Walking in Los Angeles

Los Angeles is a big sprawling city that extends right to the edge of the mountains and holds all sorts of walks through landscapes including historic areas, shopping centers, beaches, religious sites, world-famous streetscapes, mountains, and streams.

At Fern Dell there is the option for a stroll through the shaded garden area by the stream or a longer venture uphill a mile to the Griffith Observatory. This is just one of many walks and hikes on the expansive grounds of Griffith Park. If a more strenuous activity like an honest-to-goodness hike is what you are looking for, also check out this Los Angeles hiking guide.

Ocean Front Walk at Venice Beach is home to muscle builders and roller skaters, along with a diverse and colorful cast of characters. The beach-side path and bikeway extends north to Santa Monica and south to Torrance Beach. A long list of beaches can be found at this Pacific beach guide.

Also in Santa Monica is the Third Street Promenade; these several blocks of Third Street have been turned into a shopping area and street-performer friendly pedestrian zone. It turns out that a lot of the "public spaces" (to use the term loosely) in Los Angeles are shopping areas.

Downtown has an interesting built environment and is small enough so you can explore sections by foot. The Historic Theater District is home to a host of colorful and bold old theaters in various stages of disrepair. (See this theater guide for more grand old movie palaces). The Los Angeles Conservancy offers downtown walking tours as well, one of which was the basis for this L.A. Art Deco Guide.

The Los Angeles Basin is also home to a wide variety of gardens, many more of which are listed in the Southland garden guide.

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