Los Angeles: More than Amusement Parks

U.S. Bank Tower aka Library Tower

With the series of posts about Downtown Los Angeles and Hollywood, a visit to the city can be more than amusement parks and movie studios. Visit the series of these Los Angeles posts for ideas when planning your next visit to the city.

Venture to other attractions and sometimes heading to your a planned destination or nearby you never know what you may stumble upon that may warrant an unplanned stop or view.

For example when visiting the Disney Concert Hall, the U.S. Bank Tower was instantly recognizable in Downtown. Being a fan of disaster films, I remembered it being featured in several major motion pictures. Because it stands tall among its other towering neighbors, the building has the unfortunate distinction to be destroyed in the films "2012", "The Day After Tomorrow", "Independence Day" and even the Korean release "Dragon Wars."

The building is 1018 feet with 73 floors and among the ten tallest buildings in the United States.

Poster for Dragon Wars.

L.A. Music Center: Dorothy Chandler Pavilion

Plaza fronting the venue.

This is one of a series of posts about the Los Angeles Music Center.

The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion had become well known to viewers of the Academy Awards telecast. The venue hosted the ceremony for the movie awards 24 times from 1967 until the Kodak Theatre became permanent home of the Oscars.

Venue lobby

Walking in the theatre lobby, it is obvious the interior design of chandeliers, wide curving staircases and rich decor in gold and white is a product of another era in contrast to the much modern Ahmanson Theatre and Disney Concert Hall which are all part of the Los Angeles Music Center. The venue opened in 1964 seats 2,400 and is home to the Los Angeles Opera.

Founders Room

One unique stop of the Music Center is entry to the exclusive Founder Room. Donors to the L.A. Opera or Music Center making contributions of $100,000 or more or an equal multi-year commitment are given membership. Benefits include access to the luxury room offering pre-performance dining, intermission service, special parking privileges, ample room to lounge when at the venue and access to the Founders Rooms in the Disney Concert Hall and Ahmanson Theatre.

The theatre is named for Dorothy Chandler who the driving force to persuade the county to build an arts venue for Los Angeles and helped to raise the majority of funds necessary for construction.

View of venue from First Street.

L.A. Music Center: Mark Taper Forum

Mark Taper Forum with its unique relief exterior.

This is one of a series of posts about the Los Angeles Music Center.

Each venue at the Music Center has a specific purpose on the kinds of arts performances staged. The Mark Taper Forum hosts experimental or smaller scale theatre productions. Productions have included the pre-Broadway tryout of the rewritten "Flower Drum Song" musical starring Lea Salonga and more recently "Harps and Angels," a revue based on songs of Randy Newman ("Short People", "I Love L.A.", music & songs of the Disney/Pixar films) starring Michael McKean and Katey Segal. Photos are from 2009 when a West Coast production of the Donmar Warehouse revival of the musical "Parade" (starring T.R. Knight of "Grey's Anatomy") was about to open.

The Mark Taper Forum appears to be be a theatre-in-the-round based on the circular exterior. However the auditorium is a thrust stage configuration with the audience seated on three sides. Opened in 1967 and renovated in 2008, it has seating for 750. The relief on the exterior is supposed to be a representation of dance. The theatre is named for L.A. real estate developer Mark Taper. His 1962 gift to the Music Center resulted in the theatre being named for him.

From a tour of the National Theatre in London, thrust stages are among the most intimidating performance spaces for actors because of how much of the stage is surrounded by the audience and often how close they are seated to the stage.

Circular lobby

Auditorium with thrust stage (above two image: Architecture Things)

L.A. Music Center: Ahmanson Theatre

This is one of a series of posts about the Los Angeles Music Center.

The Ahmanson Theatre is the center's main venue for theatre productions. The theatre hosts a subscription series that includes major musicals and plays as well as pre-Broadway tryouts. Click here for the post about the theatre when I saw the musical "Next to Normal" at the venue.

L.A. Music Center: Disney Concert Hall in Film

"Iron Man" (image: Paramount)

With such an iconic look and Los Angeles a center of film and television production, it was only time before the Walt Disney Concert Hall would appear on celluloid. Recent appearances of the venue in popular film include "Get Smart" starring Steve Carrell and Anne Hathaway, "Iron Man" with Robert Downey, Jr. and "The Soloist" also starring Downey and featuring Jamie Foxx.

Featuring local landmarks prominently in big-screen films especially if those that become box office hits provides advertising for the city. If the film is popular enough fans will seek it out. In addition to landmarks this also happens with restaurants and stores featured on film.

"The Soloist" (image: DreamWorks)

"Get Smart" (image: Warner Bros.)

L.A. Music Center: Views Via Disney Concert Hall

Los Angeles Cit Hall

Smoke from fires rise above the mountains.

Above & below: the skyscrapers of Downtown L.A.

This is one of a series of posts about the Los Angeles Music Center.

One of the attractions of the Walt Disney Concert Hall are the views from the park and walkways that wrap around the center high above the sidewalk below. The hall should include signs pointing to "scenic point" or "photo spot." All photos taken from the concert hall in 2009.

My opinion for any metropolis that relies on visitors is to build an attraction that will offer clear and expansive views of the city. It can become a hub for tourists to the city. Obvious examples are the Sears Tower, Space Needle, CN Tower, Stratosphere and Empire State Building. The London Eye in England becomes both ride and viewing platform. Businesses near these attractions reap the benefits of the visiting crowds.

L.A. Music Center: Concert Hall Cafe & Patina

The frosted walls and light projected sign of the Concert Hall Cafe.

This is one of a series of posts about the Los Angeles Music Center.

Sometimes finding simple healthy food in a comfortable surrounding is hard to find especially in a city you are not familiar. If visiting a museum or arts venue, inquire about dining opportunities. Many of these places are still there to gouge visitors offering run of the mill food. But many fine art museums and performing centers offer the contrary.

The Disney Concert Hall has two options: the fine dining restaurant Patina and the contemporary Concert Hall Cafe. The Cafe provided the exquisite gourmet cafe foods found at the Spotlight Cafe near the Ahmanson Theatre. Also on a Sunday afternoon this part of Downtown Los Angeles lacks nearby dining options other than those at the Music Center. Rather than having a meal, a modest snack of fresh fruit and sparkling French lemonade was my fare while I waited for my tour of the Music Center to begin.

The cafe is like a scandinavian bistro with wood, glass, metals and uncluttered lighting setting the atmosphere. This design blends seamlessly into the the concert hall. An experience of dining at Patina would have to be saved for another opportunity.

The Concert Hall Cafe is located on the lobby level. Hours: daily 11:30am-2:30pm. During evening performances: from 5pm until intermission.  

Patina Restaurant is located on South Grand Ave fronting the concert hall. Hours: Tues-Sat 5-9:30pm. Visit patinarestaurant.com information and menu.

L.A. Music Center: Walt Disney Concert Hall Community Park & Memorial Fountain

Some of the park's flowering trees

A sign announces this public state park.

This is the second in a series of posts about the Los Angeles Music Center.

Example of Royal Delft
Porcelain

One of the hidden wonders of the Walt Disney Concert Hall is a one-acre park rising 34 feet from the street. Offering a serene repose for visitors, the garden is an eden in stark contrast to the stainless steel and office towers surrounding it.

Of particular interest is the rose fountain covered by broken pieces of Royal Delft porcelain vases and tiles where water gently flows around the petals. Officially named the Lillian Disney Memorial Fountain as an homage to the center's benefactor by its architect, Frank Gehry, to her love of the porcelain and roses.

Above and below: Lillian Disney Memorial Fountain.

L.A. Music Center: Disney Concert Hall

Walt Disney Concert Hall (corner of S Grand Ave & 2nd St)

First in a post series about the Los Angeles Music Center.

Perhaps it's because of my childhood enjoyment of Lego bricks that lay the foundation for my continued wonder of architecture when traveling. That wonder continues with the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Downtown Los Angeles and part of the city's Music Center. It is a perfect example of a building that sparks stares, curiosity and diverse comments.

Concert Hall steps leads to upper lobby.

Tours open the mystery of the unusual building for those interested in architecture or the performing arts. A garden park, an amphitheater, a porcelain rose-shaped fountain are among the worthwhile hidden delights to see within the structure's stainless steel curves. Explore the walkways on the building and spectacular views of Los Angeles appear. A must-see attraction. The only thing that would round off the tour is a performance at the center but that would have to be saved for another day.

Ground level lobby. Columns shape like tree also serves as air
conditioning ducts.

One of the interesting stories from the tour is about the highly reflective surface of the stainless steel exterior. It caused residents of nearby condominiums to suffer glare and rooms to become unbearably warm. This in turn caused air-conditioning costs for affected units to skyrocket. The building also caused hotspots on the sidewalk to raise temperatures to 140 °F (60 °C). The solution was to dull the suspect panels.

Main auditorium

Completed in 2003, the main auditorium of the $274 million building seats 2,256 seats. The hall is home to the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Los Angeles Master Chorale.  See the next post for photos of the garden park and views from the concert hall. Another post features the concert hall in popular entertainment.

Designed by architect Frank Gehry, some of his other well known designs include the Experience Music Project in Seattle, Washington and the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain.

Curved walls & walkways lead to the center's amphitheater and park

Since all other visitors were doing the self or guided tour of the Concert Hall and I was the only lined up for the complete tour of all venues of the Music Center, I found myself having a private tour. All the photos in this post are from this 2009 tour.

A maze of walkways and stairs.

The Music Center includes the following venues: the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Ahmanson Theatre, Mark Taper Forum and Walt Disney Concert Hall. Three complimentary tours are offered. Two are of the Concert Hall, one guided and self-guided audio tour. Each run about 60 minutes. The third is the Symphonian tour, a guided tour of all four venues that runs about 90 minutes. It should be noted tours may be limited due to performances at the venues.

Another tour group heading to the viewing area of Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

Visit the music center for the tour schedule as each tour does not occur daily. Click on these links for online brochures: History & Architecture of the Music Center; Architecture & Garden Highlights of Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Bacon! @ Wolfgang Puck L.A. Bistro

Wolfgang Puck L.A. Bistro at Universal Studios Hollywood CityWalk.

Not to waste my visit to CityWalk since Universal's theme park was not on my agenda, I got to experience Wolfgang Puck L.A. Bistro for lunch. The location is one of several casual dining restaurants by the famous chef. What struck my appetite was seeing bacon wrapped meatloag under Wolfgang's Classics menu. Any moment and any meal is good if it includes bacon.

The restaurant is ultra casual but it's Sizzler Restaurant like service was a surprise. Orders are placed at a counter near the entrance and the order brought to your table. This brings up a question: is it fast food or it is not? One distinction being customers would normally tip in a restaurant with traditional table service. I've come to learn one selling point of the restaurant is a full-speed lunch but full-service dinner.

But back to the important thing: the food. The bacon wrapped meatloaf is something I could eat everyday. Each piece was a tender morsel. The gravy was rich and enough not to smother but to enjoy with every bite of the generous slice of meat loaf. No complaints here about the crispy onion rings on top offering texture to contrast with the mashed potatoes.

Yup, I couldn't wait to dig hence the disarray and missing portion.

The menu also includes selections of wood stone oven pizzas, pastas, sandwiches and entree salads. Most entree selections range from $6-$16. The meatloaf is $14. By the way since a server refilled my drink I left the standard gratuity. I enjoyed the dish and I was in an extremely good mood. Ah the pleasures of bacon.

More info at wolfgangpuck.com. Opens at 11am daily. Takeout and delivery service offered. Online ordering available.