The Road Less Traveled

Remember that scene in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade when Indy busts through the floor in the library and sneaks into the catacombs? I love that scene. I love the idea that something so amazing could be right in front of us and yet we never see it. With all the hustle and bustle of life we often miss the beauty around us. Nowadays so many of us have our noses buried in our iPhones. It's so easy to miss the world and all the magnificent pieces of history buried right in front of us.

A great example of this is The Tabernacle of Prayer Church in Queens, NY. A movie theater turned house of worship. The architecture is amazing. It reminds us that going to the movies used to be an event from the moment we walked in the door. They just don't build them like they used to. It's the kind of place that would be so easy to miss. Unless maybe you were a location scout like Scout NY with a great eye for historic gems. Abandoned movie theaters are often so sad and hauntingly beautiful. But this theater is so amazing because it's grandeur remains intact - just serving a different purpose.

Charles Pheonix does this great exploration of Los Angeles through his own unique kitschy lens on his Disneyland Tour of Downtown LA. I took it once with a friend and had a blast. It's a whole new way at looking at Downtown Los Angeles. Starting at Union Station you take the "monorail" to Chinatown and make your way through historic landmarks like the Angel's Flight all the while traveling on a yellow school bus and ultimately ending on a puppet show at Bob Baker's Marionette Theater. It's pretty awesome. I highly recommend checking it out.

Of course, not every gem is as easy to access as that. Sometimes one must dig a little deeper and breaking a few laws. Like, Steve Duncan, who calls himself an urban historian. He explores parts of cities most of us will never see. The photos on his website are beautiful and this video of NYC's underground is pretty amazing as well.


UNDERCITY from Andrew Wonder on Vimeo.

I may not have the guts (or the insanity) to climb the Williamsburg Bridge like he does, but I certainly appreciate the view and I'm glad he shared.