adventures

So it's come to this...

...take a little restlessness, a little curiosity, some furlough days, and (a small amount of) initiative and you may find yourself on a rock fin on top of the world, perusing unique art in odd places, in a deep red-rock canyon in the Moab Desert, or overlooking the great California coastline in serenity, free to think on your own and (finally) take deep breaths. I want others to feel what I have felt, sitting 1,500 feet up or hiking through hoodoos; I think it's more inherently human than the cars we drive in or the offices we slog off to work in every morning. Humans are animals, and as much as we try to deny it, cover it with concrete, or drive through it, nature always continues on. We're products of a natural process, of billions of years of change, and yet we constitute less than a blink of an eye in the grand scheme of things. Our development as a species, as profound as we think it is, really isn't; we exist but won't last, and the Earth will get along perfectly well after we're gone. To think that we've figured anything out, in a few hundred years in contrast to the earth's hundreds of millions, is simply an act of arrogance and naivety, and besides, we're still in only one of billions of galaxies, orbiting one of billions of stars, sitting on a small percentage of one of billions of planets. Everything is and will continue to be; the human species, the sixth extinction of the earth, will end someday, and a seventh will come along.

That said, I'm absolutely proud to be an earthling, we really lucked out. And human ingenuity is something unique in the world...the things we create for ourselves are, more often than not, beautiful. Before we completely tear our world apart, at least some of us have given our cities and concrete jungles many reasons to shine. Sure we took the nicest, most forgiving natural environments out there and paved over them, but we still managed to create some neat things that are a testament to our ingenuity and creativity. It's not all bad everyone, and I encourage all to go find those places that take your breath away, natural or man-made. They're out there, and deserve a moment of your appreciation.

I made a promise to myself a few months back. About a year after returning to LA after a few years away at school, I started to feel a little stagnant. Tried the school thing again and it kinda sucked...got a great job, but still felt unfulfilled. I was older, however, and had a small income.

So on to the promise. I solemnly swore to explore my hometown, to take a look around and see what a tourist might see on his/her first visit to the Southwest corner of this great country. I realize that Angelinos are among the most privileged people around (it is, after all one of the few places where a pad 30 miles from the city center still costs $500k), and that there are tons of amazing things to see on an everyday basis. Throw in some weekend trips and so much is within reach. I surprised myself within the first month, and I finally know why Anthony Bourdain loves his show so much. Fucker, he has the life.

#1 Downtown Los Angeles

It seemed the logical place to start exploring, considering proximity, my office, and free parking. The anti-nature, sure, but I had to start somewhere. Plus, is there nothing more natural than the thousands of people moving back and forth through city streets like ants underground? The city is at once the furthest and closest thing to man in his natural state. We construct artificial towers of concrete and glass with manufactured pieces...yet is there anywhere many of us feel more at home?

Downtown LA is full of great shops, bars, and eats, for it's as much a big-city downtown as any other. Forget anyone that says LA's Downtown is lacking; like any other LA neighborhood, it has a flow that takes some time to get used to, but yields big rewards. I started with a leg up considering I'm there 4-5 times a week anyway, but from Little Tokyo, everything is accessible - the Old Bank District, the Arts District, Gallery Row, Civic Center, Financial District, Chinatown, Bunker Hill, and more.

Exploring Downtown is cake. Not only is the place accessible by the 10, 110, 101, and 5 freeways, multiple bus lines and three different metro rail lines converge here. Downtown even has its own internal bus line, the Dash, which costs all of a quarter to ride anywhere. Or walk..cause you'll never see or notice more than when you're aimlessly strolling.

Spend the day here and check out some of Historic Downtown's buildings, most of which have been here for more than a century. Despite the fact that most have been converted to lofts for lawyers and screenwriters, these buildings can still instill a sense of wonder and awe, especially for being constructed more than 100 years ago.

The Pacific Electric Building houses Cole's French Dips and two bars - The Varnish and the Association, swanky spots with good (albeit expensive) cocktails...

The Eastern Building, with its turquoise walls and giant clock...

But few are more spectacular than the Bradbury Building on Third Street. An unassuming building from the outside, the red brick building was constructed in 1893. It was renovated in the 90's and today looks amazing, at least from the inside.

There are tons of things happening in Downtown and the best way to take it all in would have to be the monthly Art Walk, which happens on the second Thursday of each month. Thousands take to the streets after work to enjoy drinks and the many galleries that now line the old financial district. I completely recommend checking out some local bars and eateries as well, from bacon donuts at Nickel Diner to ramen at Daikokuya, whiskey at Seven Grand to $3 Hoegaardens at Golden Gopher on Tuesdays. And there's always Wurstkuche and the famous Phillipes...

I could go on...but there really isn't a good way to explain. Just make the trip one of these days and see what's happening...it may be surprising.