CB1100 Monthly Photo Challenge

[Cormanus]

And when is it not?

Alternatively, when is it?

[Gone in 60]

I'm cheating here, but it was something I couldn't pass up.
I was walking back to the office with my newly refinished seat. Standing between my office and BJ's Trim Shop is the Ana Mesa Inn, a place that has definitely seen better days.

So, since I didn't have my bike handy, here's the seat. Which is part of the bike. Right?

When we moved into our office twenty years ago, this place was a respectable hotel, frequented by long-term visitors to the many businesses and factories in the area. Over the years, however, it has lost its luster, and the clientele now reflects the overall blight that has blanketed the neighborhood. I haven't asked, but along with with the low weekly rates, I'm sure they also offer rooms by... ahem... the hour.

[GoldOxide_imp]

The image of the saddle does not appear to be bleak Gin60.

[Gone in 60]

While I was hoping to strike out and find something old and desolate in the target-rich environs of Downtown L.A., work projects and family commitments will keep my riding from work to home for the rest of the month. So, here's something right next to my office.

What has seen better days? The print industry. Now, follow along with me here...

The printing plant for the Orange County Edition of the Los Angeles Times was across the street from my office complex. For years, the rail line in the first picture carried trains to the plant, unloading huge rolls of paper and drums of ink. Many was the morning that I'd be late to work while the stopped train blocked the street leading to my office.

With the closure of the plant eight or nine years ago or so, the huge plant was abandoned. The rail line was decommissioned and the guards and lights removed. This portion of the rail line, protected by fences on both sides, became a tent village. The village would swell in population until enough nefarious activity in the area prompted the city to come through and push everyone out. In this picture, the presence of general trash and debris shows that the village has been pushed out recently.

About two years ago, a project began to transform the abandoned printing plant into "The Press", a vast, free-form office complex, which is shown in the second photo. During the construction project, the rail line was cut out of the street as if it never existed. Perhaps as a nod to the building's past, a portion of the word "Los Angeles", in a 1970s style font, is still visible on the West-facing side of the project.

With much of the commercial space around here becoming vacant during the pandemic, I'm curious to see how successful this new office complex will be.

[GoldOxide_imp]

Interesting Gin60.

Still some good iron to mine out of the LA ground.

[Gone in 60]

Usually, if it's made of metal, outside, and unguarded around here, it will be stolen for the recycling value. But I think train tracks might be too big to move.

[TXBikerGuy]

As soon as this month's topic was announced, I knew I'd need to make the 90 mile roundtrip ride to Decatur, TX for these pics. This is the Waggoner Mansion, otherwise called "El Castille". It was built in 1883 for $50,000 and was the headquarters of the original Waggoner Ranch operation, before being traded in 1906 for a larger ranch to the northwest. That 2nd ranch went on to become the largest ranch under one fence in the US.

Everything about this place today is a mystery. Nobody seems to know who owns it and it looks both semi-maintained yet completely abandoned. Naturally, some say it's haunted. One thing is for sure, it has an overabundance of signs saying "keep out" or "private", which around these parts we take seriously given the options available for enforcing them.




http://www.wisehistory.com/waggoner_mansion.html

[the Ferret]

Cool. 50 grand had to be a ton of money in 1883

[Nachodaddy]

Great photo and story. Thanks.

[GoldOxide_imp]

Interesting story TxBikerGuy.

Also these days, if there is electricity then it would be wise to assume there is at least a minimum of camera sensors on the property. They'll find you. You don't want that.