With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Funky cold median
Oh man, Mom's in town and already she's all wah wah wah about how she wants to visit a museum. A real museum. Last time she was here she declared the Museum of Online Museums "not a real museum," and she got so confused in a bad way by the Museum of Jurassic Technology that she forgot to pick up the bill at dinner that night. Damn. You're not gonna let that happen again.
The solution? Take her to Vermonica. Vermonica is a collection of Los Angeles area street lights, assembled in a row on one median in the parking lot of the Staples store at the corner of Vermont Ave. and Santa Monica Blvd. Some are Art Nouveau, some are mid-century Modern, some are simply utilitarian; all but two of the styles are currently in operation around the city. Each light is adorned with a little plaque at its base that notes the model number and specific part of town in which it's employed. Like the Eiffel Tower, it defies most photography.
Artist Sheila Klein conceived of the piece as a sort of "urban candelabra," and received funding from the city Cultural Affairs Board to have it installed in the spring of 1993 by a crew of volunteers from the Bureau of Street Lighting. It was only supposed to stay up for a year, but due in part to the support of fans like Huell Howser (who once featured it on his amaazing show), it has remained in the parking lot to this day. If Mom's not impressed by that, take her across the parking lot to experience the horror that is Filipino fast food, and tell her you'll buy. She'll be so scarred by the incident she won't remember anything else about the trip.
Sponsor
Photo by the author
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
