(Credit: Azizi Murray)
1. Kind of like driving, except you can connect your iPod directly into your ears.
2. One of the finest means of uncovering L.A.’s lesser-known urban pockets.
Local Positioning
Walking guides for the city's most interesting enclaves
February 13, 20081. Kind of like driving, except you can connect your iPod directly into your ears.
2. One of the finest means of uncovering L.A.’s lesser-known urban pockets.
Local Positioning: Playa Del Rey
If ever there was a post-industrial Southern California beach town paradise, Playa del Rey is it. Jumbo jets roar over the tiny neighborhood pinched between LAX and Dockweller Beach, where mysterious crumbling structures jut dramatically into the surf. Hardly fit for a king, but beach bums and city folk alike can traverse its streets, getting royally drunk at venues within staggering distance of one another.
Local Positioning: Mission West District
Sitting under a canopy of trees at a South Pasadena coffee shop, time slows down. Artist folk ramble, bike riders pass, old-timers mosey, and mid-afternoon strollers say hello while walking their dogs-and not the kind that fit into a purse. The Mission West District has a small-town, feel-good atmosphere. Parking spaces are as bountiful as wine shops, and lazy lounging is the Sunday standard. You can’t even hear the freeway. The locals want to keep it that way; there are always threats the 710 will one day invade. Set foot in this endangered oasis while you can.
Local Positioning: Palm Springs
The Palm Springs area has long been a haven for retirees eager to escape the crazy kids and their complicated haircuts. But one weekend a year, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival attracts the 18-35 demographic in droves to the sweltering heat. In order to properly take in (and take over) Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley, we’ve compiled a shortlist of places to eat, drink, shop and be merry on your way to or from the fest. Enjoy, and don’t forget your sunblock.
Local Positioning: SunSwAn
Eastsiders: Take a vacation for a day by riding the No. 2 MTA bus to the westernmost end of Sunset Boulevard, then walking Antioch Street to Swarthmore Avenue. Here in the heart of Pacific Palisades, you’ll happily flip-flop around this celebrity-laden beachside town to find flirty boutiques, organic bites and good reads.
Local Positioning: Griffith Park
Imagine hitting the great outdoors in your own backyard. We're talking about Griffith Park—where car horns and technology addiction take a back seat to nature walks, tennis, bike and carousel rides, and fresh-baked vegan pie.
Local Positioning: ThaiMenia
Within stumbling distance of the Red Line’s Hollywood/Western stop, Thai Town and Little Armenia intertwine along Hollywood Boulevard, heading east to Normandie. The resulting cultural amalgam has more to offer than just multi-alphabetic signs, however. If you’re a cross-dressing barfly, a grindcore junkie, a keen antique aficionado or perhaps all three, this half-mile stretch is a welcome respite from the usual Hollywood glitz.
Local Positioning: EaRoCo
The corner of Eagle Rock Blvd. and Colorado Ave. is a hub of quirky delights. You'll find trendy boutiques, vintage stores and dual-purpose shops—art galleries, for example, share spaces with bookstores and hair salons. There's even an original Fosters Freeze down the road for those wanting a taste of childhood, soft-serve style.
Local Positioning: WilBrea
The somewhat chaotic intersection of Wilshire and La Brea doesn’t seem like an obvious place for a stroll. But we burned through 13 songs on our iPod along this stretch—if only because there was so much to explore. You can shop for cute vintage clothes or chic little gifts, grab a meal, or even catch a show up the street at the famous El Rey Theatre. You can also take public transit—there are buses that connect to the Metro stop right on the corner.
Local Positioning: BroFraTa
Couched beneath the Hollywood Hills, this dense block of shops and watering holes is one of our favorite walkable stretches—if just for the relaxed vibe and tight-knit microcosm of folks it attracts. From groggy neighborhood eccentrics to B-list actors looking to keep a low profile, this block may seem at first glance like our very own Pitcairn Island. Parking can be tough, however, and don’t even think about trying your luck at the Mayfair Market: They’ll tow you faster than you can say Upright Citizens Brigade.
Local Positioning: Windward Ave.
Yeah, Venice Beach can be hell ride of a tourist trap. But if you travel far enough south and turn slightly off the boardwalk, there is a trove of (somewhat) hidden treasures for your cash-spending pleasure. On the historic Windward Ave., you can gorge on Chinese food, shop for vintage duds, down a stronger-than-heck margarita and get that dragon tattoo you’ve always wanted, all in a one-block radius. And you can thank us later.
Local Positioning: Atwater Village
Just across the Glendale Boulevard bridge, what could pass as a fleet of same-ish buildings when you’re driving is actually, when viewed afoot, a bounty of shops, restaurants and low-key locales. Maybe not as aesthetically pleasing as richie cousin Silverlake, there’s still lots to unearth if you let your feet do the walkin’. Try parking on a side street like Madera or Larga.
Local Positioning: SoWood
Just a beer bong away from UCLA, Westwood Boulevard just south of Wilshire (aka SoWood) offers more than Persian rugs and day spas -- but there are a lot of those too. It’s an international stretch dotted with cafes, coffee shops, and markets serving fresh produce and Middle Eastern sweets. Add renovated storefronts and New Age fitness studios, and it’s a walkable destination to get lost for a while.
Local Positioning: HelMel
HelMel—named after the intersection of Heliotrope and Melrose—is tucked away under that huge green net behind Los Angeles City College. The area is less a neighborhood than it is two corners featuring a diverse cluster of businesses catering to an even more diverse clientele. We don’t know why this veggie-friendly, bicycle-loving and art-supporting zone took root on this random block off Vermont Ave., but the result is a walkable destination we love.
