Gardner, Overland, Berendo

I drove all over the city today. From my central hub, to K-town, through Los Feliz to Atwater and then back. In my almost decade of driving this city's streets - three have always caught my eye. I have always noted them, remembered them, been curious as to their meaning. 

The first was easy. For 6 months, I passed this street sign on Hollywood Blvd as I drove farther west, it grabbed my attention. Every single time. The intensity of the attention was amusing to me. Months and months later, I understood. Gardner became an important street in my life for many years. I think about it with fond fond memories now and smile when I often pass it or drive on it.

Overland is more complex. It first caught my eye in the months of my move to Los Angeles. I spent a lot of time navigating Venice, Santa Monica and Culver City. I moved to the Future and forgot about Overland with that part of the city. However for the past 5 or 6 years, I'd sporadically, yet consistently drive down Olympic - and every single time, that damn Overland sign grabbed my attention. It was the same kind of intense attention as the Gardner sign. It was so amusing to me at one point, that I wrote about it in my journal. I kept driving, curious as to what I would find on Overland. Sometimes I think I know, sometimes I think I don't. Mystery solved. Mystery remains.

I'm left with Berendo. Oh Berendo at Franklin. Remember those times I was driving back from West Hollywood to the Future? All those times you winked at me with your eye? How sometimes you wink at me even now, although with not the amount of vigor you had in the past. Berendo, what do you hold on your streets? What meaning will I find?

I drive the streets in the Valley, and I see the names of Hollywood movies. I know why this happens. These streets are magical. The movies are magical too. It's no surprise then, perhaps these streets are a snippet, a moment movie of my life, named after the streets: Gardner, Overland, Berendo. 

Comments

[Gary Z]

Overland, Fountain and Sawtelle are my "big three."

Riffing off of Bette Davis' iconic response "Take Fountain", to the question of how to get somewhere in Hollywood, the same can be said for Overland (from Century City to Culver City) and Sawtelle (from West LA to Culver City). I a city of standstill streets, these are the magic thoroughfare.

Interlopers also exist - these streets cut across places in weird ways, leading to magical shortcuts through nasty traffic... Palms, National, Redondo, San Vicente (in mid-Wilshire).

Finally, there are the avoid-at-all-costs - Fairfax south of Olympic, Wilshire in Beverly Hills and K-town, and Western in K-town. If you want a 10-minute drive to turn into a 2 hour cursing match, these are unbeaten.