The Militant's Epic CicLAvia Tour XLV!!!

Interactive map! Click here for larger version.

The third CicLAvia of 2023, and the 45th-ever such open streets event in Los Angeles has gotten quite a bit smaller - on purpose. The first of two CicLAvia-branded "CicLAmini" bite-sized events this year is upon us this Sunday. This time, although we're in Daylight Saving Time, the CicLAmini hours are the same as the Standard Time CicLAvias (9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. as opposed to the 4:00 p.m. end time). And instead of taking the streets on your bike (which is still allowed), the focus on the CicLAmini is to emphasize walkability, as well as smaller human-propelled vehicles (e.g. skateboards, scooters, rollerblades, etc). In the spirit of the event, and because taking a bike to a 1-mile CicLAvia route is kinda overkill, The Militant will be marching all 1.08 miles of Sunday's CicLAmini Watts in his combat boots. He's walked a few CicLAvia routes before, so this won't be new territory.

Speaking of territory. the community of Watts is no stranger to CicLAvias. Having taken part in some five previous events, the most recent of which was just less than 6 months ago, in December 2022. But this time, we venture south of 103rd Street for the first time and are greeted by some brand-spankin' new bicycle infrastructure, which made its debut earlier this year.

Being only a one-mile route, there isn't much to an Epic CicLAvia Guide, is there? Well, acshully...The Militant found nine points of interest on the route! And stay tuned for some bonus sites on his Twitter account.

As usual...see you or not see you on the streets this Sunday!

Oh yeah, if you found this Epic CicLAvia Tour guide useful and visit any of these sites, please add the #EpicCicLAviaTour hashtag to any social media post that includes it. The Militant will be glad to re-tweet/re-whatevertheycallthatonMastadon!

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1. Mudtown Farms
2022
2001 E. 103rd St., Watts

A project of the influential locally-based community nonprofit Watts Labor Community Action Center (you will be hearing their name a lot in this guide...) to create sustainable urban farming to combat food insecurity and provide a closer bonds to nature and associated wellness, this 2.5 acre farm, garden and community center features fruits and vegetables, flower gardens, raised beds, exercise stations and walking paths. WLCAC purchased the land in 2005 and received a $5 million grant from California state Proposition 84 funds to create Mudtown farms, named after the part of Watts where African Americans were segregated in, known for its mud-covered streets. The facility, which broke ground in 2012 and was formally dedicated in 2022, also includes a two-story training center, a greenhouse, orchard and an outdoor classroom. The next phase of Mudtown Farms will feature a cannery, general store and a roadside produce stand.


2. Watts Towers
1921
1727 E. 107th St, Watts

You all know the story by now: Italian immigrant Sabato "Simon" Rodia collects scrap reinforced steel bars (using the adjacent Pacific Electric Santa Ana Line tracks as a fulcrum to bend them) and other found scrap material from rocks to broken glass to bottle caps, and builds 17 structures on his property over a period of 33 years. Then in 1955, he up and left for Northern California and never came back. Now that you know the story, see them up close for yourself. You don't deserve to call yourself an Angeleno if you've never visited the Watts Towers before. Signore Rodia's creation is 102 years old now, and recently fully restored for Angelenos to admire them for generations to come.


3. Pacific Electric Watts Depot
1904
1686 E. 103rd Street, Watts

Adjacent to the Metro A Line's 103rd St/Watts Towers station is a mustard-colored building that was once the Pacific Electric's Watts depot. A popular stop along the old PE Long Beach Line, the building survived not only the PE's abandonment, but was the only wooden structure that was not set on fire during the 1965 Watts Riots. After a renovation project in the 1980s, the Watts Station has functioned since 1989 as a Los Angeles Department of Water and Power customer service center.


4. Children's Institute Watts Campus
2022
10200 S. Success Ave, Watts

This regional early childhood and youth/family resources nonprofit has locations across the greater Los Angeles area. Its 5th and newest campus right here in Watts opened in June 2022 was designed by none other than the Santa Monica-based starchitect Frank Gehry.  

5. Ted Watkins Memorial Park
Dedicated 1995
1335 E. 103rd Street, Watts

Originally built in the 1930s to memorialize Western actor Will Rogers, this 28-acre Los Angeles County park was re-named in 1995 after the late Ted Watkins (1912-1993), a local community activist and the founder of the Watts Labor Community Action Center, which he started in 1965, just months before the Watts Riots. The aftermath of the uprising heightened the purpose of his nonprofit agency, which dealt with social services, community development and empowerment for the Watts area. The park also features a youth baseball field built by the Los Angeles Dodgers, a newly-built community swimming pool and gym with basketball courts.

6. Watts Central Avenue Great Streets Project
2023
Central Avenue between Century Blvd and Imperial Hwy

You may or may not have noticed that one of the "hidden agendas" of CicLAvia is to create or improve bicycle infrastructure on the streets of its routes. The "Heart of L.A." routes during the 2010s birthed the existing DTLA bicycle infrastructure on 7th Street, Spring Street and Broadway. The streets of Watts have hosted five previous CicLAvias and this 1.1-mile LADOT Great Streets project, spearheaded by the Watts Labor Community Action Committee to alleviate the high number of car crashes along the thoroughfare, became the end result. Completed in February 2023, it features protected bicycle lanes along Central Avenue between Century and Imperial Highway. 

7. WLCAC Skate Park
2010
10950 S. Central Ave, Watts

Conceived in 2006 as a project of local nonprofit Watts Labor Community Action Center (which is headquartered on-site in the surrounding 7-acre campus) and skatepark builder Spohn Ranch, this 4,000 square foot skateboarding facility was created to give Watts youth a safe and quality space to ollie. If you brought your board to CicLAmini, you have just the place to channel your inner Tony Hawk.

8. Pacific Electric El Segundo/San Pedro Branch
1911

The railroad track that crosses Central Avenue just south of the southern terminus of the CicLAmini route is the El Segundo/Torrance branch of the Union Pacific Railroad, which emerges from the track that parallels the Metro A Line just south of the 103rd St/Watts Towers station. But this track has quite some history. It carried Pacific Electric interurban cars from Downtown Los Angeles and on to El Segundo (1911-1930), Redondo Beach (1912-1940) and San Pedro (1912-1940). After 1940, the tracks were used for local freight trains of the Southern Pacific Railroad until it merged with the Union Pacific in 1996. The plate girder bridge to the west of Central Avenue may or may not have been a Pacific Electric relic (The Militant won't add it to his Pacific Electric Archaeology Map until he can confirm it).

9. Compton Creek
Running from Main Street & 107th St to the Los Angeles River

Just to the west of Central Avenue is Compton Creek, the southernmost tributary of the Los Angeles River. It is a remnant of a time when what is now South Los Angeles and the South Bay were dotted with wetland marshes replenished by winter rains and underwater aquifers, surrounded by forests of Willow and Cottonwood trees. In fact, the unincorporated Los Angeles County community known as Willowbrook was named after what the creek originally looked like. Originally called "Avila Creek" (after the family that owned the original Rancho La Tajauta, which became the Watts/Willowbrook area), The creek began in a onetime marsh in South Los Angeles, where its source was forced into an underground channel circa 1940s and emerges east of South Main St near 107th Street. Passing its namesake city, the creek heads southeasterly and joins the Los Angeles River just east of the 710 and south of Del Amo Blvd. Like its destination waterway and other creeks in Southern California, this 8.5-mile arroyo was channelized in the 1940s to function as flood control (although the southernmost 2.7 miles still have a natural bottom, providing an important ecosystem for avian, aquatic and reptilian wildlife).

Happy CicLAmini!

BONUS: THE OFFICIAL MILITANT ANGELENO EPIC CICLAVIA TOUR FOOD GUIDE!

First off, The Militant really wanted a nice list here for Watts. Unfortunately, things have changed over the years. The experimental healthier fast food joint Locol, located on 103rd between the Watts Pacific Electric Station and Mudtown Farms, closed down for good in 2018. And the Instagram-famous Mexi-Fusion stand All Flavor No Grease since graduated to a food truck after vending from a residential driveway on 108th Street, but unfortunately for us, the truck plans to sell at the Fair in Pomona this weekend. The Militant has spotted a few taco trucks along Compton Avenue north of 103rd, but can't vouch for their menu or quality. So since this is a very short CicLAvia, the list will likewise be very short. So here goes:

1. Hawkins House of Burgers
11603 Slater St, Willowbrook
www.hawkinsburgers.com

Rollin' down Imperial highway, big nasty burger at your side is this institution, in business since 1939. Having survived riots, uprisings and a big-ass freeway built next door, this family-run business is in the hands of Cynthia Hawkins, the third-generation family member to helm this stand that specializes in angus beef hamburgers, expertly-grilled, thick and juicy with a sesame-seed wheat bun, fresh thinly-chipped red onions, romaine lettuce and a generous slice of tomato. A burger (turkey, chicken, fish and veggie patty options are also available) with fries and a drink will cost about $15-$20 but it's totally worth it. They also sell chicken and waffles, fried catfish/salmon, tacos and burritos. The Militant considers Hawkins one of this Top 10 best burgers in Los Angeles. Yes, there's probably going to be a crazy long line on Sunday (open until 6:30 p.m.) but...YOLO.

Miracle Smile: CicLAvia Takes On Wilshire Blvd

When The Militant first heard that there would be another CicLAvia added between the April and October editions, he was stoked. Then when he found out the route was a simple 6-mile stretch of Wilshire, he was bummed. But then when it was revealed that the event's hours were finally extended to 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., he was stoked again.

The six-mile course was the shortest to date and the first one to not incorporate any parts of previous routes. Billed as "Iconic Wilshire Boulevard," The Militant couldn't help but read that as "Ironic Wilshire Boulevard." No, not because of all the hipsters blasting Daft Punk's Random Access Memories album on their iPod boom boxes, but because Wilshire was, for all intents and purposes, a road developed for the car. H. Gaylord Wilshire donated his land along the former Orange Street on the condition that it not have streetcars or commercial trucks run along the thoroughfare. And when developer A.W. Ross pulled a Miracle some three decades later, the stores were built to autocentric scale. So how ironic, yet how appropriate, to have the street closed to cars and open to human-powered transport.

The six-mile course wasn't actually that bad. Though it lacked the sense of adventure and accomplishment of April's Sea-cLAvia, it was short and sweet enough to enjoy multiple times over if one wished. At no point did The Militant feel the need to rush the route (whereas he always did before).  There were shops, green space and historical wonders galore. There was almost something for everyone - yoga, zumba and KBBQ. And it was also quite walkable. The Militant probably walked almost two miles of the route (of course, with the large dismount areas at the ends, everyone walked 1/6 of the route).

Since two months fly by just like that, here we are...and there it went. Time flies when you're having fun, and despite the longer CicLAvia hours, the final CicLAvia of the Villaraigosa administration still went by all too quickly. Still, the two additional hours were much MUCH appreciated since The Militant was not only able to ride the entire course and back, but was able to chill out along the route. One downside though, was the lack of the 30-minute or so grace period after the official end of CicLAvia's hours, that grey area where cars aren't sure whether they should be back on the road yet, so, at least for part of the route, CicLAvia goes on extended play.
Not so this time. In fact, it was 3:55 p.m. when LAPD cruisers and City vehicles sweeped through Wilshire telling cars, in a stoic loudspeaker voice to "move to the right." So while CicLAvia might have gained two hours on paper, in reality, because there was never anyone keeping us off the route before the start time anyway, we really only gained half an hour.

How about CicLAvia follow this formula: One hour per mile, plus one, equals the appropriate length in hours of a CicLAvia event? Sunday's route was 6 miles, plus one equals the 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. span of the event. Perfect. Ergo, this just means that the 16-mile "To The Sea" route via Venice Boulevard will have to be 17 hours long next year [wide grin].

This being the first CicLAvia to experience June Gloom, Sunday's seventh iteration of CicLAvia may or may not have broken the streak of cloudless CicLAvia days, but as the afternoon wore on, the sun shone through the rest of the day. Never fails. The Despicable Me 2 blimp also never failed to stalk us.

Of course, one asshole (most likely talking on their cellphone like all motorists do) decided to stage an AutoLAvia for a few yards and strike and injure a cyclist. Unfortunately, The Asshole In The Car got away. If such a thing happens again at CicLAvia, The Militant hopes all you CicLAvians mob together en masse, force them to stop, force the asshole out from their car, dangle a noose from the nearest tree and proceed with the lynching, wild west style.

That aside, why don't we ask some experts what they thought of Sunday's CicLAvia? Thanks to a couple of his San Dimas-based operatives, The Militant was able to obtain a phone booth and travel back in time to gather some of the most influential white males in the history of Wilshire Boulevard! Joining us in our panel of experts (If you read the recent Epic CicLAvia Tour post, these names should be familiar to you by now...) is developer and Great Depression-era Miracle Mile founder, A.W. Ross; late 19th-century real estate magnate George Shatto and last, but certainly not least turn of the 20th century land developer, publisher and failed politician H. Gaylord Wishire.

MA: Gentlemen, thank you for being here.

George Shatto: We cannot see your face, young sir.

MA: The Militant's face is irrelevant to the topic. What did you think of Sunday's CicLAvia?

Gaylord Wishire: It was delightful to see so many bicycles on my street. They come in so many colors. Just like the people riding them. But I was much bothered by the trucks parked along the road. I specifically told the city, no trucks allowed on my street.

MA: Oh, those are food trucks, sir.

GW: Food trucks? Where are they delivering them to?

MA: They're not delivering food, they're selling food.

A.W. Ross: Food-selling trucks? Why, that's just nifty! I oughtta try that sometime on The Mile!

MA: No, don't do that, you'll mess up the space-time contin...oh never mind.

GW: Ross, was it you who erected these horrid capitalist edifices on my street?

AWR: Why, yes I did.

GW: You...swine!

AWR: Why, I oughtta pound you!

MA: Gentlemen! Gentlemen! Let's all just calm down. We're here to talk about CcLAvia. Mr. Shatto, your thoughts?

GS: What in criminy's name happened to my house? What happened to the other houses?

MA: Well, it's now a hospital. They demolished your house after you die...err...uhh...feeling awkward right now.

GS: I died? When?

MA: Die...di...dial..ed...dialed the telephone. Yes, that's it.

GS: What is the "telephone," exactly?

MA: Never mind. Hey, did you know a bowling alley was named after you?

GS: You don't say!

MA: Back on topic...Mr. Ross, what were your impressions of CicLAvia?

AWR: What happened to all the cars?

MA: Well, CicLAvia is a day where we close off the streets to cars.

AWR: Now why in tarnation's name would you ever want to do that?

MA: Well, because there's too many cars on the streets these days.

AWR: And that's a swell thing!

MA: No, because we have congestion and air pollution now.

AWR: Bah, that's just a bunch of applesauce.

GW: What does he know? That Ross is nothing but capitalist swine.

AWR: Oh dry up, Gaylord!

GW: Do you want to settle this in fisticuffs?

MA: HEY HEY GUYS! STOP! PLEASE!

GS: Is anyone interested in investing in some Santa Catalina Island property?

[Ross and Wilshire engage in a fistfight]

MA: Okay, gentlemen, thank you for participa...YO, SECURITY!

[The three panel guests were quickly escorted back into the phone booth time machine. Huh? "Station?" Who said that?]

Enjoy The Militant's Epic Militant CicLAvia Photo Gallery!

What's left of the Wilshire Grand Hotel, soon to be the freaking tall Wilshire Grand Center building.

CicLAvia has clearly gone to the birds this time.

The Militant sincerely hopes this dude's tongue was planted firmly within his cheek with this one.

Gen. Otis directs CicLAvians to the yoga class at Mac Arthur Park.

JAIME: Hey Edward James, do you think Los Angeles is a bike-friendly city now?
EDWARD JAMES: Olmos!

Stupid tall bikes were soooo April 2013. This is the newest bad-assness right now.

Homeboy kept following us the whole time.

Los Angeles County presents the highest-capacity bike rack ever made.

And the Oscar goes to...

Wilshire Hopscotch at Crenshaw.

...'Til the Po-Po shuts us down.

Domingo Gigante: It's CicLAvia!

CicLAvia. You know what it is. Sunday, 10/10/10. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Eastside to East Hollywood. Definitely part of the public space revolution in Los Angeles the Militant recently blogged about. Ride yo bikes, jog yo legs, roll yo skates, push yo strollerz, walk yo dawgs, cuz ERRYBODY gonna be a part of it! Be there -- The Militant may or may not. See ya at CicLAvia!

Has The Public Space Revolution Begun?

Ever since the post-World War II years, Angelenos were pretty much content staying in their homes, with their big front lawns and big backyards. The region's expanse geography has often been named as a factor, but an even bigger factor was our built environment - the only places where people were seen en masse in a recreational setting - aside from the beach of course - was indoors, like shopping malls, or in paid-admission environments (Dodger Stadium, the Coliseum, the Rose Bowl, Magic Mountain, Disneyland).

The suburban-based postwar paradigm was a contrast to the way things used to be; Downtown Los Angeles in the 1930s was virtually indistinguishable from New York City or any other bustling city center. And the historic nucleus of our City is, after all, a public plaza. But the freeways, parking lots and tract homes from the late 1940s on changed things.

There have been exceptions: Melrose Avenue, Westwood Village circa early 1980s. Then in the '90s, more of these pedestrian pockets started to gain popularity, namely Santa Monica's 3rd Street Promenade and Old Town Pasadena.

In the 2000s, we've seen Hollywood and Downtown Los Angeles gain active street life and public open space (or publicly-accessible, privately owned space, i.e. Hollywood and Highland, LA Live).

Are we in the midst of a public space revolution in Los Angeles?

Today, as you may or may not know, is the fourth annual observance of Park[ing] Day LA, a day where parking spaces reserved for autos become reclaimed for the day in the form of public human activity spaces. The intent, as the activity's SF-based founders established, was to create a dialogue. The Militant covered Park[ing] Day LA extensively back in 2007 (and a following-day epilogue) and in 2008.

But it doesn't stop there -- Hollywood Community Studio's "Streets For Feet" demonstration will transform Hudson Avenue at Hollywood Blvd into a pedestrian plaza from today until Sunday, with a bevy of activities.

And earlier this week, as reported in this here blog, The Robert F. Kennedy Inspiration Park opened to the public right on Wilshire Blvd (in front of the Ambassador Hotel LAUSD's New RFK Community High School) in the form of trees, plants, grass, benches, a public art memorial and even jazz music.

But wait, there's more! The four-block long Civic Center Park in Downtown has recently begun construction and the ever-popular mobile gourmet food truck scene has shown 21st-century Angelenos how to (literally) go out to eat. More and more communities are holding their own weekly Farmers Markets and the increasingly-successful Downtown ArtWalk, and similar regional events, are turning that Missing Persons song into outdated nostalgia ("Words" and "Mental Hopscotch" will still rock for all eternity though).

The revolution will not be televised. It will be outside.

Here's To You, Mr. Silver Lake Walking Man

Like many Angelenos and the rest of the bloggerverse, the Militant pays his respects to Dr. Marc Abrams, the shirtless, sunburnt newspaper-reading pedestrian known by many for his 15-mile walks around the Silver Lake area, who died on Thursday.

The Militant, like many, was fortunate to see him roam Silver Lake, and has passed him many times on his bike, especially on the Griffith Park Blvd. bike lane. But he is most honored to see him walk outside of his element, where an early MA blog post (so early, the Militant still referred to himself the first person) mentions Dr. Abrams walking, of all places, in the Venice boardwalk one fine day in June 2007.

It's an understatement to say he'll be missed. He's a modern-day folk hero. Maybe his saga will live on in tall tales and join the likes of Paul Bunyan or Chuck Norris. At least we know he's walking in an even better place.

Now, most have been puzzled as to why a physically fit quinquagenarian physician met an early demise. The Militant is no doctor, nor does he play one on TV, but he may or may not have an reasonable explanation.

Walking has many health benefits, that cannot be denied. The Militant may not walk 15 miles a day but walks an awful lot compared to his more rotund, sedentary, suburban-based operatives.
Walking definitely lowers one's blood pressure. The Militant, who, on one of his parents' sides has a history of high blood pressure, received a "very normal" blood pressure reading in his last physical exam.

Dr. Abrams, who died while sitting in his backyard hot tub, might have spent too long in there, as hot water causes one's blood vessels to dilate and lowers blood pressure even more. Coupled with the fact that, according to a 2009 LA Weekly interview, he lived off of a junk food diet and three hours of sleep each night. He might have also been suffering from a congenital heart condition. The Militant's one-time freelance "boss," a man known for jogging every day, succumbed to heart failure himself in November 2007.

There will inevitably be tributes and memorials to Silver Lake's folk hero, such as Sunday's memorial walk at noon. The Militant may or may not be there!

There's even a move to rename the Silver Lake reservoir path after Dr. Abrams. Councilman Eric Garcetti was even approached on the renaming. Honestly, though the Militant strongly feels he is worthy of some sort of formal memorial or tribute, the move, though earnest, ignores recent history, and the reason why there's a path around the reservoir.

For those of you new to Silver Lake, prior to the last decade, there was no path around the Silver Lake reservoir. A simple painted line - and mostly faded at that - delineated the space between cars and pedestrians around the lake.

In June 1995, longtime Silver Lake residents Michael and Diane Manahan took a walk around the reservoir after dinner one evening when a car swerved out of control and struck them. Michael Manahan was injured; his wife Diane was killed.

The driver sped away.

The accident was later discovered to be caused by a drunk driver, whom upon learning about what happened, committed suicide.

Immediately after the tragedy, the office of then-councilwoman Jackie Goldberg looked into ways to increase safety for walkers and joggers around the reservoir. In 1996 the City approved the jogging path we see today, which was completed several years later.

The Militant would like to see Dr. Marc Abrams honored with possibly a statue, or even an annual walk-a-thon type event. But the path deserves to be named after Diane Manahan - the person whose tragic death brought on the creation of the reservoir path - to ensure no one (Dr. Abrams included) - meets a similar fate.

WTF Week: The Militant Walks From Union Station To Elysian Park (2.1 mi)

Now that the Militant has (self-) declared this week WTF (Walk This Far) week, it's time to, well, walk the walk! The result was a 2.1 mile route from Union Station to Elysian Park (link opens map route), which yielded some nice urban surprises.

After doing some unspecified business in the vicinity of Union Station, instead of just hopping on the train back to the compound, he decided to take a nice long walk over the hills. So the Militant crossed Alameda, then crossed Cesar E. Chavez to land in Chinatown proper, where he walked parts of Spring and New High streets to end up on North Broadway, where he partook in the simple, pedestrian-oriented urbanism of fruits being sold on the sidewalk outside the storefronts, and people making their way back and forth Chinatown's main thoroughfare on a Spring afternoon.

The Militant made a left onto College Street, where he contacted an operative who loved nearby on his Militant Phone. There was no response, but the Militant decided to forge on anyway. This time it was west on College St, up the hill and over the 110 Freeway, where he spotted an FDR-era plaque (pictured left) marking its construction, before the 110, before the 11, and even before the Arroyo Parkway, when the road below was simply "Figueroa Street." Never before, having driven over this bridge so many times in his life, did it dawn on him that it was the product of The New Deal.

Continuing up, marching against the forces of gravity, causing a couple beads of sweat to form, the Militant arrived at Stadium Way, where, if he chose to walk due north, he could reach the Chinatown gate of Dodger stadium and catch a game. Good thing they're on the road right now (Actually, uh, not a good thing...). Continuing even farther up College, he leaves Chinatown and is now in the neighborhood of Victor Heights (a.k.a. "The Forgotten Edge"). This time the Militant spots Chinese Lion statues outside an apartment building, and a hummingbird (pictured right) rapidly flapping about, pollinating the flowers of a tree.

Well that was nice. There were a flock of small birds flying nearby, and their chirps soothed the Militant's soul so relatively far above the din of the city. Where College ends at Beaudry, he turned around to see a Killer Downtown View (pictured left). Looks even more awesome at night!

The Militant headed south on Beaudry and around Holy Hill Community Church (a.k.a. the former site of the Metropolitan Water District headquarters, before they moved to Union Station - interesting connection to the Militant's foot journey) and on to Sunset. The Militant, figuring the most interesting thing he saw was the damn hummingbird, was ready to board the (M) Local bus back to the compound.

But while crossing Everett Street, out of the corner of his eye, he sees -- a patch of green. Hmmm. Interrressstingk. Could it be - a park? Maybe a vestigal portion of Elysian Park? Nay, this was a totally different park. The Militant braved the steep 20% grade up the hill, this time dripping in hot, sexy Militant sweat. And there it was, heralded in the familiar wooden City Rec & Parks sign: Everett Park (pictured right).

In all of his lifetime existence, there was a place right here smack dab in Central Los Angeles, in the shadows of the Downtown skyline that he's never seen before! The Militant had driven by millions of times, rode by on a bus thousands of times, and biked by hundreds of times, yet it took one simple walk for him to discover this little urban gem.

The park is a simple teardrop-shaped plot of grass, surrounded by a collection of apartments and craftsman-style homes that also gets a Killer Downtown View. The park, also at the steep grade, isn't great for any sort of sports that involve a ball (unless you like to play against the forces of gravity). There was a local couple playing with their dogs in the park, but even the dogs weren't too cool with catching thrown tennis balls.

Still, little Everett Park, though dwarfed by its much bigger brother Elysian nearby, was a nice little urban oasis for the Militant to chillax in and let the cooler evening breezes soothe him (one complaint, there were absolutely no benches, the only place to sit was the low stone wall in front of the wooden sign...). Where the growl of cars and buses on Sunset Blvd below were muffled by the sound of wind, chirping birds and rustling leaves. This may not be the actual Top of The World, but it almost damn feels like it.

For anyone sold on possibly living here, the Militant counted not one, not two, but four "for rent" signs in this here neighborhood. Come'n get it, kids. And let them know the Militant sent ya (And for you True Blue Dodger fans, you can actually walk to the stadium from here).

Another example of the wonder, beauty and sheer awexomeness of the Los Angeles that you can only see if you just ride a bike take a walk.

'Bike To Work' Week? Psssh. How 'Bout 'WTF' Week?

Yesterday, when the Militant visited his local post office, the postal clerk at the counter, spotting the Militant's camouflaged bike hemet, asked him if he rode his bike. After the Militant affirmed, she asked if he just started riding today, or if he rides all the time. You already know the answer to that one...

As most of you know by now, Today is "Bike To Work" week. Which is all nice and good, especially for those of you who don't bike (or just have yours in the garage, tires mostly in a deflated state, adorned with cobwebs - shame on you). So what does a cycle-prone Militant do this week, especially since he already bikes to work (Hey, being a Militant is a 24-7 endeavor!)?

Well, the Militant, ever one step ahead of the typical Angeleno, has decided, instead of Bike To Work (BTW) week, it's gonna be Walk This Far (WTF) week! Instead of being on the bike, he's gonna go on longer-than-normal pedestrian jaunts he never before considered, just to see what urban delights he can uncover for this here blog.

After all, for a city that's gotten a reputation for not walking, going pedestrian is even more Militant than riding a bike! Bike advocacy is hot right now, so pedestrian advocacy is the next frontier, and some communities are already starting to get into it.

So if you already tell yourself "BTW," you might want to say, "WTF" instead!

Livin' For This

Most people come "out here" (ugh, hate that phrase, would like to pound people in the head every time they say that...) for "the weather," which seems to be the sole reedeeming quality of Los Angeles according to them generalizing-loving transplantia. Of course you all knew that already. The Militant, who never chose to come "out here," simply accepted his fate in terms of his geographical placement and makes the most of it. Ergo, he takes this weather thing totally for granted.

But on Tuesday night, while taking a stroll in Little Tokyo to do some extramilitant tasks, at 11:30 p.m., the thermometer read an even 80 with humidity at 38%.


It.

Was.

Niiiice.

Though Summer symbolically ended a month ago, and officially a week and a half ago, the Militant longs to keep this Summer thing going as long as possible. In SoCal, it's not too uncommon to have a heatwave just a few days before Christmas. And besides, we won't have to change our clocks for another four weeks.

Yes, he lives for these warm, kind of humid nights. Nice and warm, but without the sun beating on one's skin in an oppressive manner. Nice enough to take a nocturnal bike ride, nice enough to hang out on the porch or a sidewalk cafe and have a chat, nice enough to take a stroll on the streets to take it all in. Ahhhh.

The very place he was in on Tuesday night, people did just that, riding their bikes on second street, hanging out amongst the closed storefronts of Little Tokyo plaza, chillin' out in the front patio of I <3 Boba on 1st Street. The warmth envelops you, but does not beat down on you like when the sun is out. It's like an invisible blanket, keeping you secure from the typical cold of night.

The Militant walked these same streets last Friday night, still warm yet not as warm, catching one of the last Red Line trains back to his compound after attending a Presidential Debate-watching party at an unspecified Downtown location. He saw the bicycles and the people hanging out and walking, as well as the Friday night bar/partygoers in various locations. And not realizing it before, he felt...safe. Though he knows how to handle himself in the City, and has walked through neighborhoods that most of you wouldn't even want to drive through - in a tank - he did feel a sense of comfort and an absence of danger. So for all you Downtowners (or potential Downtowners) wondering what the deal is, there you go from a non-Downtowner who's still down wit' Downtown.

The Militant knows this heat wave won't last, and will soon give way to the cool of Fall and the cold of Winter, so he will be out on the streets tonight. So who knows? You may or may not see him.

Militant Update: Oh Crap! It's Finally Ready...

Over a year since he first blogged about it, and
some eight months since he wrote about the last visible activity on it, the long-awaited JCDecaux automatic pay toilet at the (M) Vermont/Santa Monica Metro Red Line station is finally operational.

The Militant saw it while passing through the East Hollywood area en route to his compound this afternoon. In fact, he asked the maintenance dude on the right, "Is it ready?" and halfway through the Militant's question, he said, "Yeah, it's ready."

Let's face it, it's been a looong time since the Militant first leaked this out. He's sure that the more than 10,000 commuters who use that station daily will no longer have to hold in their enthusiasm and will no longer be as pissed-off. This thing is finally in the can, and you know when urine you're in for a treat when an urban transit amenity like that is finally ready for use. Especially people who just got off their bus or train after their daily toil. Let them have something to use that's a leg up over having no option at all. Finally the commuters who pass through the area will have room to rest. Perhaps there will be more of these in the City! It's like a movement, that's finally pushing through!

The Militant caught the rear end of the pay toilet (pictured left). Looks like a tardis of Dr. Who fame. Or rather, Dr. Loo?

So what's it like inside?

Stay tuned, loyal readers of militancy. The Militant's gonna TOFTT!

Holding Out (As) A Hero?

The Militant already knows he's a hero of sorts to the overlooked native Angelenos whose voices remained drowned out by mainstream society.

But on a much more serious note, what really qualifies for true heroism?

On Wednesday night, the Militant took a little walk with his trusty K-9 unit, for both the K-9's sake and to make a delivery to a nearby operative.

When he finally returned to the compound, the Militant spent some quality time with the K-9, brushing its fur on the compound's front grounds. A man in an orange t-shirt stood across the street, chatting on his cellphone, next to a row of trash bins, set out for the next morning's pick up.

An attractive young woman walked by, overburdened by several shopping bags, and she displayed a brief smile to the Militant and his K-9, and the Militant smiled back.

But after she passed by, the cellphone-talking man in the orange shirt walked across the street and said something that sounded like, "Hey, what are you doing tonight?" and walked briskly immediately behind her.

The Militant, still holding the K-9's leash sprung to attention with this situation. Did this guy know her? Or was he up to some trouble? The Militant did not want to see someone in danger -- especially someone walking in the vicinity of his compound.

The woman continued to walk briskly, and didn't seem to acknowledge the guy, who was either walking beside her or immediately behind her.

The Militant and the K-9 started to follow, ready to loudly shout a commanding, attention-getting, "WHATUP?" as he was waiting for some certain cue, like a sudden flinch or a scream even...but they just keep walking. The Militant was still wondering what exactly was going on...

...until he and the K-9 got distracted by a small dog that broke loose from its owner's leash, and the Militant saw the owner catch up to the little thing and grab it before the Militant's K-9 went buck wild.

At this point the two walking figures had seemingly disappeared at the end of the block, where an apartment building stood. He and the K-9 ran to the end of the block, looked around...

...and they were gone.

The only thing the Militant saw was a car in the middle of the cross-street around the corner, which backed up suddenly, then stopped briefly, before charging forward.

It was an LAPD cruiser.

So what happened? Was the dude someone the women knew, but wasn't on good talking terms currently? Was he ready to assault her, but gave up his effort once he saw the police car? Did the police car see what was going on and took care of the situation? Was the police car there for totally unrelated reasons?

The Militant certainly hoped that woman made it home safely and wasn't in any danger. But he can't help but wonder that if she was, that he should have stepped up more to keep her from being in the situation. Nobody messes with a person walking a dog, and certainly a would-be mugger/attacker/rapist wouldn't want to be in a situation with someone suddenly walking their K-9 unit messing up their intended diabolical plans. The Militant knew he did the right thing, but did he do enough of it?

The situation seemed to vanish into the night, Maybe it was just an illusion. Whatever it was, he hopes it just vanished, period.

There's A Kind Of Hush

While going on a 2.7-mile jaunt around the vicinity of his compound with his trusty K-9 unit on Monday night, which included a delivery mission to a nearby operative, a visit to the local financial institution's automatic teller machine to deposit newly-acquired Militant funds and overall non-bicycling exercise, at about 10:02 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time (the Militant loved typing that out...) on March 10, he heard it, and it was quite fascinating.

Actually it wasn't what he heard, but, to paraphrase the late Miles Davis, what he didn't hear that was fascinating.

The Militant resides in the central region of Los Angeles (neither absolute Westside nor Eastside - and regardless of what the hiptards say on the latter) and inevitably hears all sorts of sounds - the hollow roar of the 101 in the distance, the sneezing air brake compressor of the articulated Metro buses passing by, even the occasional ghetto bird chopper circling (as it is doing while the Militant types this entry), the city is a cacophony of all sorts of noises and sounds. Born into this environment, he has alwas felt it's an inherent part of the terrain. Occasionally he will make an excursion outside of the City, even outside of the country to enjoy the change in scenery, but this particular moment he noticed - albeit temporarily - things sounded different.

He heard the sound...of silence.

Not absolute, deafening silence, but that the usual background urban noise orchestra took a tacet for a few measures and allowed the sound of a gentle breeze to take a solo. The silence that allowed the Militant to hear only the sounds of his own footsteps, the light jangling of his K-9 unit's collar tags and an infant crying across the street. Perhaps two passing cars made their presence, but even their sound was rather muted, and most noticeably, the sound of crosstown traffic on a nearby unspecified major avenue was noticeably absent for those few minutes. At first it felt like a Twilight Zonesque moment of altered reality, but after it had sunk in, the Militant took the time to relish this rare moment of utter calm.

As the Militant and his K-9 unit approached the compound's street, he took pause on the corner to take it in. The hush continued, the only sound was his K-9 unit panting.

But within moments, the distant roar of traffic emanating from the heart of Hollywood could gradually be heard, like an audio engineer slowly turning up the volume level on a mixing console, and as he walked even closer to the compound, the usual noises gradually faded in. "Welcome back," reality told the Militant, as the sound of sneezing bus brakes passed by along the nearest cross-street.

But the Militant was glad to hear it - or not hear it - while it lasted.

Dog Day Afternoon in December

It's December now?

How time flies. Of course, this is a Southern California December and Monday's high was in the low 80s, so the Militant decided to walk his K-9 unit around the area on Monday afternoon and having been in a park-advocating mood in the past week, decided to visit one of the few parks within a 2-mile radius of his compound - Barnsdall Art Park.

Not only was this the first time he took his K-9 unit to the park, but this was the first time in a long-ass time the Militant visited the park for the specific purpose of enjoying it as a park. Sure he went there over the past few months to cover a Thai cultural festival, to try to understand the purpose and theme of the Swerve Festival and may or may nor have voted for his operatives at a recent neighborhood council election which took place there several weeks ago. But this time he just went there for no particular reason other than enjoying the park.

He took his K-9 unit on a long climb up the stairs in the park's southern entrance and even further up to the top of Olive Hill, where they went to the park's west-facing Great Lawn which afforded a killer view of the Hollywood Sign and Griffith Observatory to the north (pictured above -- pic is a file photo taken in September - lest you notice the absence of the currently-yellow hydromulched areas in thar hills - as the Militant neglected to take along the Militant Cam this time around).

The Great Lawn, whose renovation was completed this past Summer, furnished the neighborhood-jewel and Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Hollyhock House with a drought-resistant native plants (the Militant doesn't just give the native homo sapiens a voice, but the native flora as well) and a water-saving smart irrigation system for the green grassy area.

On the lawn, the Militant's K-9 unit ended up trying to socialize with another person's bulldog mix (of the opposite sex), with the two human leash-handlers exchanging humorous and sometimes apologetic comments regarding canine behavior as their respective pawed ones growled and barked at each other. The Militant's K-9 unit isn't the most sociable dawg, so the Militant tries his best to acclimate it to (dog) society. It doesn't always work though.

The Militant even tried to calm the K-9 unit down as it continued to bark and pull on the leash as the Militant looked west, covering the almost-setting sun with his hand, and enjoying the unobstructed view of the Baldwin Hills and the silhouetted Century City-Westwood skyline. He could even see the whitish glow of the marine layer looming in the distance where the ocean would be. And the first thing going on in the Militant's mind was, "This is going in the blog."

The Militant took the K-9 unit elsewhere in the park, especially to the art park's main gallery which was sporting an exhibit which runs until the end of the month. Naturally, the Militant's first inclination would be to cover it, but not only would he worry about where to park the K-9 unit, or remind himself that he forgot to bring the Militant cam again, but the gallery was closed for the day. But the Militant shall return.

In today's 21st century urbia, our lives get too busy with responsibilities and purpose, sometimes it's worth it to take a "stop and smell the roses" kind of moment with even a familiar area institution, to see it from another perspective. Maybe that's why this city never gets dull or boring for the Militant.

Can I Get An Amen(ity)?

The Militant took a good healthy walk with his K-9 unit on Tuesday night along Vermont Avenue when he had a "Hello, what's this?" moment as he passed a Metro Bus stop near Los Angeles City College. The first thing he noticed was that the bus stop sign had a 7-inch long panel box attached to the side of it (Pictured left). Whatever could this be?

Upon closer inspection, the panel (pictured right) had two aluminum dome buttons, similar to those in the (M) station elevators, but larger, with one reading, "LIGHT" and the other labeled, "BUS SIGNAL." Immediately below the labels were their respective Braille interpretations.

Well, curiosity may have killed the cat, but it's kept the Militant alive. So he pressed the "LIGHT" button and a set of three high-intensity LED lights shone from a white plastic cap placed atop the bus stop sign. Afraid of the dark? Let there be light.

The second button was more cryptic. "BUS SIGNAL." Can one request a bus to come arrive at their command? Or does it trigger a random busy signal on one's cellphone?

So the Militant pressed it.

LO AND BEHOLD, OUT OF NOWHERE CAME A METRO LOCAL LINE 204 BUS!

Naw, just kidding. But what happened was that another high-intensity light, shining towards the north, pointed in the direction of an oncoming bus, commenced blinking, most likely to give bus drivers a, "YO! STOP HERE DUDE!" signal to people who are not able to merely wave to the bus to get it to stop (of course, as long as the bus doesn't arrive in the form of a large sardine can on wheels).

How awesome.

The Militant snapped a photo on his Militant cam, at the same time commanding his K-9 unit to keep still as the Militant held the camera. He did notice, thought, that the light stopped blinking after about two minutes.

The Militant wonders if Metro plans to install these interesting amenities on every bus sign in the county, a rather ambitious task, but remembered that along this stretch of Vermont, crosswalk buttons vibrate, stoplights tweet and make "cuckoo" sounds as it is in close proximity to the Braille Institute 's Los Angeles Sight Center a couple blocks down the street. Amenities like these are neat bells and whistles to able-bodied people, but are necessary apparatuses for people who are benefited by the Americans With Disabilities Act.

Militant Update: Oh Crap! Progress At Last!

Speaking of transit amenities along Vermont Avenue, the Militant has been closely following the progress of the JCDecaux Automatic Toilet at the (M) Vermont/Santa Monica station, which has apparently remained in the same unfinished state since the Militant first noticed it way back in June (when a n00b Militant used to write in the first person, that silly self-centered fool).

The Militant is pleased to report that the said toilet (pictured left, taken November 12) now has a complete concrete base and the construction fence has been removed - five months later. It is still not yet operational, but judging by its 5-month-latency timetable, pedestrians and Metro riders who want to take the #1 and/or #2 (and we're not talking about buses here) will probably get to do so by April. So can you hold it that long?