Koreatown of Los Angeles

As soon as we turned off the I-10 Freeway and onto Western Avenue I could tell this wasn't a sleepy neighborhood. Two lanes of snarling traffic in each direction flooded the congested roadway. Most of the billboards and shop signs read in Korean. Everything appeared compact and chaotic. Although we knew we were in Koreatown, there was a side that believed we could have been in Busan.

After a long 7-hour drive, the first thing we wanted was to get a bite to eat. We walked to the Koreatown Plaza—one of many shopping malls in K-town—and found the food court on the bottom level.

A large room with tables hosted an almost exclusively Asian crowd. We walked around the perimeter with all the different vendors and found a shop selling Korean street food. It was the cheapest option there.

I ordered the dduk ggochi, a rice stick with barbeque sauce on a skewer, and two bulgogi tacos. It was enjoyable eating the food, but also to watch the people in the food court.

We took a walk around to some of the other shops around the mall. There was a stand selling red ginseng, which was of interest. Also we walked inside a bookstore where all the books were in Korean. Jordan recognized several of the books (written originally in English) by the pictures on the covers.

Dduk ggochi, a rice stick on a skewer. 

Many Asians eating in the food court. 

The first Korean immigrants to Southern California came in 1902 and 1903, settling in Riverside and Claremont, and some near downtown in an area called Bunker Hill. Many of them worked in the railroad and farm industries.

Growth was slow in the beginning with only 650 Koreans living in the Los Angeles area in the 1930's. The population boomed with the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965. This allowed many Koreans to join family members who had already immigrated.

After Lee Hi Duk immigrated in 1968, he saw a need to provide Korean goods for the existing population. He established a store on Olympic Boulevard, which he called Olympic Market. This became a successful venture and provided groceries to the now 10,000 Koreans.

Drawing from that momentum he bought five blocks and brought in other Korean-owned businesses. His vision was of a “Korean Village.” This was the genesis of the modern-day Koreatown, and just a few blocks away from where we were currently visiting.

Korean book store. 

After a few hours spent at the beach that afternoon, we returned to our hotel in Koreatown and set out to find an authentic Korean barbeque. We found one near our hotel, which ended up being the highlight of the day.

We ordered the combo for three to four people for $98. We sat at a table with three burners and immediately the waitress brought us bowls of kimchi, rice, lettuce, and other condiments I couldn't name, and piling heaps of beef and pork onto the griddles. On the middle burner she placed the ingredients of a soup, which included noodles and tofu.

Sizzling aroma wafted through the air. We felt as if we had to hurry and eat before she brought us more. Every person had their own small bowl and chopsticks, and could experiment with any combination they pleased. It could be rice, beef, sauce and tofu; or lettuce, pork belly and kimchi.

By the time we left there was still food on the table and all of us were stuffed. It was a very good experience.

Plenty of food at a Korean barbeque. 

Korean barbeque. 

The following morning Jordan and I went for a walk through the neighborhood. The morning was cool and fresh, and the smell of blossoms filled the air. As we walked through the residential area nothing appeared Korean anymore. Architecture looked as if it were from the twenties or thirties. Street names like “Oxford” and “Normandie” were not at all Asian. The silhouetted skyscrapers of downtown Los Angeles loomed in the distance.

With all this different architecture, I realized that this neighborhood was once occupied by another people. That brought up new questions: Who were these people? When did they live here? When did they leave? Why did they leave?

Old European architecture in Koreatown.  

Now and then a pocket of Korean shops would pop up. We passed the Seoul International Park where we saw elderly Asians using the park equipment to do their morning exercises.

Across the street stood the Korean Pavilion, the only true Asian architecture we encountered. The pavilion itself was small and the gate locked, but we could still see the ornate flare of its architecture.

It was interesting that we passed a house with a sign describing itself as a Zen Buddhist temple. It appeared nothing like a Buddhist temple.

An interesting fact about Koreatown is that it's very diverse with other nationalities, including those from several Latin American countries. As we walked we saw several vendors setting up street stands. One of them sold pupusas and we were tempted to buy. We also passed Pollo al la Brasa, a Peruvian restaurant.

Korean Pavilion near Seoul International Park. 

View of downtown skyscrapers from Koreatown. 

One of the buildings that stood out was The Wiltern, a greenish-blue 12-story building on the corner of Western and Wilshire (hence the name). The sight of it beckoned to an earlier time.

Technically known as The Pellissier Building, it was built in 1931and housed the Warner Brother Western Theater. It was later renamed The Wiltern Theater.

Over the years it fell into disrepair, but in the 1980's came the desire to restore it to its former glory. After four years of renovation the theater once again was able to host a wide variety of live performances.

The Wiltern.

Intersection on Wilshire Boulevard. 

There are several old churches in Koreatown. I don't know if they are currently active or have been re-purposed. One of the more impressive buildings is the Wilshire Boulevard Temple, a Jewish Synagogue. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to go inside, but did drive past.

For our final evening in Koreatown, I headed back out to the streets with Jordan and Kaitlyn. This would be our first time wandering in the dark. For most of our walk we felt safe because the streets were lit and empty. But we had one stretch where it was dark and fifty feet away from a homeless encampment. At that same time we heard someone from an apartment window yelling. We quickened our step.

Our destination was Jinsol Gukbap on 8th Street. The restaurant sat on a dark corner, but was well lit and friendly on the inside. The menu was very simple and consisted of dishes ranging from $17 a plate to $39.⸻I ordered the Bibimbap in Hot Stone Pot.

Before our orders came out the waiter brought seven small trays of condiments, three sauces, and a cup of rice. The trays consisted of kimchi, sliced peppers and onions with a spicy paste, pickled cabbage, sliced chives, a sweet and crispy vegetable in a sour sauce, cooked crab claws and a pickled pepper in red sauce. Of course, those represent my descriptions and not the reality of what they really were.

Then came the main course. It came in a piping hot dolsot and still sizzling. Arranged neatly in separate piles were carrots, shitake mushrooms, spinach and other vegetables I didn't recognize. In the middle sat a scoop of rice with an egg yolk on top. After waiting several minutes to let it finish cooking at our table, the waiter came over and squeezed gochujang sauce onto it, then mixed it all together.

Bibimbap.

A variety of condiments for our meal. 

It was a bit spicy. I ate it with a spoon, then used my chopsticks to grab a piece of kimchi or pickled pepper or whatever sounded good to chase it down.

It was past eleven by the time we finished and they were now putting up tables. I attempted to eat all I could of the condiments, but unfortunately couldn't fit them all in my tummy. When we left out the side door most of the employees were in the parking lot taking a smoke break. They were very friendly and waved goodbye.

Jordan and Kaitlyn giggling about something. 

As we walked back to the hotel on those dimly-lit streets I told Jordan that it reminded me of the streets of Phnom Penh. If the streets were just a bit narrower, I told him, the buildings looked similar and it had a similar smell.

We walked back to our hotel, past the homeless encampment and beneath street lamps. In an odd kind of way, it would be a moment that would create nostalgia. ♠

Dodger Stadium

Only two Major League ballparks⸺Fenway Park and Wrigley Field⸺are older than Dodger Stadium. To be sure, both of these ballparks have Dodger Stadium beat by nearly fifty years, but it is still the oldest park west of the Mississippi. It is the largest baseball stadium in the world by seat capacity. Not too shabby. 

When the Dodgers came from Brooklyn in 1958, they spent their first four seasons in the Los Angeles Coliseum while their new stadium was being built. During the construction phase several residents were pressured to relocate. Tops of ridges were trimmed down, ravines filled, millions of cubic yards of dirt moved, and an entire elementary school was simply buried rather than demolished. (It currently sits beneath the pavement of the parking lot on the third base side.) The first season of Dodger Stadium saw a MLB attendance record of 2,755,184 fans. 

As a teenager I was not a Dodger fan. But that was only because they weren't the Braves. I did, however, have respect for them. They always seemed to be good. Back then their superstars were Pedro Guerrero, Steve Sax, Orel Hershiser and Fernando Valenzuela. And, of course, who could forget manager, Tommy Lasorda? 

Decades have passed and my heart has softened. For years now I have wanted to watch a game at Dodger Stadium and today was my lucky day. We had seats directly behind home plate . . . and in the nose-bleed section! Yes, it was a long walk to the upper deck, but we had a wonderful view of the whole field and San Gabriel Mountains. 

Being an hour early we decided to get our food while the crowds were still filing in. For $7.99 I ordered the famous Dodger Dog. There was nothing special about it except that it was about ten inches long. It wasn't even thicker than normal. I decorated mine with the standard ketchup, mustard, relish and onions. The banger came when we tallied the total of food with drinks for five people: a whopping $88!!! —I've never spent near that much on concessions. 

The Dodger Dog.

Many decks of Dodger Stadium.

I don't believe the game was sold out, but it was close. The Dodgers are always a favorite and it helps that they seem to be perennially good. This was also the “Freeway Series” against cross-town rivals Los Angeles Angels. 

There was an excitement in the air. Not only could I feel it, but I believe most of the 50,000 people there could also. For me it was the opportunity to see someone who was becoming a legend. It was like going to the ballpark and watching Willie Mays or Micky Mantle. Today we would be able to see in-person, Shohei Ohtani. 

I will admit that over the last three decades, I have not followed baseball like I used to. But Shohei Ohtani might help change that. He started his career in Japan and later made his way to the United States and the Major Leagues. He both bats and pitches, and is very good at both—a rarity in professional baseball. Comparisons have been made between him and Babe Ruth. This evening at the game there were thousands of fans with Dodger jerseys and “Ohtani 17” on the back. He was by far the most popular player in the stadium. 

Shohei Ohtani on deck.

One of many who wore a Shohei Ohtani jersey.

Angels dugout.

As the game progressed, not only was I mindful of current players, but also of the legends who once played in this stadium. As I strolled the walkway between levels I saw murals on the walls of Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale. 

I remember my dad talking about Sandy Koufax when I was younger. Kofax played when the Dodgers moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles. Even though he only competed twelve years in the Major Leagues, he is still considered one of the greatest pitchers of all time. He won the Cy Young Award three times and the National League Most Valuable Player once. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on his first year of eligibility. 

Mural of Don Drysdale.

Beyond the outer doors of the upper deck gift shop is a beautiful view of the Los Angeles skyline. As the crow flies the stadium is just over a mile from downtown. (As I stepped into the plaza I didn't realize I had technically exited the stadium and it was a minor hassle to get back in.) 

Other than the view, the other thing that drew me to this plaza were the memorials for retired Dodger numbers. Each number bore a summery of that person's career. As far as I could tell, they all played in Los Angeles, and many also in Brooklyn. They included Gil Hodges, Duke Snider, Pee Wee Reese, and #42, Jackie Robinson. 

Memorial for Gil Hodges in the Retired Numbers Plaza.

View of Los Angeles from the Retired Numbers Plaza.  Memorial for Jackie Robinson partially visible.

A look from right field.

The evening was perfect, not a cloud in sight. After an hour the sun went down and lights came on. The crowd was enthusiastic, especially every time Ohtani came to bat. For the night he went 1 for 4, with a walk and a solid home run. In the end, the Dodgers won convincingly, 7-2. 

On our way out we were able to exit through the Retired Numbers Plaza. The view over Los Angeles was spectacular, now with all the skyscrapers lit up. 

The only negative of the night was that pesky L.A. traffic. It took us an hour to get out of the parking lot, and at least half of that we were at a complete stand-still! ♠

 

From Dodger Stadium looking toward Santa Monica.

 

Hollywood Boulevard

Several years ago we sat in McDonald's when suddenly Batman came through the door. He was all decked out with mask and cape and looked exactly as he had ten minutes earlier when we saw him posing for money on the street. He stayed in character as he walked to the counter and ordered his food. He sat down at a table, unwrapped the burger and ate like the rest of us (proving that even superheroes must have to put on their pants one leg at a time). It made us chuckle. A bizarre moment like this could only happen in a few places around the world, one of them being Hollywood Boulevard. 

That was our first time there and we enjoyed every minute of it. We felt as if we had landed on another planet. We strolled up and down the famous street along the Walk of Fame where all the celebrities had their stars. Brittany found the star of Amy Grant, who was her all-time favorite singer. Later we saw David Hasselhoff across the street as he stepped into a car (and no, it wasn't the Knight Rider car). And then, of course, we had to get our picture taken with the Hollywood sign in the background. 

That was a dozen years ago and now we decided to return for the sake of nostalgia. We paid $25 to park our car in a lot just off Hollywood Boulevard. That amount was just shy of what we paid to park at Disneyland. I'm not sure which of the two was more of a circus. 

As soon as we arrived we were met by the din of the street and what appeared to be a homeless guy singing for money. A lady grilled thick hotdogs for seven bucks a pop. Tourists flocked the sidewalks while hot rods and tour buses crowded the street. Neon signs flashed. Fumes of marijuana lifted to the sky. Among those in the streets were shabbily-dressed beggars and high-class snobs. This was Hollywood. 

The streets were lined with souvenir shops, over-priced eateries, Hollywood theaters and museums. I watched my wife and daughters closely as they walked among men I didn't trust. 

This was a place to show off extremes. People dressed bizarrely and got away with showing as much skin as possible. The amount of people with either mental or drug abuse issues was staggering. 

Hollywood Boulevard was sensory overload: flashing neon signs, the smell of food and smoke, all sorts of crazy people, traffic, exhaust, trash on the ground, filth in the stores and glamor in the shops. At the same time it was fascinating to imagine that this was the center of the movie world. This was where it all began. Famous people and wanna-be-famous people all hang out here. We soaked all this in as the sun disappeared and the night lights came on. 

One of the highlights was a man walking his pitbull. This was no ordinary dog, but the stoutest canine I had ever seen. It had been groomed to have a mane like that of a lion. When I first saw the dog I thought it was a cub on a leash. Needless to say, the owner had a lot of people gawking his way. 

We decided to top the night off with a trip to McDonald's. Secretly I hoped Batman would show up again and also, secretly, I knew it was the only place we could afford. There was no Batman this time, but a lot of crazy people in and out. 

One lady, who looked like she lived on the streets, prayed out loud so everyone in the room could hear. Most of it sounded like a wailing rant, but one detail I was able to pick out: she repeatedly forgave Satan. 

In the end, we were happy to return to our hotel. (I was happy that our car hadn't been broken into or stolen!) We all agreed that Hollywood Boulevard was a good place to experience, but we were also happy to leave. The glamor, the lights will linger in our minds, but I'm not sure that we'll ever return. ♠

 

 

Chinatown—Los Angeles

Having been raised in a small town I am fascinated with many aspects of the large cities—but not enough to move there! I am still a country-boy at heart. In some of these large cities I have developed a fondness for the Asian district, otherwise known as Chinatown.

I recall the first time I stepped foot inside an Asian supermarket. I was blown away by aisle after aisle filled with cans and bottles in foreign script, exotic aroma wafting in the air, fresh fish on ice and produce I had never seen before. I didn't even know there existed such a grocery store anywhere in the United States!

Los Angeles Chinatown, main plaza.

Sometimes when I am in a big city I will seek out the Asian district if there happens to be one. A few years ago we ventured into Chinatown of Los Angeles. We only spent a few hours, but it was long enough to walk through the Chinese gate, see the Bruce Lee statue, peruse a few stores and eat a bowl of rice.

The “new” Chinatown of Los Angeles opened in 1938, replacing the older one that fell into decline and was replaced by Union Station. In addition to the many restaurants and shops, it is also a tourist attraction and has been the setting for numerous Hollywood films. Movie designers and directors such as Cecil B. Demille donated props to give Chinatown a more exotic atmosphere.

I've included a few pictures of our visit to Chinatown in Los Angeles. It's not much and the pictures aren't great, but perhaps it will showcase a portion of what this place has to offer. ♠

Sculpture of Sun Yat-sen.

Wishing well.

Entrance to Chinatown.