Oldest Los Angeles

While Los Angeles is known for beaches, film studios and a sunny climate, it's worth digging deeper to discover the city's soul created by an ethnically diverse culture dating to the 18th century. Blending history and some local travel, Oldest Los Angeles takes readers on a journey through the past to the oldest buildings, businesses, and neighborhoods in the City of Angels. The pages open with a walking tour of El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument, a district that marks the city's birthplace in 1781 when a group of 44 immigrants formed a farming community. What started as a humble pueblo evolved into a vibrant metropolis that's home to over 10 million people and 185 languages. Learn about the whimsical Looff Hippodrome on the Santa Monica Pier, why Pink's Hot Dogs names some menu items after celebrities, and where to find a 250-year-old grapevine (still producing grapes!). Visit the gated Rockhaven women's sanitarium in a residential neighborhood, and California's surprising gold discovery in Santa Clarita--also home to a nearly forgotten ghost town. Read touching family stories about the first Mexican restaurant, El Cholo; the oldest confectionary shop, Fugetsu-Do; and why the Palacios were determined to save the oldest children's bookstore against all odds. Seen through the lens of veteran travel journalist and L.A. native Mimi Slawoff, Oldest Los Angeles is both informative and engaging with insider stories and nuggets of fun facts.