NewsLos Angeles MagazineNovember 5, 2026Los Angeles County
Guest Essay by Brentwood Teenager Asher Bezdek Examines the Loss of Architectural Color in Los Angeles
Photo: Los Angeles Magazine
Seventeen-year-old high school senior Asher Bezdek reflects on the replacement of vibrant local landmarks with neutral tones and modern homogenization in a published guest essay. He expresses nostalgia for mid-century googie architecture and pop-culture landmarks he never experienced firsthand. Bezdek advocates for urban design that connects communities and preserves historical identity.
Read the full story at Los Angeles MagazineWhy It Matters
The essay highlights a generational perspective on how urban redevelopment and repainting alter the visual character and emotional connection residents have with their neighborhoods, reflecting broader debates over historic preservation versus modernization in Los Angeles.
Key Facts
- Seventeen-year-old Asher Bezdek authored a guest essay titled 'The City We Keep Painting Over' about the visual changes in Los Angeles architecture.
- Bezdek is a senior at Crossroads School for Arts & Sciences, runs his school's eco-architecture club, and plans to study design.
- The essay cites the repainting of a bright yellow childhood tutoring center on Pico Boulevard from vibrant color to gray as an example of aesthetic loss.
- Bezdek expresses an affinity for remaining mid-century googie architecture, such as Pann's coffee shop and the Union 76 gas station in Beverly Hills.
- Bezdek's grandmother lives in Rustic Canyon and frequently uses long-gone buildings as landmarks for giving driving directions.
Who's Mentioned
OrganizationCrossroads School for Arts & Sciences“School where Asher Bezdek is a senior”locationSouthern California“Regional setting for artists and architectural styles”OrganizationPann’s“Remaining 1950s googie coffee shop”PersonAsher Bezdek“17-year-old student at Crossroads School for Arts & Sciences and author of the g”locationBrentwood“Neighborhood where Asher Bezdek lives”PersonCecil B. DeMille“Filmmaker associated with Los Angeles's theatrical history”PersonTim Burton“Director whose childhood in Burbank inspired fantastical worlds”locationBeverly Hills“Location of the Union 76 gas station”PersonDavid Hockney“Artist who painted Southern California landscapes”locationPico Boulevard“Street location of Asher's childhood tutoring center”locationBurbank“City where director Tim Burton spent his childhood”PersonAngelyne“Los Angeles pop culture figure known for iconic billboards”locationLos Angeles“City examined in the essay”locationRustic Canyon“Neighborhood where Asher's grandmother lives”PersonEd Ruscha“Pop artist inspired by Southern California signs and shapes”