North Hollywood → Silverlake Saturday Adventure [via Frog Town]

May 22, 2011

North Hollywood → Silverlake Saturday Adventure [via Frog Town]

North Hollywood → Silverlake Saturday Adventure.
Via Frog Town

May 21, 2011

So, I am living in LA again and I am so happy here. I have my best friend, good weather, great food, lots of different kinds of humans, different neighborhoods with different flavors, bikes, everything I need to be super happy.

Weekends in LA are so fucking fun. There is always something fun to do, usually for cheap or for free. Especially when the weather is nice. This Saturday was particularly interesting and fun.

Drive 20 miles from Santa Clarita to North Hollywood.

Park in some random urban residential area of NoHo. In front of someone's house. Owner comes out, lets bunnies and chickens out of their cages. Dope. I say hi.
Bike from NoHo to Silverlake. 15 miles. Now this was an adventure. First, biking through sleepy NoHo was nice. There is a bike path called the Chandler Bikeway which runs through NoHo and Burbank. It runs through the NoHo arts district, which is pretty cool. The walls near the bike path are covered in beautiful murals.

It was Saturday and I was surprised that there weren't more cyclists, etc. out. But, there were a few and that was pleasant.

Biking between Burbank and Glendale is super interesting and weird. There is an equestrian center...and I did see two people riding horses. I'm like, what?!@$%!!!?? I thought I was in Los Angeles.

I got on the LA river bike path...which runs along the 5 for the most part. It is slightly desolate at points, very intriguing and calming in a very urban way. I am glad it exists.
I ended up not getting off at the right spot on the bike path and went way too far. I asked a nice looking couple on the other side of the path where I was and the man (young, maybe 33) responds with a smile and says,
“This is called Frog Town”

My jaw dropped. FROG TOWN?? FML.

“Ummmm...ok....do you know how I can get onto Riverside? My directions say to get off on Riverside; maybe I should just listen to my directions and keep going?”

“Uhhh...it will be more of this [nothing] and it will lead you pretty much to Highland Park/Pasadena”
I felt like the rapture was really coming.
“Alright, thanks man.”

I get off the bike path and wander through some [seemingly] all Mexican neighborhood where I see a park hosting a full-on quinciniera with a bounce house. I wander, so totally lost...just knowing that I should probably get back on the bike path, going the opposite direction. BUT, I wanted to make sure I knew where to get off to get to Silverlake. SO! I ask a young Mexican man if he knows the area and he gives me excellent, kind directions towards Silver Lake. Very nice guy.
So then I enter Silver Lake. Get lost a couple times. Ask nice Mexicans and nice white people how to get places. All went well.
I get to the Silverlake Jubilee and it's fun. There are happy hip white people everywhere and good food truck, uh course. I listen to music, get free shit, camp out on the ground by myself. Read a little, people watch, eat lunch.

Then, I got to see Ximena Sarinana perform for the first time. I have seen and heard of her everywhere, and people sure do love her. I can see why; she is this adorable blue eyed young looking Mexican girl [who is actually 24, er something]. I honestly wasn't that impressed by her...but I can see why people love her. Plus, I got to meet her and her cutie pie brother Sebastian before they played [he is in her band, and he has his own band called Tan y Yo] and they were total sweeties.
Then, I met up with my best girlfriend, who is the best human. 'Nuff said.
Ceci Bastida performed after Ximena and she was great as usual. She is pretty much a bad-ass, and I am so glad that she is LA-based now cause I will get to she her perform all the time.

Photos!

Then, Mad and I biked back up to the valley together. It was so quick and fun going with my best friend, who knows her way around well. (She grew up here). Biking back was a good choice; were considering just taking the Red Line back up. I am bummed I didn't have my camera all day. Sorry guys!

And the day before yesterday [Friday] was so cool too. I went on a downtown LA bike ride with a bunch of mostly young Latino male cyclists...and got to see all of downtown for the first time. I had just gone to a job interview and got the job. I biked in my interview clothes. Hell yeah. Here are some photos.