Experiencing L.A. at the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook

On Super Bowl Sunday back in 2010 I took my family over to the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook here in Los Angeles. The Baldwin Hills are a distinctive outcropping of hills several hundred feet high south of the 10 (Santa Monica) Freeway, and east of the 405 (San Diego) Freeway.


The Scenic Overlook is a newly opened 50 acre park located in the heart of urban Los Angeles and is part of of the California State Park system. The entrance is located on West Jefferson Blvd.


There are trails leading to the top, but we opted for the stairs that go straight up the side of the hill.


The stairs are fairly steep and are a good little work out. Here's a link to some on-line reviews from yelp.com.


Almost to the top - we could see people at the overlook.


As it was Super Bowl Sunday, I was surprised how many people were out and about doing other want things. This group is enjoying the view, with downtown Los Angeles in the background. If you to enjoy the view without the hike, you can drive to the top (parking = $6).


It had rained the day before, so I was really hoping that there would be snow on the San Gabriel Mountains behind the Hollywood Hills. For whatever reason, that was not the case. Still, a pretty amazing view, including the Hollywood Sign.


The Scenic Overlook is one of the best - perhaps THE best - view in Los Angeles. Unlike the overlooks at the Griffith Observatory or the Getty Center, the Baldwin Hills Overlook faces north, with sweeping views of downtown, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Westwood, Santa Monica and the Pacific Ocean. All framed by the Santa Monica and San Gabriel Mountains.


My daughter trying out the camera she got for Christmas.

Looking out over Los Angeles with my family, I'm reminded of the question posed in Jonah 4:11 - "should I not be concerned about that great city?"

I appreciate and am deeply challenged by what New York City based pastor and New York Times bestselling author Tim Keller has shared on this passage. Here's a link - I found it worth listening to.

My son taking a photo of the city, with downtown L.A. in the background.

Baldwin Hills is also the name of a television show on BET (Black Entertainment Network). Baldwin Hills has been referred to as "Black Beverly Hills" due to the large concentration of African American professionals and celebrities who've lived in the community.

Heading back down towards our car.

Two unique aspects to Los Angeles are the weather and the topography:

Mediterranean climate is only found in four other places on earth: the Mediterranean basin (hence, the name), western and south Australia, southwestern South Africa, and part of central Chile. Mediterranean climate means mild winters and warm, dry summer. No complaints here: it's pretty ideal.

In terms of topography, metro Los Angeles has six major mountain ranges: the Santa Susannas, the San Garbriels, the San Bernardinos, the Santa Anas, the Palos Verdes, and the Santa Monica Mountains. In addition, there are numerous smaller features like Baldwin Hills. FYI, the "Hollywood Hills" are really just part of the Santa Monica Mountains.

The kids had a "good attitude" marching up and down the stairs, so we stopped off in Culver City at a 7/11 for a little treat.

Some things (a trip to 7/11) are definitely not unique to Los Angeles.

View Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook in a larger map

Here's a link to the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook website with more information.

© 2012 www.experiencingla.com - originally posted 2/7/2010

.

Experiencing L.A. - January at the Beach

I love this picture - it's one of my favorite photographs of Los Angelels. I have a framed copy hanging above my desk.

With the Santa Monica Mountains in the distance, I'm not sure where else in the world you could get a similar vista.

The exact same spot, minus the zoom lense.

I took these photographs on Super Bowl Sunday in 2007. In that we never had network or cable T.V. while living in Los Angeles, Super Bowl Sunday was a great day to take our kids to the beach. Too cold to swim, but they enjoyed splashing around in the water.

What was surprising was how many people were out and about, not watching "the big game."

Maybe not as big of a deal in L.A.

View Ocean Park Beach, Santa Monica in a larger map

© 2012 www.experiencingla.com - originally posted 1/31/2009

.

Super Bowl Sunday: Just Another Day at the Beach?

As we approach yet another Super Bowl Sunday, it's a reminder of something Los Angeles doesn't have: a professional football team.

I like what Steve Dilbeck, columnist with the Daily News wrote a few months back:

"The NFL hasn't played here since 1994, a staggering amount of time when you consider this is the second-largest market in the country.

Since then there have been stadium proposals to rebuild the Coliseum, to build new stadiums on land around Dodger Stadium, Carson, Hollywood Park, Anaheim, the Rose Bowl, near Staples Center, and, I'm pretty sure, on a barge outside L.A. Harbor.

Each had its glossy presentations. Each promised to be the one. Each went down in flames."

You can read the rest of Steve's article (and yet the latest attempt to bring a NFL team to Los Angeles) at http://www.dailynews.com/ci_8965407

Here's a quick overview of some of the NFL stadiums that have been proposed over the years:


Here's an interesting re-do of the L.A. Memorial Coliseum.


Another view of the same (or slightly different?) proposal at the Coliseum.


A 2003 proposal for a NFL stadium at the Rose Bowl (which never got off the ground).


Billionaire Ed Roski - who brought Los Angeles the Staples Center - is currently the biggest backer of a new stadium for Los Angeles. His most current proposal is on land he owns east of Los Angeles in the City of Industry (at the 60 & 57 frwys). He's not asking anything from taxpayers; this could actually go somewhere.

A couple of years ago my wife and I decided to take our kids to the beach on Super Bowl Sunday. It was a nice sunny day (ironically, the beach can be sunnier here in January than June) and we figured the beach and bike path would be empty as most people would be watching the game.

Wrong. The bike path and Venice Beach Boardwalk with packed with people doing everything except watching the "big game." I'm sure there were people watching the Super Bowl somewhere in Los Angeles - but you wouldn't know it if you went to the beach.


The water was chilly - but plenty of people were walking along the shore.


The Santa Monica Pier was packed - doesn't anyone watch the Super Bowl in this town?

Is it just me, or is Los Angeles just not a "football town"? I'm sure that could change, but at least here on the westside, I don't hear people asking "why don't we have a pro team?" (Maybe I would if I spent more time in sports bars.) Hard to believe, but greater Los Angeles use to have not one but two NFL teams at the same time: the Rams and the Raiders. The NFL just doesn't seem to be part of the DNA of Los Angeles like it is in other cities.

So, what comes first? A groundswell of public interest to have a team here - or the hope that a new stadium and team will draw fans?

A NFL franchise certainly doesn't need public money (in the form of a tax-payer subsidized stadium) to be here. As a Christian, I'm curious how God views what's described as "corporate welfare" - which is certainly not limited to professional football. Chuck Colson, who has developed an extensive ministry among prisoners here in the U.S. and abroad has spoken on this, including this commentary written several several years ago: http://www.breakpoint.org/listingarticle.asp?ID=3807. I like to think this is something people from a wide spectrum of religious (or non-religious) backgrounds can actually agree on.

Here's hoping that a NFL team will make someday make Los Angeles their home - on their own dime.

Who knows, places like the beach might be a bit less crowded on Sundays.