[ChrisLA]

Usually you can see the skyline and the mountains from that vantage point, even with the high smog levels.

Westsidelife is correct, I worked in the south bay for numerous years off and on thoughout my adult life since the early 80's. More days than not thoughtout the year you can see the downtown skyline from there. I was able to see it from my office, and from the freeway.

Here are a few photos I took back in January when a few forumers from Ohio, and Chicago came out to visit for a few days. We took them from the same vantage point of the photo anti-cheesehead posted. BTW is was very clear, but as you can see in some of the photos where I zoomed in the photos are a bit more hazy. Its not because it was any smog, but from the zoom on the camera that made it look that way. Just notice the other photos how clear the air was. It was also rather windy and very cold (by southern california standards). Actually even the mid-western forumers found LA during their visit much colder than they thought it would be. Yes LA can get a bit chilly, and enough to even make a snowbird scream its cold (lol).

 

[Westsidelife]

Awesome pics Chris!

Could you tell me the specific location from which you took those shots?

 

[ChrisLA]

Awesome pics Chris!

Could you tell me the specific location from which you took those shots?

Westsidelife, sorry for the late reply, but I had to get my map out of my car to look up the street name.

The best way to go would be from Redondo Beach along Route 1 PCH south. Now this is where it get a little tricky beause PCH curves around, but from what I see on the map, you should be able to make a right and get on Palos Verdes Blvd. Once you're on Palos Verdes Blvd, just continue up the hills into PV. As you drive up, you'll see views of the city, but just keep driving and don't stop at the first sight of the city as there will be plenty of areas along the route with even better view, such as those I posted. Once you get up in the hills you'll reconize from the views and about the height we were at. So its pretty easy to determine where you like to stop. Anyway I hope this helps.

 

[AZRAM]

I realize it's probably been asked and answered before, but does anyone know if there are any supertalls either planned or proposed for L.A.

 

[gladisimo]

LA's skyline's problem is not its location, its just a random collection of skyscrapers (and not very many at that). To me, it doesn't have any visual appeal at all, not dense enough and tiny for a city like LA.

 

[Westsidelife]

:|

 

[icracked]

I agree, I love Los Angeles (frequently go there for vacations) but its skyline is wayyy too small for its size, its rather pathetic.

 

[Westsidelife]

Here's a little somethin' I whipped up in my spare time. This is what the Los Angeles skyline will look like once Park Fifth, LA Live, Concerto (tower one), Hanover (wasn't topped off in the original photo), and LA Central are completed. The heights are a bit off, but the overall impact on the skyline is more or less the same.

 

[CITYofDREAMS]

I agree, I love Los Angeles (frequently go there for vacations) but its skyline is wayyy too small for its size, its rather pathetic.

... but isn't that interesting that LA didn't need a dense skyline or one at all to become what it is?

 

[bluesbrother42fs]

the rendering above gives me a good feeling about the future of the skyline. It'll look a little more balanced on the sides.

 

[titletown]

Here's a little somethin' I whipped up in my spare time. This is what the Los Angeles skyline will look like once Park Fifth, LA Live, Concerto (tower one), Hanover (wasn't topped off in the original photo), and LA Central are completed. The heights are a bit off, but the overall impact on the skyline is more or less the same.

That pic makes me want touke:. This angle makes LA look like it is all very old looking architecture, kinda like NYC. LA looks much better at night I must say. I love LA, just not the downtown.

 

[gladisimo]

... but isn't that interesting that LA didn't need a dense skyline or one at all to become what it is?

A skyline doesn't build a city, a city builds a skyline (obviously, Dubai doesn't think so ). You're saying that a city needs a skyline to become great, which is not true. Rather it should be a great city that builds a great skyline. A skyline exists because of the city, not the other way around.

No one is saying that LA is crap, just that its skyline is very disappointing, especially because of the drop off in density (kind of like that Houston picture when you have a highway dividing 30 story skyscrapers and 1 story homes), which makes it feel as though some one just popped a few skyscrapers there.

 

[phattonez]

That's a lie right there. The density does not die once you leave downtown. The Westside is extremely dense especially West Hollywood which is the densest area in the US outside of Manhattan Island.

Also, you must remember that not all of LA's skyscrapers are centered downtown. There is Century City, Glendale (which has a skyline which can compete with most small metropolises), Burbank, El Segundo, Long Beach, Westwood, Brentwood, etc. Then there's Wilshire Blvd., and I assume that everyone here knows about that.

So there goes the myth of the "endless suburb" that is Los Angeles.

 

[phattonez]

Here's some pictures of the other areas of Los Angeles.

Century City

Glendale

Long Beach

Wilshire Blvd.

Old picture of Wilshire Blvd.

 

[CITYofDREAMS]

A skyline doesn't build a city, a city builds a skyline (obviously, Dubai doesn't think so ). You're saying that a city needs a skyline to become great, which is not true. Rather it should be a great city that builds a great skyline. A skyline exists because of the city, not the other way around.

No one is saying that LA is crap, just that its skyline is very disappointing, especially because of the drop off in density (kind of like that Houston picture when you have a highway dividing 30 story skyscrapers and 1 story homes), which makes it feel as though some one just popped a few skyscrapers there.

Actually it wasn't my intent to say that... but my post was aimed to people that think that great skylines defines great cities. No LA hasn't built a great skyline however still a great city. Great Cities don't necessarily build great skylines. There are tons of cities out there with greater skylines than LA but without being as great.

 

[gladisimo]

That's a lie right there. The density does not die once you leave downtown. The Westside is extremely dense especially West Hollywood which is the densest area in the US outside of Manhattan Island.

Also, you must remember that not all of LA's skyscrapers are centered downtown. There is Century City, Glendale (which has a skyline which can compete with most small metropolises), Burbank, El Segundo, Long Beach, Westwood, Brentwood, etc. Then there's Wilshire Blvd., and I assume that everyone here knows about that.

So there goes the myth of the "endless suburb" that is Los Angeles.

Perhaps I didnt get my point across correctly.

This image shows what I was trying to describe. You can see the 10-15 HUGE buildings (relatively) propping up in the middle of the downtown core, and then all around are buildings that are significantly smaller, which gives the illusion and visual impact of a dramatic drop off in density. The contrast is just too great. And this is the skyline in a relatively good angle.

There's a worse picture of the buildings all separated by huge gaps of space sort of like how Market street splits San Francisco in half, except for there are many more of them. I'll say that this is in no way as bad as that picture of Houston (?) that has a freeway dividing skyscrapers and two story homes, but like others have said before me, this is quite bad considering the size of the city.

No one is questioning the density or that there are other highrises in the area. All I was describing was the letdown the skyline and its visual impact is, especially considering LA is one of the biggest metros in the world. The mere size of the city can make the city FEEL like one huge suburb because of the wide expanses the city covers. A huge area covered in low to medium density development.

 

[gladisimo]

Actually it wasn't my intent to say that... but my post was aimed to people that think that great skylines defines great cities. No LA hasn't built a great skyline however still a great city. Great Cities don't necessarily build great skylines. There are tons of cities out there with greater skylines than LA but without being as great.

Without a doubt There aren't that many cities in the WORLD that can top LA as a city.

 

[Imperfect Ending]

Seriously...
I don't think I would visit a city because of it's skyline like how most of these ssc forumers would.

 

[Westsidelife]

There are skyscrapers of varying heights in the LA skyline.

 

[LApride]

no city i have been to offers the variety of options LA has. Beaches, city, ethnic diversity, mountains, snow (45 min drive), history....This has nothing to do with how the city looks, it is a matter of versatility.