FLong before there was Disneyland, the Angels Stadium, the Honda Center, and a bombastic growth spurt of high end resorts and restaurants above its dusty grounds, the city of Anaheim was a thriving agricultural community of orange and citrus groves. Sunkist Corp., one of the leading growers of the tasty oranges, once had a warehouse where all their fruits wer packaged and shipped to local retailers. Today it has been converted to a gourmet artisan-style food court serving eclectic and cultural varieties of meals and drinks and desserts. Don’t expect to find a Panda Express or McDonald’s here; it’s all about fresh new adventure for your tummy.
The Packing House opened its doors in mid 2014 at the intersection of Santa Ana street and Anaheim Bolevard, retaining much of its original Spanish Colonial architecture with some modifications to the aged structure to accommodate the new setup. It sits on the same lot with the Packard Building, another one of numerous historic structures of the old days of Anaheim, which currently houses the Anaheim brewery and Umami Burger.
For more info as well as directions visitanaheimpackingdistrict.com.
The Packard Building, which houses a brewery and Umami Burger
In between Packard Buolding and Packing House is Farmers Park where you can enjoy a picnic lunch on the nice green lawn (warning: the grass is fake. ) or just take a nice stroll. on weekends they hold an outdoor farmers market selling homemade goods.
The main north entrance after walking through the park.
Here it is the east entrance. well guarded by the two mighty roosters.
Yep, no Pets inside the building. Sorry they’ll have to stay at the park.
The House has an Upper floor and a basement floor, with a mezzazine im between.
The upper deck has some outdoor dining tables as well as these cutesy rocking chairs just to sit and rock away the time.
As you walk in through thd glass door you’ll find two carts flanking each side displaying unique gifts and novelties for sale. And oh yes the Roosters stand guard here too, ready to peck at anyone that dare to cross their way…
A simpld floor plan of the facility.
The mezzazine floor doubles as a lounge with two tiered spacious benches and also as a stage for live performances on weekends.
The Packing House is a foodie’s paradise with plethora of gourmet artisan cuisine to delight ypur palates. As I mentioned, no outside mainstream foods are allowed here, just original quality eats.
Not only is there plenty of goodies to delight your appetite, its also a feast for the eyes, as each food venue stands out on its own as work of art.
at the west end is a room for more private dining experience . This was probably the front desk of the old packing factory.
There is a small room that appears to show films about the history of the Packing House
The House gets typically busy during lunch time , and considering Anaheim is the hub of tourism thanks to Disneyland lots of tourists flock here as well.
It gets especially crowded on weekends as usual, so getting a decent table is a battle.
The House is well stocked with complete course of breakfast lunch dinner, and of course desserts like these tasty pastries.
Every food stand have its own culinary specialties, such as this all grilled cheese sandwich shop.
The ‘official’ mascot of the grilled cheese shop.
Besides tables you can dine comfortably on countertops around the opening to the basement floor.
Sometimes it can feel like a jungle with all these floras hanging from the ceiling above.
You can rest assured all food are organic and contain no harmful substances, and made with love.
This particular joint is especially popular with waiting line sometimes going out the door.
It is said that NBA superstar Kobe Bryant was once spotted at this Kettle Bar, known for its gourmet gumbo dishes.
These individual steel based kettles are where every individual guests gumbo are freshly brewed and served.
For those with affinity for toy trains,.
David certainly loves his gelato.
Young kids today would not last a day on these desks at school like their grandparents did.
And after a nice tour its time to relax on a table with a crepe treat and live music.
The Los Angeles Brewery Artwalk is a biannual event at one of LA’s biggest artist in residence community. Originally the Pabst Blue Ribbon Brewery, it was converted into a non-profit art community in 1982 and today boasts of over 100 artist studios of all genres and techniques and characters. The event is open on one weekends and is free to the public. This is a good way for aspiring artists in training to get an up close and personal experience of the day in the life of an artist in their private hub where they brew and percolate their creative juices and bring works of art to be enjoyed by the public. It’s not too often one gets a VIP access into the seemingly private lives of painters and sculptors and the like, and see how they work and what makes them tick.
The trek around the former beer factory is itself worth the trip, since they retained much of the original structures from when it was first built, with some modifications to convert the spaces into a workable studios and to uphold the aging structures. One would feel like an archaeologist walking through a piece of the past. Oh, did I ever mention I once aspired to be an archaeologist in my younger days?
The Brewery can be seen clearly from off the Interstate 5 freeway north of I-10.
For more information and to plan your next visit go to http://breweryartwalk.com.
Enjoy the photos below:
The original building started out as Edison Electric Steam Power Plant, later to Pabst Blue Ribbon Brewery, before being transformed into the largest artist community in the world.
You can see the Edison Electric sign faded but still in view.
The lower level of the Edison factory building serves as the Brewery Annex Gallery that hosts number of exhibitions by international and domestic artists throughout the year.
From the Annex you can climb these rather treacherous stairs up to other studios in the building. Watch your step…
Yes you can see just how “safe” the stairwells are here. One slip, and you’ll be walking instead up the stairway to heaven. 😉
The Colony supports artists of all crafts, even writers. This author, Jason Silva, has recently published a series of childrens’ books chronicling the tale of Edgar Trunk. Don’t know who he is but you can check him out at your local bookstore.
If you survived the treacherous stairwells to the top congratulations, and be rewarded with a view of this spacious studio with great views. Now this is my kind of art studio…
A great view of downtown LA from the top floor of that Brewery building.
Down below you can see some of many storage houses and barracks that surround the old factory, all converted into muti-unit studio lofts and occupied by artists from all walks of the art world.
This steel balcony really better be strong or it will be a four story drop to wherever.
Coming back from the balcony and a view of the other end of the studio. Currently on display are artworks from the Children of Hillsides, a non-profit organization that services of the needs of at-risk youth.
Going back down…yes you best hold your breath and pray you’ll make it down…
Interestingly the adjoining building to the Annex serves as a play area for any mountain climbing fanatics. Would like to try myself someday.
Walk around to the back of the building and you can see what used to be a steel mill, not open though, I’m afraid.
Now entering one of many studio lofts open for your viewing pleasure. Some will let you climb the stairs to the second floor to get a nice view of below. Some studios are jointly operated by more than one artists, such as this one of Susan Berkowitz and Madam X.
Some studios don’t have the second floor, but it’s still quite roomy.
Some artists here literally make the Brewery here a home, and the exteriors of their studio shows…
Now this studio doubles as a gallery and a cooking class. No starving artists here….
Inside of the Hipcooks studio/cooking lab. Upstairs is for the artist Patrick Hammerlein.
Most of the artists here at the Brewery practice modern and contemporary art, but there are few for the more classical taste.
Some interesting displays here using 21st century technology, such as a laser-cut relief here by Guillermo Bert.
Here some intaglio prints made from intricately laser-cut plates from the same guy from above. His crafts is not limited to just laser cutting, as most artists here handle more than just one area of artistic expertise.
Laser cutting is not limited to 2D objects, obviously. By Guillermo Bert.
This is that laser cutting machine the artist uses for all his projects. That can’t be cheap to maintain. In addition Mr. Bert here offers commercial and freelance services with their crafts. After all artists have to make money to support their living…
I think this is the House of Sloth, sorry I’m not too good at keeping track of artists here. Skateboard art.
You can actually see some artists working at their table. This guy is into heavy metal for sure. You can have pleasant chats with the artists during the visit, but not all are so sociable.
Some cool metal carvings. If you’re into heavy metal or goth, this is for you.
This bridge sure looks like fun to cross. If only I knew how to get to it…
This artist, Dave Lefner, specializes in lino-cut printmaking, which was made famous by the legendary Pablo Picasso, seen here on the top right; it’s hard to miss.
An old-fashioned artists table to keep papers of all kinds.
The printing press. I remember using this back in my printmaking class.
Now this is a really old-school printing press. Still usable, it seems.
The conceptual prints and painting studio of David McKenney. The artist’s table in its full mess of a glory. I lost cound on how many different paints and brushes were in this pile of mess.
Remember that bridge? Yep I’m on it.
Some lucky artists gets a really cool open rooftop space, and he’s free to make it his home…
Inside the workspace. Not all studios are open, but can still enjoy it from the other side of the glass.
Some Andy Warhol inspired paintings. Recognize any of the images here?
This guy obviously has a thing for uniformed schoolgirls.
See, what I tell you. This gives me the creeps…
A nice inspirational quote from some of the biggest historymakers of the world.
Anyone remember the GIMP from the movie PULP FICTION?
I think that’s Mao and Kim Il-Sung under there…
Yep, pretty much everything here is wearing that gimp mask. What is going on here?
I can see a Basquiat influence in these modern reimaging of history’s famous paintings. I know this was from Caravaggio’s “Paul’s Conversion”
The entrance to the studio of Andre Miripolski, the Absolut Artist.
Miripolski’s style reminds me a lot of Keith Haring’s whimsical Surreal Pop colors. Apparently this guy takes a shark as his mascot…
The backroom of the studio.
Some artsy (and provocative) poster art that were a big thing in the 50s and 60s.
You can tell a lot about the artist from the way he/she decorates their workspaces. Now this guy has a thing for Gundam robots.
Robots in Love by Aaron (he doesn’t seem to have a last name.)
Some of Aaron’s graphic comic-book style b/w art for sale.
Some life sketches from his art school days for sale…yeah, from school, they’re worth something too…
What started out as a bunny plush gift from her husband gradually turned into a passion for collecting all things hoppity hop for Pasadena resident Candace Frazee and her husband Steve Lubanski. First opened in 1998 it currently holds the Guiness World Record for the largest collection of rabbits and rabbit products.
The museum is situated in a residential neighborhood, an unlikely location for such bizarre place. But it isn’t hard to find-just look for a huge bunny topiary in the front lawn of the house.
Yep you just can’t miss it.
Step Right into the Bunny Land
Step right up.
You are now entering the Bunny Zone…
The first bunny that started it all.
Hope you dont have rabbit phobias.
If you smoke a rabbit joint this is what it would look like.
I’m dreaming of hoppy land
too. many. rabbits.
I must warn you, you need to hold your breath.
The proud Queen of the Bunnies, Candace Frazee.
Every nook and cranny of this house has em.
Rabbits love games too.
How many books on rabbits can there be. More than you can imagine…
Is this really the kitchen?
Even the kitchen is not safe from the hoppy critters.
How many different magnets can you spot here?
Of course whats a Bunny Museum without a real Bunny
If you like drawing hop on in with the chalks.
Stepping out to the backyard..
Enter the Bunny Garden!
All things hopity hop at every step of the way
The pathway of the Bunnyland
The garden
You cant even peep through this window.
Ah remember the movie SPACE JAM?
Bunnies comes in all shapes sizes and materials here. Even Cookie Jars.
Hoppy pinatas
Note this room no longer has the right to the sunshines from the window.
My favorite Bugs Bunny in the house (And is that Donald Duck in the left?)
You can easily get lost in this hall of furries
Some creepy looking rabbit inspired masks. Collected from various regions around the world, they are carved out of wood.
Some sparkly trinkets collected from Hong Kong back when they were celebrating the Year of the Rabbit in 2011.
Collection from the White House Easter Egg Hunt. Yes they are real.
What’s a cat doing in a house full of bunnies?
The original mascot of the museum, lovingly stuffed and displayed in its full glory
And more stuffed bunnies that have followed over the years.
The Official Proof that this is the most collection of bunnies they ever had in one place
To stay tuned go to www.thebunnymuseum.com
Before the grandiose Getty Center of Santa Monica made its appearance in 1993 showcasing a huge collection of arts owned by the late oil tycoon / art enthusiast J. Paul Getty, there was the smaller first cousin that first built in 1954 at the heart of Pacific Palisades, the Getty Villa. Built to replicate the classic Greek architectural designs, it Had undergone extensive renovation following the completion of its larger more modern cousin and currently houses the arts and artifacts of ancient Greece and Rome and the Etruria from the prehistoric Archaic period to the Hellenistic and beyond before the Middle Ages. It is situated atop of a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean right off the PCH.
On the particular day I went it was gloomy and drizzly, so the wet roads made for a treacherous ride, on top of the often notorious L.A. traffic jam, but otherwise it would made a pretty good drive along the California coast.
Movie poster for the upcoming Pixar movie INSIDE OUT. Pretty much says it all about LA freeways. 😉
View of the villa entrance from top of the outdoor amphitheater, which was of course inspired by the Greeks.
The main hall
Front view of the amphitheater.
The Fertility Goddess of the Cycladic Age.
The figure from the ancient Cycladic Age. Back then women were the boss.
The Kouros. Early attempt to depict the human figure in sculptural form. Not bad for first try.
The Roman emperor Commodus (yes the real life historical inspiration for the GLADIATOR villain played by Joaquin Phenix. They do bear some resemblance to one another,dont they?
The outdoor gardens are piece of art of its own. I can see Mr. Getty was also a Greek/Roman freak like I am.
The Outer Peristyle, often the epitome of the Getty Villa
After finishing the day with a cup of latte and a giant rice Krispy bar I take a nice scenic detour down the storied Sunset Bolevard since the PCH was undergoing some major road work and so the highway is pretty backed up. It’s pretty windy (wine-dy) so you have to keep your eyes fixed on the road unless you’ve already signed a death warrant. You’ll pass through some nice neighborhoods like Bel Air and Brentwood Village with houses you could only dream about (and if you’re super lucky just maybe spot your favorite star strolling down the street).
For more info about the Villa and its larger cousin in adjacent Santa Monica area, visit http://www.getty.edu/.
Tune in for another Field Trip Day review soon from Yours Truly. Have nice day! 🙂
