I had an exciting morning taking the metro bus to Downtown Los Angeles for an appointment. The whole experience was enjoyable and far better then driving there and searching for cheap parking. I had an appointment with the president of the West Hollywood Preservation Alliance (westhollywoodpreservationalliance.org) to discuss volunteer opportunities. I really liked the urban planning approach of the organization. To the majority of people, historic preservation is about making every house a museum and dictating to the owners what they can and cannot do. That's the furthest thing from the truth. The president of the organization seems quite dedicated to growing the group and making preservation a value of West Hollywood. The best part of the field trip was walking through Downtown L.A. I just absolutely love the older buildings. They are so well made. They have such a great sense of space and character to them. That character comes from the people that inhabited and continue to inhabit the building. You don't really get that in a newer building. They all seem so cold, bland, and sterile. Even when they reference some period style, there still lacks a palpable feel that you only get from an older building. I suppose not everyone feels the way I do but that is one reason I studied historic preservation.
The experience of taking a bus was very good. No one bothered me. I just sat in my sit being lulled by the hum of the engine. While, I'm not ready to give my driver's license, mass transit does come in handy at times. The last time I took a bus was almost a year ago for a class field trip to Union Station. Union Station is Los Angeles' main train station and a national historic landmark. That excursion was also quite pleasurable and certainly was far better than paying for parking. I definitely believe in mass transit and I just wish that that it was more efficient. Overall a great morning.
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