And
sure, some of the 'hype' about the Los Angeles area is true.
The kooky entertainment industry is centered here. The freeways
are congested most of the time, and for the 34 years I've
called Southern California home, we've been bracing ourselves
to shake so hard we fall into the ocean.
On the
other hand, it's February, and while a good percentage of
the country is freezing, it's been mostly 75 degrees and
sunny here. We drive to the ocean or the mountains in about
an hour. We head to the Disneyland Resort in 45 minutes.
And we also have access to one of the newest, most beautiful,
and most impressive structures I've ever seen in Southern
California -- Getty Center.
The
Getty Center opened in 1997 to great fanfare and great crowds.
It became the must-see attraction. And why not? 16 years
in the making, at a cost of one billion dollars, situated
alongside one of LA's busiest freeways, atop one of the
most looked upon mountains in the area, the Getty generated
buzz, interest and word-of-mouth like no movie studio could
ever hope for. With a true Hollywood ending.
Yes,
The Getty has been constructed on what must have been the
last great chunk of land not owned by Bob Hope -- overlooking
the toney communities of Brentwood, Bel Air and Pacific
Palisades. And while parts the structures can be seen while
driving by on the 405 Freeway, the view from below only
provides a hint of the sprawling, expansive feel of this
complex once you actually get there.
We visited
for the very first time on Sunday, and I still feel like
my mouth is hanging open. It is a large, beautiful, accessible,
and friendly campus - and considering we only walked into
two museum galleries, that really is saying something.
It
is, and I don't use this word often - spectacular.
