Reflection: The City of L.A. has nearly 22,000 miles of roads. It’s a sprawling urban landscape that touches ocean on one side and mountains on the other. My journey, however, is more focused. It is an outing normally reserved for visiting friends or family, but it felt right for this assignment to travel downtown to Wexler’s Deli in Grand Central Market…for their delicious rueben sandwich.
That said, the sandwich, nor Wexler’s are featured because this is about the landscape…and not about my drummed-up excuse to eat salty corn beef, topped with Swiss cheese and sauerkraut on toasted rye bread that’s slathered with Russian dressing..also a side of extra pickles.
Th truly challenging aspect of this project was the sheer amount of time it would take to document all the worthy subject matter along the way. Initially, I wanted to do a series of freeway shots that would give the viewer a sense of the city’s sprawl. That said, I realized quickly that the pics would just blend together in a mundane traffic montage.
So, as the journey from NoHo to Hollywood and downtown L.A. proper unfolded, I began to think about how I discovered my favorite spots in the city. After the charm of the beach and the mountains have become commonplace, there’s the joy of wandering downtown and finding Wexler’s Deli in Grand Central Market.
Back of NoHo sign, North Hollywood, Dec 1, 2018, photo by Josh DuBose (1/125, f20, ISO 200)
*headed south on Lankershim, this is the thoroughly hideous North Hollywood welcome awning. However, headed north, out of NoHo, you can see that city planners didn’t bother switching the sign’s lettering. So, it reads “OH ON” –
101 on ramp to Hollywood Fwy, Cahuenga St., Studio City, CA., Dec 1, 2018, photo by Josh DuBose (1/125, f9, ISO 200)
Hollywood Sign, Hollywood, CA., Dec. 1, 2018, photo by Josh DuBose (1/250, f16, ISO 200)
**obligatory tourist photo that I felt compelled to include because when visiting L.A., one must take a picture of the iconic Hollywood sign-
Los Angeles and Hollywood view, Hollywood, CA., Outpost Overlook Dec 1, 2018, photo by Josh DuBose (1/1600, f4.8, ISO 200)
***a view of L.A., including the 101 Hollywood Freeway, the main artery for the journey downtown, that distant skyline on the horizon –
Olive St. tunnel, downtown L.A., junction to 4th/Hill St. for Grand Central Market, Dec. 1, 2018, photo by Josh DuBose (1/40, f5.6, ISO 200)
Angels Flight rail, downtown LA, Bunker Hill District, Dec. 1 2018, photo by Josh DuBose (1/200, f5.6, ISO 200)
***this funicular railway, which exists so people don’t have to walk the stairs, opened in 1901. It was closed due to safety concerns, but reopened in the last 10 years.
Inside Angels Flight rail, downtown LA, Bunker Hill District, Dec. 1 2018, photo by Josh DuBose (1/200, f5.3, ISO 200)
Pershing Square Tourists, Metro Stop, downtown L.A., Dec. 1, 2018, photo by Josh DuBose (1/20, f18, ISO 200)
Corner of 4th St/Hill St, Downtown L.A., Dec 1, 2018, photo by Josh DuBose (1/20. f11, ISO 200)
Grand Central Market, corner of 4th/Hill Streets, downtown L.A., Dec. 1, 2018, photo by Josh DuBose (1/30. f11, ISO 200)
*****couple kissing in the left corner