A Second in LA

The Rationale

In the past I traveled from New Mexico to California by plane and by bus. Greyhound was a doubtful experience, while traveling by air within the US has turned to be crash course on human rights violations. I was recently awed by the sight of American citizens standing in lines and waiting to be patted or scanned by the new humiliation: L-3 peepers allowing the guards to see below the passengers clothes. Having been called, I would probably have refused. If there are security doors within the planes and air marshals hiding in plainclothes during the flights and metal detectors and mass spectrometry tests before the passengers are allowed to board, then why are the passengers also patted? Why the private parts of some of them are visually scanned? Unless - of course - it answers for the secret desires of the professional, institutional human rights violators working there.

Having traveled extensively on Chinese railroads, I was excited at the chance to compare between the lines.

The Route

Amtrak's Southwest Chief connects Chicago with Los Angeles, passing in the way through Kansas City, Topeka, Dodge City, Raton, Lamy
(Santa Fe), Albuquerque and Flagstaff.

Why Lamy?

By the end of the nineteenth century a dramatic event shaped the future of Santa Fe; Amtrak decided to skip the city in favor of Albuquerque. Consequently, the last is the biggest city in the state, while Santa Fe kept its status as the state's capital. Currently a direct railway is being constructed between Santa Fe and Albuquerque - the first Amtrak station south of Lamy.

In an attempt to counterbalance the decision, early in the twentieth century it was decided to create a tourism industry by building Santa Fe mainly of adobe in the Pueblo Revival style. The hamlet of Lamy - roughly eighteen miles southwest of Santa Fe - houses the nearest Amtrak station to the capital; from there, the Santa Fe Southern Railway brings passengers and cargo to the city. Lamy was the name of Santa Fe's first bishop; the quarry from where the stones for the cathedrakl were taken is next to the Amtrak's station.

In Lamy, I joined Amtrak's Southwest Chief in its way to Los Angeles. The whole line is 2256 miles long in total, while from Lamy to Los Angeles it is 991 miles long.

The Name

In his railway trip from Boston to the Patagonia, Paul Theroux inquires several times regarding the non-existing names of local railways in other countries. I read that book before having visited the US and couldn't understand his preoccupation. Once there, I learned all the main lines have names; the train from Chicago to LA is called the Southwest Chief.

Timing

"The train will be late," I commented to the friends who accompanied me. It was an amazing insight, especially so because the train was already five minutes late.

"Don't worry, it will later compensate for that."

"No chance, delays build up," I countered with what turned to be an exact description of the trip.

We left with a delay of eleven minutes and next morning arrived at Los Angeles Union Station fifty-four minutes late.

At Albuquerque's entrance we were delayed for thirty minutes and spent a similar amount of time at its downtown station. The elevator of the dining car got stuck and thus food could not be loaded.

At Fullerton Station in California, we were delayed for almost an hour. A woman in the train had intoxicated herself and a fire-truck was called to take her to a hospital. Strangely enough, the steward looked at me with horror when I inquired why isn't she allowed to wait for the improvised ambulance at Amtrak's offices.

Boarding

The ticketing process turned out being an excruciating experience, and not due to Amtrak's fault. Buying the ticket was a breeze, checking in the luggage took seconds. The problem was the line, or to be more exact the people forming it. Some of them chatted, talked and argued for more than ten minutes with the clerk. They needed to be chaperoned: they were shown time and again how to look at the ticket, the itinerary, the human history of the place in the last thousand years, the wonderful geological formations of the area, fast food cooking techniques and other important survival tips. Just in case.

Daylight Saving Time

New Mexico is one hour ahead of California; there is no real chance of getting a jetlag here, but the way offers an interesting encounter with a southwestern idiosyncrasy. The railroad from New Mexico to California crosses Arizona, which is a kind of renegade state on issues of Daylight Saving Time. That means that part of the year it keeps in time with Santa Fe, while others with Los Angeles. Appropriate announcements are made during the trip.

Other Announcements

The way between Lamy and Albuquerque crosses several Pueblos - indigenous settlements of the high-desert. One of the attendants kept informing us of the sights along the way through the speakers system. At times the announcements were strange:

"The church would be facing this way," she proclaimed, apparently unaware we couldn't see her hands.

"Diner, diner, how much ice do you need, diner?"; was another anxious message I enjoyed listening to.

The Train

The train was rather compact. The locomotive was at the front, two sleeper cars followed, the diner car and the lounge marked the center; afterwards another three sitting cars ended the brave formation. The main difference between Amtrak and its Chinese counterparts was the lounge car, which does not exist in China. Secondary issues were the quality of the surroundings (carpets, comfortable seats) and the space allocated to each passenger, both were better at Amtrak despite the American cars being obviously much older. I felt like having landed in the 1950s.

All cars had two floors. The lower one provided access to the stations, toilets and other facilities, while the upper one was the living space and provided connections between the cars. The lounge car provided seats facing the windows and long windows opening part of the ceiling to sky watching. Wonderful idea and awesome experience.

The Food

Food was available in the dining car and in the lounge. At the lounge car it was in the form of a snack bar at its bottom level. Unlike most of America, the prices here included taxes, saving thus the need to deal with nickels and pennies. However, the choice was mainly of comfort and fast foods. the service did not operate between 10:30PM and 5:30AM.

The dining car was set up as a mid-range restaurant; tables were shared with other passengers. Access was granted through a reservations system, and the stay was limited to thirty minutes. Prices were as of typical restaurants in American cities. The menu included vegetarian, meat and fish dishes. Despite the portions' size being humble the food was of excellent quality.

The Views

July is New Mexico's high desert rainy season. Henceforth, the way was surprisingly green, with low grass filling the space between the scattered bushes and trees. Mesas (table-shaped rock formations) provided interesting views and the Sandia Mountain was especially beautiful.

We crossed Gallup after sunset, the main sights in this New Mexican town were a mosque and extensive mining operations that lighted up the desert's night. We woke up to a Californian morning, thus not much could be appreciated of Phoenix; however, the sunrise on the downward slopes toward the Pacific Ocean was spectacular.

The "Last of the American Great Railway Stations" was inaugurated in May 1939; however, it is considered small in comparison to other union stations, acting thus as an early sign of the decline of railways in America.

The station originally served the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, Southern Pacific Railroad, and Union Pacific Railroad, as well as the Pacific Electric Railway and Los Angeles Railway (LARy).

Name

The current owner, Catellus Development, changed its name from the Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal (LAUPT) to Los Angeles Union Station (LAUS).

Location

Union Station is located in downtown Los Angeles, opposite the historic Olvera Street; it was built on the site of LA's first Chinatown.

Design

John Parkinson and Donald B. Parkinson (father and son) designed most of the station. They were assisted by a group of architects, including Jan van der Linden; the teamwork resulted in a architectural combination, which includes Dutch Colonial Revival Style (by the Dutch born Jan van der Linden), Mission Revival, and Streamline Modern style.

The station main hall floor is terracotta tile with a central strip of inlaid travertine marble. The lower part of the interior walls is covered in travertine marble, and the upper part is covered with acoustical tiles. despite the crowds, the station is pleasantly quiet. the main hall is of awesome dimensions, creating a sharp contrasts with the humble functionality of the corridors leading to the tracks.

Enclosed garden patios are on either side of the waiting room; in the past, passengers exiting the trains were directed through the southern garden. nowadays, they offer a pleasant sitting spot before stepping out into busy LA. Buying snacks at the station's cafeteria and bringing them out is possible and recommended.

Identity Checks

Amazingly, identity checks are carried out; passengers must hold identification papers at all times. Even in China there is more personal freedom than in 21st century America.

Baggage

Baggage given away while boarding is received here at a carrousele very similar to the ones at airports. However, a sign warns getting the baggage may take up to thirty minutes; in my case it was about twenty. Before leaving the area a guard checks that the baggage tag fits the receipt the passenger holds.

Amtrak Lines

Amtrak offers four long distance trains out of Los Angeles: the Texas Eagle to San Antonio and Dallas, the Coast Starlight to Seattle, the Sunset Limited to Orlando via New Orleans (nowadays reaching only New Orleans), and the Southwest Chief to Chicago.

Metrolink Lines

Metrolink is the name of the main transportation system in LA, it includes subways and buses. Three rail lines (Red, Purple, and Gold) reach the station as well as several bus routes. the whole of LA is easily reachable from here. I strongly recommend buying a combined daily pass for the subway and the buses, for five dollars it provides access to everything between Holywood and the Pacific Ocean.

FlyAway

The FlyAway Bus service connects Union Station with Los Angeles International Airport. The blue buses operate every 30 minutes between 5AM and 1PM and on the hour between 1PM and 5AM just on the back exit of the Patsaouras Transit Plaza. Clear signs mark the way within the station. A one way ticket costs $4 for adults; special discounts exist. the trip longs up to forty minutes, depending on the road conditions.

Movies

LA Union Station has been featured in many films and thus is a very well known landmark. However, the most impressive apparition of the building on the silver screen was on the monumental Blade Runner, where the station's waiting area appears as the year 2019 police department.

Don't Run Away

It is worth planning the first hours in town at the station's surroundings. Beyond being an important landmark by itself, several attractions are located next to it. Across the road is "El Pueblo de los Angeles," the original downtown of the city. At its northern edge is Chinatown, that moved there when the station was constructed on its original site. Modern Chinatown sits on the original site of Little Italy. South of the station is Little Tokyo, LA's Japantown.

The Map

In my way out of the station, I approached the information desk.

"Do you have a transportation map of the city?"

"Sorry, we run out of them."

Reluctant to give up so easily, I noticed a map stuck to the desk. it displayed the transport lines in colors and seemed perfectly suited for my needs.

"Maybe you have one of these," I said pointing at it.

"Oh, that's a 'Dash.' That's the name of the local shuttle buses system. I can give you one."

The Sign

Taking a look at the most famous sign in the world seemed to be a proper way of ending this visit to LA. I was moving around the city with a daily pass to the excellent Metrolink system, which includes subways and buses. The Red subway featured four stations with the name Hollywood in them and one called Universal City. No map I had positioned the Hollywood Sign, so I casually chose the Hollywood Vine Station as my first stop in the area. Once there I entered the first shopping mall I saw - it was next to the station - and immediately spotted the sign from the mall's backside.

Disappointed from the effortless way the task had been accomplished, I asked five passersby what was the best spot for appreciating the wonder. I chose people that looked as busy denizens in their way from or to their work. Despite their friendliness, none of them could even tell me where the sign was. Obviously, there are no prophets in their own land, I thought while beginning a more careful exploration of the neighborhood.

Hollywood

Hollywood is an integral part of the City of Los Angeles, located northwest of downtown LA. In the past it was the center of the movies industry, while nowadays is mainly a shopping and cultural district; many theaters crowd the area and the Academy Awards ("Oscars") are given here. Hollywood Walk of Fame is a major attraction of the district.

A Short History of Fame

The name "Hollywood" appeared first on a 1887 map of the Los Angeles area, back then it was an agricultural area. By 1900 there was a small neighborhood called Cahuenga next to the modern avenue of the same name; it was connected to downtown LA with a single-track streetcar that made the seven miles way in two hours.

Hollywood was incorporated as an independent municipality in 1903, the next year it was connected to downtown LA by a new trolley car called "the Hollywood Boulevard." In 1910, the denizens voted for the annexation of Hollywood to LA in order to secure water supply from the Los Angeles Aqueduct and sewer systems. Then, Prospect Avenue's name was changed to Hollywood Boulevard and the basis for modern Hollywood was set.

In 1906, the Biograph Company filmed the short film "A Daring Hold-Up" in Los Angeles and in 1909 the first studio in the area was established by the Selig Polyscope Company in Edendale. The New Jersey-based Centaur Co., specializing in westerns opened the first studio in Hollywood in 1911, calling it Nestor Studio. The first feature film made in a Hollywood studio was The Squaw Man, in 1914. A year later, most of American films were being produced in the Los Angeles area.

After WWII, Hollywood became a television center as well. In 1947, the first commercial television station west of the Mississippi River, KTLA, began operating in Hollywood, while in the 1950s, music recording studios moved into the area. The Capitol Records building on Vine St. just north of Hollywood Boulevard was built in 1956; its design looks like a stack of vinyl records.

In 1958 The Hollywood Walk of Fame was created; the first star was placed in 1960; people received a star based on their achievements in movies, theater, radio, television, and music. In 1985, the Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District was officially listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Nowadays, most major studios are located elsewhere in the Los Angeles region; Paramount Studios is the only major studio still located in Hollywood.

In 2005, Hollywood became the first district of the city to enjoy well defined boundaries and records of the municipal activities are kept there as if it was an independent city.

The Star Signs

The Hollywood Walk of Fame is ubiquitous; reading the names is highly entertaining, especially so since they do not follow any specific order. However, I could not understand the desire of the stars to have people walking over their names, not to mention possible accidents involving dogs. The most surprising star I found didn't belong to a human, but to Kermit the Frog.

The Silent Sign: Epilogue

Opened in 2001 on the historic site of the Hollywood Hotel, the Kodak Theatre, on Hollywood Boulevard at Highland Avenue is the new home of the Oscars. The theater is part of the Hollywood & Highland complex, which was the last stage in the revival of the area and of its re-definition as an entertainment area not longer related to the media industry directly.

The theater's back entrance is a recreation of the Babylon Gate from D.W. Griffiths' Intolerance. Griffiths was a freemason - as many in the film industry - and Babylon is a longstanding symbol of a valueless society, so praised by them in the form of "relative values." Hollywood's Sign is clearly seen from the square backside, especially from the bridges connecting the building's higher levels. Moreover, the Kodak Theatre itself features many masonic and solar cults motifs, shared by them and related societies. In an exact replica to its masters and of their wicked reality, Hollywood sold its soul and exists only by selling illusions to the masses.

Little Tokyo is one of three official Japantowns in the United States, it was founded by the beginning of the 20th century. The name is appropriated due to its humble size, the area occupies roughly four blocks.

Location

The area is bounded on the west by Los Angeles Street, on the east by Alameda Street, on the south by Third Street, and on the north by First Street and the Los Angeles Civic Center. The main landmarks surrounding it are the Los Angeles River to the east, downtown Los Angeles to the west, the LA City Hall and the Parker Center to the north, and the Arts District to the south.

The original boundaries extended east and south of the present location, but the Exclusion Act of 1924 stopped the growth, despite the people living there being American citizens. The shops were mainly along First Street, while the vegetable markets were along Central Avenue to the south. It is possible to reach it by foot from Union Station and from the modern downtown area.

Attractions

The area is not a residential one anymore, the main activities carried out there nowadays are tourism, cultural, religious, eating and shopping.

The Japanese American Cultural & Community Center and the Japanese American National Museum is are located in Little Tokyo. A second campus of the Museum of Contemporary Art (formerly called the Temporary Contemporary and now known as the Geffen Contemporary) is also in the area as is the East West Players, one of the nation's first Asian American theater companies, specializing in live theater written and performed by Asian American artists; it performs in the David Henry Hwang Theater. The Aratani/Japan America Theater, features plays and musical performances.

The Nisei Week Festival is held every August, and includes among other events a parade, athletic events, exhibits of Japanese art and culture, a taiko drum festival, and the LA Tofu Festival.

Many sculptures occupy the venues, including a space shuttle shaped monument to Astronaut Onizuka, a Japanese American from Hawaii who was a mission specialist on the Space Shuttle Challenger when it exploded in 1986.

Two Japanese gardens in the area open to the public; one is next to the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center and the other is a rooftop garden in the Kyoto Grand Hotel and Gardens. The Go For Broke Monument commemorates Japanese Americans who served in the United States Military during World War II.

The Japanese Village Plaza is located roughly in the center of Little Tokyo, the blue tiles covering the buildings roofs give it a fascinating look. The plaza hosts many Japanese restaurants, specializing in various types of Japanese cuisine, including Donburi, soba ramen and udon (Japanese noodles), shabu-shabu (meat and vegetables cooked in a communal bowl), Japanese curry, and of course sushi. Karaoke (the word is a distortion of an English one "kara" means "no," and "oke" is a distortion of "orchestra;" in Karaoke clubs the music is played with "no-orchestra") clubs invigorate the feeling of being somewhere across the Pacific Ocean. Specialized shops sell products from Japan.

Redevelopment

In the late 1970s, a redevelopment movement began as Japanese corporations expanded overseas operations and built their US headquarters in LA. Despite the new buildings, several of the original Little Tokyo buildings and restaurants, especially along First Street, still survive. At the entrance to the plaza there is a gorgeous wood tower marking the spot.

Innocents' Imprisonment

The Japanese American National Museum was opened in 1992, fifty years after President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered the internment of Japanese Americans as if they were criminals. No open and legal judicial process was ever conducted against them.

This collective imprisonment during the Second World War led to the resettlement of the area by African Americans; the area was then nicknamed Bronzeville and featured many restaurants and nightclubs. After the war, Japanese Americans returning from the camps moved into areas surrounding downtown.

Perilous Presence

Unlike other ethnic enclaves, there are few Japanese residents in the area because of the evacuation and internment. Thus, Little Tokyo is constantly threatened with development that could "intern" it forever. The Redress and Reparations that followed the war had successfully ensured the diminished survival of the area as a tourism center.

Temples

The temples diversity in the area is of special interest; the beautiful Zenshuji Soto Mission was the first Soto Zen temple in the USA. However, the area is known for being one of the first centers of Pentecostal churches in America.

On the spot where the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center Plaza is located was once a congregation called the Azusa Street Mission of the First Pentecostal Church. This is where the Azusa Street Revival started in 1906, even earlier, it was the site of the First AME Church.

Location

Originally, Chinatown LA was at the actual site of the Union Station. When the station was constructed the denizens were evacuated; they settled a bit north of there - on the northern side of the Pueblo de los Angeles. Following the example given by the authorities, they settled on what was until then Little Italy. The area can be reached by foot from the Union Station, or by the Golden Metro Rail line; its first station is Chinatown, the structure has been designed as a pagoda.

Timing and Combining

A visit to Chinatown LA should be combined with a visit to the adjacent "Pueblo de los Angeles" (the original downtown area of LA) and the Central Station. Both attractions are compact and can be covered in a few minutes. The Pueblo features mainly the Cathedral Nuestra Señora Reina de los Angeles, a charming and humble temple,as well as the Olvera Street. The last was the birthplace of El Pueblo de Los Angeles; the short lane includes twenty-seven historic buildings and a Mexican marketplace selling overpriced knickknacks to tourists. The best way of covering the three attractions is by foot; no vehicle would allow a comfortable visit in such a compact and packed up with attractions area.

History

The first Chinese settlers arrived at LA in 1852; in 1871, nineteen of them were murdered by a mob in one of the most serious incidents of racial violence in America; the event is known as the "Chinese Massacre of 1871."By 1890 there were more than 3000 of denizens on the area nowadays occupied by the Union Central. From that year until 1910, Chinatown flourished and covered fifteen streets; it featured a Chinese Opera, three temples, a newspaper and its own telephone center (the last was a novelty at the time).

At this point a decline began due to laws prohibiting most Chinese from citizenship and property ownership. Moreover, the Exclusion Acts limited immigration. This lead to the area's transformation into a gambling and criminal center. After years of decay, a Supreme Court ruling approved the construction of Union Station, which was inaugurated in 1939.

Only by the end of WWII, Chinatown was re-created on its modern location. However, only in the late 1950s were removed the covenants on the use and ownership of property, allowing Chinese Americans to choose their quarters freely and work at their chosen occupations.

The Streets

Broadway, Spring Street and Hill Street are the main Chinatown streets. By far, Broadway is the main tourism center in the area, especially due to the beautiful Central Plaza, an inner yard featuring many colorful traditional Chinese structures as well as a sea of red Chinese lanterns floating above it. During my visit to the Plaza, I witnessed the filming of a ninja-fight scene for a movie; I can gladly informed all the people involved survived the event with no damage. The movie Rush Hour, starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, was also filmed there.

Perpendicular to Broadway is College Street, which separates between the original Chinese buildings in the area and those built after the 1980s.

A large gate is at the intersection of Broadway and Cesar E. Chavez Avenue; two huge dragons are fighting there against each other and pose a serious distraction threat to passersby.

Diversity

The area is quite diverse, featuring mainly Cantonese and Taiwanese communities, but Cambodian, Vietnamese and Thai shops exist as well. Despite the diversity, the architecture is distinctively Chinese.

Most shops in the area sell Asian food, prepared or the raw ingredients; dim sum, roasted duck, Sichuan and Cantonese dishes, noodle soup and ginseng provide an endless feast to the hungry visitor. Other shops sell curios to the many tourists visiting the area; most products in display originate in Asia. Some shops use pictures of their owners in the company of visiting Hollywood stars as advertisements.

Little Italy

The Little Joe's Italian American Restaurant, was inaugurated in 1908 at the corner of Broadway and College Street; it is not active nowadays. This is the only reminder of Little Italy, the predecessor to Chinatown.

Downtown Los Angeles is located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area, featuring many of the city's major arts institutions and sports facilities, skyscrapers, art works, shopping malls and transportation terminals.

Boundaries

Downtown LA is delimited by the Los Angeles River on the east, Route 101 to the north, Santa Monica Freeway on the south and the Harbor Freeway on the west. On the vertical axis, the US Bank Tower is the tallest building in the United States west of the Mississippi River, reaching 310 m.

Revival

Downtown Los Angeles is enjoying a fast transformation in recent years, with historic buildings being converted into lofts, retail businesses and restaurants opening, and high-rise residential buildings being built.

History

The town was founded on September 4, 1781, as "El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Angeles Del Río de Porciúncula" ("The Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels on the River Porciúncula"), on the area known nowadays as the Pueblo de los Angeles, next to Union Station.

Later, New Spain achieved its independence from the Spanish Empire in 1821, and the pueblo continued as a part of Mexico. The Mexican-American War ended on January 13, 1847, with the signing of the Treaty of Cahuenga and with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848, the Mexican government formally ceded Alta California and other territories to the United States. Soon California became a state in the union.

The Southern Pacific Railway reached Los Angeles in 1876 and changed the city forever. Oil was discovered in 1892; by 1923 Los Angeles produced one-quarter of the world's petroleum. In1913, the completion of the Los Angeles Aqueduct, under the supervision of William Mulholland, assured the continued growth of the city. In this period, Los Angeles began the annexation of many of neighboring communities without water supplies of their own, Hollywood is the most famous of them. In the 1920s, the movies and aviation industries contributed to the fast growing pace of Los Angeles. In 1932, the city hosted the Summer Olympics.


World War II and related defense industries brought new growth to the city, though the state succumbed to racism, transporting the Japanese American residents from Los Angeles and other cities to concentration camps.

In 1984, the city hosted the Summer Olympic Games for the second time, an event which was boycotted by the Soviet Union in answer to the earlier American boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games.

Downtown Los Angeles saw a building revival from the 1980s to 1990s, the city tallest skyscrapers were built during this period, which was plagued with gang violence and police corruption. In 1994, the 6.7 on the Richter scale Northridge Earthquake caused $12.5 billion in damage and 72 deaths.

Attractions

Three districts in downtown host most of the attractions: Chinatown, Little Tokyo and El Pueblo de los Angeles are located in a small area surrounding the Union Station; I dedicated to each of them separate entries in this journal. Union Station was the last big railways terminal built in the US and is worth a detailed visit.

The modern downtown is not far away from there and is worth a detailed visit. Despite the seventy-six districts forming the city and its relative decentralization, Los Angeles has one of the largest sky-lines in the United States. Between 1917 and 1957, a city ordinance limited building heights at 150 feet, leading to an unusually homogenous skyline, broken only by the well known shape of the City Hall, next to Little Tokyo. Nearby is the blocky, solid, windowless structure of the Los Angeles Times, inaugurated in 1935. In 2003 the Walt Disney Concert Hall was opened and provided the area with the peculiar touch of uneven - sometimes rounded and other angular - metal walls.

But all this buildings are dwarfed by the Library Tower, now known as the U.S. Bank Tower, on Bunker Hill. At 310m it is the seventh tallest building in the United States, and the tallest building west of the Mississipi.

Traveling Around

Traveling around downtown LA is best accomplished with the help of the Metro Rail; a daily ticket combining the subway and buses services costs $5 and allows exploring the attractions quickly and efficiently. The system is much friendlier that parallel systems in cities like Miami.

Movies

One of the striking characteristics of LA, is that all of us know it, even if we have never visited it. That's mainly the result of movies produces by Hollywood. Maybe two of the most distinctive films dealing with LA - and its future characteristics - are Blade Runner (Union Station is featured there as a police station) and the Terminator's series. Is their violence and pessimistic view of the future a result of living in LA?