I’ve been having fun the past few weeks reminding family and friends in New York City that while they were being punished by near-zero temperatures, I was searching for shade on the back deck in board shorts and a T-shirt. Good manners prevent me from sharing the replies, but their vitriol got me thinking about how lucky I am to have left there and made Los Angeles my home, exactly thirty-five years ago today.
I wouldn’t trade having grown up in Brooklyn at the time I did for all the money in the world. And the experiences I enjoyed in Manhattan as a young adult are equally worthy of a book. But even as a kid, I recall being fascinated by the version of SoCal I saw on TV. From The Beverly Hillbillies through Adam-12, The Rockford Files – and even The Jetsons – LA’s horizontal layout, predominance of sky and affection for mid-century modernism appealed to me more than NY’s vertical lines and concrete canyons ever could. And the light… It’s what made me feel most peaceful, as if I had been born to it, wandered off to gain some contrast, then came back to the place I truly belonged.
In his book, Catching the Big Fish, the late, great director David Lynch put the same sentiment in poetic terms. I couldn’t agree with him more.
“I love Los Angeles. I know a lot of people go there and they see just a huge sprawl of sameness. But when you’re there for a while, you realize that each section has its own mood. The golden age of cinema is still alive there, in the smell of jasmine at night and the beautiful weather. And the light is inspiring and energizing. Even with smog, there’s something about that light that’s not harsh, but bright and smooth. It fills me with the feeling that all possibilities are available.”
Word.
GARY…! My Brooklyn brother…!
This August will be 50 years!
II too remember growing up in Indiana watching all of these fantasy worlds
portrayed by these shows. Wow, these Brady kids are really living the life somewhere in Southern California. I remember watching American Bandstand
in the summer of 1973. Every Saturday morning I thought these are the coolest
kids out on the dance floor. I can remember all of the names of towns
and cities these kids said they were from, never thinking I would be
galavanting through these same places later in life. I first visited the area in
the early 80s hanging out with my cousin who was an interior designer
and lived in a wonderful home in Palos Verdes Estates. The ocean breezes
through the open windows of the home took me to another place.
On my first visit I tagged along with her to meetings in Santa Monica and
Venice Beach. At an upscale cafe in Santa Monica, we were seated next to
Dudley Moore and Susan Anton. It was hard not to be mesmerized by the
culture and history of Hollywood. LA and the Valley is still a magical place.