Riding (and Writing About) the Streets of L.A.

For approximately a year, I gave up my car and forayed back to taking public transportation, a concept almost as foreign as walking in Los Angeles. Taking the 79 from suburbia to the heart of downtown, I was introduced to a Los Angeles that I knew existed but never witnessed. With each stop, there was a new member to our mobile representation of Los Angeles. As the grime and traffic increased, the skyline of Los Angeles became more evident, crystalline skyscrapers rising above the noise and pollution.

Los Angeles has layers. Everyone sees the disjointed communities, the smog, and the traffic. Yet, dig deeper, hidden is a plethora of cultures, cuisines, and communities that somehow meld together. Standing next to the starving artist is the corporate lawyer tied to his blackberry. Yet, it is a mistake to think that LA begins and ends downtown. The county lines reach from the ocean to the valleys. LA is growing and evolving constantly, and I am only beginning to explore it …loving every moment.