The changing face of downtown LA

I've been thinking a lot lately about our neighborhood here downtown and the place downtown Los Angeles has had in my life. As we look ahead and think about the best place for our family to grow it looks like downtown LA may not be the place for us. But thinking about moving makes me feel very nostalgic for this unexpected place I've come to call home.

The Wall Street Journal just dis a piece in their Homes section on how the area has changed from a gritty urban environment to a more gentrified destination spot. I first moved here almost 8 years ago when most people still considered the area dangerous and deserted. Especially as a young woman I had many people try to talk me out of it. I didn't know much about downtown at that time but what I did know is it had cheap housing and was something different. Some girlfriends of mine had found a huge loft space at the corner on 5th and Main and when they invited me to live with them I saw an opportunity for a new adventure. I didn't know then what a large part of my life those few block would become.

Craving bike culture

As mentioned the other day, there are great things about living in the middle of an urban area. On of them I didn't touch on too much was being able to bike everywhere. Los Angeles is famous for it's car culture, and for good reason. The city is so large and spread out that to experience it all you do have to spend time in your car. But, there are areas of the city that are self contained enough that to enjoy them all you need is a bike! Downtown LA is one of those areas.

A couple years ago D and I had dinner plans with some friends of ours who also live downtown. They are a little too far away to walk so we jumped in the car and drove the whole 6 minutes it took us to get to their place. That was when I realized we needed to get bikes, and once we did it felt like the whole city opened up to us! It was so quick and easy to get around, and it feels like a great way to experience the city. We even have the next CicLAvia, when roads are shut off from cars and open only for bikes, this Sunday.

But LA is only just starting to get a decent bike culture. We're starting to see more and more bike lanes being created, and more and more bikers on the streets. But bikers are still at a disadvantage. It makes me so jealous when I hear about places elsewhere in the world where bikes are considered a normal part of life, even family life! And while I know as a city we'll probably never be able to embrace bikes like they do in Amsterdam, but I'm hoping we'll keep getting closer and closer. And next for our family is to get an attachment for our bikes that will allow us to ride around with Pepper. I think she'll love it!

And how cute is this little bike accessory?! I want one.

Image via.

That's our courtyard!

One of the fun things about living in downtown LA is that our neighborhood is used for movies all the time. D and I will be watching a tv show and we'll see one of our local streets being used to substitute New York City, or really any urban area. We used to live across from the Farmers and Merchant Bank and that was used in films all the time, and even our building would show up often.

Almost 2 years ago we moved a few blocks away and we don't see film crews around nearly as much, so I was really excited to see our courtyard show up in one of the internet videos currently making the rounds! The lovely damsel in distress is rescued and brought literally to our doorstep :)

LACMA: An LA favorite

Walking through the Urban Light exhibit

This last weekend we visited one of my favorite places in Los Angeles: LACMA. It's a wonderful museum that has so much to offer, especially for a family with a little one. The Pepper loved it! We started the day with lunch (and drinks) at Ray's, a restaurant and bar with lovely outdoor seating. One of the best parts was that they have lounge seating so we were able to secure a nice big couch for the Pepper to crawl all over and roll-around on. She even flirted with some older boys (5 year olds) that were eating with their family on the other side of the couch.

This installation is something I knew would be fun for everyone. At first the Pepper was a little overwhelmed by being surrounded by all the long yellow things. But she then embraced it and walked all the way through to the other side.

The elevator at the BCAM (modern art wing) of LACMA is pretty amazing. It's huge! And a bit slow. But at least they give you something interesting to look at while you wait.

I'm a Richard Serra fan and it's always a treat to get to walk around this piece. I love that the museum gave it it's own gallery as the it allows you to enjoy the space and movement that Serra was exploring.

After exploring some more galleries we of course had to take a walk under the infamous Levitated Mass. I personally find this piece a little underwhelming but from eavesdropping on other visitors many people do get a thrill from walking underneath such a large suspended object.

It was such a lovely day. And we only experienced a small part! I want to come back for the James Turrell exhibit before it's over, and revisit the Medieval art collection which I haven't see in years. And we didn't have time to visit the Calder sculptures on this trip. But we'll certainly be back soon!

Because I'm happy!

As a resident of dowtown Los Angeles I am in love with Pharrell's new music video for "Happy". In the video Pharrel walks (and dances!) his way through LA involving what look to be local residents. The video has such a great genuine feel to it, and I think it speaks to what it feels like to walk the streets of my city. I think this video is a wonderful representation of LA urban culture. And if you want more, there is actually a 24 hours version you can watch here.