Walking In Los Angeles

Los Angeles resident Neil Hopper decides to explore L.A. on foot, and chronicles his weekly adventures.

1 minute read

September 16, 2004, 9:00 AM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen


Neil Hopper asked himself: 'Is it possible for a normal, sedentary human being to walk 10 miles in the city?'... "To find out, he walked from Hollywood to downtown. He walked to Burbank and to Pasadena. He bought walking shoes and anti-blister socks and spent his weekends taking on El Monte, Alhambra, Hermosa Beach and Cypress Park. Drawn to the big streets that cut through the city, he checked out Slauson Avenue, Eagle Rock Boulevard, Imperial Highway, San Fernando Road. Commercial strips that drivers register as blurs became distinct to him.

...So now he walks from home straight to the Red Line, gets off at Pershing Square or Union Station and takes a bus. He doesn't care which bus. He wants to go everywhere. He rides to the end of the line and walks from there — wherever there turns out to be."

Hopper chronicles his walks with photos and maps on his website, at http://www.walkinginla.com/: "This is my contribution to all the useless information on the Internet — some maps and photographic byproducts of my obsession with experiencing the greater Los Angeles area up close and personal."

Thanks to Chris Steins

Thursday, September 16, 2004 in The Los Angeles Times

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