The article explores the evolution of public perception regarding iconic structures, contrasting the Eiffel Tower's initial disdain and Guy de Maupassant's disdainful association with it. Maupassant famously dined at a restaurant near the Tower to avoid its view. Similarly, the palm trees of L.A. evoke mixed feelings due to their overexposure. The piece delves into L.A.'s eclectic architecture, appreciating the diversity despite contrasting tastes, revealing how public sentiment can intertwine with iconic imagery in urban landscapes.
Maupassant hated the tower so much that, almost every day, he ate his lunch in the restaurant at the foot of the tower. It wasn't the menu that drew him but the view. It was the only spot in Paris, he said, where he didn't have to look at the damn thing.
No need to spell out 'Southern California' or 'Los Angeles' or even 'L.A.' Like the shape of an incandescent lightbulb or a Coca-Cola bottle, it's universally known. Put a palm tree on it; it must be L.A.
L.A.'s higgledy-piggledy architecture is one of our most charming characteristics. Devotees of 'denture' subdivisions, their acres of red tile roofs over white stucco walls, may find no delight in a Greek Revival house across the street from a Tudor half-timber...
Do we contradict ourselves? Very well then, we contradict ourselves. We are large, we contain multitudes of styles.
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