It's a little known fact that our corner of L.A. played host to a number of "aerodromes" during the first half of the last century, when air travel was a more romantic (and dangerous) proposition than is the case today.

This excellent site by Paul Freeman collects historical information, photos, and updated information on each site, including where to find visible remnants of the airfields.

Especially interesting are the articles recounting the histories of the Griffith Park Aerodrome and the Grand Central Airport in Glendale (for more on Grand Central, including pics of it's magnificent Terminal building, click here.) The Aerodrome is completely gone, subsumed beneath the present site of the L.A. Zoo, but the Grand Central Terminal still remains as the property of the Walt Disney Company, which has committed to restoring the structure by 2015 (click here for PreserveLA's article on preservation issues related to the Terminal).  ¶ 11:18 AM