State of California Office Building

Built in 1964, most agency’s have left the building and are leasing space from the private sector. Stop by early in the AM only if you don’t mind the urine smell from the homeless who sleep out front.

Pretty standard government building. There’s no real parking for free, so you’ll have to cough up a little cash. When I arrived there was nobody at the front check-​in desk (8am) so I wandered around a little bit until I found the right place by myself.
Went to the office I was looking for, stood there two minutes, rang a bell, nobody came. Wandered out again and read every sign until I figured it out.
I know that government agencies aren’t exactly known for customer service… but dang… if you put a bell out there, at least THAT should bring you to the window, even with a dour expression on your face, it’s something…

When I think «government bureaucrat» I actually get a little picture of the front of this building in my head. From the laconic security guard staffing the front desk, to the Lynchian retro 60s styling in the hallways, to the leisured government workers chit chatting behind the long formica calendar, this is everything that people love or hate about bureaucracy. Me, I love it– I’d love to be in a Kafka novel. In fact, when I feel that way, I just come here and hang out in the lobby.

true story: I was getting the alcohol license from the ABC for Sessions Fest last year, I walk in the building and the security guard is languidly eating an ice cream drumstrick!
up at the actual offices of the ABC, the fine ladies who work there had just popped a bag of popcorn, were pouring it into a bowl to share and were sitting ON their desks, discussing the finer points of american idol.
the head of the ABC office, was «SO BUSY» that he didn’t know if he could process the alcohol permit a mere two months before the event.
the entire scene was awesomely bureaucratic, pampered and unhurried. it’s good to work for the state.