Peaceful Places Los Angeles: 110 Tranquil Sites in the City of Angels and Neighboring Communities

by Laura Randall

Overview

During her 1930s screenwriting days in Hollywood, wordsmith Dorothy Parker famously pegged Los Angeles as "72 suburbs in search of a city." Today even more communities radiate from the downtown core, creating a metropolitan universe of noise, speed, and congestion amid the glitter and bling. Los Angeles--based author Laura Randall knows just where to go for some urban stress relief. The second in a new guidebook series spotlighting calming sites in major U.S. cities, Peaceful Places: Los Angeles serves up a medley of soothing sanctuaries, panoramic vistas, fragrant gardens, restorative hideaways, and unexpected urban oases. Altogether, the entries present a feast for all five of the senses -- not to mention the sixth sense, that perception that "this place quiets my soul."

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780897329019
Publisher:	Menasha Ridge Press
Publication date:	10/01/2010
Series:	Peaceful Places
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	300
File size:	5 MB

About the Author

A native of suburban Philadelphia, Laura Randall lived in Washington, D.C. and San Juan, Puerto Rico before moving to the Los Angeles area in 1999. Her byline can be found in a variety of newspapers and magazines, including the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post, Sunset magazine and the Christian Science Monitor. She is the author of Day&Overnight Hikes: Palm Springs (Menasha Ridge, 2008) and Eastern Pennsylvania: An Explorer's Guide (Countryman Press, 2008). The second edition of her book 60 Hikes within 60 Miles of Los Angeles (Menasha Ridge, 2009) builds on the popularity of the book's 2006 edition.

Read an Excerpt

Gallery at the End of the World

Altadena (Map 8)

Category: museums & galleries

The name of this small art gallery alone deserves a tip of the hat. But owner Ben McGinty has also turned it into a fabulously quirky hub for local art, conversation, and community events. So if your cup of peace sometimes includes mingling with a few artistic souls, this is the place to be.

Located in a Spanish tile-roofed house in the foothills north of Pasadena, the gallery hosts four multimedia art shows a year. Random events include Sunday salons and potluck barbecues. Sponsored by a co-op known as the Underground Arts Society, the art shows feature works by artists from all over L.A. Dogs are welcome, as are banjo players, sangria sippers, and anyone who wants to hang out for a while in an informal indoor-outdoor setting in the shadows of the San Gabriel Mountains. It’s a long trek to get here from West L.A. or the South Bay, so distance travelers might want to combine a visit with a stop at the equally quirky Rancho Bar next door or a sweet-tooth fix at Bulgarini Gelato up the street.

Essentials

• 2475 North Lake Avenue, Altadena, Ca 91001; Bulgarini Gelato, 749 East Altadena Drive, Altadena, Ca 91001
• GPS coordinates: N45° 42.876' W122° 49.234'
• [phone]
• galleryattheendoftheworld.com
• Free
• Times vary; call or check Web site for schedule
• Metro Bus local lines 180 or 267

Table of Contents

Dedication

Acknowledgments

The Author’s Story

Three Paths to 110 Peaceful Places

Peaceful Places by Category

Peaceful Places by Area

Maps

Peaceful Places Alphanumerically (page numbers listed below)

About the Author