Rio de Los Angeles State Park or My Birthday Project #5

I did this last week, so I still haven't missed a week (he pats himself on the back),and this is it. I visited the all-new Rio de Los Angeles state park. It's on 40 acres of a former railroad yard (Taylor Yard) that a diverse coalition of groups worked to save from being turned into warehouses. Now, it's soccer fields, baseball fields, trails and standard kiddie park equipment. A real green oasis in the middle of a city that's starved for green oasis and another step towards making Los Angeles more liveable and more environmentally friendly. This and the new cornfield park in Chinatown and the finally approved and emerging emerald necklace that will be designed around the resurgence and reclamation of the Los Angeles river is something that the city, county and state leaders and the people can be proud of. Visit it!

Here are some snapshots.

L.A.'s Main Street

A lot of people might argue that L.A.'s main street is Wilshire Blvd. I might even believe it, but at the same time, it could be Sunset Blvd. Certainly, it travels the same distance, through many of the same neighborhoods and crosses the city in almost every way conceivable. Still, Sunset is evocative. Check out the Faces of Sunset. I think you'll agree.

Los Angeles River

What once was can be again. There is a man who is determined to kayak the entire length of the river. There is soft bottom and vegetation. There is FOLAR. There are the hopes and aspirations of a new generation. Read this touching story of a family's adventure in the river that runs through Los Angeles.