# L.A. Natural - Downtown Commute



## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

I took a few from a downtown commute. Despite all my L.A. riding, it was my first run to downtown-proper. I chose a route that turned out to be fantastic. It was probably one of the quietest, easiest commutes I've ever had.

After work, I passed my turn-off and rode all the way into Santa Monica, where I spent my life-savings (not really) on clothes. My wife rode down to meet me for dinner, which was a first, as she doesn't ride by herself). After dinner, I stuffed all my REI-bought clothes (three pairs of pants, three shirts) into her Petro Zillia handlebar basket (I know, I'm sweet like that), and we rode back together.

_Wife: Those aren't all going to fit.
Me: You underestimate me._

35 miles total. I had a cough that basically kept me off the bike in January and February. I've ridden through many ailments, illnesses and injuries, but if you can't breathe, you can't breathe. It's nice to be getting the legs back.

Attached are 3 shots that I took , as well as birds-eye views of each (why not?).


*1) The Route*
Brentwood to Westwood via Wilshire, stop at a client. Westwood to Beverly Hills via Club View, Santa Monica, Charleville/Gregory, Beverly, stop at a client. Then the first long stretch. Beverly Hills to Downtown. Beverly back up to Olympic, to Crescent Heights, to Del Valle (I grew up in this neighborhood), across Fairfax to continue on 8th, all the way into downtown to Figueroa, then to my client on 3rd and Fig. For the way home, I took Flower down to Venice, Venice all the way into um, Venice (fought a headwind for 15-something miles), then Abbot-Kinney, Main, Colorado, 4th. Finally, Santa Monica to home via 3rd, Washington, Stanford, Montana, Bundy, Gorham and Westgate.

Too much detail? Eh. It was a great day!












*2) 8th Street, Just West of Union*
There was a hill going up to Union. I got to the top, crossed Union, and all of a sudden the skyscrapers from Downtown seemingly appeared out of nowhere, towering above all these one- and two-story buildings.





















*3) The Pantry*
A famous breakfast joint, right in Downtown near the Staples Center. On weekend mornings the lines to get in can be ridiculous. I've only actually eaten there twice, I think. A little touristy.

You can see from the red line where I veered off the road to stop and take the pic. Sadly, the Pantry never made it into _Landmarks at Lunch_, a site I started when I got my first camera.





















*4) Figueroa and Wilshire*
Figueroa was a little more hectic than what I'm used to, mainly because there was fast-moving -- though conjested -- traffic, and it's a big, one-way boulevard. I hung out on the left side, since my client was on the left several blocks up. But I'm not used to having cars pass me on the right, and they passed often, close and fast. Plus, at the major crossings there are usually two left-turn lanes, with all the traffic trying to get on the Harbor Freeway, so I was right in the middle of all that merge action. Ah well, it wasn't a big deal. Just wasn't expecting it. Next time I do this route I'll probably merge the 7 lanes or whatever over to the right, then merge back when I get to 3rd.

Meanwhile, the tall buildings were wreaking havoc with my Garmin, that over-priced waste of money that some might mistake for a bike computer. As you can see from the satellite pic, I apparently turned hard-right into a building, rode up the elevator on my bike (think True Lies, substitute horse/motorcycle for bike), got to the roof, jumped from the roof, across Wilshire and over a couple more buildings to the rooftop of a building across the street, jumped again to the invisible scaffolding on the side of the building across 6th, then rode along the sides of buildings for three more blocks. Go Garmin!


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

It just doesn't look like SoCal should.

Where is the beach, where is the smog, where are the starlets?

Are you sure that ain't Pittsburg?


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## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

ah, The Pantry... the line may be long, but it moves quickly... just don't tell me you got a Tommy Burger for lunch or 2am snack


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## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

FatTireFred said:


> just don't tell me you got a Tommy Burger for lunch or 2am snack


Did you say Tommy's?


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## jrm (Dec 23, 2001)

*A double chili cheese..*



DrRoebuck said:


> Did you say Tommy's?


great hangover remedie


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## northcoast (Jul 11, 2003)

Great report, Roebuck. Yep, I fight that headwind to the west on Venice everyday. I only have to go to about Fairfax, though. Then I head north. My commute takes me through downtown, and for some reason I love this freeking city.

Later,


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## The Walrus (Apr 2, 2000)

_Are you sure that ain't Pittsburg?_

Hey! There's no need to be insulting!


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## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

northcoast said:


> Yep, I fight that weadwind to the west on Venice everyday. I only have to go to about Fairfax, though. Then I head north.


Yup ... that wind got worse the closer I got to the ocean.

I was actually thinking about you that day and wondering if it drove you nuts.


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## The Walrus (Apr 2, 2000)

Ah, the sanctum sanctorum! Suddenly, it seems that I need to make a pilgrimage over the hill to pay my respects to the memory of Mr. Koulax--double chili cheeseburger with extra onions and some chili fries. Classic gutbomb, indeed.


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## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

if you don't see that shack, take it back!


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## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

northcoast said:


> Great report, Roebuck. Yep, I fight that headwind to the west on Venice everyday. I only have to go to about Fairfax, though. Then I head north. My commute takes me through downtown, and for some reason I love this freeking city.
> 
> Later,



Fairfax? is Canter's still there? oy


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## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

FatTireFred said:


> Fairfax? is Canter's still there? oy


I think that'll always be there.


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## northcoast (Jul 11, 2003)

*Funny you mention it...*



FatTireFred said:


> Fairfax? is Canter's still there? oy


...but I just happen to have a pic of some Canter's pastrami. Good stuff


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## dingster1 (Jul 2, 2006)

Cool!!!


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## aosty (Apr 9, 2004)

Thanks a lot 

I had to hit Johnnie's (on Sepulveda) today.




northcoast said:


> ...but I just happen to have a pic of some Canter's pastrami. Good stuff


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## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

northcoast said:


> ...but I just happen to have a pic of some Canter's pastrami. Good stuff


Hmmmm. I haven't had Canter's in a long time, but how does it compare to Art's in Studio City? That's one of my favorite places.


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## Mapei (Feb 3, 2004)

Walrus & Roebuck, just go to Brent's Deli on Parthenia, between Tampa and Winnetka. It's one of the few instances where the Zagat Guide has it right. Canters may have more character, but as Chairman Kaga might say, "in the LA deli universe, Brent's Reigns Supreme!"


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## The Walrus (Apr 2, 2000)

I dunno--delis seem so...so..._refined_ compared to my preferred sort of eateries. I'm more accustomed to something primal, like Tommy's, or better yet, The Bucket. Maybe I'll just hop on the train tomorrow and head downtown to Olvera St. and get some _tacos de papa_ at that one stall...or head up the street after the lunch rush to Philippe.

Besides, I'm afraid if I ever went to a deli I'd break my perfect record and try some pastrami....


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## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

The Walrus said:


> ...or head up the street after the lunch rush to Philippe.
> Double-dipped, of course.





The Walrus said:


> Besides, I'm afraid if I ever went to a deli I'd break my perfect record and try some pastrami....


You really don't know what you're missing.


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## The Walrus (Apr 2, 2000)

I don't recall saying anything about double-dipping....

I sorta like the pork sandwich--get a side of cole slaw, put about half of that into the sandwich. Messy, but good. Hard to beat 9 cents for a cuppa coffee, too.

As for pastrami, I was so grossed out by the sandwich a friend was having many, many years ago that I swore I wouldn't touch the stuff. 55 pastrami-free years and counting....


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## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

The Walrus said:


> I don't recall saying anything about double-dipping....


Oh, ha, I was moving the quote tags around and put the closing tag in the wrong place. I was _suggesting_ getting your sandwich double-dipped.

55 years. That's a helluva streak.


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## ispoke (Feb 28, 2005)

*could do without the Pantry*



northcoast said:


> ...and for some reason I love this freeking city...


Me too. I think LA, especially downtown, is a sleeper when it comes to cycling. Me and Double-A always enjoy pedaling through LA, especially the morphing outskirts of downtown on the weekend when it's quiet. We're looking forward to the next Midnight Ridazzzz (how many z's?).

Tell ya what, though. The Pantry sucks. Went there for lunch the first time recently and was underwhelmed by the crowd, the wait, the a'hole waitor and the crappy food. Even if I were drunk I doubt I'd enjoy it. I've had better better meals and better worse meals. The Pantry is another example of a place to avoid due to undeserved celebrity in a culture that reveres such nonsense.

Sorry. Don't mean to offend...


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## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

Yeah, as I said in my O.P., not a big of the Pantry.


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## The Walrus (Apr 2, 2000)

Ahhhhh, that's why I hope we'll always have Phillippe. I was just never curious enough about the Pantry to go there, after learning that our stellar ex-Mayor and ex-Secretary-of-Education Dick Riordan is one of the Pantry's owners. 

Now, if there were any even remotely secure bike parking nearby, I'd slide on in to Clifton's Cafeteria and suck up some steam table comfort food....


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## Pigtire (May 26, 2004)

Nice photos. Dr. :thumbsup:


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## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

Pigtire said:


> Nice photos. Dr. :thumbsup:


Thanks!


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## The Walrus (Apr 2, 2000)

Roebuck, ispoke, Northcoast, Mapei, and anyone else not ashamed to admit you find much to enjoy about L.A.....dunno if you caught the article in yesterday's _Pravda_ about the German who's obsessed with L.A. architecture, and has a website with about 1,700 photos of a wide variety of houses, office buildings, movie palaces and whatnot (www.you-are-here.com). Check it out!

Link to the article: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationw...oll=la-headlines-columnone&ctrack=1&cset=true


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## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

Awesome site, Walrus. Thanks for the hook-up.


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## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

Btw, I got married here. Also the location of the last known sighting of Elizabeth Short a.k.a the Black Dahlia (great book; dreadful movie).


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