Thoughts on Washington, D.C.

January 21, 2013 Leave a comment

It’s been far too long since I’ve written anything here. Mainly because I’ve been busy traveling a lot (In fact, I’m sitting in a hotel lobby in Aspen right now), but when I travel, I ride transit and I explore. And when I ride transit and explore cities and towns, I always end up with things to write about.

I spent a week in Washington, D.C. back in December, working on the National Christmas Tree Lighting. It was the first show I’ve ever worked where the production office had a metro map in it so that staff knew how to get around. I had some time to do exploring on my own in the evening or during breaks, so here’s what I thought…

Airport

The arrivals level of Dulles Airport is one the best I’ve ever seen. Architecture firm Gensler has promoted the idea of arrivals being on the top level (at most airports, arrivals are below departures) so that you welcome visitors to your city with wider views and a typically nicer atmosphere compared to the loud and cramped pickup areas, under an overhang, you get at most airports. For backend airport operations it’s typically easier to have arrivals on the lower level, but Dulles Airport accomplishes the open, clean, welcome feeling of an upper level, while still actually being on the lower level.

This is the view upon exiting the arrivals area at Dulles Airport. Nice, wide, and open (not underneath an upper level).

This is the view upon exiting the arrivals area at Dulles Airport. Nice, wide, and open (not underneath an upper level).

When I first exited the airport, I was amazed and thought I was on top. I could see for miles, above the central parking garages and in the open air. It wasn’t until I followed the entrance road around with my eyes that I realized the departures level actually was above me… but it was also BEHIND me.

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Three Suggestions for Grand Park

October 30, 2012 1 Comment

I reviewed the first section of Grand Park back when it opened this summer, but now the whole park is finally open. It’s been a few weeks and I’ve been able to spend some evenings and afternoons at Grand Park — relaxing, reading, or sitting in the shade and talking on the phone. I have also attended some of the programmed events at the park (Dance Downtown, CicLAvia…).

I thought it was about time to review the park again with some of my new thoughts now that it’s completely open.

First of all, I love Grand Park. I think it’s a great civic space, as well as a wonderful amenity for those (like myself) who live nearby. I know that a lack of grass was a common complaint with the first section, but the opening of the third section has effectively assuaged my fears there. I realize the court of flags is mostly concrete, but it’s still a neat area to walk around, and I’ve been able to find my own little shady spot to sit on the grass on multiple occasions. It’s sort of the pass-through area between the other ends of the park (anchored by the large event lawn on one end and fountain on the other), but I think it also serves as a more calm and private section of the park for those wanting to stake out a little spot and relax. The flags are a cool civic monument–something Los Angeles often seems to lack compared to other cities.

Also, I’m just dying to have a huge neighborhood dinner party on the large wooden table (which I think might actually be an exhaust vent for below, but I’m not sure).

I envision enjoying an amazing community meal with all of my friends around this large wooden table.

The three sections of the park make a very effective whole when put together, but they’re still clearly split into three disjointed sections, which brings me to my three suggestions:

• Connect the Sections
• Open the City Hall Spring Street Entrance
• Don’t Overprogram the Space

Read on for explanations of each… Read more of this post

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Who Says LA’s Not a Football/Transit Town?

September 6, 2012 Leave a comment

When I think of the great things that have happened in my world so far this year, there are a few that immediately come to mind… Aside from getting engaged (which obviously tops the list), it’s hard not to recognize the greatness of the Metro Expo Line opening and the USC football season starting.

When the Expo Line opened in April, it dramatically changed the way I commute to work from Downtown LA to Culver City. It gave me time to read every day, something I had seriously been missing, and put me on my bike at the end of the ride, getting me out in the beautiful Los Angeles weather, if only for a few minutes each day. It also saved me a ton of gas money, stress, and wear & tear on my car. And it wasn’t just for work, I’ve written before about some of the great adventures I’ve had on the Expo Line. Ridership is already above predictions for this point in time, and on it’s way to meeting projections far into the future. It’s crowded even late into the night… And yet people say LA isn’t a transit town.

An Expo Line train with a USC Football ad waits at 7th Street / Metro Center Station.

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Grand Park: Half-Way There

August 1, 2012 1 Comment

LA’s newest park opened this week with a splash (literally… there were tons of people, myself included, splashing around in the fountain’s membrane pool), but it’s only half way there.

I say this not to be negative, but because the park is actually only half open. The first two blocks (which are really contiguous as one) opened this week, but the final two will open later in the fall.

It’s hard to accurately judge the park before it’s completely open, but I’d like to give a quick review anyway.

With the lighted fountain and City Hall in the background, Grand Park feels like the open, public, and civic space Los Angeles had been missing.

First of all, I love the park. It’s been compared to Central Park in New York and Millennium Park in Chicago, with some push back from those involved in making it happen as well as those who are critical of the new park. Instead of focusing on “this one’s larger” or “this one has more art” and similar specifics, though, I think that the parks all accomplish a similar thing regardless of how different they may actually be. Its still opening week and the awe hasn’t worn off, but I’ve spent one afternoon and another evening at the park and it’s been full of people walking around, sitting at tables, reading, eating, playing in the fountain, taking pictures, and more both times. What the park does is give residents, employees, tourists, and anyone else a place to relax, a place to come together for events, a place to enjoy the beautiful weather, and a place to sit and appreciate the city. In this way, the park is very much like both Central Park and Millennium Park.

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