The Great Los Angeles Walk Happens Tomorrow!

The Great Los Angeles Walk 2008 takes place tomorrow morning at 9 a.m.! For those of you walking, a reminder: You that you should make sure you have a transportation plan in place, so you’re not stranded after walking all day!

I’ve heard from several of you, and it seems like a consensus is brewing that the best option for those of you without anyone picking you up is to PARK IN THE MORNING in Santa Monica, and take the bus all the way to Union Station BEFORE the walk. (That way, your car is waiting for you when it’s all done.)

Veteran walker Joni was the first to give this tip:

For those choosing to leave their cars at the end of the walk route (or for those who live in Santa Monica like I do), the Big Blue Bus #10 is a freeway flyer that goes from Santa Monica and 4th (near the Britannia Pub, our after party location) to Downtown’s Union Station.

It runs less often than the 704, but it gets there much faster:

http://bigbluebus.com/busroutes/schedule.asp?bus_route=10&dayofweek=saturday.

The 7:17 am bus arrives at 8 am, 7:47 am at 8:30 am, and 8:17 am at 9:03 am; one-way fare is $1.75. (I would strongly suggest taking that 7:17 am bus so you’re not late… if you arrive early, you can always have breakfast while waiting for the walk to begin.)

The #10 makes a number of stops along Santa Monica Blvd before it hops on the freeway at bundy, so you don’t have to drive all the way to the Promenade to catch it (and you can always catch the big blue #1 to get back to where you left your car from the after-walk party).

GOOD ADVICE, JONI! Thanks.

For those of you who nonetheless decide to park at Union Station, that Big Blue Bus #10 heads back to Union Station from 4th & Santa Monica at 5:44 pm, 6:15 pm, and 7:16 pm (the last trip of the evening), each scheduled to take about 55 minutes.

ESCAPE ROUTE: Along the route, if you’re exhausted and want to take the bus either to Santa Monica or Union Station, you’ve got a couple of bus or rail options (thanks to David for this info):

<a href="http://www.metro.net/riding_metro/bus_overview/images/704.pdf
” target=”_blank”>http://www.metro.net/riding_metro/bus_overview/images/704.pdf
The 704 Metro Rapid line runs eastbound from 2nd & SM Blvd in Santa Monica to Union Station but last Saturday bus leaves at 7:01pm and takes 80 minutes.

http://www.metro.net/riding_metro/bus_overview/images/004.pdf
The #4 regular line runs eastbound every 15-20 minutes from 2nd & SM Blvd in Santa Monica to Metro Rail stations at Vermont and Civic Center downtown. The Red Line subway terminates at Union Station.

I’ll be updating mile by mile, as well as when we stop and start, take breaks, etc. at www.twitter.com/greatlawalk.

Here are a few more people who plan to Twitter:

twitter.com/justin_canada
twitter.com/meekorouse
twitter.com/la_oc_foodie
twitter.com/maxually
twitter.com/drtiki
twitter.com/neverlost
twitter.com/anotorias
twitter.com/nay63
twitter.com/melanieo
twitter.com/zentertainment
twitter.com/jc_losangeles
twitter.com/Carolineoncrack
twitter.com/wildbell

If you plan to, let me know, so I can compile a master list.

Meanwhile, we’ll see you on Saturday! The crowd will be gathering in the courtyard outside (on the right of the main hall, if you’re facing the entrance) of Union Station. We’ll then head through Olvera Street and make our way to Cesar Chavez… and we’re off!

Six Years Ago Today…

Yep, it’s been six years… and they’ve been awesome ones. (Below, where we made it all official — Union Station, Oct. 26, 2002.)

THE GREAT LOS ANGELES WALK: Hike Santa Monica Blvd. With Us on Nov. 22

It’s official: For our third annual Great Los Angeles Walk, we’ll be pounding the pavement from Union Station to the ocean.

All told, that’s 18.3 miles — including portions of Cesar Chavez and Sunset, before marching down Santa Monica Blvd. in its entirety.

This year’s Great Los Angeles Walk takes place on Saturday, Nov. 22 — we’ll meet at Union Station and leave at 9 a.m. sharp. We’ll spend the day walking, before celebrating over food and drink in Santa Monica. (Details for the after party still to come.)

In 2006, we walked the length of Wilshire Boulevard. Last year, we walked — and ate — our way through Pico Boulevard.

This time out, we’re sticking with our downtown-to-the-ocean theme (that ocean breeze helps pick us up in the afternoon as we inch closer to the water), and sticking with the Saturday before Thanksgiving (there’s something about walking this much a few days before stuffing your face that makes you feel better about that Thanksgiving gluttony).

This time out, Sunset and Santa Monica promise plenty of interesting sights — and we’ll even hop off the path once or twice to check out sights like the Angelino Heights Victorians.

Santa Monica Blvd. also cuts through four cities — L.A., West Hollywood, Beverly Hills (then L.A. again) and Santa Monica.

Above, in a pic from Will Campbell, Great Los Angeles Walkers kick things off at the start of the 2007 walk.

Wanna take part? Simply email us at franklin_avenue@yahoo.com. Leave us your name and email address… and we’ll keep you informed of details.

Meanwhile, we’ve already got several different Great Los Angeles Walk 2008 shirts ready for purchase via Cafe Press. (We don’t make a dime on these, we only uploaded the image just in case you wanna show off your feat.) Check out our Franklin Avenue shop here. You’ve got a week or so to order if you want to wear the shirt to the walk.

Rendezvous at Union Station

It all started with a plain, Manila envelope, complete with old-fashioned, typewritten label. “What is this?” Maria asked, a tad concerned.

Inside, a letter from “Deputy Chief of Police W.H. Parker,” dated June 1, 1949 and on City of Los Angeles stationery (Fletcher Bowron, mayor. Phone number MIchigan 5211.), suggested that we help apprehend a criminal at Union Station. An enclosed invitation from Southern Pacific Lines also invited us to the inauguration of their newest Pullman Club-Lounge car, the Overland Trail.

A third piece of information detailed the State Prison of Southern Michigan escapee: A Detroit farm laborer who looked suspiciously like historic preservationist — and Los Angeles magazine associate editor — Chris Nichols.

Of course, Chris emailed us a few days ago to get our address, so it didn’t actually take us long to figure it out. But nonetheless, with an invite this cool and this elaborate, it called for a baby sitter. We were heading to Union Station — yep, the scene of our wedding more than five years ago — to help celebrate Chris’ birthday.

We actually didn’t finally commit to doing so until the day of the party. (Getting a sitter is such an ordeal, we hemmed and hawed until finally deciding we should.) As a result, we didn’t have any time to find actual 1940s style wear, as the invite subtly suggested. I wound up wearing a suit, and Maria a nice dress, and I think we did OK.

Whatta well thought-out party. We parked at the MTA tower and walked behind Union Station and up a ramp, past the Mosaic apartments and the old Post Office building to find several old, lovingly restored Pullman cars. Turns out there are several private railcars parked near Union Station and available to be rented for events, including the Overland Trail.

Classic cars greeted us, and we were soon walking between parked Pullman train cars, and eventually found ourselves in line for…

… Philippe’s dip sandwiches. Damn, I told you Chris thought of everything. As you may have read, I’ve been jonesing for a Philippe’s lately — so how perfect was this?

The Overland Trail was crowded with folk, mostly in the proper 1940s wear. Someone chastised me for using a digital camera — not quite in the spirit of the era. But I saw plenty of people taking cell cam shots, so I was pretty discreet in comparison.

Highlights on the Overland included an actual barber cutting hair in the train’s mini barber shop. Gotta wonder how many bloody nicks and scratches resulted from actual on-board train haircuts through the years.

Meanwhile, the other rental train car, the Tioga Pass, was once a sleeper car. Among the highlights:

Bunk beds! and

Shower!

Thanks to Chris for the invite. We had an awesome time, and even ran into a few familiar faces, including Eating L.A.’s (and oh yeah, Variety’s) Pat Saperstein.

Maria’s Thursday Three

Shell, Glendale, 1927. Photograph by Edward Weston. (From huntington.org.)

1. Must See: A tribute to the work of world-renowned photographer Edward Weston at the Glendale Central Library next Thursday, September 27, at 7 pm. There will be a film about Weston’s life and work and this event, sponsored by the Glendale Historical Society and the Friends of the Glendale Public Library, is free. The Glendale connection? Weston opened his first photography studio on Brand Boulevard in 1911.

2. The Hollywood Bowl, still a really good thing to do in Los Angeles. You don’t even need to get the pricier box seats, it’s pretty fun in the nosebleed section. Bring a great picnic, some wine and don’t forget dessert. With the stars above and the performance below, I still marvel at the experience everytime I’m there. Too bad Mike is hatin’ on Rufus.

3. We recently tried the Flyaway Bus from Union Station to LAX and the ride went pretty smooth as a good alternative way to get to the airport. Just don’t stand in the wrong area at LAX when you’re trying to catch it back to Union Station ’cause you’ll be very sad when it ignores you… waiting there for a half-hour… with your bags… and a toddler who was a good sport about it. So sad. Also, please note that the buses are located at the very back of Union Station so have your friend or the taxi drop you off there instead of you having to lug everything back there.

Maria’s Thursday Three

Shell, Glendale, 1927. Photograph by Edward Weston. (From huntington.org.)

1. Must See: A tribute to the work of world-renowned photographer Edward Weston at the Glendale Central Library next Thursday, September 27, at 7 pm. There will be a film about Weston’s life and work and this event, sponsored by the Glendale Historical Society and the Friends of the Glendale Public Library, is free. The Glendale connection? Weston opened his first photography studio on Brand Boulevard in 1911.

2. The Hollywood Bowl, still a really good thing to do in Los Angeles. You don’t even need to get the pricier box seats, it’s pretty fun in the nosebleed section. Bring a great picnic, some wine and don’t forget dessert. With the stars above and the performance below, I still marvel at the experience everytime I’m there. Too bad Mike is hatin’ on Rufus.

3. We recently tried the Flyaway Bus from Union Station to LAX and the ride went pretty smooth as a good alternative way to get to the airport. Just don’t stand in the wrong area at LAX when you’re trying to catch it back to Union Station ’cause you’ll be very sad when it ignores you… waiting there for a half-hour… with your bags… and a toddler who was a good sport about it. So sad. Also, please note that the buses are located at the very back of Union Station so have your friend or the taxi drop you off there instead of you having to lug everything back there.

A Day on the Gold Line, From South Pasadena to Union Station

Some weekends, you just want to break the rut. Even if that means simply choosing another Target (“Hmm, we hit the Empire Center Target last week, so let’s drive over to the Pasadena one!”)

But lately, Maria and I have been trying to mix things up even more — while at the same time making sure Evan is properly entertained.

Enter the Gold Line. After a morning at our usual weekend haunt, the kid-friendly Swork coffeehouse in Eagle Rock, we drove on to the Mission St. collection of stores in South Pasadena. As Evan fell asleep in the stroller, Maria and I checked out a few of the shops — including a collectibles shop that specialized in old magazines, trinkets and books (I bought a 1981 3rd grade history textbook on Los Angeles — including some cool shots of the Civic Center circa 1940s — for $1!).

Then, after we exhausted the Mission St. stores, we parked the car for good (free 3-hour parking) and jumped on the Gold Line, headed toward Union Station. At just $1.25, the Gold Line was worth its weight in… er, gold. Evan loved riding the choo-choo (he hasn’t yet learned the term “light rail rapid transit”) and smiled from ear to ear for the entire journey. (Yes, this is the effect Thomas the Tank Engine is having on our nation’s youth.)

We arrived at Union Station, where Evan had no interest in seeing where Mommy and Daddy got married (the old Fred Harvey restaurant). So we crossed to Olvera Street, where the colors, sights and sounds kept Evan enthralled. After waiting for 15 minutes at La Golondrina Cafe for a table, we left (trust me, the food isn’t worth the price there anyway — and the margaritas aren’t cheap. We dodged a bullet) and headed down to La Luz del Dia (West 1 Olvera).

Above, both Maria and I ordered the #6 platter — coincidentally, a favorite of Charles Phoenix’s. (A few months ago, on another adventurous Saturday, we hit downtown’s Clifton’s Cafeteria — another kitschy favorite of pop culture enthusiast Phoenix.)

La Luz del Dia offers some of the more authentic food on Olvera Street, which admittedly is a tourist trap. But I’ve always thought that Olvera was at least a tastefully managed tourist trap. And it still boasts a ton of history, including the Avila Adobe — L.A.’s oldest existing structure, and one we finally stepped inside for the first time on Saturday.

But back to La Luz del Dia. Our #6 platter came with carnitas, guacamole and salsa, rice and beans, and two fresh tortillas. ($6.24 — quite a good deal). The real bargain, however, are the tamales. We got Evan a pork tamale for $1 — and were impressed by both the size and by the taste. We also purchased a sweet corn tamale, also for just a $1.

Later, we couldn’t resist stopping by Mr. Churro for a fresh, just deep-fried cinnamon and sugar churro. We also walked around the plaza, where dancers were performing, and stuck our head inside the Pico House.

Eventually it was time to jump back to Union Station and take the Gold Line back to our car. Once back in South Pasadena, we did a bit more exploring (above, a statue at the Mission St. stop dwarfs everyone — especially Evan). We checked out South Pasadena’s main library (impressive and beautiful on the outside, but tragically sporting a 1970s-era renovation on the inside).

After that, we made it home (eventually — after passing through Hermon). Evan’s still talking about the train — I’m sure we’ll be taking another Gold Line ride soon.

America’s Favorite Architecture Doesn’t Reside in Los Angeles

Number 75, Union Station (Flickr pic by The Prof.)

In case you missed it last week, the American Institute of Architects released the results of its survey on the top 150 buildings in the United States. The list, timed to the AIA’s 150th anniversary, was narrowed down from online photos and determined by 2,214 people.

The list can be found here. As the Los Angeles Times noted on Sunday, Los Angeles comes up short.

The first L.A. entry doesn’t come in until No. 75: Union Station. (Pasadena’s Gamble House is #66, while Garden Grove’s Crystal Cathedral is No. 65.) That’s behind even the 5th Avenue Apple Store in Manhattan (No. 53).

Other L.A. picks include the Hollywood Bowl (#91), the Getty (#95), Disney Hall (surprisingly, just #99), the Central Library (#120), the Hollyhock House (#131) and the Stahl House (#140).

The Empire State Building is No. 1 overall, followed by the White House.

Like all lists, this one has prompted a spirited debate on the AIA website. Los Angeles shouldn’t feel too snubbed: Several cities, including Detroit, don’t make it on the list at all.

Meanwhile, you can check out pics of AIA’s 150 listees on its Flickr site here.