Good Saturday morning!!! The quote explains why I never get tired of looking at the same scenery as well!!! Hey, Laurie, we in Mission District are trying to save a 40 foot Camphor tree from new construction...care to take a picture? It is on Meridian, the west side, just south of El Centro? It just may help our cause! And there's always a cause...isn't there? Brian Shumake
I believe the building Brian is talking about will replace the little house that has been a vets office. Very old house. The neighbors in the new lofts next door are not happy about this building either, I've heard.
Stopped by the Dumpling truck today. They don't understand how the city can issue them a business permit and then ticket them. I don't either. I keep thinking South Pasadena is a Wonderland... as in Alice in Wonderland.
Mister E, I am sure it's the tree behind the former animal hospital. Brian, let me know what is being done to protest and I'll help. I don't know details.
Ah, the dumpling truck situation. I've avoided discussing it here because I find it to be one of those WONDERFUL first world problems to have. In other words, if we have time to bitch about food trucks in this economy, at a time when 1 in 7 Americans are on food stamps and the unemployment rate is at all time highs ... then we are really, really lucky.
Or maybe just spoiled rotten with no real problems to complain about.
In other words, it's a non-issue to me. Maybe it's because I assume cities are places where we as individuals don't get to art-direct activities in public places to suit our own, personal preferences. Food trucks, in my opinion, are part of a city landscape, they're licensed and people enjoy the food. As far as I can tell, they're never going to replace our city's restaurants and there is no way the free market would allow more than a couple at a time because they wouldn't sell enough food to survive even if they could all get licences. South Pas is not in danger of becoming a local food court.
So, the whole "controversy" gets a big, fat WHATEVER from me.
And yes, I'd still feel this way if one parked in front of my house. (Just please, put something gluten-free on the menu so I can order.)
Thanks, as always, for the great comments, everyone.
Well said above, Laurie. It's a weird thing for some vocal cranks to get hot and bothered about. Starving Somalians would sure like these kinds of problems.
The food truck is not a real issue to me, either. I've never patronized one. The issue with the Dumpling Truck is only of interest to me as an example of the way the city functions and the way some people are reacting to it.
the food truck revolution may not seem huge in SoPas, but there's a few issues. One of which is the City is issuing licenses, then directing the Police to ticket them for doing exactly what they said they'd do. It's a liability for the City, that may come to another expensive head if a truck decides to hire a lawyer.
Secondly, the trucks won't close the restaurants, any more than HiLife would draw people away from Gus' or Shiro.
Thirdly, there is a huge movement in NorCal food trucks, ala some of the LA truck fests. It can be 1 truck, it can be a handful, it can be 10-15. An agreement with the town or city is usually in order and it nets the city a) money, b) goodwill and c) people visiting who would not ordinarily visit (in a good way) who also tend to hang around and spend MORE money in town---maybe not the first time, but on their next trip.
I was never a food truck person (except in high school when we didn't have a cafeteria) and never thought it would appeal to me as I hate crowds. I gave it try once and could *not* stop eating. A taco from this place, a taco from another, ribs from another, silog from another (a first for me) and noodles from yet another. All a few bites worth, a few dollars each.
As with the farmer's market, I could see trucks lining Meridian, or in the old El Centro school parking lot, or ringing around the library---for an event---not just as a "show up whenever you want".
Win-win situation, if the City does it right. But from the sounds of it, they've done a pretty good job of hosing up most things that seem to be good for the town.
In December of 2007, after many years on the west side of Los Angeles (and at least a third of those years spent stuck in traffic on Pico Boulevard) my family settled into a happy little house in South Pasadena. This daily blog covered over 4 year as I put down roots in my new home town.
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Check out my multimedia column archive: Views from the Front Porch
Published at Patch.
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Thank you Charlie's Coffee House for hosting my recent photo exhibit, South Pas: Observed. From October 2011 through January 2012 my pictures graced the walls of the best place in town to get a cup of coffee!
Read the nifty story on photo bloggers Petrea Burchard, Ben Wideman, Kat Likkel and little old me featured in the September, 2011 issue of Pasadena Magazine.
For over 4 years, I presented a picture a day from South Pasadena, California -- an incorporated city within the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. All photos up to November, 2008 were taken with a Fujifilm Finepix E900 camera. I added a Fujifilm Finepix S2000HD megazoom in December 2008, a Nikon D3100 in 2010 and a Lumix DMC-DS8 in 2011. I shot with them all. In August 2010 I joined the iPhone camera craze and sometimes included pictures captured by my phone. I regularly cropped images and used basic editing software to adjust the brightness, intensify the contrast, and increase color saturation. Other than that, all images came straight from the camera with minimal alteration. (If I couldn't have done it in a darkroom, I wouldn't do it with a computer.)
The bigger picture:
Consider it a love letter to the place I call home.
You can click on any picture to see a larger version.
All photos and prose on this blog copyright Laurie Allee. Reproduction without written permission is prohibited. (Plus, it's really uncool.)
Run, don't walk to the nearest bookseller and pick up a copy of Margaret Finnegan's delightful debut novel, The Goddess Lounge -- undoubtedly the kookiest, most wonderful riff on Homer's Odyssey ever written. Margaret never ceases to inspire and make us laugh at her blog Finnegan Begin Again. Her book is magical, silly, smart and a wonderful love letter to the all the goddesses among us.
Our very own Altadena poet Linda Dove weaves words into thoughtful tapestries in her moving poetry collection In Defense of Objects and chapbook O Dear Deer.
Kevin McCollister of East of West LA blows our minds with haunting images of Los Angeles. But since we can't put his blog on our coffee table, we can buy his fantastic book. I believe Kevin's images truly capture the quixotic and often heartbreaking soul of LA. Don't take my word for it, see what The LA Times had to say.
19 comments:
Good Saturday morning!!! The quote explains why I never get tired of looking at the same scenery as well!!! Hey, Laurie, we in Mission District are trying to save a 40 foot Camphor tree from new construction...care to take a picture? It is on Meridian, the west side, just south of El Centro? It just may help our cause! And there's always a cause...isn't there? Brian Shumake
Who would cut down a camphor? That's horrible!
Brian, please email me about this. I'm very interested in knowing more. (Email is on the right side panel of this blog!)
Great view!
Barbra Streisand singing "On a Clear Day" just popped RIGHT into my head.
Your quote is so nice. It made me smile. :)
And I never get tired of clouds. Those are some really nice ones!
I believe the building Brian is talking about will replace the little house that has been a vets office. Very old house. The neighbors in the new lofts next door are not happy about this building either, I've heard.
Stopped by the Dumpling truck today. They don't understand how the city can issue them a business permit and then ticket them. I don't either. I keep thinking South Pasadena is a Wonderland... as in Alice in Wonderland.
c'est magnifique! Oh, I do love this so much.
Poor Dump Truck. I meant, Dumpling Truck. Cities sometimes make me wonder.
I'd recognize those trees on the left anywhere. Beautiful view!
but of course, now I'm ROTFLMAO over the "Dump Truck".
Mister E, I am sure it's the tree behind the former animal hospital. Brian, let me know what is being done to protest and I'll help. I don't know details.
Ah, the dumpling truck situation. I've avoided discussing it here because I find it to be one of those WONDERFUL first world problems to have. In other words, if we have time to bitch about food trucks in this economy, at a time when 1 in 7 Americans are on food stamps and the unemployment rate is at all time highs ... then we are really, really lucky.
Or maybe just spoiled rotten with no real problems to complain about.
In other words, it's a non-issue to me. Maybe it's because I assume cities are places where we as individuals don't get to art-direct activities in public places to suit our own, personal preferences. Food trucks, in my opinion, are part of a city landscape, they're licensed and people enjoy the food. As far as I can tell, they're never going to replace our city's restaurants and there is no way the free market would allow more than a couple at a time because they wouldn't sell enough food to survive even if they could all get licences. South Pas is not in danger of becoming a local food court.
So, the whole "controversy" gets a big, fat WHATEVER from me.
And yes, I'd still feel this way if one parked in front of my house. (Just please, put something gluten-free on the menu so I can order.)
Thanks, as always, for the great comments, everyone.
Just realized I posted the previous comment with typos. Oh well.
I know the food truck subject is a hot-button issue and I welcome all opinions.
Thanks again, gang.
Well said above, Laurie. It's a weird thing for some vocal cranks to get hot and bothered about. Starving Somalians would sure like these kinds of problems.
Jason
The food truck is not a real issue to me, either. I've never patronized one. The issue with the Dumpling Truck is only of interest to me as an example of the way the city functions and the way some people are reacting to it.
That was Peoples vet. I love that little building. Like the lofts weren't enough of a bad idea
the food truck revolution may not seem huge in SoPas, but there's a few issues. One of which is the City is issuing licenses, then directing the Police to ticket them for doing exactly what they said they'd do. It's a liability for the City, that may come to another expensive head if a truck decides to hire a lawyer.
Secondly, the trucks won't close the restaurants, any more than HiLife would draw people away from Gus' or Shiro.
Thirdly, there is a huge movement in NorCal food trucks, ala some of the LA truck fests. It can be 1 truck, it can be a handful, it can be 10-15. An agreement with the town or city is usually in order and it nets the city a) money, b) goodwill and c) people visiting who would not ordinarily visit (in a good way) who also tend to hang around and spend MORE money in town---maybe not the first time, but on their next trip.
I was never a food truck person (except in high school when we didn't have a cafeteria) and never thought it would appeal to me as I hate crowds. I gave it try once and could *not* stop eating. A taco from this place, a taco from another, ribs from another, silog from another (a first for me) and noodles from yet another. All a few bites worth, a few dollars each.
As with the farmer's market, I could see trucks lining Meridian, or in the old El Centro school parking lot, or ringing around the library---for an event---not just as a "show up whenever you want".
Win-win situation, if the City does it right. But from the sounds of it, they've done a pretty good job of hosing up most things that seem to be good for the town.
I keep hearing about food trucks in So Pas. Where are they?
Dumpling Station is at Garfield Park, parked on Mission near Marengo on Saturday afternoon, and also on Sunday when a band is there.
Yep, a picture like that sums up my fondest memories of that place.
Nice catch.
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