Los Angeles

[JRM]

Re: Los Angeles

>JRM -- that was written from experience. Not downwtown LA, but Pasadena -
>Colorado Boulevard. Fortunately, I only got a bunch of verbal slack from people
>on the busses (had blue/gold on, to support my team in the 1994 World Cup).
>That was not an over-reaction, just an over-done statement.

I'm sure that was an exception rather than the rule. You probably felt the ire of some fellow soccer fans. I can guarantee that blue and gold aren't gang colors.

Besides, Pasadena is about the furthest you can get from "rough" (assuming you stay south of the 210, which Colorado Blvd is).

[gh]

Re: Los Angeles

How can you tell a NorCal from a SoCal? The SoCals put "the" in front of freeway names. Where JMR wrote "south of the 210" a Norcal would have said "south of 210"

Those east of the Sierra Madre may feel free to gag at this point.

[Oldtimer]

Re: Los Angeles

>Watch out for the colors you wear on the busses... you wear red on some lines,
>and that may be the end of the line for you; blue on others, and that:s the
>color may turn once you exit the bus. No wallet or jewelry on public
>transportation, and make sure you don:t keep your money in your shoes...
>someone may get both (your shoes, and your money).

Epelle, are you nuts or just paranoid?

[marknhj]

Re: Los Angeles

LA does get a bad rap in this department, the violence is largely centered in areas tourists are unlikely to visit. However, there is a reason why many young coloured men wear large white t-shirts.

[EPelle]

Re: Los Angeles

OT -- not nuts ... one bad experience out of several trips... does skew the average some... on a whole, I overstated the security issues. Worse can happen in rural towns.

[marknhj]

Re: Los Angeles

Just remembered that despite what I posted earlier my ex-wife did get carjacked in the mid-80's in a nice area on Main Street in Santa Monica. Guy pulled a gun on her as she was getting into the car. Told her to get in with him but she legged it. Made an instant decision that she'd prefer to be shot in the back rather than raped then killed.

[bad hammy]

Re: Los Angeles

> LA does get a bad rap in this department, the violence is largely centered in areas tourists are unlikely to visit.

USC and the Coliseum are in an area that most tourists will not feel comfortable walking around the surrounding neighborhoods.

[ltricard]

Re: Los Angeles

well...a real trackie would head to the aafla...(amateur athletic foundation of la)

[marknhj]

Re: Los Angeles

USC and the Coliseum are in an area
>that most tourists will not feel comfortable walking around the surrounding
>neighborhoods.

>>>

It's pretty safe around the Coleseum during the day. When I was at Mt Sac the guy next to me called USC, "University of South Central"! The LA council, in their infinite wisdom, just renamed South Central LA to South LA, as South Central has such a bad reputation. That should stop the gang violence.

[EPelle]

Re: Los Angeles

I:d have to differ with Pasadena being the furthest from "rough"... Washington and Fair Oaks is not a great neighborhood to take a stroll -- any time - day or night. ... likened to walking down East 14th Street in Oakland, or taking the 72M.

[mike renfro]

Re: Los Angeles

This is your editor speaking: nouns have gender; people have
>sex.

Some people do, some don't :-)!!

Actually, markhj pointed out some of the cultural ascpects and was pretty much right on. The Getty has tremendous views, neat architecture and a very good permanent collection. And the price is right. I don't know if you still need reservations to use the parking garage (the newness has probably worn off), but city buses go there. When we went, about 4 years ago, we parked the car and took the bus. The Simon museum (Pasadena) gives really good bang for the buck (really cheap, not free, but cheap). The two van Goughs sp are worth the price of admission. La Brea is at the end of museum row (Wilshire, I think). The LA County Museum has very good permant collections, and usually has some kind of "special" going on. We used to be members, but after our daughter moved to Atlanta, we just don't get down there as much, so dropped. There is a very good Italian restaurant, Campinelle sp, just to the east of LACM, on Brea.

Oh, another area, the civic center (don't know if it is called that, but city hall is there) has some musical cultural attractions. The new LA Symphony hall is a pretty spectacular piece of architecture, and the acoustics are great, from what I have read. For less strenuous fare, the Dorthy Chandler Pavillian is nearby.

I would 2nd the use of a rental car. The only bus I have taken, was a straight shot, Westwood to the Getty, and that worked well, but LA is soooo spread out, that a car is really necessary. Parking is not usually a problem.

[mike renfro]

Re: Los Angeles

>How can you tell a NorCal from a SoCal? The SoCals put "the" in front of
>freeway names. Where JMR wrote "south of the 210" a Norcal would have said
>"south of 210"

This is true. Mary has been out of LA for over 30 years, and still does it. The 280, gag.

My theory is that the LA freeways were originally named, not numbered. The Hollywood freeway seems reasonable. When numbers came in, the article remained.

Slowcoach, La Brea tar pits is redundant, La Brea will suffice.

[JRM]

Re: Los Angeles

>I:d have to differ with Pasadena being the furthest from "rough"...
>Washington and Fair Oaks is not a great neighborhood to take a stroll -- any
>time - day or night. ...

Washington and Fair Oaks is north of the 210. I believe I said something about that in my post.

And I run and drive through that area all the time. Yes, it's rough, but I've never been harrassed or felt threatened.

[JRM]

Re: Los Angeles

>USC and the Coliseum are in an area
>that most tourists will not feel
>comfortable walking around the surrounding
>neighborhoods.

My wife and I worked at USC for a number of years in the mid/late 90s. Yes, the surrounding area is bad, but not nearly the crime-ridden haven it was in the 70s and 80s. This can actually be attributed to shifting demographics. By and large, the area surrounding campus is mostly families now. Didn't used to be the case.

South of USC, though, things get worse.

[JRM]

Re: Los Angeles

>My theory is that the LA freeways
>were originally named, not numbered. The Hollywood freeway seems reasonable.
>When numbers came in, the article remained.

The freeways were "named", but have always had Caltrans route designations (although they have shifted throughout the years). For example, the Pasadena Freeway (originally the Arroyo Parkway) used to be state route (SR)-11. It shifted to 110 in the 70s sometime. The 134 used to be SR-8, I believe (but could be wrong). Of course, route 66 paralleled what are now the 110 and 210 as well.

The names seem to have been adopted to designate origins or destinations. In fact, the 110 is the Pasadena Fwy until you reach downtown LA, at which point it becomes the Harbor Fway (and also switches from a SR to an Interstate).

Even the Hollywood Fwy isn't just one route: it's the 101 until it reaches the 134, at which point it becomes the 170 (going north). The 101 heads due west and becomes the Ventura Fwy.

When I first moved here, I also noticed that freeway direction signs were listed by destination. That is, unless you're familiar with LA geography, you have no idea which way "I-210 San Bernadino" or "I-210 San Fernando" is (East and West, btw).

If anyone is interested, here's a site with old maps:

http://members.cox.net/mkpl2/hist/hist.html

and more general info about California highways:

http://www.cahighways.org/

I also have an LA Thomas Bros Guide (local city atlas) from 1971 which shows where all the planned freeways would be -- some of which were built, some which were not (luckily, because one would literally go right through my house).