LA State Historic Park

LA State Historic Park

As I’ve said before, over and over again, Los Angeles lacks parks. But, we’re slowly getting better. This weekend, the city of Los Angeles opened 36 acres of new park space, on historic land. The opening of The Los Angeles State Historic Park, situated on 

Architectural Class Divide: The Changing Nature of LA

Architectural Class Divide: The Changing Nature of LA

When I moved in three years ago, my block contained mostly single-family homes. I loved the bedroom-community feeling of my street, tucked inside dense east Hollywood. My neighbors on either side came over and introduced themselves. The woman across the street brought me some homemade 

The City Exposed: Western and Fountain on Foot

The City Exposed: Western and Fountain on Foot

The distance from my home in East Hollywood to Malo in Silverlake, where I had dinner plans on Saturday night, is 2.6 miles. Too far to drive, by LA standards. But by walkable-city standards? Reasonable. So, I walked. I haven’t walked Los Angeles – I 

Thank Gods, We’re Getting a New Beverly Center

Thank Gods, We’re Getting a New Beverly Center

What excellent news: The Beverly Center, aka one of LA’s worst design nightmares, is getting a revamp. The most aggravating aspect of the current Beverly Center is its lack of pedestrian access. The shopping mall sits on the upper three levels of the eight-story building. 

A Collection of Towns

A Collection of Towns

It is colder in Culver City than Hollywood, and less sunny, generally. I take the bus and the train in the mornings, and as I travel, I feel the degrees falling away, see the fog hanging down. Downtown Culver City bustles with pedestrians. People walking 

Again About Transit

Again About Transit

My old apartment was half a mile from the Hollywood/Western station. My new house is over one and a half miles from the Vermont/Beverly station. Too far to walk for a typical commute, but I will not be unfazed.  For my commute to Culver City, 

The Millennium Hollywood

The Millennium Hollywood

There are stretches of parking lot in Hollywood. (If you know Hollywood at all, you just rolled your eyes as you read that. Duh, a lot of Hollywood is parking lot.) The stretches of which I speak surround the Capitol Records building. Imagine turning these 

Parklets Come to Los Angeles

Parklets Come to Los Angeles

Highland Park parklet rendering, courtesy of Office of José Huiza Parklets! What’s a parklet? It’s a mini public park in an urban area.  Essentially, it’s a great idea. Last Friday, the L.A. City Council approved the construction of four parklets in Downtown L.A., El Sereno 

2013 Wishful Predictions

2013 Wishful Predictions

Happy New Year, Everybody! I had a long, and much needed holiday vacation.  A thing about me: when I go on vacation, I really go on vacation.  I disconnect completely and cease all productivity.  Hence, the long delay in my posting here. But I’m back! 

The Exercise of Meandering

The Exercise of Meandering

I wrote about walking recently, and it’s been on my mind a lot. On my mind, because it isn’t in my life as much as is necessary to not think about it. Some years ago, I would alter my after-work journey home with the errands