You See LA: October 2022
Five things to see and do in Los Angeles handpicked by Meryl Friedman
Meryl Friedman is co-interim director and the Director of Education & Special Initiatives at UCLA's Center for the Art of Performance.
One of the things I love about Los Angeles is that most every day is good for walking. On weekends, I try to pick a place I haven’t been to, someplace to really look around, the kind of looking you can only do because you’re on foot, and not in a car on the way to somewhere else. Here are some of my favorite places to walk, and even though you need to drive to get there, once you’ve arrived, there’s lots to see.
The Gentle Barn in Santa Clarita
This is an amazing place, home to over 200 animals. Cuddle a turkey, hug a cow, feed a horse, scratch a goat, dance with an emu, give a pig a belly rub. Kindness abounds at this place, it reminds us that we are not alone on this planet, and that we need to do better. They are open to the public on Sundays, and you can make a reservation on their website. This is canyon country, so there’s great hiking all around, check out Vazquez Rocks and for a super-duper breakfast, Home Made Restaurant is the best.
Griffith Park
When I first moved to LA, I lived pretty close to the southern-most part of Griffith Park, and I used to take my dogs there and walk the back trails off of Commonwealth. I no longer live in that neighborhood, but I try and go to the park when I can. I recommend doing the soundwalk in the park. Last year, CAP UCLA commissioned the composer Ellen Reid, who created a soundwalk inspired by the park’s landscape. Download the app, put in your earbuds, and walk: the music changes and transforms as you move through the park – it’s like being in a movie with your own personal soundtrack. I’ve done it a couple of times, and it’s amazing how you see things differently because of what you hear…it’s a sublime sensory experience.
Great Wall of Los Angeles
I live in the Valley, and one of our hidden treasures is the Great Wall of Los Angeles. This is one of the largest public art murals in the world, it runs more than half a mile along Coldwater Canyon, between Oxnard and Burbank Blvd. Designed by LA artist and UCLA professor, Judy Baca, the wall is a timeline of California history and culture, emphasizing the role played by Indigenous Californians, Latino/as, African Americans, Asian Americans, and Jewish Americans. Driving along Coldwater you experience the mural in a rush, the panels wiz by like a high-speed movie. Walking alongside it, is a totally different experience – the colors, the imagery, the incredible detail in every panel – every time I look at it, I see new things. The good news is that SPARC, the mural’s caretakers, has received a grant from the Mellon Foundation. The timeline will be extended to the present, adding another half mile. But don’t wait, go now. And just down the road, at Coldwater and Riverside, is Hugo’s Tacos.
Kenter Canyon Trailhead
When I’m sick of the Valley heat, I come here. The breezes are fantastic. Kenter is off of Sunset, just west of Bundy. Go north on Kenter. If you’re super ambitious, you can park around the elementary school and walk all the way up Kenter to the trailhead. This is an interesting neighborhood. Before all the fake Italian-style villas and pre-fab mansions were built, this was envisioned as an affordable, cooperative community. You can read about the history on Curbed. Some of the original, modest, modern houses still remain. If you don’t want to walk the mile or so up this pretty steep, winding hill, then you can drive up and park close to the end. Once you’re in the park, just follow the trail. If you keep going and follow the signs to the Whoops Trail and Canyonback Tree Swing, then at the top is a magnificent 360-degree view of LA, and there’s a swing. Yep, the reward is that you get to swing on top of the world. There are miles and miles of trails up here, you can follow one all the way across the mountain ridge to Encino, and further. Bring water and snacks.
Pinocchio Restaurant/Monte Carlo Deli
I grew up in New York and we had relatives in New Jersey. I know I’m biased but the Italian food in New York and New Jersey is not like other places. Most Sunday nights we had Italian take-out or we went to an Italian restaurant for supper. They were always family-run. Pinocchio Restaurant/Monte Carlo Deli in Burbank, on Magnolia, has Italian food that comes closest to what I remember as a kid. My favorite is their linguini with red clam sauce. My husband’s is the lasagna. Their garlic bread is super buttery and garlicky. On the other side of the restaurant, in the deli, they have a gelato bar. It doesn’t get much better than that. Plus, this stretch of Magnolia Blvd. is fun to walk – antique and vintage shops, little wine bars and cafes, and for some reason, two of the largest Halloween specialty stores in LA. The Halloween stores are open late so if you go to Pinocchio’s for dinner, you can still get your spook on after you leave, as they are just down the street. Boo!
Stay engaged. Use #UCLAarts to stay connected.
