FIVE PLACES L.A.

Los Angeles Forum for Architecture and Urban Design, Emmanuelle Bourlier

FIVE PLACES L.A. is a living documentary of the city. In each episode we ask one inhabitant of Los Angeles about the five places that define the city for them. Each interviewee in turn chooses someone to interview about their five places. Through these interviews and plus-ones the project grows; as the city evolves, its past and present, real and remembered places are mapped.

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Top 10 FIVE PLACES L.A. Episodes

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12: (+1) Shana Nys Dambrot by Laurie Lipton

FIVE PLACES L.A.

09/21/23 • 46 min

This is our third “plus-one” interview. In each episode, we ask our interviewees to name someone whom they in turn would choose to ask about the five places that define Los Angeles for them. Artist Laurie Lipton, our Episode 08 guest, chose art critic Shana Nys Dambrot as her plus one, and this is their wonderful conversation.

Show notes and Shana’s five places:

1. Chateau Marmont (in the 80s and 90s).

2. Self Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine (Palisades).

3. Downtown Library Art (Docent Tours).

4. Getty Villa (and Getty Center).

5. L.A. Flower Mart, and Shana recommends the Poppy and Rose cafe next door.

Honorable Mention: Tales of the American (documentary on the American Hotel).

Related Links / Also Mentioned in this episode:

William Douglas Lee, architect of the Chateau Marmont

Art and Architecture of the Downtown Central Library and Maguire Gardens

Landscape architect Lawrence Halprin and his wife, famed choreographer Anna Halprin

The Mark Taper Forum at the Downtown Central Library

Fountain Design at the Downtown Central Library

Credits:

Logo design: still room (www.still-room.com)

Animated logo: Bee Murphy (@supadoopabee on Instagram)

Music: Guido Parisi, www.pond5.com

Produced by: Los Angeles Forum for Architecture and Urban Design

Production team: Emmanuelle Bourlier, Anali Gharakhani, Quynh Nguyen

Creator and Host: Emmanuelle Bourlier

This podcast was recorded on Chumash and Tongva land.

www.laforum.org

09/21/23 • 46 min

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11: Gary Baseman

FIVE PLACES L.A.

08/17/23 • 49 min

Watch this episode on YouTube |follow us on instagram

Los Angeles native Gary Baseman is an interdisciplinary artist whose work explores the human condition through fine art, illustration, performance, film, fashion, and toy design. Known for his raw style and humor, his art has appeared in international publications (The Atlantic, The New Yorker, The New York Times, TIME, Rolling Stone), games and toys (Cranium), digital collectibles (VeVe), and in the ABC/Disney animated series and feature film “Teacher’s Pet,” for which he was creator and executive producer. Baseman’s awards include multiple Emmys, a British Academy of Film & Television Arts award, and Fulbright and Sundance New Frontier fellowships. His many brand collaborations include COACH, Lladro, and Dr. Martens. His fine art has been exhibited in museums and galleries throughout Asia, Australasia, Europe, North America and South America.

We highly recommend watching this episode on our YouTube channel, as Gary shows several of his extraordinary drawings onscreen, his cat Bosko drops in several times, and we have embedded photographs from Gary’s long history in LA into the video. Big thanks to Gary for sharing his art, his photos, and his stories so generously.

Show notes and Gary ’s five places

Canter’s Deli
Fairfax district: Pan Pacific auditorium, Pan Pacific movie theatre, and bowling alley. Gilmore drive in, Kiddieland, Tail o’ the Pup, Original Farmer’s Market, CBS Studios. Many of the buildings Gary remembers no longer exist. This neighborhood guide and this post by The Hundreds dig into the history.
La Brea Tar Pits
The Witch’s House aka the Spadena House (though Gary nearly chose “his hill” in Griffith Park)
Musso + Frank

Related Links / Also Mentioned in this episode

Discover more of Gary’s work on his website and instagram

Woody Allen’s “Annie Hall”: The New Yorker’s view of Los Angeles

Remembering Beverly Park and Kiddieland

Beverly Park and Ponyland: The 'Kiddieland' that Inspired Walt Disney

The Carol Burnett show, and The Price is Right.

The Formosa Café

Genghis Cohen

Chateau Marmont

The Griffith Observatory

The Mamas & The Papas

Jim Heimann and his many books on California

History and photos of the Pan Pacific Auditorium (1935, architects Wurdeman & Becket) and Pan Pacific Movie Theatre (opened 1942, architect William L. Pereira).

A Pan Pacific history from the perspective of Scotty Moore, studio and touring guitarist for Elvis Presley between 1954 and 1968.

Annie Hall driving scene in which the Gilmore drive-in appears...

08/17/23 • 49 min

10: Julie Eizenberg

FIVE PLACES L.A.

05/18/23 • 42 min

Show notes and Julie’s five places:

This interview was recorded on March 30, 2023

1. Beach (ex: Santa Monica beach)

2. Topography of hills and plains (as you might see from the Griffith Observatory): a mythical place with elusive edges

3. Distinctive and walkable neighborhoods (Santa Monica, Boyle Heights, Lincoln Heights, Arts District, Atwater Village, mid-Wilshire, pockets of the Valley, Sierra Madre, West Ventura) Cuernavaca café on Ventura avenue.

4. Strip malls, with their ephemeral signage, and Park’s barbecue in particular

5. Homeless encampments

Also mentioned in this episode/related links:

KoningEizenberg on instagram

KoningEizenberg firm overview video

LA Times neighborhood mapping project - most of the distinctive and walkable neighborhoods mentioned by Julie are included in this project.

Disney Concert Hall

Eames House (Case Study House No.8)

Reyner Banham and Los Angeles: The Architecture of Four Ecologies

Jonathan Gold

Joan Didion on Driving as Secular Worship and Self-Transcendence (The Marginalian)

Julie Eizenberg interviewed in Madame Architect

The Right Touch, article on KoningEizenberg by Christopher Hawthorne in Metropolis Magazine

Five Places L.A. LISTENER SURVEY!

Credits:

Logo design: still room (www.still-room.com)

Animated logo: Bee Murphy (@supadoopabee on Instagram)

Music: Guido Parisi, www.pond5.com

Produced by: Los Angeles Forum for Architecture and Urban Design

Production team: Emmanuelle Bourlier, Anali Gharakhani, Quynh Nguyen

Host: Emmanuelle Bourlier

This podcast was recorded on Chumash, Tongva and Micqanaqa’n land.

www.laforum.org

05/18/23 • 42 min

09: (+1) Ron Athey by Lisa Teasley

FIVE PLACES L.A.

04/13/23 • 21 min

(Note: "Athey" is pronounced with a long "A", as in "āi", as opposed to Emmanuelle's short "a" pronunciation in the intro. The episode was recorded in Dec. 2020 and includes mention of recent closings due to the pandemic.)

Show notes and Ron ’s five places

Grand Central Market
Griffith Park, with its archery range, zoo, and Autry Museum
Huntington Library and Gardens
Silverlake and Sunset Junction, Tabasco’s, Cliff’s Edge (closed but maybe reopening), Catch one, Pacific Dining Car
Farther afield: The unincorporated community of Zzyzx, California.

Also mentioned in this episode/ related links

Five Places L.A. LISTENER SURVEY!

Hemet and Pomona

Guardian article on the 2028 Olympics by Jules Boykoff and Dave Zirin: Los Angeles has already ceded too much power to the Olympic machine

Versailles Cuban chicken

The unincorporated community ofZzyzx, California.

Rita D’Albert

Christopher Knight’s LA Times review of Athey’s 2012 show “Queer Communion: Ron Athey” at ICA LA: Review: ‘Queer Communion’ and the engrossing, squirm-inducing world of Ron Athey

04/13/23 • 21 min

08: Laurie Lipton

FIVE PLACES L.A.

03/16/23 • 37 min

Show notes and Laurie’s five places:

This interview was recorded on December 22, 2022

The Getty Museum
LACMA
Pacific Coast Highway aka California State Route 1 and 3b. Hummingbirds
The Pacific Ocean, the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. And that famous L.A. light quality, as described by Patt Morrison in the L.A. Times: You’ve noticed it, right? There’s just something about L.A.’s light
Trader Joe’s (and fresh produce in general, especially avocados!)

Also mentioned in this episode:

The Ghent Altarpiece by Jan van Eyck

Art for art’s sake

“Happy”, the painting behind Laurie during the interview

Shayna Nys Dambrot

Related Links

Love Bite: Laurie Lipton and Her Disturbing Black & White Drawings, a documentary film by James Scott

Newest Book: LAURIE LIPTON drawing

Website: www.laurielipton.com

On instagram: @laurieliptondrawings

Credits:

Logo design: still room (www.still-room.com)

Animated logo: Bee Murphy (@supadoopabee on Instagram)

Music: Guido Parisi, www.pond5.com

Produced by: Los Angeles Forum for Architecture and Urban Design

Production team: Emmanuelle Bourlier, Anali Gharakhani, Quynh Nguyen

Host: Emmanuelle Bourlier

Special thanks to: Monica Lamela for her extraordinary video editing skills

This podcast was recorded on Chumash, Tongva and Micqanaqa’n land.

www.laforum.org

03/16/23 • 37 min

07: Frances Anderton

FIVE PLACES L.A.

01/19/23 • 38 min

Show notes and Frances’ five places:

This interview was recorded on December 29, 2022

1. The Sixth street replacement viaduct

2. Santa Monica Pier

3. Gabrielino-Tongva Springs Foundation

4. Schindler House

5. Outdoor dining in Los Angeles

Also mentioned in this episode:

April Greiman

Deborah Sussman

To The Point hosted by Warren Olney on KCRW

Which Way L.A. hosted by Warren Olney on KCRW

Michael Sorkin, the architecture critic who was originally assigned to the project that brought Frances to L.A., and who died of the coronavirus in 2020.

From the L.A. Times: 6th Street bridge: A civic wonder that reflects L.A.'s promise and its simmering problems

From the L.A. Times: More than a bridge: Michael Maltzan’s 6th Street Viaduct addresses mistakes of L.A.'s past

From the New York Times: Los Angeles Enjoys Its New Bridge a Little Too Much

Patti Smith at the Santa Monica Pier (one of many appearances).

“‘Rewilding’ the land brings back birds, bees, butterflies” by Frances Anderton on KCRW.com

An L.A. Times piece on the surge in outdoor dining brought on by the pandemic: The year of the party tent: What the age of COVID taught us about architecture in 2021

Related links:

Read: Common Ground: Multifamily Housing in Los Angeles, Frances’ redefinition of "home" in the Southland.

Watch: 40 Years of Building Community, a short film Frances co-produced about Community Corp of Santa Monica.

Listen: Audio tour of buildings in Common Ground, with KCRW's Steve Chiotakis; Q + A with KPCC's Larry Mantle about Common Ground and why he loved apartment living in L.A..

Credits:

This podcast is produced by a small team of volunteers at the LA Forum. To keep us going and growing, we’d greatly appreciate your support! Please subscribe, rate and review wherever you listen, and share with friends and colleagues. Or, make a donation at www.fiveplaces.la. Thank you for listening.

All images of “Common Ground: Multi-family Housing in Los Angeles © Angel City Press 2022

Opening video © Emmanuelle Bourlier 2023

Logo design: still room (www.still-room.com)

Animated logo: Bee Murphy (@supadoopabee on Instagram)

Music: Guido Parisi, www.pond5.com

Produced by: Los Angeles Forum for Architecture and Urban Design

Production team: Emmanuelle Bourlier, Anali Gharakhani, Quynh Nguyen

Host: Emmanuelle Bourlier

This podcast was recorded on Chumash, Tongva and Micqanaqa’n land.

www.laforum.org

01/19/23 • 38 min

06: (+1) Carribean Fragoza by Carolina Miranda

FIVE PLACES L.A.

11/17/22 • 34 min

Carribean Fragoza is a fiction writer and journalist from South El Monte, CA. Her collection of stories Eat the Mouth That Feeds You was published in 2021 by City Lights and was a finalist for a 2022 PEN Award. Her co-edited compilation of essays, East of East: The Making of Greater El Monte was published by Rutgers University Press and her forthcoming collection of essays Writing Home: New Terrains of California will be published by Angel City Press in 2023. She has published in Harper's Bazaar, The New York Times, Zyzzyva, Alta, BOMB, Huizache, KCET, the Los Angeles Review of Books, ArtNews, and Aperture Magazine. She is the Prose Editor at Huizache Magazine and Creative Nonfiction and Poetry Editor at Boom California, a journal of UC Press. Fragoza is the founder and co-director of South El Monte Arts Posse, an interdisciplinary arts collective. She lives in the San Gabriel Valley in Greater Los Angeles.

Carribean’s five places

The Starlite swap meet (reached via Rush Street in El Monte)
Legg lake in Whittier Narrows Park. A hike and a fishing guide.
Los Callejones and Santee Alley
Car wash taco eateries. We were unable to find links to the El Monte place referenced by Carribean, but here are Deliciosas Pupusas in El Sereno, and other car wash tacos are discussed by L.A. Taco (Macho’s tacos), and LA eater.
The warehouse district, now known as the (ahem) Arts District. More here, by the L.A. conservancy.

Also Mentioned in this episode

Designer Miguel Barragan

Carolina Miranda’s LA Times piece on Rafa Esparsa’s callejones performance

Carribean’s books:

Eat the Mouth That Feeds You

East of East: The Making of Greater El Monte

Credits:

Opening video © Emmanuelle Bourlier 2022

Logo design: still room (www.still-room.com)

Animated logo: Bee Murphy (@supadupabee on Instagram)

Music: Guido Parisi, www.pond5.com

Produced by: Los Angeles Forum for Architecture and Urban Design

Production team: Emmanuelle Bourlier, Anali Gharakhani, Quynh Nguyen

Host: Emmanuelle Bourlier

Special thanks to: Nina Briggs, Anne Predock

This podcast was recorded on Chumash, Kizh, Tongva and Micqanaqa’n land.

www.laforum.org

11/17/22 • 34 min

05: Lisa Teasley

FIVE PLACES L.A.

10/27/22 • 45 min

Lisa ’s five places

Adams district and the Golden State Life Insurance Building by Paul R. Williams, who was also featured in Episode 01 with Carolina Miranda.
Laurel Canyon and its music history.
Venice and the Venice Canals.
Baldwin Hills with its scenic overlook and steps and Kenneth Hahn State Park, adjacent to the Crenshaw District and Leimert Park.
Downtown LA, with Chinatown, Union Station, The Flower Market, and adjacent Silverlake/Echo Park.

Also Mentioned in this episode

Canter’s Deli on Fairfax

Gorky’s – now closed

Hank’s bar – now closed

Musso and Frank’s – still open!

The Frolic Room – temporarily closed

Books mentioned in this episode:

available through Eso Won bookstore: Instagram @esowonbooks / Email to place orders: [email protected]

City of Quartz: Excavating the Future in Los Angeles, by Mike Davis

After/Image: Los Angeles Outside the Frame, by Lynell George

Set the Night on Fire: L.A. in the sixties, by Mike Davis and Jon Weiner

Living the California Dream: African American Leisure Sites during the Jim Crow Era, by Alison Rose Jefferson

Glow in the Dark, by Lisa Teasley

Dive, by Lisa Teasley

Heat Signature, by Lisa Teasley

Related links:

A Place at the Table in Echo Park, Alta Journal, September 29, 2022. Author and artist Lisa Teasley looks at Natalia Molina’s A Place at the Nayarit, through her own experience of Echo Park over the years.

Glossolalia, by Lisa Teasley, Kweli Journal, August 30, 2022.

The Only Black Person in the Room, by Lisa Teasley, Parabola Journal, July 28, 2022.

The Castle in the Trees, August 2020, for the L.A. Forum’s Every.Thing.Changes exhibition.

Credits:

Logo design: still room (www.still-room.com)

Animated logo: Bee Murphy (@supadupabee on Instagram)

Music: Guido Parisi, www.pond5.com

Produced by: Los Angeles Forum for Architecture and Urban Design

Production team: Emmanuelle Bourlier, Anali Gharakhani, Quynh Nguyen

Host: Emmanuelle Bourlier

Special thanks to: Nina Briggs, Anne Predock

This podcast was recorded on Chumash, Kizh, Tongva and Micqanaqa’n land.

www.laforum.org

10/27/22 • 45 min

a short message from Emmanuelle

FIVE PLACES L.A.

10/06/22 • 2 min

A short message from Five Places host Emmanuelle Bourlier, including an even shorter clip from Episode Three with Sam Lubell, executive editor of Metropolis magazine.

10/06/22 • 2 min