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Old Town San Diego and the New Children's Museum
This week L.A. Letters spotlights these two places in San Diego that epitomize both the city's storied past and the city's bright future.
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Getting a Grasp on Water at the Natural History Museum
Do you know where your water comes from? How can we increase awareness for water usage and its consequences to the rest of Los Angeles?
From 1937-40, workers blasted a roadcut through Point Mugu. The rocky stub of the headlands, Mugu Rock, now appears frequently in car commercials. Undated photo courtesy of the Santa Monica Public Library Image Archives.
When PCH Blasted Through Point Mugu
Today, Pacific Coast Highway passes effortlessly through Point Mugu between Oxnard and Malibu.
The Hollywood Sign stands on the face of Mount Lee, a 1,708-foot peak in the Hollywood Hills. 1960 photo courtesy of the Security Pacific National Bank Collection - Los Angeles Public Library.
What Flattened the Top of Mt. Lee (of Hollywood Sign Fame)?
Behind the Hollywood Sign rises the 1,708-foot summit of Mount Lee, a hilltop flattened for a never-built house that would have been L.A.'s grandest mansion.
Two-way traffic once ran through the Figueroa Street Tunnels, now part of the Arroyo Seco Parkway. Courtesy of the USC Libraries - Dick Whittington Photography Collection.
Before the 110 Freeway, Figueroa Street Ran Through These Tunnels
Until 1943, the Art Deco tunnels carried Figueroa Street's two-way traffic through the Elysian Hills.
A Pacific Electric trolley rolls down Redondo Beach in 1939. Courtesy of the Metro Transportation Library and Archive.
When Trolley Tracks Ran Through Southland Beaches
Trolley lines were once an essential transportation link between populated inland areas and beaches.
The Hollywood Stars of the Pacific Coast League played baseball in shorts from 1950 to 1953. Courtesy of the Herald-Examiner Collection - Los Angeles Public Library.
Hollywood's Baseball Team Wore Shorts For 4 Seasons
From 1950 to 1953, the Hollywood Stars wore shorts on the field, and L.A. as Subject has the photos to prove it.
The town of Toluca (now North Hollywood) in 1894. Courtesy of the USC Libraries - California Historical Society Collection.
When North Hollywood Was a Town Named Toluca, or Lankershim
Some of Southern California's "lost towns" never actually vanished; they simply assumed new identities.
Downtown Tropico, circa 1912. From the brochure 'Glendale, California: The Jewel City,' courtesy of the Glendale Public Library's Promotional Brochures of Tropico and Early Glendale.
The Lost City of Tropico, California
A post office may still bear the name, but don't try addressing a letter to "Tropico, CA" -- the city of Tropico dissolved 96 years ago.
The Lost Towns of Los Angeles County
Entire towns have vanished from the Southland. And they had names like Morocco, Tropico, and Minneapolis.
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8 Protests That Changed L.A.'s Food Scene
From strikes by supermarket workers to Cesar Chavez and the UFW, here are eight photos depicting L.A. food protests over the decades.
This avenue of pepper trees was one of Central Park's charms. Circa 1890 photograph courtesy of the USC Libraries - California Historical Society Collection.
How Did Los Angeles Lose its Not-So-Central Park?
Though it served its community for 27 years, privately owned Central Park in South Los Angeles was eventually carved up and sold off as individual housing lots.
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