Thursday, September 8, 2011
Friday, September 2, 2011
Glendale Drivers: Still Horrible
Allstate Insurance has just released their annual report ranking the relative traffic safety of the 200* largest cities in the country, and Glendale has maintained its ranking as the third most dangerous city in the country to in which to drive. As a Glendale resident, you are 80.8 percent MORE likely to be involved in a collision than the average resident of the 200 largest cities in America. In the 2011 report, the statistical average interval for a Glendale resident to be involved in a car accident was a mere 5.5 years - almost a year sooner than the Glendale's 2005 average of 6.3 years.
If you live in the safest city, Fort Collins, Colorado, you are 28.6% LESS likely to be in an accident than the average resident of the 200 largest cities, and the interval between accidents for the average resident is 14 years. The only cities with worse statistics than Glendale are Baltimore and Washington D.C.Here are Glendale's rankings for the last five years:
- 2005 rank: 191/years between accidents: 6.3
- 2006 rank: 192/years between accidents: 6.1
- 2007 rank: 194/years between accidents: 6.0
- 2008 rank: 192/years between accidents: 5.9
- 2009 rank: 191/years between accidents: 5.7
- 2010 rank: 191/years between accidents: 5.5
- 2011 rank: 191/years between accidents: 5.5
*I wondered why Allstate claimed to survey 200 cities but only list rankings for 193. I called Allstate and they said that they did indeed survey 200 cities, but in some of them they had recently entered the local market and did not have enough Allstate customers to make up a statistically meaningful sample. So Glendale is ranked 191 out of 193, not 191 out of 200.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Forest Lawn: "Half In Love With Easeful Death"
"Nature will re-assert herself and the seasons gently obliterate the vast, deserted suburb. Its history will pass from memory to legend until, centuries later, as we have supposed, the archaeologists prick their ears at the cryptic references in the texts of the twentieth century to a cult which once flourished on this forgotten strand; of the idol Oscar - sexless image of infertility - of the great Star Goddesses who were once noisily worshipped there in a Holy Wood.
...their steps will inevitably tend northward to what was once Glendale, and there they will encounter, on a gentle slope among embosoming hills, mellowed but still firm-rooted as the rocks, something to confound all the accepted generalizations, a necropolis of the age of the Pharaohs, created in the middle of the impious twentieth century, the vast structure of Forest Lawn Memorial Park."
Friday, August 26, 2011
Glendale History Bike Ride Photos
The Glendale History Ride two weeks ago was fantastic. 77 riders came along on a tour of historical and scenic spots in Glendale and Atwater Village. Big thanks to Colin Bogart, Marc Stirdivant, and Marty Braccioti, who helped organize, and ace ABC7 photographer Martin Orozco for taking most of the great photos below. Also thank you to ride volunteers Jennie Rickert, Nathalie Winiarski and Jen from The Cave Wine Storage. The ride was sponsored by The Glendale Historical Society, LA County Bicycle Coalition and the City of Glendale Community Services and Parks Department.
Here are ride reports by George Larios (who was nice enough to help me out at the beginning of the ride) at Montrose Patch and by new blogger Somebody Walks.
Selected photos are below, and I posted the full set on Flickr here. Most of these are by Martin Orozco, a few are by Marty Braccioti, and I think one or two are Marc Stirdivant's. I was too busy to take many photos of my own.
Group photo before the ride
Departin the Glendale Train Station. Photo by Martin Orozco
Riding along the scenic LA River Path. Photo by Martin Orozco
Speaking about the history of the Grand Central Air Terminal.
I took this photo looking back at the group on Glenoaks. Don't make a wrong turn!
Riding through the Kenilworth Tunnel under the 134. Photo by Martin Orozco
At the Goode House. Photo by Martin Orozco
Exploring the nooks and crannies of The Cave Wine Storage, in the historic Hotel Glendale. Photo by Martin Orozco
Speaking at the Richardson House, former home of Tropico founder W.C.B Richardson. The oldest wood-frame home in Glendale.
Exploring the tiny Cottage Grove Historic District near Adams Hill. Photo by Martin Orozco
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Pacific BMW Busted Driving Recklessly in South Glendale
Some jackass posted this video on Youtube of dangerous driving in a brand-spanking new, just off the truck, in the plastic BMW 1M. The BMW lovers at 1addicts.com were offended by the reckless driving -- and flagrant abuse of the new car during its "break in" period -- and did some sleuthing. They found this frame in another video by the same user, clearly showing Windsor and Glendale Avenue, thus identifying the dealership as Glendale's own Pacific BMW. Several other commenters on the board chimed in with experiences at Pacific BMW where the techs abused their cars. I will be contacting the management of the dealership to express my anger at their employees putting the lives of myself and my neighbors at risk, and I encourage you to do the same. If you see any employees of Pacific BMW (or other dealerships) driving recklessly, please report them to the Glendale Police Department and contact the management. If you have pictures or video, send them to me.
I walked by Pacific BMW on the way home from work and I believe this is the 1M in the video:
I walked by Pacific BMW on the way home from work and I believe this is the 1M in the video:
(via Jalopnik)
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Pulp Fiction Fans: "Jack Rabbit Slim's" Exterior Filmed in Glendale
The exterior shot of Pulp Fiction's fictional Jack Rabbit Slim's restaurant was filmed near the Grand Central Air Terminal at Flower and Sonora. We passed right by it on the Glendale History Ride!
Check out all of the info and pictures of Jack Rabbit Slim's at I Am Not A Stalker. The building was part of a 60-lane bowling alley, and is now owned by Disney as part of the Grand Central Creative Complex.
I Am Not A Stalker has tons more info on local filming locations, including Lance's House from Pulp Fiction, which is just across the tracks in Atwater Village.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Zankou Chicken Murders Story Finally Online
Mark Arax's excellent 2008 Los Angeles Magazine piece on the Zankou Chicken murders -- company founder Mardiros Iskenderian killed his mother, sister, and himself -- is finally online.
"When the patriarch of the hugely popular fast-food chain killed his mother and sister, then himself, he left behind a family wrestling with fate—and each other"
Read it here.
"When the patriarch of the hugely popular fast-food chain killed his mother and sister, then himself, he left behind a family wrestling with fate—and each other"
Read it here.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Glendale History Bike Ride This Saturday
This Saturday, August 13th, I'll be leading a 13.5 mile bike ride to a number of historical sites in Glendale and Atwater Village with Colin Bogart and Marty Bracciotti. The route will take us along the Los Angeles River trail to the Grand Central Air Terminal, The Goode House, Richardson house (the oldest wood home in Glendale, home of the founder of Tropico), the Cottage Grove Historic District, Adams Square, and many other interesting places.
We are meeting at the historic Glendale Train Station at 400 W. Cerritos Ave at 8:30am and departing at 9. Bring water, sunscreen and a helmet (required). I created a Facebook event page for the ride here, please RSVP.
The ride is sponsored by the Glendale Historical Society, Glendale Community Services and Parks Department and the LA County Bicycle Coalition.
We are meeting at the historic Glendale Train Station at 400 W. Cerritos Ave at 8:30am and departing at 9. Bring water, sunscreen and a helmet (required). I created a Facebook event page for the ride here, please RSVP.
The ride is sponsored by the Glendale Historical Society, Glendale Community Services and Parks Department and the LA County Bicycle Coalition.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Google Street View Car in Downtown Glendale
Reader Christina pointed me in the direction of this kitted-out Google Street View Subaru Impreza in downtown Glendale. Very cool. I hope they remembered to pay at the multi-space meter.
Check out the multi-camera rig.
Check out the multi-camera rig.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Apple Store Wars: Americana vs Glendale Galleria!
The Apple Store at the Americana is now open! The Galleria store, Apple Store #001, is also open! At 2pm on Monday, I walked to both to see how crowded each store was.
The Galleria Apple Store at 2pm (below)
The new Americana Apple Store at 2pm (below)
So even though a brand new, much larger Apple store is just a 5 minute walk away, the Galleria store was still massively crowded! The Americana store was also crowded, though not to the incredible density of the Galleria. Both pictures were taken within ten minutes.
The exterior of the new Americana store
The Galleria Apple Store at 2pm (below)
The new Americana Apple Store at 2pm (below)
So even though a brand new, much larger Apple store is just a 5 minute walk away, the Galleria store was still massively crowded! The Americana store was also crowded, though not to the incredible density of the Galleria. Both pictures were taken within ten minutes.
The exterior of the new Americana store
Don Cuco's and Rolling Fish Close, Apple Store Opens
Brand Boulevard Bummer: Don Cuco's Mexican Restaurant and Rolling Fish have both gone out of business. Rolling Fish was in the downstairs space in Glendale's oldest brick building, which was formerly occupied by Sansai. (Well, Rolling Fish basically was Sansai, after the owner got tired of paying the Sansai franchising fees.)On the bright side, a new Apple Store just opened at The Americana. Full report from MacStories.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Vintage Mustang Hits Pedestrian in Front of Alex Theater
Today at 2pm a man driving a vintage Ford Mustang hit a woman walking in the marked crosswalk directly in front of The Alex Theatre. The woman had a leg injury but was conscious and her injuries did not appear to be overly severe.
Slow the fuck down and pay attention when you're driving, and be prepared to dive out of the way if you're on foot.
The Mustang
The pedestrian being taken away by ambulance.
The scene in front of The Alex.
Also in view - Don Cuco's Mexican restaurant, which has just closed for good.
Slow the fuck down and pay attention when you're driving, and be prepared to dive out of the way if you're on foot.
The Mustang
The pedestrian being taken away by ambulance.
The scene in front of The Alex.
Also in view - Don Cuco's Mexican restaurant, which has just closed for good.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
House With Odd Front Porch Mannequins
A friend of mine noticed something odd while biking past this South Glendale house last week. No, it's not the pink flamingos -
It's the creepy mannequins on the front porch! There's one on each side!
It's the creepy mannequins on the front porch! There's one on each side!
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Chow Doc on Galco's Soda Pop Stop
Just came across this great little documentary from Chow.com about Galco's Soda Pop Stop in Highland Park. Very much worth watching.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Little Tokyo's Restored Space Shuttle
I took these photos of the recently restored model of the Space Shuttle Challenger in Little Tokyo last week. The model was built and painstakingly restored by Scale Model Co., based in my hometown of Hawthorne.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Neglected '68 GTO
I spotted this forlorn Pontiac GTO peeking out from an apartment carport in South Glendale. I'm pretty sure it's a '68, and its suffering from four flat tires and a lot of neglect. Damn.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Bees At Brand and Wilson!
On Monday a swarm of bees briefly wreaked havoc at southwest corner of Brand and Wilson. I grabbed a quick photo as I ran away. I bumped the contrast on the photo so you can see the bees better when you view the picture large. When I checked back an hour later, they had moved on. Have you seen swarms of bees lately in downtown Glendale?
As a palate cleanser, here is the "Bumblebee" car from Transformers, which was at the Arclight last week.
As a palate cleanser, here is the "Bumblebee" car from Transformers, which was at the Arclight last week.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Two Car Accidents and Some Light Insurance Fraud!
Today kicked off in glorious, only-in-Glendale fashion: with two car accidents and some light insurance fraud!
My colleagues and I heard a car horn on Broadway. We looked outside and witnessed the aftermath of a minor car accident. An Acura TSX wagon had bumped the rear of a Toyota Camry. Both cars stopped in the middle of Broadway, with the TSX's horn stuck and blaring away. As we observed this sad spectacle, a silver Mercedes eyeballing the first accident rear-ended an Audi SUV!
The damaged luxury cars sensibly pulled forward to the other side of Maryland, while the Camry and TSX continued to tie up Broadway. It took ten minutes, two cops and a passerby with a wrench to turn the TSX's horn off. The woman driving the TSX was fine, but the man in the Camry, after initially walking around normally, put on a big show and was taken away in an ambulance; tying up a fire truck, a ton of firefighters, and the ambulance for the better part of a half hour.
A guy involved in the second accident removes the damaged grill of his Mercedes.
As we watched this scene unfold, the perception among my co-workers was that the guy in the Camry was dramatically overplaying the severity of the accident and was hoping for a settlement.
Mr. Wimpypants taken away by a brigade of firefighters and paramedics.
Zero visible damage on Mr. Wimpypants' car!
My colleagues and I heard a car horn on Broadway. We looked outside and witnessed the aftermath of a minor car accident. An Acura TSX wagon had bumped the rear of a Toyota Camry. Both cars stopped in the middle of Broadway, with the TSX's horn stuck and blaring away. As we observed this sad spectacle, a silver Mercedes eyeballing the first accident rear-ended an Audi SUV!
The damaged luxury cars sensibly pulled forward to the other side of Maryland, while the Camry and TSX continued to tie up Broadway. It took ten minutes, two cops and a passerby with a wrench to turn the TSX's horn off. The woman driving the TSX was fine, but the man in the Camry, after initially walking around normally, put on a big show and was taken away in an ambulance; tying up a fire truck, a ton of firefighters, and the ambulance for the better part of a half hour.
A guy involved in the second accident removes the damaged grill of his Mercedes.
As we watched this scene unfold, the perception among my co-workers was that the guy in the Camry was dramatically overplaying the severity of the accident and was hoping for a settlement.
Mr. Wimpypants taken away by a brigade of firefighters and paramedics.
Zero visible damage on Mr. Wimpypants' car!
Friday, July 1, 2011
India's Flavor Restaurant Coming to Downtown Glendale
Montrose's well-regarded Indian restaurant India's Flavor is opening an outpost in downtown Glendale, directly across from The Americana. With an Indian food option, downtown Glendale will now be home to nearly every conceivable variety of ethnic restaurant within three blocks.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Museum Of Neon Art's First Glendale Event This Saturday!
Exciting! The Museum of Neon Art's first Glendale event is this Saturday. They are of course in the process of moving from downtown Los Angeles location to their new location on Brand directly across from The Americana.
Here's the website and info at their Facebook page here.Join us for MONA's Annual Evening Electric benefit and Silent Art Auction to celebrate MONA's 30th anniversary and to support the museum's illuminated expansion! The Miguel Atwood-Ferguson Quintet will play a special musical performance for the evening festivities. The event will be held in the city of Glendale at MONA's future site on Brand Boulevard, offering our guests a preview of the space before it is renovated into the new modern art complex that will house the museum in 2012.
Tickets are $40.00 and all proceeds benefit MONA as an independent, 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization.
You can purchase Evening Electric tickets by phone at 213-489-9918, pay online at neonmona.org, or mail a check to: MONA, P.O. Box 862307, L.A., 90086.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Where to Park In Downtown Glendale
This sign is confusing as hell, but here's the deal: YOU CAN PARK FOR FREE IN CITY-OWNED MULTI-STORY PARKING STRUCTURES FOR 90 MINUTES. No validation required. Beyond that, it's $1 per half hour up to a $6 daily maximum. Bizzarely, the city structures are CASH or CHECK only. The city owned structures are at Orange and California, and there are two on Maryland, one just north of Broadway and one just south of Broadway.Downtown Glendale is full of free parking. Here is a map of the three large city structures that feature 90 minutes of FREE parking, no validation required.
The Galleria, of course, has free parking, and many people park there and walk to The Americana. However, they may not be aware of The Americana's generous validation policies. Here is parking information for The Americana (as of June 2011):
Enter Americana Way off Central Avenue or Brand BoulevardOr just bike! Free for as long as you want, and now there are racks all over downtown Glendale.
Parking rates:
- 1st Hour - Free without validation
- 2nd Hour - $3.00 - Free with merchant validation
- 3rd Hour - $5.00 -Free with participating restaurant validation
- 4th Hour - $7.00 -Free with Pacific Theaters validation
- 5th Hour - $9.00 -Daily Maximum
I've asked my employer to pay me directly what they would have been spending on my monthly parking pass ($60), so I pocket that money and just bike to work. Saves me money, reduces congestion downtown. Win win.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
"Larry Crowne" Filming Locations in Atwater Village
Glendale Blvd in Atwater Village is featured prominently in the trailer for Tom Hanks' Larry Crowne. Hanks wrote, directed, and stars in the film. Several nights were spent filming in front of Tee Gee, but you don't see it in the trailer.
Canele and Bikram Yoga visible in background at Glendale & Larga.
Julia Roberts on a Glendale Blvd bus bench.
Trailer-
Canele and Bikram Yoga visible in background at Glendale & Larga.
Julia Roberts on a Glendale Blvd bus bench.
Trailer-
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Update: John Levin Guilty of Murdering Wife, Microwaving Dog
From the Glendale News-Press: John Levin has been found guilty of killing his wife and microwaving their dog.A 46-year-old Glendale man was found guilty today of killing his wife and microwaving his Pomeranian to death before fleeing the state, officials said.
Jurors deliberated for a day and half before finding John Levin guilty of the second-degree murder of his wife, Michelle Levin, said Jane Robison, a Los Angeles County District Attorney spokeswoman.
John Levin pleaded guilty to a felony animal cruelty for microwaving his dog before jurors returned with a verdict, she added.
He is expected to be sentenced July 19 in the Los Angeles County Superior Court in Pasadena. He faces 16 years to life in prison for both counts, Robison said.
Glendale murders are rare, and the murder of Michelle Levin by her husband was especially horrific. The comments section of my previous post was filled with many heartbroken comments by people who knew Michelle.
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