POD: Buildings, Buildings, Buildings
Picture of the Day - or POD is a not-quite daily look at images from the KCET Local Flickr pool...
The buildings that surround LA are what brings the city to life, makes it tangible for those of us who actually walk, eat, and live in it. According to the LA Times, the city is finally going start a search for historical buildings in LA, even though an ordinance to do so was put in place in 1962. In a city like L.A., which is often stereotyped by Hollywood, the myths about its inauthentic nature can sometimes take away from its concrete beauty. When looking up images of L.A. online it becomes obvious that when people think of Los Angeles they think of its buildings. There are countless pictures of the Disney Concert Hall, the L.A. Times buildings, and the Getty that to be found.
(Thanks to Flickr user kevitivity for that pic of the Concert Hall!)
This will finally bring to light all of those buildings that might have been forgotten over the years, surpassed by newer, shinier constructions.
But what about the buildings that are not historic? Or buildings at all?
(Many thanks to Flickr user Adam Garcia for the image above!)
My two favorite fixtures of the city are Union Station, a building that makes my trips on the train the highlight of my travels and the statue of a man in front of a car shop on Sepulveda and Sherman Way.
(I looked all over for a picture of Oil Can Man, but no dice! Above is an image from Google Maps Street View. If you have any pictures of him, add them to our Flickr pool.)
He is a man who used to hold a long tube of sorts, but now stands there with empty hands. In his white shirt and blue pants, the Oil-Change Man, as I've creatively come to call him, is only rivaled by the huge statue of Carpet Man, which can be seen from the 101 freeway.
But Oil-Change Man holds a special place in my heart. He is a token of my childhood, a figure that represented the farthest corners of my young world. As a kid I knew I was going to a place far away from my Van Nuys apartment when we drove past the Oil-Change Man. Once we passed Carpet Man, the feeling of adventure was only enhanced.
So what is the city of Los Angeles going to do about protecting the Oil-Change Man? He is not a building, he holds no historical significance, but he matters, at least to me.
What city fixtures have been lost throughout the years because they are not deemed historical? What will the city not cite in its search for historical buildings?
What building or city fixture really matters to you?
These pictures are made possible by contributors to our SoCal Connected Flickr pool. If you have images of Southern California that you'd like to share, add them to the Pool!
