Life In The City

For 20 years, from 1986 to 2006, I visited the Santa Monica Place Mall in Santa Monica. Early on, I used to go all the time when I lived close to it. After I moved into Los Angeles, however, the incredibly heavy traffic between me and the mall made it too time-consuming for me to go as often as I used to. After I made my final trip in 2006, the company that owned the mall tore it down and replaced it with a new outdoor one. While it is nice, I still have feelings for the old Place. Besides, even though it was expensive to heat and cool the old indoor mall, it was still nice to get inside out of the rain. I guess I should be grateful that the company's other indoor mall, the Westside Pavilion, still exists.

Labels: shopping malls

A while back, I traveled to the Pacific Palisades Highlands. A friend was with me, and she was seeing the area for the first time. "What a beautiful view," she said. I had gotten to a point where I had taken the view for granted, but my friend's amazement gave me a new perspective. I took the above picture near where I had once worked. I believe that mountain range is part of the Topanga State Park, if I recall correctly. I have times when I miss the countryside, even though I love the city.

Labels: Palisades Highlands