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Story GIA JI
Photos L.A. TOURISM
Los Angeles, bathed in sunshine and the vibrant hues of Hollywood, is a city where street culture and contemporary architecture intertwine.
LA’s balmy climate fosters a deep connection between residents, communities, and nature. This environment birthed a distinct lifestyle, transforming streets into canvases for creativity and athleticism.
From the streets to the Olympics
My first visit to Los Angeles in May, spring’s breath lingering, offered a glimpse into this world. As the golden afternoon sun warmed Downtown LA’s streets, I watched young skaters weave through the urban landscape. Skateboarding and surfing, iconic Southern California sports, embody the spirit of this sun-drenched city.
Just a short drive from Downtown, the vast Pacific Ocean offers surfers a paradise in Venice, Santa Monica, Malibu, and Long Beach. But the ocean’s moods are fickle, demanding practice during calm or stormy weather. In the 1950s, Californians attached wheels to wooden boards, giving rise to skateboarding. Sloped streets and public spaces became their training grounds.
By the 1970s, skateboarding teens in Dogtown, nestled between Santa Monica, Ocean Park, and Venice Beach, transformed their pastime into an extreme sport. Utilizing abandoned pools, reservoirs, and canals, they pushed skateboarding’s boundaries with daring slides, technical innovations, and new styles like freestyle and longboarding. This evolution, set against the backdrop of Hollywood, merged with pop and punk rock, street fashion, and cinema, catapulting these trendsetting teens into cultural icons.
In 2020, street skateboarding debuted at the Tokyo Olympics and is returning to Paris in 2024. But the ultimate homecoming awaits in 2028 when skateboarding comes back to its cultural cradle, Los Angeles. As the world watches, the LA games will showcase the sport born on its streets, forever entwined with the city’s vibrant identity.
The unexpected architecture of LA
Before arriving in Los Angeles, I envisioned a towering cityscape, bustling streets, and a frenetic pace. However, a different reality surprised me. Nestled in a flat valley by hills, LA is a mostly low-rise city. Its downtown blends modern architecture with low-slung buildings, reflecting the subtropical climate and a Latin aesthetic. From Lake Mountain or Griffith Observatory, the vast sprawl of LA unfolds – a layered landscape where occasional skyscrapers pierce a horizon of clouds and mountains.
LA’s diverse natural surroundings and growth as a “new” American city on the West Coast have made it a haven for modern architecture. Renowned American-Canadian architect Frank Gehry found his home in LA and has been entrusted with designing some of its most iconic structures. The Walt Disney Concert Hall and the 45-story Grand LA building, created by Gehry nearly two decades apart, exemplify the city’s avant-garde spirit. These architectural marvels, with their strong steel forms and graceful curves, seamlessly blend into the urban landscape like outdoor art. Venturing beyond these landmarks into the Toy District, visitors encounter classical office buildings like the Bradbury Building, Grand Central Market, and The Last Bookstore.
The Hollywood dream lives on
LA’s claim to the American Dream’s pinnacle extends beyond its vibrant street culture; it is also home to Hollywood, the world’s film capital. The presence of renowned studios like Universal and Paramount indelibly shaped the city’s identity, while the iconic Hollywood sign on Mount Lee beckons cinematic dreamers.
Beneath the familiar palm trees of Beverly Hills and the dazzling lights of West Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, every street in Hollywood whispers tales of the film industry’s history and LA’s ascent as a global movie mecca. Tourists flock here, drawn by the silver screen’s allure, before dispersing to beachside havens like Santa Monica and Venice Beach to witness West Coast sunsets. Santa Monica Pier, legendary Route 66’s endpoint, pulsates with life. Tourists and locals gather to sing, dance, fish, swim, surf, and bike – embracing simple joys and escaping city challenges. In Hollywood, I met two Lyft drivers who were also artists (screenwriter, musician). They shared their struggles around juggling jobs and competing with AI in the evolving entertainment industry, while reminiscing about a lost era of opportunity.
As in the film La La Land, Los Angeles life isn’t a fairy tale. In constant flux, innovation drives change. Yet, one constant remains: creatives dream in this “City of Angels.” Like the artists I met, they’re rooted here, aspirations undimmed, hopes unwavering.
