mlshanks

DRIVING IN GREATER LA

Los Angeles traffic is legendary... And some of the main freeways annually make the top 40 list of the most congested highways in the nation, including I-10 which is the most obvious route from LAX to Downtown.

That being said, the traffic in LA is more a problem for visitors, those who don't know know (or take the time to learn) alternate routes, and those driving over-sized vehicles. Because the greater LA area has few true choke points (like the bridges of San Francisco & NYC) where all traffic must funnel through one narrow corridor. If you have the tools and the knowledge base, you can often avoid the worst of LA traffic.

1) Try to avoid rush hours! 7:00-9:30 am & 3:30-7:00 pm on weekdays are generally bad for freeway and highway travel. While *some* routes are bad only in one direction (generally towards Downtown in morning/away in evening), others are bad in both directions. (check w/ a local if you are contemplating needing to travel during these hours) Holiday & weekends can be bad on certain specific roads I-10 & I-15 (Vegas traffic), I-5 South (San Diego), and US-101 (Santa Barbara & points North), with outbound traffic the evening before, and return traffic on the afternoon last day of the holiday/weekend being particularly awful.

2) Collect your information. A GPS with traffic updates is a very valuable tool. (it pays to get a rental w/ one in LA) And if your rental car doesn't have GPS, you might want to download Navmii or another free GPS app to your smartphone....but either get a cellphone holder, or have a passenger handle your phone chores, because using a cell phone while the car is in motion is a route to an expensive ticket. Equally, if you have a smartphone or laptop with broadband or WIFI access, checking with www.sigalert.com before you get behind the wheel can give you a chance to choose a route around the worst congestion, road construction, or accidents. Finally, having a good map of the parts of the LA basin you plan to travel in and tuning to AM 1070 (KNX News radio, "Traffic on the 5s") will keep you updated on the worst of traffic problems.



++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


Ethnic L.A.

The L.A. area is arguably the most metropolitan area in the nation, with more ethnic enclaves than most visitors could tour in a month. Here are a few that might be of interest to visitors longing for a taste of home... Or for a taste of something exotic.

Chinatown: While not quite as large as San Francisco's, L.A.'s current Chinatown (it's actually the *third* major location) just east of Downtown has a vibrant mix of restaurants, shops, and services for the Chinese community. And it's within walking distance of Union Station and a stop on the Gold Line light rail. Major Chinese populations can also be found in the outlying areas of Monterey Park, Alhambra, Irvine, Artesia, and Cerritos. (look for the chain 99 Ranch Markets which cater to the local Chinese)


Little Tokyo: Downtown's Japanese community is just Southwest of City Hall and full shopping, dining, and entertainment opportunities. The New Otani Hotel is an up-scale enclave in the downtown area. Hit Nisei Week in late August & see a variety of Japanese cultural events. The new Gold line has an extension that skirts the edge of Little Tokyo, but the $.25 DASH "A" shuttles also will get you to the heart of the communuity from Union Station. There are also significant Japanese enclaves in the suburbs of Torrance, Gardena, and Monterey Park.

Koreatown: K-town is located in the Mid-Wilshire District of Los Angeles and served by the Red/Purple line subway, this neighborhood is the largest single community of Koreans outside of the Korean peninsula. The neighborhood is full of restaurants, bars, and nightclubs; as well as shops and businesses catering to the local Korean population. Less "touristy" than Chinatown and/or Little Tokyo, there are also plenty of Hispanic and student residents of among the many low price apartments of the area. There are smaller Korean communities in the suburbs of Valley Village, Monterey Park, and Garden Grove...although none are as distinct. Here's a link to a classic FlyerTalk thread.

Tehrangeles (aka Little Persia) While not quite as distinct as some of the other ethnic enclaves, many of the Persian elite who fled the 1979 collapse of the Shah's government in Iran settled in the L.A., especially in the Westwood/Beverly Hills/West Los Angeles. Westwood Blvd. from Pico up to UCLA & the surrounding area has become known for it's Persian cafes, nightclubs, and specialty shops. Additional Persian enclaves are found over the hill to the North in Encino & Woodland Hills as well as South in Irvine.

Historic Filipinotown is located located between Downtown and Hollywood, just South of the Echo Park & Westlake districts above the 101 freeway. While heavily mixed with Mexican and south American immigrants, there are a variety of shops, markets and restauraunts catering to Philippinos. West Covina also has a small smattering of businesses & markets on Azusa Avenue and Amar Road.

Thai Town

Little Ethiopia

Fairfax District (Jewish)

Little Armenia

Little Saigon (Orange County)

Little India (Artesia) Artesia is home to the second-largest Indian and Pakistani population in the U.S... Centered along Pioneer Blvd, 5 blocks of mini-malls full of intresting shops, markets, and small restaurants. In neighboring Lakewood you can get your Bollywood fix at Naz 8 Cinemas.

Russians in West Hollywood (Moscow on the Pacific) have been an important part of the community since the 1930s. The city itself holds an annual festival. A number of Russian clubs, restaraunts, and shops cater to the population. There are other major pockets of Russians in the San Fernando Valley in Reseda, Van Nyes, and North Hollywood. There are also pockets of Central American culture mixed among the Mexican-American in Burbank, Van Nuys, and Reseda in the San Fernando Valley, and scattered across the San Gabriel Valley.

Little El Salvador - Many recent Salvadorian émigrés (and to a lesser extent those from Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua) cluster in the neighborhoods surrounding L.A.'s MacArthur Park, where cafés, dance clubs, markets, and places to wire money home cater to their needs.

(more to follow)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++


A few editing notes on transportation:

-Union Station should also mention Amtrak, with frequent local service on the Surfliner route both North to Santa Barbara & San Louis Obisbo and South to San Diego.

-Metrolink service should mention it's service to the North and West in routes to Palmdale/Lancaster & Ventura.

-A particularly important note is the frequent weekday rail service from Union Station to Burbank Airport (BUR).

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++
-On a general style note, could I respectfully suggest that the primary link to "Must Do" sites be to the actual site's own website....and not a 3rd-party review like Yelp? While the opinions of other is a nice validation, current information on hours, programs, events, seems more to the point. If a review link seems important, perhaps it could link seperately like this:

J. Paul Getty Museum (REVIEW)