My parents recently visited and we had a great couple of days packed with hikes, museums, and of course, lots of great meals. My Mom discovered there is a book on stairway walks in LA, and because I am my parents' daughter, I had previously checked it out from the library with the intent of trying a couple of them out. Dave and I went to Echo Park but got more distracted by the park than the walk. I picked it up again and my parents and went to Griffith Park because I had been thinking about doing a hike in the area anyways.
The public staircases were built in Los Angeles before everyone had a car. The city was well served by trolleys and streetcars, and much of the city is hilly. So the stairs were built in a number of older, hilly neighborhoods, which also happen to be some of the most lovely neighborhoods in the city (which makes sense. Homes on hills have great views!). Though most of that reliable public transportation seems to be gone, the neighborhoods are excellent for urban hiking, and the author has strung together a lot of walks where he not only tells you where to go, but gives you a history of the neighborhood and some of the interesting events or people that have populated it.
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| A "cottage" with Frank Lloyd Wright's Ennis House in the back |
This particular walk, in the Los Feliz neighborhood, included a mural along a stairway, a replica of a witch's cottage, an immense Frank Lloyd Wright house, the Griffith Observatory, and some time on hiking trails in Griffith Park!
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| The Hollywood sign and Griffith Observatory |
As we were setting out we noticed a couple getting out of their car with a very cute dog. We saw them again, about 45 min later, with the same book in hand and on the same route! I can't imagine there are many people doing these walks any day, let alone the same one at the same time. It was quite a coincidence.
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| Secret Stairs by Charles Fleming |
