Readers were asked where their happy place is in L.A. Here’s what they wrote
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- Finding your happy place in Los Angeles
- Heat waves are growing hotter and more prolonged. What’s driving extreme temperatures?
- Move over, roast beef. Now there’s a pizza pop-up at the iconic Arby’s on Sunset
- And here’s today’s e-newspaper
Happy places and good vibes in L.A.
Frustration is a common sentiment among Angelenos. We share it when we are sitting in traffic together, when our rents are hiked and when we cannot find any parking. So why do we live here?
While frustration may rear its head at times, there’s still so much to love about L.A. Like the near year-round sunshine, cool breezes near the coast and easy access to the great outdoors.
Before moving here five years ago, I never thought I’d develop a love for hiking and being outdoors. Back in my native New Orleans, I associate being outside with getting eaten alive by mosquitoes and humidity that made me sweat through my clothes.
Here in L.A., mosquitoes don’t bother me as much and the heat is much more bearable, especially if you get an early-morning start to a hike.
Fryman Canyon trail in Studio City became my favorite hike during the height of the pandemic. It gave me the chance to spend time in a different neighborhood as I was living in Koreatown at the time. It also challenged me to tackle steep inclines.
Ultimately, Fryman became a trail I loved going back to, to escape the frustrations of the city.
Last month, my colleague Sonaiya Kelley asked readers to share their happy place in L.A., spots they find themselves returning to again and again to find joy, escape from the grind or simply revel in comfortable nostalgia.
Reading their responses reminded me why I enjoy living in this city so much. Here are just a few:
Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook (aka the Culver City Stairs)
“It’s got a very L.A. vibe: an oasis of nature open to everyone in the middle of a very urban space. It’s an outdoor gym with so many fun characters, people who work out by covering their chest with chains or walking backward up the hill listening to hip-hop music, dragging a huge tire with their kid sitting on it. Most of all it’s got Angelenos from all walks of life, all colors and cultures, all working out on the Culver steps together. It’s an outdoor gym, nature reserve, picnic spot and has a fiesta atmosphere on weekends.”
— Thamar Linnemayr, Los Angeles
The Marvin Braude Bike Trail from Santa Monica
“I love to ride my skateboard the length of the bike path. I’ll skate as fast as I can to get a cardio workout in. If I have time, I’ll skate all the way to the Venice skate park and take a break to stretch. Then I’ll skate back to the pier to ride the swings. I’ll swing as high as I can, as fast as possible, until I’m out of breath. Then I’ll hop on my skateboard and skate back to my car. This is the only activity where I can’t help but smile the whole time.”
— Sophia White, Westwood Village
Barnsdall Art Park
“Walking up the hill to the park’s west-facing lawn has you feeling as though you’re ascending above the rest of the city, as if you’re on Mt. Olympus. Everything becomes quiet and peaceful. There’s often a decent amount of people sitting up there as well, but everyone usually has a similar sense of chillness and tranquility in the setting that it is never too distracting. Sitting on the west lawn, I like to go a bit to the corner at the bottom to be by myself — it offers the perfect sunset view in the evening. I started going there to film segments of my YouTube vlog, as I find that I’m able to get peace of mind up there and my head feels more clear when speaking candidly. It also gives me a chance to not think about filming and take time to just appreciate the city all around and below me, up on that hill.”
— Parker Green, Hollywood
The garden at the Getty Center
“I was a part of the team that opened the Getty Center in 1997, so I feel like the place is part mine. I watched the garden being developed by artist Bob Irwin. I love how he took advantage of the natural terrain with the stream running down the hill. You can almost envision how the site must have looked when Native Americans inhabited the area. The walk down to the garden tells the story of the site’s history, and when you look out you see the great city of L.A. as it is today. You can sit in the garden and forget the stress of the city around you. You can feel part of the centuries that led to today.”
— Mary Daily, Culver City
The week’s biggest stories
California heatwave
- How Death Valley National Park tries to keep visitors alive amid record heat.
- Motorcycle tour of Death Valley turns fatal as thermometer cracks 128 degrees.
- ‘Unprecedented’ heat wave in California brings death, fires and all-time highs.
- Murder, birth and test scores: What scientists are learning about extreme heat.
- Heat waves are growing hotter and more prolonged. What’s driving extreme temperatures?
Politics
- Pelosi sends signal to Biden: ‘Time is running short.’
- As Kamala Harris rises, Gavin Newsom’s presidential prospects fall — at least in the short term.
Alec Baldwin trial
- Judge dismisses involuntary manslaughter case: Friday’s decision ends nearly three-year saga in fatal “Rust” shooting.
Business
- In one L.A. neighborhood, the prospect of losing ‘our little Vons’ hits hard.
- These are the Vons, Pavilions, Albertsons to be sold in California under proposed merger.
- On cusp of bankruptcy, Mod Pizza chain is bought by L.A. company.
More big stories
- ‘Playing COVID roulette’: Some infected by FLiRT variants report their most unpleasant symptoms yet.
- Rancho Palos Verdes landslide is creating a new coastline. ‘It’s unreal.’
- Danger signs were present before Palos Verdes landslide destroyed homes, a new study finds.
- ‘A fire year’: California wildfires have burned more than 20 times as much land as last year.
- Students scoff at a school cellphone ban. Until they really begin to think about it.
- A rocket used to carry astronauts fails on uncrewed satellite mission.
- Los Angeles 2028 Olympic organizers reveal venues for 19 more sports.
- Pricey camps. Family favors. Early dashes from work. How do parents survive summer?
- Copper wire thieves plunge L.A. neighborhood into darkness.
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Column One
Column One is The Times’ home for narrative and longform journalism. Here’s a great piece from this week:
It was their dream home until the hoarder next door turned it into a pricey prison. A next-door neighbor, described by relatives as a mentally ill hoarder, has turned some six acres of green space into an unlicensed dump with more than a hundred rusting vehicles, mounds of trash and scrap metal, and hazardous waste that has polluted the ground and a nearby streambed.
More great reads
- After 89-year-old mom pushed out of apartment, daughter adds accessible ADU.
- Mansions in the desert: Why Californians buy big in cheap, remote areas.
- Black LGBTQ+ spacemakers on building community with intention in L.A.
- In a precarious wine world, how one Los Olivos vineyard is redefining grape farming.
How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com.
For your weekend
Going out
- 🍕Move over, roast beef. Now there’s a pizza pop-up at the iconic Arby’s on Sunset.
- 🏞️ Tell us: What’s your California wilderness survival story?
- ⛰️ This perfect summer L.A. hike has free parking, shade and a waterfall.
Staying in
- 📺 Inside ‘The Bear’ episode that fills in a misunderstood character’s backstory.
- 🧑🍳 Here’s a recipe for summertime pineapple upside-down cake.
- ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games.
How well did you follow the news this week? Take our quiz.
A Fourth of July brawl involved what Hollywood actor? Plus nine other questions from our weekly news quiz.
Have a great weekend, from the Essential California team
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Christian Orozco, assistant editor
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