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The restaurant, a Fred Harvey Room, was once here. Now the station has Traxx, as well as some convenience foods available at stands (Photo by Try Hank via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr)
Los Angeles' central rail transit hub is a modest 70 years old; a baby compared to many train depots in other major cities. Union Station was designed by John B. and Donald D. Parkinson, and "opened in 1939, with a dedication ceremony featuring both the mayor of Los Angeles and the governor of California, amidst three days of pageants, parades and other celebrations," according to our very own LAistory entry on the "last of the great train stations built in this country."
Before commercial air travel was de rigeur for getting from point A to point B, Union Station was where most everyone arriving or departing Los Angeles passed through. As air travel grew in popularity Union Station's use saw a decline; the use of the station, however, as a hub for both the Metro Red and Gold Lines, and Metrolink commuter trains, has brought the terminal back into heavy use. Immortalized in many films and tv shows, one wing of the grande dame of train travel is actually owned by a location company. In addition to the old ticketing concourse, part of that off-limits area was once a Fred Harvey Room, an elegant dining area staffed by attractive young women.
To celebrate Union Station's Diamond (or Platinum) Anniversary, we're offering some images from our LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr. To celebrate the occasion yourself, hop on a bus, subway, or train and enjoy the beautiful building and grounds for yourself.
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They should celebrate this birthday by relocating the entire facility to Montery park and forcibly evicting all the residents. It's okay though, we could have a new community, call it, oh, I don't know, Montereyparktown, just across the way. We could even open a gold line station there.
Naaa, I think they should level Beverly Hills and relocate all the rich people to Compton.
You're saying that "they" should level a whole city, move everyone who lives there to compton, because... why?
Ross' comment had to do with the history of Union Station and how the original Chinatown was leveled and the inhabitants moved in order to make land available for it.
My comment was a sarcastic suggestion that maybe rich people should be displaced next time there is a need to reappropriate a neighborhood in order to make room for a public works project.
(As if that would ever happen.)
I would say that eminent domain abuse crosses class lines, though it does disproportionately affect the poor. That's why property rights are important.
Perhaps you could give an example of any wealthy L.A. neighborhoods that have been displaced to make way for a public works project. I can't think of any, but then it's usually the wealthy people deciding who gets displaced.
West Adams was pretty well off when the 10 was built.
Beverly Hills well off?
Look at the parking lot in the last photo; lots of parking before they sold it off to build that Mozaic atrocity.
"They should celebrate this birthday by relocating the entire facility to Montery park and forcibly evicting all the residents. It's okay though, we could have a new community, call it, oh, I don't know, Montereyparktown, just across the way. We could even open a gold line station there."
Absolutely charming outlook. Regardless, it was worth it.
It's really an incredible place.
Los Angeles Union Station truly is an amazing place, and it is appropriate that National Train Day will be celebrated this Saturday at the station.
With the Red Line, Gold Line and Metrolink, it has become a very busy place and sometimes I wonder if it will be able to handle the extra traffic that high speed rail will bring. At the very least, they need to improve the drop-off area for those who don't arrive by light rail or subway.