Nobody Walks in L.A.

November 22, 2014
Destination: Great Los Angeles Walk 2014

Cost: $9.49

I toyed with joining the Great Los Angeles Walk last year when I was visiting for the weekend – but wimped out, even though the jaunt down Sunset Blvd. sounded like fun. This year, there was no excuse not to participate – since the departure point was about a mile from my new residence in the West Valley.

This annual event started nine years ago, when local journalist, Michael Schneider, marked his tenth anniversary in the City of Angels by coordinating a community walk along Wilshire Boulevard – from downtown to the sea. The goal was to get folks out cars, explore the city on foot and to build community along the way. Each ensuing year, on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, Michael gathers a throng of walkers to tackle a new thoroughfare.

This year’s event featured Ventura Blvd. and began at Warner Center Park – where the crowd was greeted with handouts of the route’s highlights, a Nudie Mobile was on display, and representatives from two Valley history museums presented some pre-stroll background. We were told this was a non-sanctioned, informal event – and if anything happens “you’re on your own.” At 9:00 a.m., after a group photo, we set off toward Ventura and settled into an easy stride on the shady south side of the street.

What a trip to walk past all the landmarks of my Valley Girl past – places where I worked, danced, ate, went on dates. So many places have gone – to be replaced by new businesses: some thriving, some struggling. It was fun to chat with the other amblers, who came from all over the city. When you’re sharing a journey, it’s easy to strike up a conversation with a stranger.

Due to time (and energy) constraints, I knew I wouldn’t complete the seventeen mile route to the Metro station in North Hollywood, but I was surprised at how fast the miles flew by. I peeled off at mile seven, to explore Los Encinos State Historic Park for the first time. Drinking in the warm sunshine of a perfect fall afternoon in the small citrus grove, I explored the adobe buildings, observed a variety of ducks near the fountains in the spring fed pond and rested my legs.

    

With a staggering appetite, I moseyed back to The Stand where I wolfed down an exceptional Chicago dog, small kale slaw and soda for under $8. Satisfied with my trek, I hopped on the Metro 150 bus to return to the starting point – determined to tackle the next stretch from Balboa Blvd to Laurel Canyon on another pleasant Valley day.

Turkish Troubles

November 10, 2014

Destination: AFI Fest, Hollywood

Cost: $4.50 plus gas

Another week, another film festival. This time it’s the AFI Fest – Los Angeles’ longest running filmfest, originally started as Filmex in 1971. The LA Times (one of the event’s sponsors) published a promotional insert/schedule in last week’s newspaper, and I quickly noticed that tickets for many of the films were free.

Say no more. I jumped online and procured a seat for an upcoming screening of The Blue Wave at the TCM Chinese Theatres. The subject matter was appealing – a tale of four teen girls in a mid-sized town in Turkey, going through the same sorts of growing-up problems that we all face. I hoped the 1:15 p.m. screening time meant I’d avoid traffic.

I arrived early, hoping to find a place in Hollywood to park for free. After scouring the residential streets below Runyon Canyon, I found that Hollywood Boulevard west of La Brea has unmetered parking from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Score! The film should be done by 3:15 p.m. and it was only a ten-minute walk to the theater.

Once in the Cineplex, I was surrounded by typical SoCal scenesters – including students, a few retirees and a Stewart Copeland lookalike. The film’s two female directors, Zeynep Dadak and Merve Kayan, welcomed us warmly and then the lights went down. The next two hours were spent following the life of Deniz in the small city of Balikesir. One of the best things about foreign films is that you can experience new places without the cost of airfare. 

The Blue Wave, explored the universality of teenage conundrums – planning for an unknown future, lusting after guys, making bad choices and worrying about the consequences. I enjoyed the film’s focus on the importance of music in teen lives – there were scenes with the girls dancing, sharing music on laptops with friends, practicing for a talent show and singing in the car. During the Q and A after the film, the directors explained that the soundtrack consisted of Turkish hits from the nineties, as well as new tunes penned for the film by kim ki o. The directors have previously filmed music videos, and this perspective is apparent in their first feature.

Back out among the tourists on Hollywood Boulevard, I made a quick walk four blocks east to Skooby’s Hot Dogs near the corner of Cherokee, across from Musso and Franks Grill. I ordered a garlic dog with sauerkraut and spicy mustard for $4.50, which was surprisingly delicious. I walked and ate my way back to the car, arriving just in time at 3:57 p.m. Who says you need to spend a lot of money to have a great afternoon in Hollywood?

Dia de los Muertos

November 2, 2014

Destination: Olvera Street

Cost: $6.25 plus gas

And so begins the march of the holidays. Now that Halloween is behind us, Thanksgiving will be here in about ten minutes and Christmas in about twenty.

I spent All Hallow’s Eve at the home of friends, greeting costumed kids in a popular West Hills neighborhood and chastising them if they didn’t follow proper protocol. York patties were only handed out after a “trick or treat” request. If a costume was unidentifiable, I grilled the youngsters about their identity. If they came “as themselves,” I suggested they try harder next year. Halloween is not a holiday that celebrates being nice – it’s about witches, right? Someone on facebook suggested a “Frozen” drinking game – in which you take a swig for every Elsa that shows up at the front door. Thank goodness we opted out – I would have been a blithering idiot by 6:15.

On Saturday, I ventured to Olvera Street for Dia de los Muertos. I found free parking on a hill above Chinatown (College Street) and discovered the Main Gateway and New Plaza for the first time. It was fun strolling past small shops along Broadway packed with lucky bamboo, Asian produce and cheap tourist trinkets on my way to the Los Angeles Plaza Historic District. I approached the main plaza by cutting through the courtyard at La Placita church – which was founded exactly 200 years ago.

Not surprisingly, there were throngs of visitors at El Pueblo that day. Aztec dancers were performing just as I arrived, exhibiting great energy as they jumped with ankle rattles to the beat of two drummers. There were also traditional shrines to the departed and a weirdly out of place skateboard demo. Cutting through the narrow merchant-lined alley to Cielito Lindo was an exercise in patience, and it took about a half hour of waiting in line to secure the prize – 3 taquitos with beans for $6.25. Worth the wait, and this allowed ample time to admire the creative skeleton facepaint sported by many festival-goers.

Back at the main plaza, a Peruvian-styled flutist played the Paul Simon song “El Condor Pasa (If I Could)” while homeless men slept in the sunshine on the inset brick benches lining the square. I strolled back to the historic Brunswig building, vowing to visit La Plaza de Cultura y Artes next time. After hiking back uphill to my car, I followed the scenic route through Chavez Ravine and Elysian Park to return to the freeway. It’s always best to celebrate the dead by spending an energetic day among crowds of the living.