Video by Ulises Roman of The Sovereign.
Next week, architecture junkies and curious locals will be pleased to get an inside look at some of Long Beach’s most famous historical buildings, thanks to a partnership between @inspiredlbc founder Josh Garcia and videographer Ulises Roman.
In a five-part web series launching Monday, March 5 starting with The Sovereign at 360 West Ocean Boulevard, the project will entail weeklong explorations showing what very few people, other than the buildings’ inhabitants, have been able to see, through video and photography.
“Being in real estate I’d show clients inside these historic buildings and immediately fell in love with the history, the finishes, furniture and the solariums!” Garcia said. “I moved into the Sovereign last summer and that’s also another reason that sparked the project.”
After The Sovereign, those following along on Instagram and Vimeo will get to check out the Lafayette starting March 12, the Villa Riviera beginning March 19, the Cooper Arms on the 27th, with more to follow.
“The craftsmanship required to build some of these buildings speaks for itself,” Roman said. “In a world of mass production where things are made to break, it’s nice to see that there is still an appreciation for quality-made things. When you take a step inside a building like the Villa Riviera you feel that sentiment.”
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When asked what he hopes viewers will be able to take away from the project, Garcia said an appreciation for the buildings and their history.
“I want to share the buildings’ stories and not glorify, but document,” Garcia said. “Ulises did an amazing job of capturing each building and explaining it in less than a minute! We can definitely take this project further, richer, deeper.”
If they can find more funding, the two hope to push the project further by creating a mini documentary or series on Long Beach history.
Being able to interview past homeowners, for example, would give viewers more context and perhaps satisfy the curiosities of interested history buffs. Garcia is also considering putting on a culminating tour at the end of the year.
“In this incredibly fast paced world we live in, it’d be nice to travel back in time and share with the residents of Long Beach a bit of its historical past through some of its most iconic buildings,” Roman said.
Check out @inspiredlbc and @uroman, as well as InspiredLBC’s Vimeo to follow the series.