Saturday, December 17, 2011

Los Angeles, part two!

Free Stock Photo of Los Angeles Skyline

Well, here I am snug in the West Coast once again! And what better way to celebrate my homecoming than by posting another part of haunted Los Angeles! There's a limitless supply for the weird and ghostly in LA, and we've only touched the beginning! Today I'll feature two more places to get spooked by the unknown. One might not necessarily be in LA proper, but it's within the metro area, and easy to get to! Let's get this started, shall we?


What goes on here?

Our first stop takes to Pasadena, and the beautiful Colorado St. Bridge. Its beautiful curves and arches are paired with gorgeous lamps that illuminate the bridge spectacularly at night. It's a very romantic scene as seen from the 134 freeway parallel to it, but this bridge has a very sinister side. It's nickname, one its had since 1932 (according to WeirdCA), is the "suicide bridge." In fact, that's the name I knew for the Colorado bridge far before I learned its actual title. It was built back in 1912, and has seen up to 150 suicides since. Most of these were products of the Great Depression, a time when hopelessness was abundant. Thankfully, when it underwent reconstruction 1993, the bridge gained suicide barriers, and the number of jumpers has greatly decreased.



However, with all of those deaths have to come bumps in the night. There are several ghosts that haunt the old bridge. One off which is a woman in a flowing robe. She is seen standing on the sides of the bridge, and disappears as she falls to the woods below. Another is a man in horn-rimmed glasses. There is a legend that says a construction worker fell off the bridge during its original construction. He was left in the wet concrete and now haunts the bridge and woods. Many people have reported hearing strange noises in the woods under the bridge, and several people have seen strange mists and apparitions. And finally, a man and woman are reported as either dancing or fighting along the bridge and fade away as soon as they come into view.

A friend and I have been to the bridge at night to investigate. We did an EVP session and took pictures, but unfortunately it was much too bright and there was far too much traffic on the 134 to produce anything worthy of listening to. But feel free to investigate for yourselves! Parking isn't too difficult to find, and there's no fee or anything keeping you from the bridge or the grounds below.


(photo from jerre.com)

Next on our list is a hotel I hadn't heard of until doing my research for this blog. The Alexandria Hotel opened its doors in 1906, and became the premiere hotspot of the rich and famous. They frequented the hotel's lavish rooms, and entertained guests in the lobby. With the rise of Los Angeles' popularity also came the rise of industry, however. Soon downtown LA was overrun with factories and plants, and the social nightlife that filled the streets had moved onto bigger and better places. There it sat until the 70's, when restoration was begun and the glory of the Alexandria was restored. As of now it stands as a comedy club and lofts, and that's where the ghostly stories begin.

Since its reopening, tenants have witnessed many hauntings within their pricey lofts. Along with weird feelings, Charlie Chaplin's old rooms are haunted by a male... who's not him! The second floor ballroom boasts the ghosts of many dancers, including a shy teenage girl. And remember Rudolph Valentino? He is reported to haunt his old bedroom, and has been seen on a number of occasions. The basement might even house a pair of mafiosos from LA's mafia days! Last, but certainly not least, there have been sightings of a lady in black, who wears a long gown and a large black hat. She roams the halls of the building, almost completely solid, and doesn't seem to pay attention to those alive around her.


(Valentino. How you doin'?)

So if you're looking for someplace spooky to spend your holidays, check out the locations above! I'm sure there will be helpful people all around. Below are some websites to help you on your way, and give even more detail about the places than I did above. There will not be a blog next week, as I'll be celebrating Christmas with the family, so have safe and wonderful holidays, and enjoy my blog!





http://www.weirdca.com/location.php?location=57
http://www.prairieghosts.com/hollywood7.html
http://articles.latimes.com/1998/oct/30/news/ls-37464
http://www.ghosttheory.com/2008/04/15/alexandria-hotel-haunted-los-angeles
http://laist.com/2010/10/01/ghosts_of_haunted_los_angeles.php
http://creepyla.com/blog/creepylas-map-of-haunted-los-angeles/
http://jerre.com/then&now/public/articles/adventures/Alexandria_hotel/index.html

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