc.). If you're at all interested in arts and crafts architecture and design Pasadena is definitely the place to visit. Check out Pasadena Heritage's website for some details.

HOLLYWOOD: There's an old neighborhood hidden under the modern tourist veneer. Many of the grand old buildings have been beautifully restored, and you can still get a taste of "Old Hollywood" in parts. Check out Hollywood Heritage's museum and walking tours; they also have a very reasonably-priced lecture series.

DOWNTOWN: Walk up and down Broadway, visit Olvera Street (lots of layers of history, including glimpses of LA's Mexican and Chinese pasts; the area is officially the El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument), walk around Little Tokyo, etc.

SAN GABRIEL: In addition to the Mission, there are also some other pleasant historic sites there, too.

WILSHIRE BOULEVARD: A little bit of everything. Check out this program and tour (and website) from LA Conservancy: Curating the City: Wilshire Blvd.

CATALINA ISLAND: Take the ferry over and bask in the history and character of the place.

RIVERSIDE: Can be hot and dusty, but there are some beautiful historic buildings, and you can still feel the citrus influence at work. There's a California Citrus State Historical Park that's worth a visit, some historic museums, the historic district and the Mission Inn, and some other things that may be of interest.

These are really just a small fraction of the many possibilities out there. I think you'll be pleased to discover that the myth of southern CA not having history is just that - a myth.

Do note, though, that before coming you should confirm that any state-run sites are open; budget cuts have threatened closure of many state parks (including historic sites) so call ahead, just in case.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by uptown_urbanist

Actually, it would the last thing on my mind to suggest that "there is none" when talking about historic charm in Southern California. There is lots of it. I mostly know the LA area, so most of these are fairly LA-specific.

PASADENA AREA: yes, I think you're right that Pasadena has history. Check out Old Pasadena, which has a lot of restored early 20th century buildings. The City Hall is amazing, the Colorado Street Bridge is one of the most beautiful anywhere, and there are some fascinating historic house museums (Gamble House, etc.). If you're at all interested in arts and crafts architecture and design Pasadena is definitely the place to visit. Check out Pasadena Heritage's website for some details.

HOLLYWOOD: There's an old neighborhood hidden under the modern tourist veneer. Many of the grand old buildings have been beautifully restored, and you can still get a taste of "Old Hollywood" in parts. Check out Hollywood Heritage's museum and walking tours; they also have a very reasonably-priced lecture series.

DOWNTOWN: Walk up and down Broadway, visit Olvera Street (lots of layers of history, including glimpses of LA's Mexican and Chinese pasts; the area is officially the El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument), walk around Little Tokyo, etc.

SAN GABRIEL: In addition to the Mission, there are also some other pleasant historic sites there, too.

WILSHIRE BOULEVARD: A little bit of everything. Check out this program and tour (and website) from LA Conservancy: Curating the City: Wilshire Blvd.

CATALINA ISLAND: Take the ferry over and bask in the history and character of the place.

RIVERSIDE: Can be hot and dusty, but there are some beautiful historic buildings, and you can still feel the citrus influence at work. There's a California Citrus State Historical Park that's worth a visit, some historic museums, the historic district and the Mission Inn, and some other things that may be of interest.

These are really just a small fraction of the many possibilities out there. I think you'll be pleased to discover that the myth of southern CA not having history is just that - a myth.

Do note, though, that before coming you should confirm that any state-run sites are open; budget cuts have threatened closure of many state parks (including historic sites) so call ahead, just in case.

I complete agree, So Ca not having history is like saying all of us who live in AR are rednecks from the hills.
One thing we both forgot: Pasadena, Huntington Library..

Nita

[ehcsrop]

Balboa Park in San Diego.

[uptown_urbanist]

Yes, the Huntington is defintely worth a visit. I forgot to add, too, in the Pasadena suggestions, to check out the outside of Castle Green if time (it's downtown, so not out of the way in the least):

Welcome to Castle Green

It's one of the remaing grand old resorts from Pasadena's earlier days (although no longer a hotel). It's closed to the public, but there are sometimes special tours. You can at least check out the outside, though.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Downtown Long Beach, Downtown Santa Monica, Old San Pedro.

[Tex?Il?]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions!

What sparked me to post this thread is that I watched "The Changeling" recently which took place in 1920s L.A. and I read a short description of the places where they filmed everything.

The old ranch which took place (based on a true story) where the murders took place was near Riverside, but they filmed it outside Lancaster, CA.