 I see beauty in most things, like dark, lonely, trash filled streets. I am not scared I explore it and find the uniqueness of what it is or what it once was. Graffiti and trash can be art if you want it to be, I guess it depends on who looks at it. I taken many strolls around the city and seen great streets that boom during working hours and are left dead at night.
Lots of photos if you all do not mind after the jump…
My latest concrete adventure was walking in and around the Warehouse District in Downtown LA. Specifically around Olympic Blvd after it switches over from Ninth St down to Alameda.
This Olympic Blvd sign is really cool and old looking, check out the sharp spear on the top of the pole, it also is a much shorter street sign compared to more modern ones.
The Produce Market is located in the heart of it all right off Olympic and Central. I walked and drove around the area plenty of times but I wanted flick some gems for all to see.
The sun is setting on 10th St and Central
10th St is usually filthy after work hours, there is usually a lot of empty produce boxes and trash from the daytime crowd.
Incarcerated trash on 10th St.
Staircase full of fonts.
This shitty electrical box on Kohler St is well guarded by an enormous amount of barbed wire not to sure why, maybe the high voltage warning but it do not seem to stop people from peeing on it.
I am sure most people have noticed while passing down Olympic, the colorful produce and pinatas decorating the store fronts right before Central. I never really had a chance to walk in the midst of paper mache and street cooking but it was quite the scenery when I did.
I see someone got themselves the worst car ever!
The three days I came here the place was a full house, lots of people busy shopping for pinatas, ollas and other stuff also buying food from the variety of street vendors posted up.
Lots of jars of cueritos (picked pork skins) it must be a popular item. I am not going to lie even though they look disgusting they are tasty with lemon and Tapatio.
 In between all the chaos a couple of fellas managed to get a permission wall in one of the parking lots of the pinata party. Good work guys!
More boxes left behind
 This Taco stand sets up on the corner of Stanford and Olympic, but it looked like a backyard family party to me everyone is happily eating together. Bring your sillas it’s all good here!
As the sun sets the area is still active.
 I would have never noticed this little food joint driving by, it is hidden behind more pinatas and iron gates. It was open in the day but closed when I took the photo. If anybody is interested in eating there here is the info.
1210 E Olympic Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90021
More food and a couple of kids deciding what kind of tacos they want.
Some of the shops are now closing leaving the roll-downs a target for writers.
As I headed towards Skid Row I saw a parking lot with illegal graffiti and more cardboard boxes. If anybody is looking to move there is boxes galore around here please do not ever buy cardboard boxes reuse reuse! (Unless there is a bunch of crap in them)
The area kept calling me so I went back a few days later but this time on Olympic below Central; let us see what is in store now.
A cool wheat paste on a cylinder block wall off Long Beach Ave.
Tags, tags, everywhere!
All the right stuff to pump you up sold here.
I think Malandrino lost his shoe.
I spotted this old cement scribble dated 1903 could it be? It was not the address either since it was located on Long Beach Ave and Olympic, if it is genuine it sure is a true landmark.
You cannot miss the sight of Sam’s Hof Brau
1751 E. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90021.
The T.V Cafe at your service 24/7
1777 E Olympic Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90021
(213) 624-1332
This area might not be so glamorous but that is the charm of a the real streets of Los Angeles that intrigues someone like me. You never know what interesting thing one might run into, and many  times all those cool parties you go to are located right around here, so enjoy!
Peace
Very nice! I really like the Papa Loca picture and the two donkey pinatas!
Great Post. I too have found myself strangely drawn to that bleak area over the years. It really has not changed much. It’s one of the original L.A. industrial (produce) areas although it’s become very “Lofty” recently. If you travel south on Central towards Washington, you’ll discover some amazing old buildings from the early 1900s era. I sometimes go to the TV Cafe with it’s cheesy sport murals. The food sucks but you can’t beat the atmosphere and they’re open all night. Sam’s Hof Brau was shown in Tarantino’s Foxy Brown film. I think there’s a Strip Club around that area too. I’ve wondered why they always put those stripper places in boondocky industrial areas. I guess it’s for the “Trucker” clientele.
The T.V cafe is pretty unique the food isn’t to great I got to admit but like
you said it’s open all night so it can come in handy. As for Sams I didn’t notice it was in Foxy Brown it’s been a while since I seen that movie am gonna have to check it out again. On the trucker tip they sure love strip joints this is not the first industrial area I examined with a strip joint near it. The Spearmint Rhino is the other joint down the St.
great post – definitely some good words for the soul and some definite nice eye candy with the visuals.
nice work malandrina, love the pics you took. Specially all the people shots.
That’s a fascinating area. I have been going through that area the past 1-1/2 years on the line 66 and marvel at all the cool old buildings and of course the latino busineses.
To answer why strip joints are located in ‘boondocky industrial areas’, it’s because adult businesses can’t be near schools, churches or homes. I think the distance is 1,000 feet. I’m sure someone knows the details better than I do.
Great pics. Were you able to hear all the load sounds from the block south of Olympic – where are the car audio shops are? That would be an interesting shoot. Makes me want to want to grab my camera and get back into shooting some pics.
Cavalera,
I did not hear the car audio place this time it’s the one over over by 11th St right? I think it was because the pinata, produce place was bumping themselves, they had a couple of huge speakers set up blasting random stuff.
Great post!!! First off i wanna say THANX for inviting me on this lovely walk…LOL…JK! But i have to say, you strolled down one of the most visited areas by ME through out my years growing up in the beautiful city of angels! You have a great eye and your love for our lost streets is GREAT! You brought back memories of “all-nighter” missions around that area, drunk walks, feen’ days, all around just BEAUTIFUL! Keep up the great work…
wow… ok this is my FAVORITE SO FAR..GREAT POST! the pictures are truely remarkable. You are very talented Dona Junta. Keep up the great work. I really do look forward to reading everything you post.