I have lived, worked, and traveled in Africa for the past 15 years. Currently, I am stationed in Ka...
I have lived, worked, and traveled in Africa for the past 15 years. Currently, I am stationed in Kampala, Uganda. I work as a regional executive for an NGO.
Let me state it right off at the start: I love Los Angeles. It is a great city to visit or to live in … IF you know how to get around, and how to put up with the eccentricities of the place.
Getting Around L.A.
Originally, Los Angeles was a much smaller city. Long Beach, Santa Monica, Hollywood, Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, Santa Fe Springs….those were all separate towns a long way from L.A. You reached those towns by riding the old red trolley cars. Sometime in the late 1940's the urban planners who are responsible for this awful sprawling mess made a conscious decision: Los Angeles would be a megalopolis connected by a system of freeways…people living in the megalopolis would, of course, be wealthy and every person would own a car. So, during much of the 1950's the streetcar lines were ripped up and freeways laid down. All those small, independent, villages and towns became virtual vassals of Los Angeles. The towns and cities grew together until now, the entire Los Angeles basin is one huge sprawling city made up of smaller communities with interesting names like: Artesia … Bellflower….and, my favorite: Azusa.
Visitors
depending on public transportation to get around in L.A. are in for a difficult time. The city is simply TOO BIG, and the bus and rail system too inadequate to be of much use. You'll need to rent a car. Most of the car rental agencies will avail you a map of the freeway system and some minimal directions for finding the nearest on-ramp. After that you are largely on your own. Take some time to familiarize yourself with the freeway system map. True Angelinos NEVER take surface streets anywhere, and most driving instructions will sound like some kind of weird numeric code like: "Take the 405 to the 105 to the 605 stay in the right lane and take the first exit to the 5". Another skill you will want to perfect is listening to the traffic reports on the radio. Find a good news/talk radio station and keep listening for reports on the traffic conditions ahead.
If you want to stay near the heart of the city and close to "action" … try finding a place to stay at Echo Park. It is just off the 101 freeway (the famous Hollywood Freeway) and very close to Dodger Stadium, Olivera Street, China Town, the classic AMTRAK Union Depot, Hollywood, and down town L.A. Not that there is much in downtown L.A. that would be worth seeing. One of the side effects of being a megalopolis is that the "downtown" died years ago and became the exclusive turf of winos, druggies, and cheap stores. You'll recognize Echo Park Lake immediately because it has appeared as the backdrop in so many movies.
When we visit L.A. there are some "standard" places we almost always hit:
Universal City Walk (101 freeway NORTH from central L.A.) is nice place for dinner and a movie. I have avoided the theme park for years…but, the City Walk is free to enter and has some interesting shops and entertainment.
Ruby's Diner (on the pier at Seal Beach). I remember this place from my youth and it is pretty much the same. Hamburgers here are great…and, the milkshakes are wonderful. Park at the beach parking lot and walk down the pier to get to Ruby's.
The Fish Market at Ports of Call in San Pedro is interesting. You can purchase a nice piece of fish in the market and have it fried or grilled to order with accompaniments very inexpensively. Dinning is outside overlooking the L.A. Harbor. Eating in a fish market can be an olfactory challenge…if you get my drift.
The Santa Monica pier is a great visual experience. Just watching the people who crowd this place is an experience. Food vendors are everywhere, and the food is cheap…even if most of it isn't worth eating.
Olivera Street: The original "main street" of L.A. Of course L.A. was originally a part of Mexico, so Olivera Street is a monument to that heritage. There are lots of small shops selling tourist stuff…and, the shopkeepers will bargain on the prices. Mexican food is served to the mellow sounds of some great mariachi music. But, for the best Mexican food drive back up Sunset Blvd about 2 miles to the Echo Park area and eat at Barrigans on Sunset Blvd near Park Street. (They have parking on Sunset Blvd. across the street from the restaurant.)
Of course for Mrs. Grape_nehi no visit to L.A. is complete without a stop at In and Out Burger. This chain of burger stands has been around since the 1950's and they still cook everything from fresh. For a treat-if you like grilled oinions-order your burger "animal style". And, don't get confused-as I did once-and order it "doggie style".
When the Dodgers are playing at Dodger Stadium I never miss a visit. Mrs. grape_nehi is a huge baseball fan so I try to arrange at least one night game visit. The high point of the evening for me is eating the Dodger Dogs. Parking and traffic--before and after a game--is an experience to remember as well.
Places Visitors Should Avoid:
Anywhere south of the LAX airport on either side of the 110 (Harbor Freeway) should be avoided like the plague. This area is know as "South Central L.A." and is a huge blighted area that was created by "white flight" in the 1950's when the freeways were being built. (The problem with taking the "green line" into the AMTRAK Union Depot is that you have to make a transfer to the "red line" at a platform smack dab in the middle of this area. VERY interesting transfer point after dark!)
The area immediately East of downtown L.A. on either the 5 or the 10 freeways is known as "East L.A." and is another street gang controlled area. If you are a visitor stay out unless you want more "action" than you are prepared to handle.
Century City: This is a very exclusive huge shopping area that grew up on the site of what was the 20th Century Fox back lots. I avoid this area like the plague...unless I first divest the Mrs. of all the credit cards. (In the 1950's my Dad had a barber shop across the street from 20th Century Fox studios on Santa Monica Blvd. The building is still there...but, everything in the neighborhood has changed).
Bottom Line:
L.A. can take a lifetime to discover properly. And, if you happen to take the wrong exit off the freeway in South Central L.A. that lifetime can flash by rather suddenly. I love the city. I love to visit the city. I wouldn't live in L.A. for all the tea in China.
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A brilliant review, i am going sky diving in California for the first couple of weeks of May and we get a couple of days to ourself. By reading your review i now know im defnately not going to be bored on those few days.
silverstreak 02.11.2005 07:41
This sounds such a wonderfully vibrant city, I'd love to go there one day.
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Advantages: movie history, one of the best cities in the world, great beaches, Disadvantages: so spread out - you NEED a car, smog at some times of the year
flashpointz 08.03.2001 (16.11.2001)
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Review of Los Angeles (California)
Advantages: movie history, one of the best cities in the world, great beaches, Disadvantages: so spread out - you NEED a car, smog at some times of the year
flashpointz 08.03.2001 (16.11.2001)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Los Angeles (California)
Oct 27th, 2005
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