I had to go to Alhambra to see a man about a horse. Alhambra is on the western edge of the San Gabriel Valley between posh San Marino, trendy South Pasadena, old San Gabriel, blue collar Rosemead, and the most Chinese city in the US, Monterey Park . The center of Alhambra is the intersection of Garfield and Main which has functioned as the hub of town at least since 1895.
Garfield and Main, Alhambra, 1890
Garfield and Main, Alhambra, 2007 improved with an Applebees
Garfield and Main, Alhambra, 1890
Garfield and Main, Alhambra, 2007 improved with an Applebees
By the 1950s, Garfield and Main was the hippest place in the San Gabriel Valley and was predominantly populated mostly by Italian-Americans. The following decade saw an influx of Latinos from surrounding areas and Anglos moving to other suburbs. In the late 1960s Alhambra was a hotbed of anti-Vietnam War protests and Brown Beret activity. By the mid 1970s tensions rose between the predominantly Anglo "surfers" and cholos. Many Taiwanese began to move to the neighborhood, followed by Chinese from the mainland, Vietnamese, Cambodians and other Asians.
I first visited Alhambra to buy a copy of the soundtrack to "Forbidden Planet" from a Penny Lane managed by Danny Lee who later came to Amoeba and oversaw the no-longer-existent Hong Kong section.
Alhambra Penny Lane - For Lease
In 2001, the historic Garfield Theater which had exclusively shown Chinese films closed.
Benjamin Wilson looking annoyed with the gum on his right shoulder.
This statue marks the spot where, on weekends, a lot of people come to hang out, break dance and eat. Benjamin Wilson was a fur trader who was trying to go to China. When he moved to the San Gabriel Valley (then part of Mexico) he was denied passage. He ended up becoming a Mexican citizen and bought considerable tracts of land in the area. Supposedly due to his kindness to the indigenous Tongva they nicknamed him "Don Benito" (at least to his face).
I mentioned earlier that we no longer have a separate Hong Kong section. However, Chaz did just divide the Asian section into Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Miscellaneous Asian sections.
Wong Kar-Wai John Woo
Amoeba's Chinese Top 10
Raise the Red Lantern
In the Mood For Love
Hard Boiled
2046
Chungking Express
Wong Kar-Wai Collection
Days Of Being Wild
Infernal Affairs
The Killer
Shanghai Triad
Amoeba's Japanese Top 10
Casshern
Battle Royale 1 & 2
Ichi the Killer
Late Ozu
Audition
Graveyard Of Honor
Suicide Club
Akira Kurosawa's Dreams
Great Yokai Wair
Ugetsu
Park Chan-Wook Kim Ki-Duk
Amoeba's Korean Top 10
Oldboy
Lady Vengeance
Bittersweet Life
Host
My Wife Is a Gangster
Yellow Hair 2
Citizen Dog
Jumong volume 2
My Wife Is a Gangster 2
Dead Friend
Amoeba's Miscellaneous Asian Top 10
Mystics In Bali (Indonesia)
Climates (Turkey)
Journey From the Fall (Vietnam/USA)
Chess Players (India)
Mirror (Iran)
Bang Rajan (Thailand)
Close-Up (Iran)
Cafe Setareh (Iran)
Cyclo (Vietnam)
Taste of Cherry (Iran)
I first visited Alhambra to buy a copy of the soundtrack to "Forbidden Planet" from a Penny Lane managed by Danny Lee who later came to Amoeba and oversaw the no-longer-existent Hong Kong section.
Alhambra Penny Lane - For Lease
In 2001, the historic Garfield Theater which had exclusively shown Chinese films closed.
The Garfield Theater. Now filled with tiny Chinese stores and one of Alhambra's many Starbucks.
Meanwhile, a few blocks north, you can see mainstream American movies (but sometimes with Chinese subtitles) at the Edwards Cinema. Benjamin Wilson looking annoyed with the gum on his right shoulder.
This statue marks the spot where, on weekends, a lot of people come to hang out, break dance and eat. Benjamin Wilson was a fur trader who was trying to go to China. When he moved to the San Gabriel Valley (then part of Mexico) he was denied passage. He ended up becoming a Mexican citizen and bought considerable tracts of land in the area. Supposedly due to his kindness to the indigenous Tongva they nicknamed him "Don Benito" (at least to his face).
I mentioned earlier that we no longer have a separate Hong Kong section. However, Chaz did just divide the Asian section into Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Miscellaneous Asian sections.
Wong Kar-Wai John Woo
Amoeba's Chinese Top 10
Raise the Red Lantern
In the Mood For Love
Hard Boiled
2046
Chungking Express
Wong Kar-Wai Collection
Days Of Being Wild
Infernal Affairs
The Killer
Shanghai Triad
Takashi Miike Kenji Fukasaku
Amoeba's Japanese Top 10
Casshern
Battle Royale 1 & 2
Ichi the Killer
Late Ozu
Audition
Graveyard Of Honor
Suicide Club
Akira Kurosawa's Dreams
Great Yokai Wair
Ugetsu
Park Chan-Wook Kim Ki-Duk
Amoeba's Korean Top 10
Oldboy
Lady Vengeance
Bittersweet Life
Host
My Wife Is a Gangster
Yellow Hair 2
Citizen Dog
Jumong volume 2
My Wife Is a Gangster 2
Dead Friend
Abbas Kiarostami Tran Anh Hung
Mystics In Bali (Indonesia)
Climates (Turkey)
Journey From the Fall (Vietnam/USA)
Chess Players (India)
Mirror (Iran)
Bang Rajan (Thailand)
Close-Up (Iran)
Cafe Setareh (Iran)
Cyclo (Vietnam)
Taste of Cherry (Iran)