90 second BEAT
neon angels: shedding light on noble LA
July 2015 Beat
Los Angeles — the legendary city of 1940‘s films and romans noirs. Haunted by a late centennial reputation for sprawl, pollution, and blight, the City of Angels is now shedding its dark and unsustainable past for a sunnier future with multimodal transportation, high density housing, mixed use neighborhoods, and a congenial public realm.
Lofts are rising in Downtown LA (DTLA) faster than you can say “live work space,” and there are more pet dogs on Spring Street than giant rats in Pershing Square.
As LA’s future brightens, so must its lights, for the purpose of safety, security, and placemaking. While sophisticated new LED’s bring old neighborhoods into the 21st century, noble gas lights, standing as vestiges of the city’s storied past, provide organic character.
Like the historic buildings on Spring, Main, and Broadway, classic neon signs hold stories that have inspired some of the greatest pulp fiction movies and novels. These old stories make the city’s new stories more interesting.
At the San Francisco Neon book launch in December 2014, we were wowed by the guest presenter, Angeleno Eric Lynxwiler from MONA (Museum of Neon Art in Los Angeles). So, when Summer 2015 rolled around, we booked tickets for Classic Neon Cruise, MONA’s mobile celebration of iconic LA neon, which runs only 12 Saturdays a year during the warmest months.
7:00 on a sultry June night. We climbed aboard the convertible double decker at 4th and Main after a delicious comfort meal at the nostalgic foodie haven, Nickel Diner. The tour guide was Mr. Lynxwiler. With a megaphone, he cautioned us of dropping temperatures, low hanging tree branches, and bad jokes as the night wears on.
The adventure took us through the Historic Core, the Old Bank District, the Financial District, Skid Row, Hollywood, West Hollywood, Koreatown, Mid-Wilshire, Hancock Park, and Fairfax District. We passed the bar where The Black Dahlia had her last drink, learned why West Hollywood is greener than Hollywood, and strolled a Chinatown created by Paramount Pictures art directors with everyone in mind but the Chinese. We became immersed in LA’s past as we previewed its future.
Even if you’re not a noir or architecture buff, this is a fun way to kick back on a warm summer eve and experience a city that will be transformed beyond recognition over the next 5 years.
With high profile projects like the central public space at Grand Park, new communities and trails along the LA River, the gentrification of Southpark, and serious arts and culture at The Broad museum, Downtown LA is a buzzword these days. Developers and design consultants are wallowing in opportunity and competition.
During this rebirth, the question “What is LA?” comes to mind. LA is often confusing to first time visitors with notions of a world class city being like New York, London, or Paris. Unlike most major cities that can be described in a word, LA is not about any one thing. It’s about everything.
Will neon continue to have a place in that everything?
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