Connect with us

Lifestyle

Walk on, L.A.! Why you should absolutely explore the city by foot — and how to do it

Published

on

Walk on, L.A.! Why you should absolutely explore the city by foot — and how to do it

When it comes to “walkability,” L.A. gets a bad rap. To the weekend visitor, our city can seem like a maze of twisting freeways and roads built for cars, walled off to pedestrians. But those who really know L.A. can tell you it’s a pleasure to stroll through, replete with blooming bougainvillea, rich history and street vendors and shops. You just have to know where to look.

Lucky for you, we’ve put together a guide for exactly that. Discover the essential walking paths that will show you the best of L.A. Get to know local groups and leaders who are fusing community and exercise. Learn about the vast stretch of culture contained on one 27.4-mile boulevard. And connect with personal stories about the power of a good walk.

We’ll be publishing new stories on walking L.A. all week. C’mon, it’s time to get moving.

— Alyssa Bereznak, Wellness Editor

Advertisement
Photo of Rodeo Drive with an illustration of giant-sized person walking along the street.

From the Venice Boardwalk to Rodeo Drive and Boyle Heights’ Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard, these walks allow you to experience L.A.’s streets and sidewalks by foot.

Advertisement
Illustrated red converse shoes flexing
GLENDALE, CA - OCTOBER 11, 2024: Michael Schneider founded the Great Los Angeles Walk in 2006. The walk leads hundreds of Angelenos along the full length of an iconic boulevard each year. The 19th edition of the Great Los Angeles Walk returns on Saturday, November 23, 2024. (Robert Hanashiro / For The Times)

Michael Schneider founded the Great Los Angeles Walk in 2006. Now in its 19th year, it’s still going strong.

LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 21, 2024 - A young visitor looks out over MacArthur Park Lake towards downtown Los Angeles on August 21, 2024. His father was just outside of frame. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)

Do you have a favorite neighborhood, trail or secret pathway to walk in Los Angeles? The Times wants to hear from you.

Advertisement
Illustrated tan Birkenstock sandals flexing
Colorful illustration of four giant people walking in an L.A.-based city and landscape

How walkable is your L.A. neighborhood? Consult our admittedly biased, wholly unscientific ranking that goes way beyond the numbers.

Advertisement
Illustrated pink and white new balance tennis shoes flexing
Photo collage of an industrial bridge over river, a pier, an astronaut mural, a street vendor cart and brunette person waving

Washington Boulevard runs from Whittier to Venice and is filled with every type of Angeleno. Walking it provided me with a genuine slice of life in L.A., a city I love.

Santa Monica, CA - November 03: Achilles Los Angeles guide Heather Cox, left, walks with Hsiu-ling Chang, center and Chae Won, right, during nonprofit walking/running group's monthly meetup on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024 in Santa Monica, CA. The organization pairs people with disabilities with able-bodied people to walk in groups. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

These exercise-based social clubs cater to every interest and skill level — from stairclimbing to slow walking — and almost all them are free.

Advertisement
Illustrated blue Adidas tennis shoes flexing
Photo collage of 5 tall vertical images side by side of views from a hiking trail in L.A., and a woman posing on a mountain top

This solo hike has helped me process life’s hardest moments and become a staple of my life in L.A. After walking it over and over again, I feel more connected to nature — and myself.

Advertisement
Illustrated green Teva sandals flexing
two photos of a little free library, flipping back and forth

Plan your next walk around L.A.’s many Little Free Libraries, outposts found everywhere from Studio City to Pasadena that allow you to take a book and/or leave a book.

Advertisement
Pasadena, CA - October 08: Comedian Allan McLeod, left, walks and talks with actress Betsy Sodaro, right, as they cross a bridge at Hahamongna Watershed Park for his podcast, "Walkin' About" on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024 in Pasadena, CA. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Comedian Allan McLeod hosts “Walkin’ About,” a podcast that celebrates the “complex and profound” act of traveling by foot in and around Los Angeles.

Advertisement
Illustrated black Prada platform loafer shoes
Venice Beach on Sunday, October 27, 2024.

Want to explore L.A. foot but don’t know where to go? Here’s our complete collection of city walking guides

Advertisement

Lifestyle

Iris van Herpen Reaches for the Stars

Published

on

For Iris van Herpen, couture is a laboratory as much as a runway. Our chief fashion critic, Vanessa Friedman, takes us inside this Dutch designer’s latest Paris show — from sci-fi-inspired gowns to an audacious attempt at a dress made of charged plasma.

Continue Reading

Lifestyle

The BoF Podcast | Decoding Paris Haute Couture: Wonder, Restraint and the Call of the Void

Published

on

The BoF Podcast | Decoding Paris Haute Couture: Wonder, Restraint and the Call of the Void
Amidst a record-breaking heatwave, top brands and independent designers soldiered on, showcasing the creative obsessions and aesthetic shifts that defined the haute couture Autumn/Winter 2026 season. Imran Amed and Tim Blanks break it all down.
Continue Reading

Lifestyle

‘The Invite’ is a marriage comedy with sex and heart

Published

on

‘The Invite’ is a marriage comedy with sex and heart
What happens when a simple dinner party goes off the rails? That’s the premise of The Invite, a very good new comedy directed by Olivia Wilde. Wilde also stars alongside Seth Rogen as a couple who invite their neighbors over for a meal, played by Penelope Cruz and Edward Norton. And it’s a heck of a dinner party, full of frank talk about sex and its complications.If you like slightly absurd relationship comedies, check out these episodes:’Mr. & Mrs. Smith’ is a stylish take on spy marriageIn Tina Fey’s ‘The Four Seasons,’ marriage is far from a vacationConnect with Pop Culture Happy Hour:Letterboxd / FacebookOur weekly newsletterSupport Pop Culture Happy Hour+
Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending