Went exploring parts of LA today, first on the train up to North Hollywood, then Universal City, and once again instead of coming up to a shopping centre or park or something interesting, instead it was just this big area of concreted area with very little shade (and today has been hot again). I am increasingly appreciating the places familiar to me in NZ & Australia where a cacophony of different shops & other things are within walking distance of each other. Not that here. On the corner of yet another very wide road or street will be 5 shops with no logic: one might be a starbucks but it could be a tyre repair centre or a giant pharmacy store. it's such a mish mash.
So given that I didn't want to walk a mile for the possibility (or not) of some nice shops, I left that area, and then headed downtown. I went to the library briefly then decided to have lunch at the Grand Central Market. Not as grand as Paddy's Market in Sydney and nothing like the amazing markets of Melbourne. The LA one is an institution but is not that big- probably 30 or 40 stands but a nice mix of foods including some Mexican stuff. I went for an Asian sweet & sour chow mein and pretty good value for about $5.50. After this I walked up Broadway, caught a bus, up to the legal area. The prospect of walking in the heat another mile just to get back to Broadway did not appeal, so I chanced a bus and traveled along Pico Blvd. Got off near Vermont Ave and have now come back to my familiar Vermont/Prospect/ Hollywood intersection Starbucks in Los Feliz. It is now later in the day, so the internet seems to be working faster than yesterday.
Strange thing I just spotted online about a murder in Hollywood as I was on my AU Yahoo account with a world news feed attached. And there's me thinking I'm in Hollywood! So I start reading and the murder by an actor & then his own death actually took place here in this area, Los Feliz! Yesterday...
http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/australian-news/14982446/actor-found-dead-in-hollywood-murder-mystery/