Obama sign outlined in lights, Conrad Hair Salon on Fountain Avenue, Silver Lake.Now that President Barack Obama is officially livin' large and in charge, it makes the Militant proud that we have a president who was - at least for two years - an Angeleno. Though the president is more associated with Chicago, Honolulu, or even Jakarta, Los Angeles was one of the places where he once lived (his first exposure living in the continental United States), and it no doubt had an influence on him.
According to a Times article published last year, a high school-aged Obama met a tourist girl on the beaches of Hawaii who lived in Brentwood, and told him exciting stories about about her hometown, so the young Obama headed "out east" to Los Angeles' Occidental College in Eagle Rock for his undergraduate studies. He must have learned something here, since he arrived as "Barry" and left as Barack. So our City deserves some credit for shaping the guy.
Obama joins Richard Nixon (Yorba Linda, Whittier, San Clemente), Gerald Ford (Rancho Mirage), Ronald Reagan (Bel-Air, Santa Barbara, Brentwood) and George H.W. Bush (Ventura) as the only presidents who have lived in Southern California at some point in their lives (Only Reagan and Obama have lived in Los Angeles City proper).
After much Militant research, the Militant has compiled a map showing 15 points of interest around Los Angeles with a significant connection to the president:
View Larger Map
Click on the blue markers for a detailed description. Here are the places, in chronological order:
Occidental College's Haines Hall dormitory, Obama's first home in Los Angeles.
Courtesy of Hijo De E-Ho.
1979-1981: Occidental College, Eagle Rock - Obama's first two years of college were spent here.
1979-1981: Casa Bianca, Eagle Rock - Obama's fave pizzeria.
Feb 20, 2007: Rancho Cienega Park, Crenshaw District - First campaign appearance, 10 days after announcing candidacy.
Feb 20, 2007: Beverly Hilton, Beverly Hills - Celebrity fundraiser.
Oct 20, 2007: Garfield High School, East Los Angeles - Spoke at Town Hall event.
November 2007: The Wiltern, Koreatown - Former site of Shepard Fairey's art studio, where iconic Obama illustration was first designed.
Dec 10, 2007: Gibson Ampitheatre, Universal City - "Generation Obama" concert, also featuring Ne-Yo and the Goo Goo Dolls.
Jan 31, 2008: Los Angeles Trade Tech College, Downtown - Campaign appearance.
Jan 31, 2008: Kodak Theatre, Hollywood - Site of Democratic debate vs. Hillary Clinton.
Jan 2008: Shepard Fairey Studio One, Elysian Park - Fairey's new studio location, site of large Obama illustration.
Feb 1, 2008: East Los Angeles College, East Los Angeles - Site of Obama rally featuring Sen. Ted Kennedy.
Feb 3, 2008: UCLA Pauley Pavilion, Westwood - Site of Obama rally featuring Michelle Obama, Oprah Wonfrey, Caroline Kennedy and Maria Shriver.
June 23, 2008: Dorothy Chandler Paviliion, Downtown - Site of another celebrity fundraiser.
2008: Conrad Hair Salon, Silver Lake - Site of large "OBAMA" sign in lights.
2008-2009: Crenshaw Boulevard - Where Obama merchandise is sold by street vendors, mostly between Adams and Exposition.
According to a Times article published last year, a high school-aged Obama met a tourist girl on the beaches of Hawaii who lived in Brentwood, and told him exciting stories about about her hometown, so the young Obama headed "out east" to Los Angeles' Occidental College in Eagle Rock for his undergraduate studies. He must have learned something here, since he arrived as "Barry" and left as Barack. So our City deserves some credit for shaping the guy.
Obama joins Richard Nixon (Yorba Linda, Whittier, San Clemente), Gerald Ford (Rancho Mirage), Ronald Reagan (Bel-Air, Santa Barbara, Brentwood) and George H.W. Bush (Ventura) as the only presidents who have lived in Southern California at some point in their lives (Only Reagan and Obama have lived in Los Angeles City proper).
After much Militant research, the Militant has compiled a map showing 15 points of interest around Los Angeles with a significant connection to the president:
View Larger Map
Click on the blue markers for a detailed description. Here are the places, in chronological order:
Occidental College's Haines Hall dormitory, Obama's first home in Los Angeles.Courtesy of Hijo De E-Ho.
1979-1981: Casa Bianca, Eagle Rock - Obama's fave pizzeria.
Feb 20, 2007: Rancho Cienega Park, Crenshaw District - First campaign appearance, 10 days after announcing candidacy.
Feb 20, 2007: Beverly Hilton, Beverly Hills - Celebrity fundraiser.
Oct 20, 2007: Garfield High School, East Los Angeles - Spoke at Town Hall event.
November 2007: The Wiltern, Koreatown - Former site of Shepard Fairey's art studio, where iconic Obama illustration was first designed.
Dec 10, 2007: Gibson Ampitheatre, Universal City - "Generation Obama" concert, also featuring Ne-Yo and the Goo Goo Dolls.
Jan 31, 2008: Los Angeles Trade Tech College, Downtown - Campaign appearance.
Jan 31, 2008: Kodak Theatre, Hollywood - Site of Democratic debate vs. Hillary Clinton.
Jan 2008: Shepard Fairey Studio One, Elysian Park - Fairey's new studio location, site of large Obama illustration.
Feb 1, 2008: East Los Angeles College, East Los Angeles - Site of Obama rally featuring Sen. Ted Kennedy.
Feb 3, 2008: UCLA Pauley Pavilion, Westwood - Site of Obama rally featuring Michelle Obama, Oprah Wonfrey, Caroline Kennedy and Maria Shriver.
June 23, 2008: Dorothy Chandler Paviliion, Downtown - Site of another celebrity fundraiser.
2008: Conrad Hair Salon, Silver Lake - Site of large "OBAMA" sign in lights.
2008-2009: Crenshaw Boulevard - Where Obama merchandise is sold by street vendors, mostly between Adams and Exposition.
George H.W. Bush also lived in other parts of L.A. in 1949.
ReplyDelete"December 20: George and Barbara's second child, Pauline Robinson Bush, who will be called Robin, is born in Compton, California, where Bush's job has taken the family. They will live in Whittier, Huntington Park, Bakersfield and Compton before transferring back to Midland, Texas, in 1950."
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/bush41/timeline/
There's a picture of the Bushes in Compton, but I can't remember where to find it.