Tag Archives: #DTLA

Schaber’s Cafeteria and Einar Petersen

Posted on September 1, 2025 by lmharnisch

Mary Mallory profiles Schaber’s Cafeteria in downtown Los Angeles, which featured murals by Einar Petersen. An encore post from 2012. Continue reading →

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Aug. 1, 1907: Swarm of Bees Terrorizes Downtown Los Angeles

Posted on August 1, 2025 by lmharnisch

August 1, 1907: ‘Naughty’ bees swarm on South Broadway! Continue reading →

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Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: At the Plaza, History Repeats Itself

Posted on July 24, 2025 by lmharnisch

Mary Mallory looks at the way history repeats itself at the downtown Plaza, a longtime gathering place, and a hub of protests and free speech. Continue reading →

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Rose Parade Encounter Leads to Killing of Arcadia Woman

Posted on January 1, 2020 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2013 Aug. 9, 1963: “In Saigon, 400 miles to the south, police geared for trouble as a young, unidentified monk announced plans to burn himself to death in the continuing Buddhist struggle for … Continue reading →

Posted in 1963, Art & Artists, Comics, Crime and Courts, Downtown, Film, Hollywood, Homicide, Religion, Vietnam | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Rose Parade Encounter Leads to Killing of Arcadia Woman

Aug. 1, 1907: Swarm of Bees Terrorizes Downtown Los Angeles

Posted on August 1, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2006. Aug. 1, 1907 Los Angeles A mass of bees “wandering in from the country” swirled along Broadway, forcing dainty young women and the toughest police officer to seek cover in a vain … Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, Animals, LAPD, Music, Streetcars | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Jan. 3, 1863: L.A. Paper Calls Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation an Outrage

Posted on January 3, 2018 by lmharnisch

Read all of the Jan. 3, 1863, Los Angeles Star at USC’s digital library. Note: This is an encore post from 2013. Jan. 3, 1863: Of all that you may know about the Emancipation Proclamation, I doubt you have read … Continue reading →

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Fire Up the Lindbergh Beacon!

Posted on December 14, 2015 by lmharnisch

It’s December, which means it is time to fire up the Lindbergh beacon atop City Hall. Here it is, illuminating the skies over Los Angeles in 2014. Update: I wrote this post a week ago and put it on the … Continue reading →

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Last Remaining Seats 2015

Posted on February 4, 2015 by lmharnisch

The Los Angeles Conservancy has announced the films for its 2015 Last Remaining Seats series. I wish I could be more enthusiastic about this year’s LSR, because the conservancy does terrific work, but the programming is about as adventuresome as … Continue reading →

Posted in 2015, Coming Attractions, Downtown, Film, Hollywood | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Mayor Garcetti Fires Up the Lindbergh Beacon

Posted on December 24, 2014 by lmharnisch

And yes, here is the Lindberg beacon atop City Hall, illuminating the skies over Los Angeles for Christmas Eve 2014.

Posted in 2014, City Hall, Downtown | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Downtown Los Angeles Invaded by Hipsters With Dogs

Posted on August 5, 2014 by lmharnisch

The renaissance of downtown Los Angeles has brought us fancy bars, expensive lofts, pricey restaurants and sidewalks full of hipsters with dogs. Don’t get me wrong, I like dogs, I have owned dogs. But they don’t belong in eating establishments. … Continue reading →

Posted in 2014, Animals, Downtown, Food and Drink | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Google Is In Your Neighborhood

Posted on June 25, 2014 by lmharnisch

The Google car (not self-driving) was at 2nd Street and Broadway the other day.

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Neon Mystery Photo (Updated)

Posted on May 27, 2014 by lmharnisch

Craby Joe’s may be gone, but it lives on in what rock video? (And no, this isn’t “Barfly.”) Answer: The video is … “Sharp Dressed Man” by ZZ Top (1983). Craby Joe’s appears at about the 2:15 mark.

Posted in Books and Authors, Downtown, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

L.A. Becomes N.Y. — Again

Posted on March 26, 2014 by lmharnisch

I wandered down to “New York Street” (Spring Street between 4th and 6th in downtown Los Angeles) last night and saw this Hollywood version of an NYPD patrol car. L.A. Becomes N.Y. Million Dollar Theatre | Street Scene |  CSI: … Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown, Film, Hollywood, Spring Street | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

LAPD Officer Accused of Hitting Handcuffed Prisoner, March 5, 1914

Posted on March 17, 2014 by lmharnisch

March 5, 1914: Spring training! I jumped back to 1914 to see if I could find out anything about the Police Commissions order against non-Asian women in Oriental cafes. No luck, alas, but I did find a couple of goodies. … Continue reading →

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Black Dahlia and the Cecil Hotel — Another Good Story Ruined

Posted on January 29, 2014 by lmharnisch

I don’t know how this nonsense gets started. There is nothing to show that Elizabeth Short ever set foot in the Cecil Hotel, as claimed by KABC-TV Channel 7.

Posted in 1947, Another Good Story Ruined, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, LAPD | Tagged , , , | 18 Comments

Cafe Bristol Revisited

Posted on September 11, 2013 by lmharnisch

If you’ll recall from yesterday’s post on the Cafe Bristol, the main entrances were two marble staircases off 4th Street. The door on 4th Street was locked, alas, but I was able to get these shots of the two staircases. … Continue reading →

Posted in 1904, Downtown, Food and Drink, Spring Street | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Coming Attractions: Downtown Art Show

Posted on September 11, 2013 by lmharnisch

Alex Schaefer, above, and Jose De Juan have an opening of their show “L.A.ndscapes” on Thursday at the District Gallery, 740E. 3rd. There’s a reception Thursday from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. The show continues through Oct. 20. More information … Continue reading →

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Cafe Bristol – Downtown Los Angeles

Posted on September 10, 2013 by lmharnisch

I came across another program from the Mason Opera House listed on EBay, this one from 1909. Here’s an ad for the Cafe Bristol, which was in the basement of the Hellman Building at 4th and Spring. It’s listed as … Continue reading →

Posted in 1904, 1909, Downtown, Food and Drink, Found on EBay, Spring Street, Theaters | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Downtown L.A. — Street Artist (Updated)

Posted on September 4, 2013 by lmharnisch

I came across this street artist last evening while walking in downtown Los Angeles. He’s painting a street scene of the corner of Broadway and 7th Street. Update: Ed Fuentes identifies our artist: “Alex Schaefer. And he has a show … Continue reading →

Posted in 2013, Architecture, Art & Artists, Broadway, Downtown | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Random Shot — Drawing Downtown Los Angeles

Posted on August 15, 2013 by lmharnisch

This young woman attracted several observers as she stood on 6th Street just west of Spring — near the Starbucks — on  Wednesday evening to sketch the streetscape. I didn’t want to interrupt her to ask her name. All I … Continue reading →

Posted in 2013, Architecture, Art & Artists, Downtown, Photography, Spring Street | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments