Two intersections in Diamond Bar: The Grand Avenue Beautification Project

California, Los Angeles County, Photography

In 2015 the city of Diamond Bar completed their Grand Avenue Beautification project, which included redesigning the medians and parkways of the Grand Avenue / Diamond Bar Boulevard and Grand Avenue / Longview Drive intersections. The landscape architecture work was done by David Volz Design.

Happily enough, Diamond Bar Boulevard aims directly at Mt. Baldy, creating a view no photographer can resist*:

Mt. Baldy (Mount San Antonio) seen from the southern side of the Diamond Bar Boulevard and Grand Avenue intersection in Diamond Bar. Rocks, median art, and flowering plants (yellow yuccas - Hesperaloe parviflora) are all visible, including a car. The stoplight is showing all green lights and a green left turn signal. This was part of the 2015 rebuild of the Grand Avenue and Diamond Bar Boulevard intersection for Diamond Bar's 2015 "Grand Avenue Beautification" project, landscape architecture for the project was by David Volz Design.
Mt. Baldy (Mount San Antonio) seen from the southern side of the Diamond Bar Boulevard and Grand Avenue intersection in Diamond Bar.

The Longview Drive intersection is at the eastern edge of the city, and features a new entrance sign for the city:

A full view near sunrise of the sign at the eatern edge of Diamond Bar's Grand Ave. This was part of the 2015 rebuild of the Grand Avenue and Longview Drive intersection for Diamond Bar's 2015 "Grand Avenue Beautification" project, landscape architecture for the project was by David Volz Design.
A full view of the sign at the eastern edge of Diamond Bar’s Grand Ave.

The sign is pretty just after sunrise, but the copper elements really stand out when it’s diffusely lit:

The entrance sign to Diamond Bar on the eastern edge of the city. This image, taken in the shade, highlights the coppery accents of the sign. This was part of the 2015 rebuild of the Grand Avenue and Longview Drive intersection for Diamond Bar's 2015 "Grand Avenue Beautification" project, landscape architecture for the project was by David Volz Design.
The entrance sign to Diamond Bar on the eastern edge of the city.

Iron plates form a repeating theme through the project, serving not just as elements on the entrance sign, but also as artistic inserts on parkway columns, display pieces in medians, and tree grates.

Metallic cutouts with a windmill pattern are frequent in the Grand Ave. corridor; this one is on the large entrance sign on the eastern edge of the city. This was part of the 2015 rebuild of the Grand Avenue and Longview Drive intersection for Diamond Bar's 2015 "Grand Avenue Beautification" project, landscape architecture for the project was by David Volz Design.
Metallic cutouts with a windmill pattern are frequent in the Grand Ave. corridor; this one is on the large entrance sign on the eastern edge of the city.

The rocks and iron plate windmilll cutouts of the northern median. This was part of the 2015 rebuild of the Grand Avenue and Diamond Bar Boulevard intersection for Diamond Bar's 2015 "Grand Avenue Beautification" project, landscape architecture for the project was by David Volz Design.
The rocks and iron plate windmilll cutouts of the northern median at the Grand and Diamond Var intersection.
Iron plates with windmill cutouts play a key part of the Grand Avenue Beautification Project. This one is backlit by a late afternoon sun illuminating trees, rocks, and pampas grass. This was part of the 2015 rebuild of the Grand Avenue and Diamond Bar Boulevard intersection for Diamond Bar's 2015 "Grand Avenue Beautification" project, landscape architecture for the project was by David Volz Design.
Iron plates in the median of Diamond Bar Blvd. backlit by a late afternoon sun illuminating trees, rocks, and pampas grass.
Iron tree grates form the base of most of the trees planted for the Grand Avenue Beautification project. This one has lots of contrast, reflections, and almost looks art-deco to me. This was part of the 2015 rebuild of the Grand Avenue and Diamond Bar Boulevard intersection for Diamond Bar's 2015 "Grand Avenue Beautification" project, landscape architecture for the project was by David Volz Design.
Iron tree grates form the base of most of the trees planted for the Grand Avenue Beautification project. This one has lots of contrast and reflections; it almost looks art-deco.

The medians  were generally landscaped with a mix of succulents; the yellow yuccas (Hesperaloe parviflora) were kindly blooming for me when I was there.

A view looking down the median on the western side of the Grand/Longview intersection. Rocks and flowering plants (yellow yuccas - Hesperaloe parviflora) are visible. This was part of the 2015 rebuild of the Grand Avenue and Longview Drive intersection for Diamond Bar's 2015 "Grand Avenue Beautification" project, landscape architecture for the project was by David Volz Design.
A view looking down the median on the western side of the Grand/Longview intersection, highlighting yellow yuccas (Hesperaloe parviflora).

The bus stop on Diamond Bar Blvd. has three pillar lights that look like little soldiers or workers lining up, and also had some neat wooden beams that cast fun shadows:

Three blue-gray metal lights (that remind me of little soldiers in a row) stand at the bus stop on the northeastern corner of Gand and Diamond Bar. Plenty of blue sky is visible in this wide angle shot. This was part of the 2015 rebuild of the Grand Avenue and Diamond Bar Boulevard intersection for Diamond Bar's 2015 "Grand Avenue Beautification" project, landscape architecture for the project was by David Volz Design.
Three blue-gray metal lights (that remind me of little soldiers in a row) stand at the bus stop on the northeastern corner of Gand and Diamond Bar.
Parkway features of the northeastern portion of the Grand and Diamond Bar intersection - large wooden beams, trees with iron grates, and colored concrete. This was part of the 2015 rebuild of the Grand Avenue and Diamond Bar Boulevard intersection for Diamond Bar's 2015 "Grand Avenue Beautification" project, landscape architecture for the project was by David Volz Design.
Parkway features of the northeastern portion of the Grand and Diamond Bar intersection – large wooden beams, trees with iron grates, and colored concrete.
Photograph of an intersection
A view up Grand Ave. as it descends towards Longview.

That’s it!

Hills and a pond are lit up by the setting sun, framing the already-shaded "Diamond Bar: Incorporated 1969" sign. This was part of the 2015 reconstruction of the Grand Avenue and Longview Drive intersection for Diamond Bar's 2015 "Grand Avenue Beautification" project; landscape architecture for the project was by David Volz Design.
Classic California hills are lit up by the setting sun, framing the already-shaded “Diamond Bar: Incorporated 1969” sign.

 

More pictures

To see more pictures of the project, head to my two galleries below:

Diamond Bar’s Grand Avenue Beautification Project – Best of the Set

Diamond Bar’s Grand Avenue Beautification Project – ALL the images

* Do you have any idea how long I had to wait to get an image of that intersection with all the lights green and just a single, artistically placed, car?  I should have just set up a tent out there …

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