Sunday, February 6, 2011
LA
I love Thanksgiving turkey ... it's the only time in Los Angeles that you see natural breasts. (Arnold Schwarzenegger)
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
South Bay
Things I will remember the area for:
Multitasking keep fit - dog-walking/pram-pushing + jogging/cycling/skateboarding + mobile phone conversations. From 5am till after dark.
Annoyingly-fit volleyball players on the beach
Surfers wearing wetsuits because the Pacific is so cold - not like the movies.
Skateboards as a normal and recognised form of transport, whether the rider is carrying a surfboard or a briefcase.
Hugely expensive beachfront houses - where does the money come from if everyone's on the beach or keeping fit all day? !
Lots of shops selling hippy sh*t - how do they stay open? They can't be making money!
Stunning sunsets.
Hermosa Beach is the most laid-back and friendly area. People seem genuinely pleasant, considerate and kind to one another - without being patronising or trite - and seem to care about the environment (other than the big cars of course). It also feels very safe - there are a few wandering crazies talking to the unseen, but they seem harmless and uninterested in passers-by. Redondo Beach is less pretty and more touristy - shops and restaurants on the pier and is more boatyard and sea wall than beach. Manhatten Beach has nothing other than the pier - most of its life is 'downtown', well away from the beach. If you walk or cycle there, be prepared for a long trek involving steep hills and busy main roads to find shops, bars etc. You might prefer to just turn round and head back to Hermosa which has its main life within 5 minutes of the beach.
You are stranded here if without a car or a fat wallet for big cab fares - 100 bucks round-trip to the city. Long-winded to get a bus - fastest would be a cab (45 bucks round-trip) to LAX to pick up the main network. Or there is a bus to Long Beach from Manhatten or Redondo. Either way, expect it to take a couple of hours to get anywhere by bus. Best bet is car-hire but parking and traffic are painful.
The Strand is a great walk/cycle path running 26 miles along this coastline, all flat. To explore the towns behind it, be prepared for steep hills.
Multitasking keep fit - dog-walking/pram-pushing + jogging/cycling/skateboarding + mobile phone conversations. From 5am till after dark.
Annoyingly-fit volleyball players on the beach
Surfers wearing wetsuits because the Pacific is so cold - not like the movies.
Skateboards as a normal and recognised form of transport, whether the rider is carrying a surfboard or a briefcase.
Hugely expensive beachfront houses - where does the money come from if everyone's on the beach or keeping fit all day? !
Lots of shops selling hippy sh*t - how do they stay open? They can't be making money!
Stunning sunsets.
Hermosa Beach is the most laid-back and friendly area. People seem genuinely pleasant, considerate and kind to one another - without being patronising or trite - and seem to care about the environment (other than the big cars of course). It also feels very safe - there are a few wandering crazies talking to the unseen, but they seem harmless and uninterested in passers-by. Redondo Beach is less pretty and more touristy - shops and restaurants on the pier and is more boatyard and sea wall than beach. Manhatten Beach has nothing other than the pier - most of its life is 'downtown', well away from the beach. If you walk or cycle there, be prepared for a long trek involving steep hills and busy main roads to find shops, bars etc. You might prefer to just turn round and head back to Hermosa which has its main life within 5 minutes of the beach.
You are stranded here if without a car or a fat wallet for big cab fares - 100 bucks round-trip to the city. Long-winded to get a bus - fastest would be a cab (45 bucks round-trip) to LAX to pick up the main network. Or there is a bus to Long Beach from Manhatten or Redondo. Either way, expect it to take a couple of hours to get anywhere by bus. Best bet is car-hire but parking and traffic are painful.
The Strand is a great walk/cycle path running 26 miles along this coastline, all flat. To explore the towns behind it, be prepared for steep hills.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)