Glimpses of South Pasadena: Light through Concrete

Monday, October 5, 2009

Light through Concrete

There is something magical about the lavender glow coming up through glass squares in the sidewalk outside Zinnia on Mission. It's not the yellow brick road but it's definitely on the same map.

11 comments:

Judy Williams said...: If you look carefully, there is a magical shadow holding up a Jack-o-Lantern. I love the abstractness of the checkered concrete, bathed in lavender light. Nice find, LA!!; October 5, 2009 at 5:20 AM
Cafe Observer said...: I'm most impressed with the long telescoping lens you used for this!; October 5, 2009 at 6:55 AM
Yakpate said...: My first thought... the scene in Bell, Book and Candle when Jimmy Stewart brushes snow away from glass sidewalk squares like this, which lead him to the Zodiac... a nightclub where gorgeous witch Kim Novak waits to vamp him.

Ah, but that lavender light... magical, and so beautiful it invites bewitchment..; October 5, 2009 at 7:36 AM
Trish said...: when I was a young kid and we were waiting to line up for the Memorial, 4th of July or Labor Day parades, or just walking along Mission, I was told that under these glass squares were monsters. We couldn't even walk over them or they'd "get us". I'd always hug that little strip of concrete that didn't have the glass, terrified.

These days I'm more apt to take a picture or get down on my belly and look into the glass to see what I can see.; October 5, 2009 at 7:44 AM
Wayne said...: There used to be any number of these 'skylights' around Vancouver along with the freight doors that opened out of the sidewalk to access basements of businesses. There are very few of either now.; October 5, 2009 at 8:56 AM
Dixie Jane said...: Phasinating photo.; October 5, 2009 at 9:12 AM
Petrea Burchard said...: We have many of these in Pasadena but I've never seen light coming up through them. They're from the late nineteenth century, and they were installed to admit light into basement floors.

This tells me that the building next to yours has a functional basement, perhaps fully restored.; October 5, 2009 at 12:22 PM
Kate said...: Beautiful, beautiful. The shadow on the left is a bit sinister! Wonder what it could be.....??; October 5, 2009 at 12:46 PM
Linda Dove said...: We had these purple glass tiles in Prescott (AZ) too, outside the 19th-c. Palace Bar, most famously. They were said to house the underground tunnels to the opium dens.; October 5, 2009 at 1:39 PM
Anonymous said...: This is my second favorite photo you've ever posted. Right next to the one of the stylish elderly lady watering her yard in front of the patterned cinder block wall. Did I tell you I came across the house? over by the park.; October 5, 2009 at 3:09 PM
Laurie Allee said...: Hi everyone,

Wow, such cool comments from all of you. And thanks, PA. I'm glad you like it!

Now I really want to go find out about the basement below these bricks...

Until next time!; October 6, 2009 at 12:33 AM