And here's an awesome panoramic stitching from and by a close someone who captured this and thankfully not the dumbstruck look of awe all across my face (click on image to fully view):
From ciclavia.org:
"Inspired by Ciclovía, the original, weekly street closure event in Bogotá, Colombia, CicLAvia opens LA streets to pedestrians and bicyclists, creating a temporary web of public space on which residents of Los Angeles can walk, bike, socialize, celebrate and learn more about their own city. On 4/10/11, 7.5 miles of roadways will temporarily close to car traffic and open for recreational purposes. From Boyle Heights to Downtown, MacArthur Park to East Hollywood, CicLAvia encourages Angelenos to not only make active use of their streets, but to rediscover the roadways and neighborhoods that too often go unnoticed in a car. Help open LA’s streets… take part in the second CicLAvia on 4/10/11."
The first CicLAvia that Los Angeles saw last October was quite an amazing sight and overall experience. I personally had never traveled on such normally busy streets in Los Angeles with as much ease. I had no idea what to expect other than approximately seven miles of streets were to be blocked off for bicyclists, skateboarders, rollerbladers, pedestrians, etc - anyone without a car. A purely by-foot/by-manpower experience. I had the best time, an understatement at best, and the high lasted for a number of days afterward. I particularly remember being in front of the Ronald Reagan State Building at 300 S Spring Street and being amazed that I was neither stressed or rushing to get somewhere. The weather was beautiful, and everyone was out with their friends and family - it was a great time to be without a car. For all the simplistic terms of phrase, it doesn't get more simple yet honest than this: I had the best time ever. Read more about it here.
So don't forget, the event is set to take place THIS SUNDAY. Take pictures, bring your friends and family - it's free! Double-task it as a cheap and active date, if you must. My friends and I went Metro but there's plenty of parking as needed (riders, check out the event's map and directions here for information on "bike pooling" and which lines will get you where) Check out ciclavia.org for the route and much, much more information.
Two more CicLAvia events have been confirmed for July 10th and October 10th this year. Until then, get out there on Sunday if you didn't have the opportunity to last year. Join me atop this brilliantly pink cotton candy cloud of a delightful vision sans cars already.
