#“in the angel's city seeking fortune and fame” - the lucky one

[wrongcaitlyn]

nico covering snow angel by reneé rapp only bc i associate winter with nico and his last name is di angelo so it would all be kinda funny (also he would 100% kill this song i know it)

and what if i said that was going to be a song on one of his future albums....

[siberian-khatru]

First page of An American Odyssey

Hope you guys like it!

Los Angeles, the city of angels. The only angels there, however, are the long-forgotten, long-dead dreams. Of course, there's the random success story of a young person going out West, seeking fame and fortune, and actually stumbling upon it. Other times, people make it through connections, either from relatives, friends, or sex work. Both of these cases are far and few between. Most of the time, people go out there, expecting success to come to them due to a mythologized perception of Hollywood being a magical place, a myth that Hollywood perpetuates, and some grandiose feeling that they are somehow the lucky one. Instead, they end up doing endless openings at bars, performing on street corners, or doing commercials for products that end up being a sham. By the time their dreams are dead, they’ve been chewed up and spit out. Many end up becoming addicted to various substances, offing themselves, penniless, or some combination of the three. Some, if they’re still young enough, might attempt to make their way back to their hometown, or somewhere like it, to settle for comparative mediocrity. Octavian James, frontman of a psychedelic rock band that has long faded into obscurity, is one of the latter. 

The band, Bad Bodies, had spent ten years chasing fame out in Los Angeles, after Octavian dropped out of high school. They spent ten years opening for slightly less obscure bands at shady, seedy bars and clubs. Tens years packing in the backs of cars, along with the piles of heavy equipment, the smell of stale beer, stale sweat, and stale vomit, and the heavy miasma of disappointment, trying to cough up enough gas money to trek to their next gig. Ten years of trying to get record companies to notice them, of sucking up to older, blading producers, smoking Cubans, with the same old tired phrase: “Sorry, kids, you’re not what we’re looking for.” Ten years, with nothing to show for it except their worn-out instruments, the clothes on their back, and some new gray hairs. Octavian, his bassist Walter, and their drummer Rick, had finally gotten that little yellow eviction notice on their apartment door,  after missing rent and allowing their guitarists, Robby and Jack, to sleep on their couch after they had been kicked out a month prior. Octavian had long been sick of the L.A. heat, anyhow. He had been just waiting for a reason to get out of that town, to finally lay to rest his fly-by-night teenage dream, and that yellow, slightly greasy piece of paper might as well have been gold. He wouldn’t be leaving much behind this time, just a dingy, overcrowded apartment with a slight rat infestation (as if a rat infestation could be “slight”), some cheap furniture from Sears, and his dreams, washed away with time and sunken deep in the waters of the grand Pacific. 

The last time he left was quite different. The memories of afternoon sunlight, filtered through trees in the late summer, a creaky wooden porch, the sticky humidity of that last day in Ithaca… No, not the island of Ithaca in Greece, Octavian had never so much as had the chance to leave the United States, but of its namesake in western New York. That was his hometown, and despite ten years and roughly three thousand miles of distance, he could instantly transport himself there with a thought. What he had left behind then was two loving, supportive, albeit confused parents, a steady part-time job and another job lined up for him at his parents’ store, and a beautiful young lady, his high school sweetheart. Chasing the highs of Ashbury in 1967, he left that all behind, now sentenced to mere memory. Since the reality of his decision had hit him, he consistently chided himself on making such a foolish gamble. He found himself stuck with a druggie, a restless vagabond, a jester, and an emotional outcast. He was spent, and in some form or another, his compatriots were too. 

“Alright, buckle up you fucks, we’re going home,” he said, after ripping off the piece of paper and crumpling it in his hand. His voice was passionless yet firm. He was not to be swayed nor argued with.

[imagineseclipse]

Two different worlds-Chuck Bass Imagine

Listen to Surprise Yourself by Jack Garratt

You had come to the city in search of peace and quiet and what you had found was the complete opposite, you had found Chuck Bass. Arriving as Dan Humphrey’s bestfriend from childhood you never thought that you would be sucked into the world of fame and fortune you never wanted to be sucked into it all.

‘Speak and open up your mind, it’s something you should do all the time’

6 hour earlier

“You know this really isn’t for me”you shook your head at Serena and Blair who were stood in front of you, their arms folded. This was an argument you were definitely about to lose.

“Serena I’m disappointed in you, this dress is so 2003”Blair’s mouth fell open in disappointment and disgust as she eyed the dress you were wearing. You and Blair didn’t agree on much but this dress was seriously a bad idea, this whole idea was just... a bad idea.

“Fine well you find something then”Serena held up her hands, defeated by the brunette who stood firm next to her. If Serena failed to argue against Blair Waldorf then you had no chance.

“I will find something”she snapped as she entered her closet full to the brim with designer dresses.

“There’s no need to find a dress, I’m not going anymore...in fact I don’t think I ever remember agreeing to come anyway”you spoke up again, raising your eyebrows at Serena who was twirling her blonde hair around her finger.

“Oh come on y/n, it will be fun it’s a masquerade ball they are always fun”Serena pinched your arm, you swatting her away in response.

“It’s not fun when gossip girl is waiting around the corner just waiting to shred the newbie to pieces”you shuddered at the thought.

“You aren’t new anymore you’ve been living here for six months now you can’t use that excuse”Blair wiggled her eyebrows as she lay a white glittering sequin dress down next to you, pulling you up from your comfortable bed.

“And see how well I’ve done? Nobody knows who I am and I would like for it to stay that way”you gave them a warning glare.

Serena and Blair shared a knowing look, they were always in the spotlight and they understood that you didn’t want to be part of the drama, but as their new bestfriend the two of them wanted to show you off to everyone. You had met Nate and Chuck multiple times during your stay in the city and Serena and Blair had sworn them to secrecy, they weren’t allowed to tell anyone of your existence.

Truth was you had your secrets, of course the group knew about them, how could they not know. That’s why they understood your need to remain in the shadows.

“You’ll be wearing a mask”Serena persuaded you, batting her eyelids.

“That may work on Dan but it’s not going to work with me sis”you laughed, letting Blair unzip your dress.

“You and Dan are basically the same person so I figure-

“Nate will be there”Blair quickly blurted out. A blush swept across your face and you suddenly became light headed. Your small crush on Nate Archibald was no longer a small crush and it was obvious. Well to his two ex girlfriends it was. To say it was awkward at first would be an understatement.

Serena’s eyes lit up with excitement.

“Nate will be there”she hummed. You wanted to throw a tantrum but really hearing that Nate Archibald would be attending the same ball made your teenage heart skip a beat.

“I guess I can spare like an hour of my time”you rolled your eyes, although you were really regretting it.

“Brilliant let’s get you all dolled up doll”Blair grinned as she tugged at your hair straightening it.

Blair&Serena 1-0 Y/N

“Is it too late for me to back out and go home?”You bit your lip, looking cautiously out into the great hall, people began to walk past and gather in the ballroom.

“Yes”Serena and Blair barked at you in unison as they ushered you towards the top of the staircase leading down onto the first floor.

You let out a deep breath, before taking a step out being pulled back towards the two girls.

“Your mask”Serena reminded you as Blair placed the white mask across your face.

“thank-you”you nodded squeezing both their hands before descending down the staircase. For a second time froze and it felt like all eyes were on you. Truly they were. Who was this beautiful angel in her trailing white gown?

Chuck Bass knew exactly who it was, and he couldn’t believe his eyes... well he could.

‘Keep exploring, seek and find. You know you might surprise yourself’

The whole way down the stairs you were concentrating on your breathing and your pathway. The heels you were wearing didn’t exactly help at all but you had to make it down the stairs without falling otherwise you really would be the talk of Gossip Girls blog for like a week.

You never noticed the pair of eyes looking out for you.

When you reached the bottom you found yourself separating unintentionally from Serena and Blair which was fantastic. Note the sarcasm, it was actually a nightmare.

You wandered through the crowd, lost. Deciding that your entrance was too much for you already you made your way towards an empty room, managing to open it with ease you came across a sight that was sore for the eyes. Your eyes in particular.

Nate Archibald and your old friend Vanessa were latched onto eachother, caressing eachother and it was like it had knocked you backwards.

Nate and Vanessa pulled apart before their heads snapped in your direction.

“Sorry for interrupting”you choked out before turning around, rushing back into the crowd. It was lucky you were wearing a mask, nobody could see the tears glistening as they ran down your cheeks.

Nate stood frozen, his mouth falling open.

“Wh-who was that?”he stuttered, it was selfish of him but he wanted to run after you. From the sound of your voice he knew he recognised you but he couldn’t put his finger on it. He knew it was bad that all he wanted to do was find you when he had just been making out with Vanessa but he couldn’t help it. Too good looking for your own good Archibald.

“I don’t know?”Vanessa’s eyebrows furrowed together not really giving you a second thought, I guess your disguise was that good, not even your friend of 12 years knew that it was you as she kissed your crush again.

You stumbled through the dance floor, bumping into people on the way. Your dress started to get caught in your heels and there was still no sign of Blair or Serena. They were probably caught up in their own drama.

A hand clasped around yours, spinning you around before you could exit. Before you knew it you were face to face with a gentleman sporting a red mask, he almost resembled the devil. At that point you should have left, but something about this man was drawing you closer. Like it was reeling you in. You really are selling your soul here y/n.

“Dance with me?”he slyly grinned, speaking in hushed tones.

“I don’t have a choice do i?”you rolled your eyes as the figure led you deeper into the dance floor. He shook his head knowingly.

Your chances of escaping were slowly slipping away thanks to this curious party guest.

He pulled your body closer to his, wrapping his arms around your waist. You squinted at your dance partner, your mouth forming an ‘o’ shape.

“You’re the last person I expected to see here, what are you doing here y/n?”he growled into your ear.

“Nice to see you too Chuck”you sighed as you swayed back and forth with him.

“No one else realised it was me, Nate didn’t even know so how did you?”you tilted your head to the side.

“That’s because Nate doesn’t see you”Chuck replied with a frown.

“Ouch”you joked.

“I see you” he blurted out.

“What?”You asked confused.

“I see you, I always have seen you”Chuck mumbled in a low voice.

You let out a laugh.

“Oh no, you are definitely not using that on me Bass”you shook your head, as his grip on your waist tightened.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about”Chuck frowned. His mask still covering his face, you couldn’t take him seriously, although his red mask really was fitting. It suited him. Chuck Bass was living proof that the devil really does wear Prada.

“Whatever plans you have, you know trying to seduce me so I’ll spend the night with you? It’s not going to work with me, you should know that by now”you warned as he twirled you around, your eyes meeting his again as he held your hand. Your fingers intertwining.

You could tell that his eyebrows were furrowed with confusion behind his mask as he tried to find the right words to say to you. Your eyes did a quick scan of the busy room once more, landing on Nate and Vanessa who were at the edge of the dance floor.

Nate looked as if he was looking for someone and you didn’t doubt for one second that he was looking for you. Chuck’s pupils followed yours, rolling his eyes when he noticed you staring at Nate. When Archibald finally caught sight of you he took a step forwards leaving Vanessa with Dan. Alexa play the song ‘Too little Too Late’ by JOJO.

“We gotta get out of here”you whispered to Chuck.

A genuine grin spread across his face as he took your other hand in his. His heart did a little flip when you say ‘We’ instead of ‘I’.

“I thought you’d never say those words”he breathed out leading you away from the many people, leading you away from Nate.

“Behave yourself Chuck”you smiled as he pushed the fire exit doors open, revealing a staircase going up to the rooftop.

The two of you ripped your masks off, letting the cold air hit your faces. Your hair was all over the place at this point, Chuck took a second to take in your features, he was head over heels in love with you and it had hit him like a tonne of bricks.

“You g-go first”he stuttered out for the first time, losing confidence. This was abnormal to him, he’d never met anyone who could make him feel this nervous but this alive.

You shot him an award winning smile before slipping off your heels, wandering up the staircase your dress dragging along behind you. Chuck immediately lifted the trail of your dress, carrying it behind you as you made your way towards the roof. He really was the perfect gentleman when he was around you.

When the two of you reached the top you let out a sigh of relief. Chuck’s eyes finally peeled themselves away from you, looking out into the night at the beautiful cityscape. It was your turn to notice Chuck who stood next to you.

“Talk without a taint or hold, The doubts that should embrace your heart”

Something was different, Chuck looked different to you. Maybe it was the small amount of alcohol you had ingested or maybe it was just you realising that Chuck Bass was meant to be next to you. You really did compliment eachother. Whatever you had felt for Nate was simply attraction but this...this was something much more. Chuck Bass had always been so much more to you and you wanted to slap yourself because you were only realising this now.

You opened your mouth to speak but the words weren’t forming.

“Chuck-

“I’m not trying to seduce you y/n”he stressed, his hands running though his brown hair.

“Not yet anyway”he added with his signature smirk.

You swatted his arm lightly.

“So what is this then?”you asked curiously, your hair flying along with the wind. You found yourself not only just asking about that night, but asking about all the other moments you and Chuck had before that. The two of you were now standing alongside eachother looking out into the city.

“I wasn’t sure myself, until I found you tonight”he turned to you.

“In truth, Nate Archibald does not deserve you, he doesn’t deserve this- his hands gestured to you. To the whole of you.

-he doesn’t deserve this and definitely not this”he lightly tapped your head and then his finger fell to your chest where your heart resided. He could feel your heartbeat rise.

“Then who does deserve my heart”you whispered noticing that you and Chuck had grown closer. Although you already knew the answer.

“I do”he simply muttered before pressing his lips into yours. You kissed him back. Of course you did. He was Chuck Bass and you were Y/N Y/L/N. You were from two different worlds but that never mattered.

[army-author]

jimin scenario | mutual muses

❝ After helping a young busker one Christmas, he goes on to earn fame and fortune. But he hasn’t forgotten you, or your kind deed ❞

➸ prompt: I vowed to do something nice for a stranger this Christmas. Guess today’s your lucky day… 

➸ pairing: busker jimin x heir reader

➸ requested by anon | 2.5k words | fluff, heir au

It was a cold December day when you first saw the man you would come to know as Park Jimin. He was standing at the entrance to the subway station, the last dregs of snow swirling around him while he strummed on a guitar with purple fingers and sang with blue lips. At his feet was a hat, with a pool of loose change lying in it, and as you passed by, wrapped up in coat, hat, scarf, and gloves, all designer, as if the name could protect you from the cold, you felt guilt snaking up to choke your heart.

Here was a man, working in the sigh of a frozen wind, all for a few coins to keep him alive, while you were off to dinner with yet another important CEO you didn’t care about, where you would be served food you could never finish, and be left to nod along as the conversation around you writhed with competition over who owned the biggest pool, or the best car collection.

Stopping in your tracks, you stared at the young man, while the crowd flowed past you, yawning to swallow you up in an ocean of shopping bags, and brisk-stepping shoes, and solemn faces.

Despite the jostling, you fought against the people around you, determined to keep on your feet, stay in place, and listen to the man perform. Against the backdrop of the dusky city skyline, his voice soared high on angel’s wings, entrancing you while the rest of the world seemed oblivious.

Well aware that you would be late for the meeting if you didn’t move now, you stayed still. Something told you that it was more important to watch this man’s performance, although you couldn’t tell what that something was. Maybe it was the fact that you didn’t actually want to go to the dinner anyway. Or maybe it was because his rosy cheeks and nose, picked sore by the cold, has stirred up some sympathy in you.

In the blaze of the Christmas lights, shining red and blue and green, odd and garish at midday, you knew you couldn’t leave him empty handed. So, you stepped forward, making a promise to yourself – you were going to do something nice for a stranger this Christmas. You took off your hat, your scarf and gloves, and handed them over to the stunned man, with a large wad of all the spare cash you had on you tucked in between the fabric.

He stared at you, his almond eyes going wide at the money sticking out from the folds.

“Hey, you… you left some money here,” he called after you, as you turned to leave him with your present clutched desperately in his hands, “I… don’t think you meant to leave so much…”

You glanced over your shoulder to him. “No, I did. That’s yours. Use it well.”

His mouth opened, looking down to the money, then back to you, then back to the money, and then, without any warning, he stepped forward, and in the middle of the swarming crowd cramming into the subway station he wrapped his arms around you in a hug, his guitar banging against you as it hung off his shoulders from the strap.

“Thank you!” he said, “I won’t forget this.”

His genuine gratitude wrestled into your heart, bursting it open with a pop! that made your eyes widen and throat tighten. It was the best feeling in the world, and you decided from then on you were going to do something to help a complete stranger every Christmas.

♡♡♡

That was three Christmases ago. Now, as the calendar counts down the days in another December, you remember once again the boy you helped so long ago.

Park Jimin is his name. You know that now. His face is bright in your head, flashing up on screens all over the city – he’s now one of the best-known singers, smiling a smile that startled you three years ago, with his numb lips, turned almost blue. Now he’s warm and healthy looking, with full cheeks to scrunch up when he smiles.

And every time he comes on interview, he gets asked, “What inspired you to get where you are?”

He always replies, “I used to be pretty much unknown. I’d go out to perform in the streets just to keep myself fed. But one day, someone passing by gave me a whole wad of money, and asked me to put it to good use. Knowing there was someone out there kind enough to do something like that motivated me to keep going. I used the money to study music more, and here I am now.” After this part, he’ll always turn his crescent moon eyes towards the camera, and say, “I wish I could thank them properly… If you’re out there, just know how grateful I am.”

That’s normally the point when you turn off the TV, not wanting to hear his praise. It makes you uncomfortable, knowing how much more you have left in the bank, how little it had hurt you to hand over what was in your pocket, and how life changing it had been for him. He’s worked hard, never taken anything for granted and it’s got him where he is now. You, on the other hand, have had everything handed to you since the day you were born, fed baby food from silver spoons.

Even now, this tradition you have of doing a good deed for a stranger every Christmas feels empty to you – when you know could be doing more, should be doing more. But this year will be different. You’ve determined to put your power, and the money stacked behind you, to good use, and help as many strangers as possible, by setting up your own company to support young musicians like Jimin.

You’ll become the kind of person he imagines you are, you’ll becomes someone worthy of his gratitude, and when that happens… maybe you’ll seek him out again.

♡♡♡

Organising your own company comes with a lot more problems than you realise – your father always made it look so easy, striding home from work everyday with his pristine suit unwrinkled and his face unwrinkled too. He made the life of a corporate manager seem easy, perhaps so as not to worry you, keeping your childhood sweet by sugar coating all things, leading you down an icing path with candied possibilities around every turn, all for the correct fee of course.

But doing it yourself is tough. The sweet glaze of youth has hardened over now, turning from soft sugar to the hard crunch of forgotten candy, left on the back shelf too long. You’re determined to crack your way through it, all for the remembrance of Park Jimin, so you can become someone worthy of seeing him again.

Recalling all he’s done, the hours he’s worked, the tears he’s shed, and the blood he’s sweated, you keep pushing yourself. So you can meet him on an equal footing, not as the one who slept while he worked, but as two people who both slaved for the places they stand at.

You grit your teeth, and head for another meeting, with more negotiations to make and more paperwork to sort.

♡♡♡

With Christmas only a few days away, everything is finally sorted. Now all you have left to worry about are the parties and the press coverage, all to celebrate your opening of a new school for aspiring musicians.

Every day is filled up with interviews with newspapers and TV shows, all asking you what made you chose to do this. And you answer, “I was inspired by a certain musician. Seeing how a little support lifted him up on his own wings, I realised that was what I wanted to do. To make musicians fly.” And then you turn your own eyes to the empty stare of the camera and say, “And if the musician who inspired me - he knows who he is - is watching, I want you to know how thankful I am.”

It feels good to have finally reached the point you wanted, being able to glance at posters of Jimin lining the streets and not feel the urge to look away, stabbed by a burning conscience that told you that you could and should be doing more… there’s always more you can be doing, but you’ve come to be satisfied with what you’ve done – it’s no longer your father’s work you stand on, but your own, and as you grow so does your desire to keep going.

All the same, when your assistant tells you that Park Jimin will be at one of the illustrious parties you’re attending to promote your new project, you feel the old piercing of guilt. What if you meet him and he’s disappointed to discover what you’re like? What if you drag all his dreams down in tatters?

This is your old habitual way of thinking, and it takes a lot of pushing to get rid of it. You have nothing to be ashamed of, you remind yourself, over and over and over, nothing to be ashamed of.

That doesn’t stop the butterflies spreading on the night, as you take the lift up to the top floor where the party is being held, smoothing your hair in the glossy mirror inside.

With the doors sliding open, you’re greeted by a storm of hands ready to shake your own, pulling you in and cooing over how lovely it is to see you. You make your way through, smiling greeting at everyone you can, and swelling in pride when you hear mentions your project and how well it seems to be going.

As the host leads you through to get a glass of champaign, you glance around the guests, searching for the one man who’s been on your mind for three years straight. This room is a whirl of pretty dresses and cocktail glasses and sharp suits, hard to pick out individual faces in the moving crowd. But then your gaze alights on the far corner and you stop, mid-step.

Park Jimin sits alone on one of the leather sofas by the window, which falls way to reveal a wide sweeping view of the city, a matrix of shining light, made all the brighter with the extra sparkle of Christmas that bursts from every street. In his smart suit, tailor-made to cling to his body at all the right edges he looks completely different from the young man you helped at the subway. His thin frame has filled in and filled up with muscle, his face is no longer translucent with tiredness, now pushing up blood and heat from below the skin. But there’s also something different in his demeanour as well. He’s stronger, sharper, readier to face what’s thrown at him.

You murmur an excuse to the host, declining his offer of a drink, and instead step towards Jimin.

As your shoes move into his periphery vision, he looks up from the phone that has been stealing his attention, and his eyes spark with recognition, lips lifting in a smile.

“I heard you were looking for me,” you say.

Before you can continue with any greeting, he stands up and throws himself around you in another hug, flinging you back to that day three years ago, when you handed him the money and he hugged you in return.

“Where have you been all this time?” he asks as you part, “You never gave me a chance to say thank you properly!”

“I know… I’m sorry,” you bow your head, as he sits down again, offering the space beside him for you to perch, “Actually… I think it’s me that should be thanking you,” you say, “Seeing how far you went with what I gave you has helped me to realise that I should be working harder as well. I wanted to become someone worthy of your gratitude… so I’ve been working a lot myself.”

“I can see that,” he says, “I saw you on TV.”

“Yeah?” you laugh, slightly embarrassed.

“Yeah.” His knee lightly knocks against yours, “What you’re doing is incredible. I… can’t believe I’m the inspiration behind it.”

“And I can’t believe that what I gave you three years ago got you here,” you hold out your arms to show the city spilled out in front of you, promising all that you could ever hope for, ready for your picking, the apple red and lime green of traffic lights and the blueberry blues of snowflake decorations in the city centre, just visible from your spot on top of the world.

You turn back to Jimin, eyes sparkling with excitement, but he’s not staring at the city. He’s staring at you.

“You’re pretty incredible, you know that?” he says, and you can’t help but blush from his deep-reaching gaze.

“Not as much as you…” you say, “I mean… come on… you moved from singing on the streets to singing in packed concerts. That’s amazing.”

“And what about you? You went out and helped me, and then decided that wasn’t enough, so you went and opened a school as well.”

When he puts it like that, you do sound pretty wonderful. “I couldn’t have done it without you as my inspiration,” you admit.

“And I wouldn’t be where I am without you as my muse.” His black eyes search your own, “I guess we work well together then, inspiring each other.”

“Guess we do.”

His knee bumps against yours again. “When this party ends, can you promise me something?”

“What’s that?”

“Please, don’t disappear out of my life again.”

You gaze up at him, his cheeks colouring while you watch. “Okay,” you murmur, “I won’t.”

♡♡♡

More Christmases go by, each with another good deed to do, and more ambitions shining on the horizon. But you’re not alone now.

The interviews on TV aren’t just you or Jimin, but the two of you together, and the questions aren’t “How did you get where you are?” and “What are you doing?” but “How are you inspiring each other?” and “What are you doing together?”. All over the city you see your and Jimin’s faces brandished across magazines and tabloids, hailed as the town’s sweetest couple, mutual muses for each other.

But even with the busy lives you lead, you find no joy greater than the nights you sneak out, with a mask on, and Jimin in sunglasses, to walk undetected in the throbbing heart of the city, reminding yourselves of where you came from and where you’re going. All with Jimin’s hand in your own, pushing you, letting you pull him, and always thankful for the small things:

Like a kiss on the forehead when you stop under the city centre’s tall Christmas tree, and a murmured, “Thanks for not disappearing.”

♡ END ♡

Author’s note: What a power couple :’)

I hope you enjoyed!

[ericpoptone]

One of the gratifying ironies of Los Angeles County is that even though it’s the most populous county in the US as well as the core of the nation’s most densely populated metropolis — it is also a region so vast and varied that it supports dozens of hamlets, ghost towns, and de-populated places which appear on maps (especially Google Maps) but haven’t been actual communities for ages. Sandberg, California is one such place and I visited it — or what’s left of it — the other day.

Sandberg in its heyday

Sandberg is (or was) the name of a small Los Angeles County community centered around a lodging called Sandberg’s Hotel — also known as Sandberg’s Summit Hotel and The Sandberg Lodge. It was located along the original Ridge Route highway in the Sierra Pelona Mountains of Northwest Los Angeles.

Pendersleigh & Sons Cartography‘s map of Northwest Los Angeles (or Northwest County). Sandberg is/was located northeast of the label, “Ridge Route.”

The titular Sandberg of the small community was Harald Sandberg, an immigrant born in Norway in 1867. In 1882, he and his brother Albert began developing land in Los Angeles. On 2 April 1897, Harald filed homestead papers on a ranch north of what eventually evolved into Sandberg. In December 1900, the Sandberg brothers reportedly captured a California condor. Why they did so and what they did with the then-endangered captive, I don’t know.

Mysterious fenced-off compound, as captured by Google street view

Down the hill from Sandberg, at 33700 West Lancaster Road, there’s a group of buildings (including houses) built between 1914 and 1929 (and one from the 1970s). They’re fenced off and almost appear to be abandoned except for a couple of aggressive dogs. It seems that they’re now used, however inobvious, as a telecommunications facility owned by Verizon Wireless. I wonder what was their original purpose.

Northern entrance to the Old Ridge Route

It was in 1914 that Harald Sandberg opened his lodge along the Ridge Route, the year before the road itself opened. The Ridge Route was the first major road connecting Metro Los Angeles to the San Joaquin Valley. In 1915, the Southern California Auto Club pronounced the Ridge Route, with its sensible speed limit of 15 miles per hour (24 kmh) “the last word in scientific highway building.” Paving of this scientific highway finished around 1919. Predictably, many scofflaw motorists ignored the posted speed limit and more than a few thus ended up at the bottom of a canyon.

“Sandberg’s Hotel” when it was still just one-story tall

In 1918, Harald was appointed postmaster of the Sandberg post office (located inside the lodge). Sandberg also boasted a restaurant (overseen by Harald’s wife, Marion), a garage, and an apple orchard. At some point after 1921, the original lodge was expanded into a three-story hostelry in which the Sandbergs resided on the second floor whilst guest lodging was on the third.

Sandberg’s Summit was soon faced with competition on both directions. Further north, the glamorous Lebec Hotel opened down the road in Lebec (a community which interestingly derives its name from an inscription carved on an oak tree which reads: “Peter Le Beck Killed by a Bear Oct. 17 1837”) in 1921. The Lebec was so popular that it attracted guests such as Hollywood actors Buster Keaton, Carole Lombard, Clara Bow, and Clark Gable; gangster Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel; and famed eugenics champion/aviator Charles Lindbergh. In September 1929, none other than Ulysses S. Grant (Jr) died in there of a heart attack.

South of Swede’s Cut, the National Forest Inn opened — followed by (nearer to the Sandberg) the Tumble Inn and the Halfway Inn (aka Kelly’s Half Way House). Meanwhile, down the hill there were the service station/cafés Holland’s Summit and Caswell’s.

I’m not sure for whom it was built, but a house was constructed a short distance down the hill from the lodge in 1927. It was acquired by the Los Angeles County Fire Department in 1930 or ’31 and became Los Angeles County Fire Station No. 77. In 1969, the station’s captain, Phillip Goodell, was injured whilst battling a blaze. In 1978, it was home to captain Williard Sparks and his wife, Shirley. Around 1985, the fire station moved to Gorman and today the old station is a private residence and today it’s the only home that could reasonably be described as being located in Sandberg.

More damaging to the lodge’s fortune than the competing lodges, cafés, and service stations was the re-routing of the Ridge Route, which began in 1930 with the opening of a new bypass through Piru Canyon known as the Ridge Route Alternate Highway (aka Ridge Route Alternate). The first portion opened on 29 October 1933. In 1934, Harald Sandberg sold his lodge and afterward it supposedly changed hands nearly a dozen times in ten years. Harald Sandberg died on 9 July 1939. Marion Sandberg died in 1954.

The weather station (right), atop Bald Mountain

Nearby, on Bald Mountain, a weather station opened in 1933 — initially staffed by four employees. It was automated in 1978.

The most infamous of the lodge’s post-Sandberg owners was a man known as J.H. Cox. He reportedly introduced sales of alcohol, gambling, and prostitution to turn a profit. By some accounts, he even sold the apples from the hotel orchard. Cox eventually sold the lodge to a German ceramicist named Lillian Grojean, who turned the hotel’s garage into a ceramics workshop. She rented the property on which the lodge stood from the United States Forest Service for $90 a year.

The hotel in the summer of 1960, not long before it burned down (photo: Michael Sullivan)

Around 1950, Walter “Lucky” Stevens, an actor, (he appeared — uncredited — as “peon” in 1950’s The Capture) bought the lodge from Grojean. Stevens apparently owned a ceramics business in Burbank, which I’ll wager brought him into contact with Grojean. He originally planned to re-open the lodge as a guest ranch and took over the lease with the Forest Service. His grand plans included adding a swimming pool and fishing pond.

Around 1959, Stevens seems to have changed his mind and decided instead to turn the property into a “children’s ranch.” Toward that aim, money was raised, furniture was purchased, second hand clothing acquired, and trash burned… the latter of reduced most of the property to smoldering cinder an ash on to the ground on 29 April 1961 — despite the presence of the fire station not 700 meters away. Two cabins survived. One was moved to a nearby ranch and the other’s fate is unknown. The Forest Service cancelled the lease on the property in 1963. Sandberg, although it still appears on some maps, was effectively erased from the face of the earth.

There’s almost nothing left of Sandberg today except for the former fire station and the ruins of the lodge, which includes some walls and foundations. There’s also an historic plaque although it’s so faded that it’s almost impossible to read.

The plaque today is almost impossible to read

The plaque as it formerly appeared

The grounds are characterized by the presences of large, gnarled California live oaks — various conifers, sage and other shrubs. Many of the trees host mistletoe and other obligate hemiparasitic plants.

The trunk of a dead oak surrounded by a rusting decorative fence

mistletoe on an oak

horseshoe prints

There are few signs of human visitors. There are motorcycle tracks and horse-shoe prints (as well as a surprising amount of horse excrement). Other than that, a bit of graffiti here, a faded Coors Light can, and a box which recently contained a bottle of Johnny Walker Black were about it. It wasn’t exactly quiet, however, with the near-continous lonesome whistle and hum of the wind through the scrub and trees.

FURTHER

Ridge Route | Sandberg’s Summit Hotel

SCVhistory.com | Sandberg’s Summit Hotel | Ridge Route

Eric Brightwell is an adventurer, writer, rambler, explorer, cartographer, and guerrilla gardener who is always seeking paid writing, speaking, traveling, and art opportunities. He is not interested in generating advertorials, cranking out clickbait, or laboring away in a listicle mill “for exposure.”

Brightwell has written for Angels Walk LA, Amoeblog, Boom: A Journal of California, diaCRITICS, Hidden Los Angeles, and KCET Departures. His art has been featured by the American Institute of Architects, the Architecture & Design Museum, the Craft & Folk Art Museum, Form Follows Function, Los Angeles County Store, the book Sidewalking, Skid Row Housing Trust, and 1650 Gallery. Brightwell has been featured as subject in The Los Angeles Times, Huffington Post, Los Angeles Magazine, LAist, CurbedLA, Eastsider LA, Boing Boing, Los Angeles, I’m Yours, and on Notebook on Cities and Culture. He has been a guest speaker on KCRW‘s Which Way, LA?, at Emerson College, and the University of Southern California. Art prints of Brightwell’s maps are available from 1650 Gallery. 

Brightwell is currently writing a book about Los Angeles and you can follow him on Ameba, Facebook, Goodreads, Instagram, Mubi, and Twitter.

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If You Snooze You Lose …

So while the NFL becomes a battlefield and we have the President (Donald Trump) chiming with his own thoughts on the issue of patriotism. Let’s pause for thought, he calls players who choose not to stand “sons of bitches” , but clearly won’t appreciate it is within their right not to stand . Bear in mind , neither Donald Trump or his administration thus far, specifically the US Defense Department seems to have a problem paying out millions of dollars annually merely to have the national anthem paid the league’s regular season games. Am I missing something here ? I guess not !!! The league itself has got off to an inauspicious start and as usual idiots were quick to make prognostications without actually looking at the teams in depth.

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At long last the New York Knicks awoke from their slumber and their first act under the leadership of Scott Perry was to make the decision to trade Carmelo Anthony to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for a bag of Juju beans and pot of gold. I will be exact , Anthony was traded for Enes Kanter , Doug McDermott and a second round unconditional 2018 NBA Draft pick . This trade has Sam Presti coming off looking like damn genius. From my own standpoint, this simply makes the Knicks even more vulnerable while the Thunder becomes a top-five team in the West Conference and a possible contender for the NBA title this upcoming season.

Last season , the New York Knicks were woefully inept in just about every facet of their game and it begs the question, where the hell does this franchise now go from here ? Is Jeff Hornacek as the team’s Head Coach , still able to get the best out of his players and specifically this newly revamped team ? Hornacek is in way above his head and I don’t believe the New York Knicks will be competitive enough this season to win their division much less be considered a playoff contender. This Knicks’ roster is extremely poor , with a lack of scoring after the departure of Carmelo Anthony.

The New York Knicks’ loss becomes the Oklahoma City Thunder’s gain, with the Western Conference becoming a great deal stronger than their Eastern rivals. In all likelihood the reigning champions the Golden State Warriors will be the prohibitive favorites to repeat as champions for the upcoming season . The team’s depth might be even better than last season, with much of its core remaining intact. It will be interesting to see how the Golden State Warriors will fare during their regular season meetings with the Oklahoma City Thunder this season. The first of those meetings will take place on the 22nd November on the road when the two meets for the first time as part of their regular season schedule.

If Rob Pelinka and Magic Johnson are to turn around the recent lack of fortune for the Los Angeles Lakers , then these two idiots had better start reading the NBA handbook concerning league conduct , rather than believing they and the franchise are above the league’s rules. It wasn’t by coincidence the NBA hierarchy slapped the Lakers with a rather punitive fine , but I believe Johnson and Pelinka’s actions in trying to lure Paul George to sign with the franchise , when the player had yet to state his declaring status , smacked of sheer conceitedness. George was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder by the Indiana Pacers , much to the chagrin of the Lakers , most notably their executives GM Rob Pelinka and Head of Basketball Operations Magic Johnson.

The Los Angeles Lakers will enter this season with one of their weakest teams in franchise history. While there has been a great deal of ballyhoo concerning Lonzo Ball , the rookie has yet to play a game at the professional level . Summer League asides , it will be interesting to see how Ball will seek to break down some of the best defenses in the league , when playing on a team that is actually devoid of in-depth talent . Luke Walton and his coaching staff are likely to have a problematical season as the Lakers seek to find a groove. I for one don’t see a vast improvement on the twenty-six wins by the franchise last season and they will be lucky if they are able to improve on that figure by a significant margin.

Lonzo Ball and his teammates will begin their regular season schedule with a game against the Los Angeles Clippers , which will be the Lakers’ home opener at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California . With the Clippers also in a state of disarray after the abrupt departure of Chris Paul , it could very well be that the City of Angels’ two NBA franchises will be mired in mediocrity this upcoming season. The relationship between Doc Rivers and Chris Paul might well have reached breaking point and with the lack of defensive prowess on the Clippers last season and their fall from grace in the NBA Playoffs might well have been far too much for the veteran point guard to bear.

Somehow the Los Angeles Clippers will try to prove themselves a better team without Chris Paul than they are a team with him. Paul was the glue that held the team together last season and he provided the Clippers with the leadership they were sorely lacking from seasons past. When Steve Ballmer purchased the Clippers for $2 billion , it was hoped the erasing of Donald Sterling’s ownership would be gone for good , bringing about a new era of sanity within the organization. Instead , it has brought about a great deal of intrinsic complacency, far too much power with Doc Rivers not only being the Head Coach but also Director of Basketball Operations . Lawrence Frank might well be the President of Basketball Operations , but I doubt he has that much say in the personnel decisions made for the organization. Far too many Chiefs and not enough Indians . Hall of Fame player Jerry West has since been added to the mix as a Special Consultant . A similar role which he had in being the architect in the successful resurrection of the Golden State Warriors. Needless to say, if both Rivers , Frank and Michael Winger fail to heed the advice provided by the legendary player then the fortunes of the Clippers will sink further into the abyss.

A great deal is now being asked of Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan , to lead the Los Angeles Clippers to glory , but I am not so sure either player has the maturity or temperament to get the job done. In the NBA Playoffs of last season the Clippers gave us a glimpse as to why they remain vulnerable and very much overrated . Defense is not a word in their vocabulary and it never has been with Doc Rivers leading the charge as the Head Coach . When the Clippers begin their regular season schedule , it will be interesting to see how this team fares through their first ten games.

It never ceases to amaze me when I read some of the idiotic comments by fans concerning a number of teams within the NBA ! More often than not, there hasn’t been a great deal of thought put into their assessments never-mind the statements made. Recently I read a comment by an avid sports’ fans , in which the individual stated the “window of opportunity” continues to close for the San Antonio Spurs . Less I am mistaken , with twenty straight Playoff appearances, a feat that has not been matched by any other NBA franchise in league history , then there has to be something wrong with the mindset of the individual. Need we be reminded that along the way , the Spurs have won five NBA titles under Gregg Popovich as the team’s Head Coach ? Popovich’s coaching staff is considered to be one of the best in the league and throughout the years a number of his former assistants have gone on to hold head coaching positions around the league. RC Buford has also groomed a lot of executive talent, who have since moved on to hold similar positions as a general manager within the NBA. I don’t believe there are any other teams around the league with that type of credibility as an organization and then you weigh in the consummate class and professionalism shown by Peter Holt . Nothing else needs to be said at this juncture.

It has been over a decade and a half since the San Antonio Spurs had a sub.500 season in the NBA and not win their division. Things began to change in terms of the franchise’s recent history when the Spurs made future Hall of Famer Tim Duncan their first round draft pick from the 1997 NBA Draft . Duncan’s career with the franchise are what legends are made of and it is a testament to the player’s legacy that he is held in such high esteem by his contemporaries . Having retired from the game at the end of the 2015-16 season , Duncan is a franchise leader in so many statistical categories with the San Antonio Spurs. His five NBA titles in tow with Gregg Popovich are symbolic of his legacy and this franchise.

The team which Tim Duncan left behind has now evolved with Kawhi Leonard seen as its leader, but veterans Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli remain part of its core. Leonard has become one of the league’s elite players , having twice won the NBA Defensive Player of The Year Award , his game has now evolved , with his becoming efficient on both ends of the floor.

As long Gregg Popovich is at the coaching helm of the San Antonio Spurs, then this team can never be written off. Only a fool would continue to underestimate the Spurs at their own expense. Last season San Antonio had the second-best record in the league , with only the Golden State Warriors having a better record while going on to win their second NBA title in the last three years. If the Spurs are to compete within a much more formidable Western Conference this season , then their games against stalwarts such as the Warriors , Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder should go a long way in telling us about the team , in particular Kawhi Leonard’s teammates LaMarcus Aldridge , Patty Mills , Pau Gasol , Danny Green , Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli.

The San Antonio Spurs’ preseason will consist of will consist of just five games , before embarking upon their regular season schedule beginning on the 18th October when they face the Minnesota Timberwolves at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas .

When Tilman Fertitta agreed in principle to buy the Houston Rockets for a reputed $2.2 billion , the sale price got everyone’s notice. The Rockets are not considered a big-market team , but the exploits of James Harden this past season has placed the franchise back into the stratosphere. Outgoing owner Leslie Alexander wasn’t desperate to make the sale , but he felt in order for the Rockets to move forward , now was the right time and Fertitta was the right owner to make it all possible. With Chris Paul having joined Houston in a totally inexplicable trade , the Los Angeles Clippers’ loss will be come the Rockets’ gain , their greatest gain over the past three seasons that is for sure. There is no doubt in my mind the Western Conference will literally take their opponents in the East this season and simply beat the living crap out of them all season-long !!

James Harden scored against everyone almost at will , keeping up a frenetic pace , to such an extent , it had everyone wondering was there anything else he wasn’t capable of doing last season. The Rockets will be a contender this season and there is no doubt in mind they are more than capable of beating the very best that the East will have to offer. As to their contemporaries within the West, that remains to be seen , but this will be a very interesting season for the franchise. Harden and his teammates will begin their regular season in earnest when they face the Golden State Warriors on Opening Night , 17th October in a game being played at Oracle Arena in Oakland , California .

So LeBron James is giving fans in Cleveland assurances that he won’t be leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers anytime soon. Personally, I don’t believe it is a long-term commitment from the player , as his relationship with Dan Gilbert has continued to sour , without taking into account the rumored disintegration of his friend ship with former teammate Kyrie Irving . The point guard was traded to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Isiah Thomas . On paper the trade might seem to be equitable, until you take into account Thomas is coming off an injury and off-season surgery. The Cavaliers’ front office failed to use due diligence and threatened to rescind the deal , only to be forced to go ahead with the transaction after some intervention from the league hierarchy and the fact Kyrie Irving made it known he had no wish to remain in Cleveland. The Cavaliers remain the team to beat within the East, but I don’t believe the team in its current guise will have it all their own way within the East over the course of this season !

The Cleveland Cavaliers will have to come out of the starting gates firing on all cylinders , because I believe they will be in for a world of hurt if Isiah Thomas cannot find his footing , because to my mind , Derrick Rose has absolutely nothing left in the tank , whereby he can be productive for the Cavaliers. This much was evident with his play last season for the lackluster New York Knicks. Thankfully, the Cavaliers play in a weak division and a continuously mediocre Eastern Conference. If they qualify as a top four-seed, then the NBA Playoffs within the conference should not prove to be that much of a problem.

Not one , not two , not three , not four , but at least six NBA titles. Well that was the notion of the Miami Heat when they signed LeBron James as a free agent, as the four-time League MVP would join close friends Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh . Heat executive Pat Riley was hailed as a genius and history was quickly made with the franchise. Four consecutive appearances in the NBA Finals , yielded two victories , but then things began to get sour as Riley refused to bolster the roster , much to the chagrin of James. What LeBron failed to understand , while the Miami Heat were winning , the ever-increasing payroll could not keep abreast of the franchise continuing to hemorrhage red ink along its bottom line . It’s still something LeBron James is still not able to fathom in Cleveland with the Cavaliers having lost in excess of $80 million over the last two years.

Dwyane Wade after a nostalgic return to the state of Illinois , where he played last season for the Chicago Bulls , has agreed to a buyout of his contract , then chose to sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers. It had been rumored Riley would have been interested in signing Wade , with the seasoned veteran becoming the team’s leader. The fact that this did not take place speaks to the volume of resentment I still believe there is between the player and the Heat executive . Behind the scenes, Pat Riley has often been ruthless and brutal , but in public he tries to come across as a likable character. Machiavelli has nothing on this particular executive . Like a moth to a flame it appears that everyone wants to be with LeBron , while the player himself has always tried to tell us he’s never played on a Super Team .

John Paxson and Gar Forman of the Chicago Bulls now have the unenviable task of trying to persuade the long-starving fans of the Bulls, they are on the right track to rebuilding this franchise. The glory years of the Jordan led teams to six NBA titles are a thing of the past and it appears an imminent return to those halcyon days are nowhere near apparent. Chicago’s best player of last season Jimmy Butler was sent to the Minnesota Timberwolves , with the belief that a fresh start behind a youth-oriented lineup would be the way ahead. A sighting of Dennis Rodman wearing a wedding dress , professing his love for all things magical now seems to reverberating around the city of Chicago . Lamar Odom now has his eyes on becoming a pharmacist , dispensing medical marijuana to those desperately in need and Bulls’ owner , Jerry Reinsdorf is now on the brink of having a nervous breakdown. Guess what ? You snooze , you lose .

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Picture gallery. Click on picture to view that frame and also read the accompanying narrative.

Which things are you most looking forward to as the NBA preseason and regular season beckons ? Do you believe the Golden State Warriors can make a successful defense or their NBA title ? Also which NBA Rookie do you believe will have the biggest impact on the league this upcoming season ?

Tophatal ….

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If You Snooze You Lose ……. If You Snooze You Lose … So while the NFL becomes a battlefield and we have the…

[wrongcaitlyn]

it just hit me while listening to the lucky one and hearing the lyrics “in the angel’s city, seeking fortune and fame” that of COURSE the entrance to the underworld is in LA. Los Angeles. the angel’s city. obviously it’s in the west, because it always has been, but specifically this city referencing angels (god of the dead) and fortune (god of riches)