The Big Moveoutski

Metro Express Line 445 - Pacific Ave / 3rd

I have to admit, I’m a bit of a beach nut. I need to be near the water, which is why I spent so much time in West Los Angeles and Santa Monica.

You haven’t heard from me in quite some time. Well, that is because I’ve been in the process of moving. It takes a long time for a little squirrel to move across town, even with my bus pass.

I found this little town called San Pedro. It is just across the water from Long Beach. From my new place I can walk down to the harbor and visit the sea gulls, or check out the starfish. I can ride the old Red Cars on the weekends, and even go for hikes around the cliffs. And I can still catch the bus and be downtown in about thirty minutes (my bus stop even has its own burger joint, which is a coffee shop in the morning).

It’s a pretty nice little area, perfect for me. And while there are plenty of locals, not very many people in Los Angeles know very much about San Pedro.

You know how much I like telling you about places you haven’t explored.

The only downside is that there aren’t as many trees here as there were in West LA. But I’m working on that too.

Nat’l Park

Metro Rapid 704 – Bundy Drive

So, you ask me, how does it feel to be a national hero, to have your home transformed into a National Park and people worshipping the sidewalks you walk down?

Good, I say. It feels pretty darn good.

That’s right. My home, or at least the adjacent traffic triangle, has been declared an official Islands of LA Nat’l Park.

But, you might ask, what is an Islands of LA Nat’l Park?

Well, according to the art project, Islands of LA, little traffic islands have been declared National Parks as "a symbol of the treasure of everyday urbanism in our unique democracy". Their artistic antics are designed to, like most urban art, provide the inspiration for discussion and an examination of how we use the materials – or, in this case, public spaces – and encourage interaction. The Islands of LA designation was announced with the placement of commemorative signs, such as the one gracing my park, at 200 different traffic islands across LA.

Alongside their Islands of LA project, they have also participated in Newtown’s Hugely Tiny Festival with a little traffic island float, placed signs encouraging art and passed out mini-postcards of Traffic Island.

The oddities surrounding my little park (fenced in to keep out you pesky humans!) have been the subject of other public art stunts in the past, including Heavy Trash’s Stair to Park project.

I’m just glad to finally get the recognition I so clearly deserve.

Next stop, commemorative coins.

Home is a little slice of heaven

Welcome to my slice of the pie. It is a short runway strip of grass created by the unruly nature of Santa Monica Blvd, which is one of those rare streets which refuses to conform to the straight lines of city planning grids.

It was probably created because no one knew what else to do with a spare triangle of curb, since there's already a Starbucks across the street.

It is also nicely gated, and locked at all times, to keep pesky humans out.

Sometimes I miss the standard park fixtures - little old ladies who pass out peanuts, grubby kids who drop their sandwiches - but not enough to give up having the whole place to myself. Most squirrels I know don't get that kind of luxury.

The only human disturbance I see at home is from the city's gardeners who trim the grass, rake the leaves, and keep the whole place looking Mr. Clean (which I bet is a lot easier to do in a park with no people; even the bums forgo their native park bench habitat to sleep across the street on the lawns and alleys of apartments-turned-condos, on account of this fabulous fence).

The bars do tend to give the place a touch of Alcatraz, which I is pretty trendy at the moment. Personally, I would prefer something a little less black. Perhaps I can convince the city to paint them. Does anyone know how to write an urban beautification project work order? And how long do you suppose it would take to fulfill?

Let's Ride

I must be nuts not to own a working car in the city infamous for its Freeways and interchanges, Gas(tronomical) prices and SUVs.

You know, the city where nobody walks.

At least, that's what everyone tells me.

I can't say that I mind so much. I live just outside the "City" of Santa Monica, which is entirely indistinguishable from every other "City" within the urban sprawl known as Los Angeles. I work, sorting nuts, in an office that's a bit west of Downtown, a bit North of Koreatown, and doesn't exactly have a "town" to call its own.

I pay a whopping $2 $12 a month for my transportation. All of it. My boss pays for the rest of the $52 $62 monthly pass.

I love LA.

Update: The monthly fare is now $62, as of May 2007