ISABEL IS BUSY!

Culturally vibrant DTLA, July 4^th!

We Angelenos are kind of new at using public transportation. After all, we are part of the car culture so perfectly conveyed by Frank Romero in his 1984 Going to the Olympics mural on the 101 Freeway. But this has changed dramatically thanks to the younger generation. Our youth ride bikes and use the Metro throughout greater L.A. They move easily from their bikes to the Metro while going to school, attending art openings, lectures, our mural tours, bars, and restaurants. I must confess we used to do this with my husband until the end of the 1990s. We were known for parking our cars in Santa Monica, riding bikes to Paradise Cove for brunch and then winding down the hill after having dozens of oysters and a cool Chardonnay by the ocean side.

So on July 4^th, Stephen (my husband) and I decided to take the Metro to Grand Park in DTLA. We parked our car at the South Pasadena Station, charged our TAP cards (cheaper for senior citizens) and jumped on the Metro...

... to culturally vibrant Downtown Los Angeles. We both enjoyed the ride as we moved through South Pasadena, Highland Park, and Chinatown, to arrive in Japanese Town (corner of 1^st & Alameda). We happily walked to Grand Park, the fabulous 13 acres of beauty, our own Central Park, created in 2012 ($56 million price tag) where a variety of events are offered everyday.

It’s amazing how much one can see when walking and not driving. We passed MOCA/Geffen (Mike Kelley’s exhibition is free every Sunday during July), the Japanese American Museum...

... the Far Bar (one of our favorite outdoor bars in the Summer) and many great sushi places. We walked by the LAPD and The LA Times buildings, both overlooked by Disney Hall at the corner of First & Grand.

It took us a half hour from the time we parked to our arrival at Grand Park by 7.30 p.m. Everyone arriving was checked, same way as it happens when one travels internationally. There were thousands that joined the festivities, which began at 1 p.m. There were food trucks everywhere & no alcohol. It was fantastic to see so many people singing, dancing, and having a wonderful family time at the Park.

We were happy to celebrate the 4^th of July for the second time since Grand Park’s creation with thousands of awesome Angelenos!