Bye bye Biscuit

#309 (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

After nearly two years, we've decided to not renew our lease at the Biscuit Company Lofts. It's been a great experience and we could not have picked a better first residence here in Los Angeles. We're going to miss this old building and the friends we've made here.

We've chosen to move on to greener pastures. (Literally, our new place has a yard.) WAP, Inc. is still going strong, just with a new footprint and mailing address.


NW stairwell. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

We feel fortunate to have experienced all the interesting people, places and things we did while here. The 90021 Project is a testament to that. The Arts District is a truly unique place even in a city as diverse and unique as L.A. 90021 is a body of work I am extremely proud of. It's now time to move on and start a new chapter.

From now on, every time I drive down the 5, 101 or 110 and see this majestic masonry fortress standing proud on the Eastern edge of downtown as it has for over 80 years, I'll smile.


Archive photo. Circa 1926. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Markel

(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

This is Markel. Markel with a "K." You see, for the first few weeks that I knew him, I was mistakenly calling him "Marcel" with a very incorrect "C." Now really, look at him, does he look like a Marcel? No. Of course not. I am an idiot.

Markel works security in my building. I see him nearly every time I enter or exit the elevator. At first he didn't smile much at me. Probably because he thought I was an idiot for calling him some French name. Eventually, I must have done or said something funny because one day, everything moved upwards and he gave me the biggest grin I'd ever seen. And just when you think that's big, make him laugh—off the charts.


(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Markel is really a gentle giant. Six feet seven inches of pure nice guy. Which is why it was so hard, a few months ago, to see him go through what he went through. You see, Markel almost died. One day, that smile didn't show up for work even though the rest of him did. He had a fever and Frank, our maintenance guy, told him he looked like crap and should go home for some rest. A week or so later he was in the ICU in an induced coma. The doctors didn't know what it was but the only way to keep the fever and pneumonia from killing him was to induce the sleep. Worst of all, this fine gentle man didn't get a chance to see his wife before they sent him to slumber.

Thankfully, after some time, he pulled through. But I don't think it was luck. Markel is a strong guy. Someone of his size isn't just ALL smiles. He's a husband and father. He's got some fight in him. And this fight was worth it.

A tenant in the building started a donation fund to help with the enormous medical bills. The wonderful people of this community stepped up and helped the guy out to pay those medical bills. Medical bills that were worth every penny to bring that smile back to the front desk.

Just don't call him Marcel.


(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony


Credits
Photo Assistant: Jeff Johnson

Paul Solomon

Crossing the 6th St. bridge with the Biscuit and TOY as backdrop. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

The first time I met Paul Solomon I was looking into a lease at the Biscuit Company Lofts. I had just tugged on the BCL office door only to find it locked. They had closed a half hour prior. It was then that I heard a soft-spoken, "Can I help you?" I turned to to find myself looking directly into the chest of an extremely tall man that didn't match the voice.

Paul Solomon is a partner in Linear City, L.L.C., the company that repurposed, among others, a toy factory and biscuit company into some of Los Angeles' finest live/work loft buildings. I happen to live/work in one now. (After, of course, I learned the office hours.)

As time would go by, I'd see Paul out and about in the neighborhood and began to notice that his hair seemed to be growing uncontrollably. And growing. And growing. At some point, I said to him, "... don't cut that hair until I get a portrait of you." A few weeks later, when the coiff reached apogee, we scheduled a shoot. And by then, the fro was in full glory. I knew I wanted a car. But not just any car. A car that not only fit the style but could actually accommodate the monstrous mane. A 1971 Buick Skylark convertable with a few patches of bondo fit the bill. The results were—and I don't say this lightly—epic.

Thanks Paul.


(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Police Walk

Christy, Cougar (in honorary LAPD garb) and Fausto. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Once a week, a small group of Arts District residents meet up for a sunset walk through the neighborhood with the LAPD Senior Lead Officer for our precinct. While the walk is designed to keep communication open between residents and law enforcement, it is also, conveniently, a really good excuse to go for a stroll with neighbors at one of the nicest times of the day.


John, Jimmy and Noah. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Usually numbering around eight to twelve participants from various buildings like the Biscuit/TOY, Molino and Factory Place Lofts, the group roams in no set path for about an hour. We interface with residents and generally show a presence in a neighborhood once considered abandoned. It's a nice walk, and I always learn something new about the area I didn't before. (For example, did you know the old Santa Fe depot building that now houses SCI-ARC building is as long as the Empire State Building is tall? Thanks Noah!)


Unknown city worker, Officer Owens and Terrell. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

I usually take my camera. It is the Magic Hour after all, and there's always something interesting to see. The best part, however, is the beer and brats at Wurstküche afterwards... Public service can be fun. And filling!

Office Space

Free chair heater. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

After a long delay, we finally remodeled the office area of the studio. An important part of the remodel was the painting above my desk. It's a cheesy litho copy on a warped frame called Breakers at Sunset by Carlo Rossi. This painting was above our sofa (on wood paneling no less) my entire childhood. And because of it I've had a lifelong love affair with the ocean. For all intents and purposes, it was the first piece of art that ever influenced who I am. So it's current home seemed like apt placement.

Much credit to Pamela for the redesign and space planning.

Amy

(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Amy is bartender at The Royal Clayton's. She is also an aspiring actress. She came over for some headshots and I asked for a few shots in the stairwell of our building. There was something intriguing about the combination of the green dress, hazel eyes, black hair, bricks and the chartreuse door.

Oh, and the motorcycle boots.


(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony


(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Credits
Hair/Makeup: Pamela Bjorkland

Grey's Anatomy Filming at The Biscuit.

Patrick Dempsey during a take. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Last week, they filmed another scene for the ABC series Grey's Anatomy here at the Biscuit Company Lofts.

Apparently, Sandra Oh's character, Dr. Cristina Yang, lives in a loft building. So whenever they have an exterior scene in front of her building, they shoot here. The photo above is mid-take. Cristina and Derek (Patrick Dempsey) exit the building and she crosses the street to get in a Land Rover to meet someone. Derek stays behind and sits on a bench outside.

Ironically, I moved from Seattle to Los Angeles only to see a series set in Seattle shot in Los Angeles. It's slightly odd seeing a bunch of cars with the "Mt. Rainier" Washington State license plates driving down Industrial St. They also hosed down the street to make it look like it had just rained. Here in L.A., they actually have to TRUCK IN THE RAIN. Too funny.


Another take. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Election Night

(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

To get my mind off the anxiety of the electoral college, Joe the Plumber and dangling chad flashbacks, I decided to get outside for a photo on election night. I had an idea. I envisioned my loft building filled with people in their living rooms watching the election results on TV, as seen from the rooftop across the street. So I lugged my gear up seven floors and set up shortly before sunset.

At the tail end of the magic hour, I clicked away. And wouldn't you know it, I seemed to be the only loser in town not at an election night party because, as you can see, hardly anyone was home. Shit.

Oh well, I got a great new photo of my loft building and a new President to boot. Win/win.

Steve Arroyo - Church & State

(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Way back when, on our real estate tour of the Biscuit Building with the property manager, the first thing I noticed was the restaurant under construction on the ground floor loading docks. "That will be Church & State" said the rep from the leasing agent. "It will be really cool." Indeed.

After a protracted courtship with the developers, Church & State opened on Sept. 22nd.

The restaurateur (Did you know there's no "n" in that word? Me neither.) is a man named Steve Arroyo—owner of several other successful eateries in Los Angeles, most notably Cobras and Matadors. I introduced myself to him soon after opening day and later hit him up for a portrait. He agreed without a blink. I like this guy.

Softspoken and courteous, Steve indulged my complex lighting melange while nearly falling off his chair from a hard-puffing cigarette buzz. ("More smoke Steve! More smoke!") The restaurant's interior design is a mix of influences from Pastis in the Meat Packing District of NYC to clarklewis in Portland, Oregon. The latter also being a former loading dock in an industrial building. (Look closely at the photo above and you'll see the wine bottles perched on the former loading dock of the Biscuit.) I wanted to place Steve in situ as he fits the decor as someone who's created a space in which he fits perfectly. The mirrors, the Edison bulbs, bricks, steel and bottles of red, red vino all blend with the tats, hat, smokes and lowball glass of swirled aperitif.

Thank you Steve.


(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Frank: Biscuit Mr. Fix-it

Frank dusting off the building. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Meet Frank. (Born "Francisco.") He works at the Toy and Biscuit Lofts. He does maintenance, cleaning and other odds and ends around my building. Everyone around here knows Frank. He's easy to spot as he's almost always wearing a huge grin. (See below.) He's also a great, great guy. Former military, father of two, and a huge Dodgers fan (sorry about Game 2 buddy), Frank knows how hard work "works."


© William Anthony

Frank and I have a lot in common. Our mothers share the same first name. We're both Spanish/Mexican, talkative, and extremely handsome. Did I mention we're both modest too?

If you're in the neighborhood, be sure to stop by The Royal Claytons roughly around quitting time. You're sure to find Frank sitting at "his" table having a beer and flirting with the wait staff after a hard day's work.

90021

TOY and Biscuit in same frame. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

I live in an extremely famous neighborhood in Los Angeles. But you'd never know it by driving around. I don't live in Hollywood, or Beverly Hills, or Malibu. You'll never see landmarks from here in postcards or visitor's guides. But chances are, you see my neighborhood every day on television. I live in the "Industrial District," where thousands of commercials, television shows and movies are filmed every year. You can't walk two blocks in any direction without seeing the ubiquitous "NOTICE OF FILMING" labels adhered to a random wall, door or gate. It's the prototypical "urban landscape."

The race sequence in the movie Grease? It's the LA River under the Sixth St. bridge. The cheesy projected background whizzing behind William Shatner as he rides a motorcycle in that Priceline commercial? Santa Fe St. All within walking distance.

I've taken to riding my bike around here at dusk, when the light is best, and snapping photos with one camera or another.

I figured the best place to start was my front door. The photo above is one third (the middle third) of the TOY loft building directly across from my front door. You can also see it way in the background at the end of this Saturn commercial. Look for the enormous letters spelling "TOY."

Expect more musings from 90021.

In The Biscuit.

The National Biscuit Company Lofts. Los Angeles, CA © William Anthony

We're all moved in. The building is pretty darn cool. We hope to be shooting in our space very soon. Until then, we'll be drinking Newcastle and eating Bubble and Squeak at The Royal Claytons across the street and anxiously awaiting the opening of Church & State—a French brasserie slated to open in the former loading docks of our building.

According to Google, public records state that my neighbors may or may not include Posh & Becks, Ichiro Suzuki, Vincent Gallo and Nicolas Cage.

That'd be a hell of an elevator ride now wouldn't it?

New home base.

The new home of William Anthony Photography. © William Anthony

We sign a lease today for a live/work loft at the Biscuit Company Loft Building in downtown Los Angeles. This will be the new HQ for WAP, Inc. starting in July.

Built in 1926 and restored completely in 2006, the building is located in the Arts District of LA and was the former home of the National Biscuit Company (Nabisco). Our loft has sixteen foot ceilings and gorgeous light.

More info once we're all moved in.