A couple of days ago I was hanging out with my friend Malik Diamond when we decided we wanted some Vitos Pizza.  Always the philosopher Malik pointed out that he had never really been to the heart of Hollywood, the heart being the residential neighbrhoods that house the people we depend on.  These are the poeple that flip our burgers, drive our busses, cook our meals, haul our trash, connect our calls and drive our ambulances. They guard us while we sleep.  He pointed out some psychodelic mural the corner of Willoughby and Gower saying this is where the beauty of Hollywood lies.

This reminded me of the Hollywood Shadow Project.

Completed in October 2001, the Hollywood Shadow Project was a series of seven installations dispersed throughout production areas of Hollywood. The designs were derived from stills of familiar and iconic movie scenes. At sunset, the sun passes through these sculptures and casts shadows on adjacent buildings. The intention was to evoke memory, as it is constituted through pictures and movies, and re-present this memory on the site of its invention: Hollywood. All of the sites incorporate buildings and businesses involved in making movies. It is also significant that the sculpture silhouettes were captured via optical means and are then reprojected here via the sun, which offers both light and motion.  Solar powered public art if you will. The movie scenes included The Wild Bunch, Warlock, North by Northwest, The Magnificent Seven, 1 Million Years B.C., Easy Rider and “The End” credit from Casa Blanca.

Sadly, only two remain.  I don’t know why they have been removed but its really a shame.  We visited both sculptures

Santa Monica at Wilcox

Cahuenga at Waring

Citrus at Melrose (no longer exists)

Countless times I have met somebody in Los Angeles and the same question is asked of me.  “Where are you from originally?”  These people are always shocked to hear that I’m an LA native.  Not only am I an LA native but rather one who has lived his entire life in Hollywood.  So many people have moved to Los Angeles for various reasons, be it school, work, the sun or show business that these folks surround themselves with other transplants.

Today for example I had a meeting with a young college student who wanted to interview me for her college paper and the first thing she said was “Thank you for being on time.”  She being an LA native as well, was on time.  I don’t like to be late.  Neither does she.  We concluded that Los Angelenos are not the cause of that stereotype but rather the people from Florida, Missouri and New Jersey, the people from Boca Raton, Lee Summit and Newark, the people from The Windy City, Big Apple and The Big Easy who are always late and give us Angelenos a bad reputation.

This blog will focus on a great many things.  The squashing of Angeleno Stereotypes, event announcements, tales from my world, locals only secrets may be divulged, non touristy hang outs will be, local politics, travels, family and friends to name a few. I’m sure this blog will evolve and morph as time goes by as I’m sure my readership will too.

I hope you will all enjoy reading as much as I will enjoy writing.

My name is Alfredo A. Hernandez and I am an LA Native.