These photos were all taken by Olivia Miller, except for some noted in the "Redevelopment Hell" series. Her goal was to capture the moments and ethos of some of Los Angeles' vibrant communities. It would not have been possible without the help of community members from Spot.Us.
In city of almost ten million, it seems hard to set oneself apart from the rest. Culver City not only sets itself apart, but also creates a community so unique that it is equally conducive to the struggling undergrad, the retired musician, and the family of four alike. In a place where the influential and all-powerful movie studio can sit adjacent to the quaint, independent book shop, it is a dichotomy of old and new, established and burgeoning--and yet a dichotomy that both survives and flourishes. Beyond the age (and not to mention racial and class) differences lies a true sense of community which manifests in real pride. Look around at the cleanliness, beauty, and camaraderie that exists in Culver City and the pride will speak for itself.
Walk along the streets of Chinatown five years ago and you'd encounter a shop full of Chinese goods, aromatic waves of Szechuan Chicken and Beef Lo Mein, or an abandoned building with rusted Chinese characters imprinted on the front.
Now, turn the corner to 2010 and find what the Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles, Community Arts Resources, and KCRW have built--and this summer, it has all come to fruition. Self-described as part food event, part summer party, Chinatown Summer Nights went beyond all expectations, bringing about a new Downtown LA that we Angelenos had only ever hoped for.
Rows and rows of gourmet food trucks--LA's latest craze--lined the street, leading to a dance party in Central Plaza that transcended all generations; beyond that, the LA Craft Experience provided endless booths of handcrafted goods, while Chinese chefs at local restaurants demonstrated mystifying cooking techniques.
It was an event for the lover of food and culture alike--but regardless of interests, every attendee shared a love for Los Angeles.
In one word, Olvera Street is vibrant: in its colors, in its energy, in its representation of Mexican and Latino culture.
This quirky and unconventional marketplace, situated on the oldest street in Los Angeles and located in the El Pueblo De Los Angeles Historical Monument, offers a plethora of experiences that reflect and embrace cultural traditions. Maybe it seems cluttered, cramped, or perpetually hot; but there is something intimate and warm and friendly about the street. Walk along it and you may find your nose twitching from the smell of chili peppers lingering in the air; or maybe your eyes will well from the fresh-cut onions at the vendor across the way. So walk over to a shaded area, beneath an awning or a tree, and let the soothing sounds of that mariachi band distract you for a minute. Get lost in the intricate guitar patterns and the spanish melodies, and refuse to let a parking meter dictate just how long you want to stand and stare and appreciate this ever-present, forever-loved culture.
Recently featured by the Los Angeles Times as the most diverse neighborhood in West LA, Palms truly is home to an eclectic mix of people. It is one of the few neighborhoods in the city where you can find locals walking the streets, instead of crowding the roads; it is where you may come across authentic Brazilian, Mexican, Indian, and Thai culture in one block.
There is something about Palms that makes it entirely unique--and though I hadn't quite been able to put my finger on it, I think I've realized what it is: acceptance. Palms is part of the fabric of Los Angeles life--from the UCLA students along affordable Sepulveda housing to the shoppers at the Tuesday afternoon Culver-Palms Farmers Market on Main Street, there is an unwritten kind of peaceful coexistence in Palms, and it comes from so many generations and cultures coming together to celebrate their diversity.
This is Silverlake. Nestled snugly between the pastoral landscaping of Los Feliz and the up-and-coming metropolitan scene that is Echo Park, Silverlake manages to generate both a hustle and a bustle all its own. Amidst the twenty-somethings, casually debating the latest Beach House album over soy lattes and zucchini bread, or the eager young parents shuffling their newborns off to the latest progressive preschool where graham crackers are only a concept, not a snack, there lies a charm that moves beyond foamy milk and into something less definable. It's a quality that only an area home to such cinematic milestones as Charlie Chaplin's first studio could offer. It is this history, juxtaposed with the locals starting new lives all their own, that gives Silverlake an authenticity and a freshness that is undeniably inviting--whether you like your lattes soy or non-fat.
While photographing various neighborhoods in Los Angeles Olivia Miller was put out on assignment to photograph the now desheveled Santa Barbara Plaza. The full report on this abandoned shopping centered can be found here, produced by Emily Henry and Eddie North-Hager. Their piece, also published by LeimertParkBeat.com and Intersections South LA Report would not have been possible without the photographic support of Olivia. Her photos, along with some from Eddie-North Hager are above.
Santa Barbara Plaza has been whitewashed, boarded up, security gates padlocked. Most of the 240 small and large shops once here have been relocated, were bought out or have gone out of business.
Yet this Los Angeles shopping center -- the size of 20 football fields, larger than the footprint of the Century City mall -- just sits there waiting for a bulldozer.
The vacant lots and decaying storefronts have long been sore points for the residents who live near the corner of Crenshaw and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevards.
Attempts to rejuvenate the complex known by many as Marlton Square have been a complicated failure spanning more than two decades. The reasons are plenty: litigation, backstabbing, unstable developers and perhaps even the naiveté of the Los Angeles City Council.
A ray of hope seemed to have broken the clouds once again in 2010. After years of silence on the project, the L.A. Community Redevelopment Agency issued a request for qualifications (RFQ), a step in the process of finding a developer.
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