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.
