LAist: Win Tickets to Robert Plant & Alison Krauss @ The Greek Theatre, June 23 & 24

dkresse

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 20:10:25 -0800

Bill Nye was the official race starter for the Run for Green LA 5k at Griffith Park November 4, 2000. Fun race, and a great chance for my daughters to meet Bill Nye--someone who made science interesting and exciting for them!

jonnyz

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 18:15:26 -0800

You can rent bicycles just off of Los Feliz Blvd on the East side to tour the park! Griffith Park Bicycle Rental 4730 Crystal Springs Dr. (Rangers Station Parking Lot) Los Angeles, CA 90027 (323) 653-4099

LAmeg

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 18:11:54 -0800

one of my creepiest LA moments was when we used one of the parking lots in Griffith Park for crew parking. after we wrapped, we had to find our cars in the pitch black lot surrounded by the cries of coyotes. i swear you could see little glowing eyes in the dark. in happier thoughts, i love the fact that you can take your dog on the kiddie train ride. so much fun!

music junkie

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:25:00 -0800

...depending on how hungry you are (or how much you like to play bumpercars in the stacked parking) a great way to start off a Greek/Griffith Park evening is to head to Palermo's, get some amazing and authentic food (mmm...Pizza Rosa) and then hoof it up there. you'll probably pay for your meal with the $$$ you save paying for the "privilege" of getting your car blocked in. also, the coffee bean on hillhurst rocks! looks to be a great show, hope i win!!!

claudian

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 13:57:33 -0800

In the book Girls Like Us, I read that after the U.S. entered WWII, the Greek was used as a barracks for military personnel.

heavymeta

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 08:59:24 -0800

One of the loveliest (and healthiest) places to grab a bite in Griffith Park is the yummy and picturesque "Trails Cafe" - just up Ferndell, off Los Feliz Blvd. Tomato Tarts - mmm!

cgabriel

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 01:04:08 -0800

Never been there. -chris g

Jedi of Hollywood

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 22:08:51 -0800

Amir Dialameh, who single handedly created "Amirs Garden" passed away in 2003. Despite the City denying his last wish to have his ashes buried in the park, a small guerrilla team carried his ashes from Mount Hollywood to the garden(his favorite hike) and buried them in a hidden location during a small private ceremony attended by his family and closest friends. I bore witness.

Xtina

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 18:36:06 -0800

Tip for when the summer heat has passed and it's another holly jolly Christmas and you can't wait to check out the DWP's annual Light Festival: Leave your car at home. Walk the mile or so with your buddies, or ride your bike on whatever night they deem it's safe to do so (even though EVERY night oughta be!!!). You'll have **way** more fun than you would be stuck in an idling car behind closed windows. Joy to the world!

superjanna

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 14:35:17 -0800

Travel town is THE GREATEST! One of my favorite little hidden-away attractions in town. It helps that I'm mildly obsessed with railcars and the like...

LaurianneGBC

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:47:12 -0800

Every time I have someone in from out of town, I take to my favorite spot near the Observatory. You walk down a short path to some breathtaking views of the city, along with a picnic bench for just hanging out. I think the best time I ever had up there was when my parents came out to visit. We spent the first half of the day at the ocean, then I drove them up to the observatory like a chauffeur so they could take in all the sites. It was a beautiful day and they were amazed by what LA had to offer. I also just finished reading Hammer of the Gods and would REALLY love to see Robert Plant. :)

jdAWg

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:40:56 -0800

I was conceived in Griffith Park...apparently somewhere near the 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit' tunnel...

aberrant

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:06:45 -0800

The Griffith Park Fire occurred at 2:26 p.m. October 3, 1933 in Block 36, Dam Canyon in the Mineral Wells Canyon area near the old Los Angeles Zoo. A group of 3,780 men were employed clearing brush as part of the Los Angeles County welfare relief program. A small fire had started at the bottom of a slope and a number of men were ordered or volunteered to fight the fire. A sudden wind change sent a shaft of flame up the slopes of Dam Canyon killing 29 workers of thermal burns and injuring more than 150 others. Engine 56, Hose 27 along with 50 Mountain Patrolmen responded and contained the fire to 46.83 acres.

pwcoyne

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 11:48:12 -0800

my tip: they have electronic monitoring all around the Hollywood sign. Its like a "virtual" border fence, except it works. Don't ask my how I know this...

knicol

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 10:44:36 -0800

Both Batman (tv) bat cave & Back to The Future (Marty's accelerating point) were filmed here. . . today you can find many shady MC happenings but it's still my favorite place to hike

pickleburp

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 09:57:13 -0800

I heard Alison Krauss is mean to kids who can't play music or sing. A girl I just broke up with told me Alison made a visit to some school or something, to work with kids on music, and became extremely frustrated and annoyed by their burgeoning talent. I don't know a damn thing about Griffith Park. I thought it was just for cholos.

alecmyers

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 09:10:53 -0800

tip for visiting the observatory: since the grand re-opening, they no longer require a reservation and a trip via shuttle. you can park in the observatory parking lot again, or on the adjacent streets. lastly, weekends it's open until 10pm.

adavidshapiro

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 09:07:13 -0800

The battle scene in D.W. Griffith's "Birth of a Nation" was firmed in Griffth Park in 1915.

terabull19

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 08:57:08 -0800

Don't forget the carousel! One of my favorite things in Griffith Park.

Hypersquared

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 08:14:38 -0800

Oh my. So many "me toos" to the posts above, including the confession of lost virginity. Yep, I lost it at Griffith too, but that's probably TMI. (Side note: that'd be an interesting LAist story -- the most popular public or quasi-public places to have squashed the cherry. I'd put money on Griffith Park, the Ferris Wheel at Santa Monica Pier, and Hollywood Cemetery.) I also second the shout-out for Amir's Garden. The initial hike is steep but short, and wandering the trails there is a great way to tune out all the noise -- internal and external -- that chatters at us. Taking your nieces and nephews to the train and pony rides once a month is the easiest and cheapest way to become a favorite uncle or aunt (and to become beloved by parents needing a break).

DHeckeler

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 07:52:04 -0800

Travel Town is fun if you like trains. They even mentioned it in an episode of "Six Feet Under."

maiz3983

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:49:40 -0800

Since 1935, Griffith Observatory has given tens of millions of visitors the opportunity to become observers. The Observatory offers exciting shows in the Samuel Oschin Planetarium, public telescopes, and observing and astronomy exhibits.

unvacuous

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:00:05 -0800

earlier this year after eating lunch at Trails cafe for the first time, I went hiking on the paths just across the road. Tip for going up to the observatory: TAKE THE TRAILS TO THE LEFT (north). We went to the right and up less beaten paths that got decidedly steeper, so much so that I was practically hanging on to my friends belt half the time. Then once at the top we had to hop a fence to get to the observatory. Not being very tall did not help, but I was quite proud of myself as I looked down the steep path I had just climbed.

erichs48

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 23:40:53 -0800

Whoa - here's something I didn't know...there's a landfill in there! Gross! According to my LA encyclopedia Toyon Canyon landfill was used from 1957-1985. It's 90 acres! The landfill gas is used for power generation, and it seems to be classified as a "sanitary landfill" - although how 30,700,000 cubic yards of trash can be considered "sanitary" is beyond me. I'm going to have to look for this next time I'm at Griffith Park - great contest!

Anthony

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 23:04:30 -0800

bat caves are unbeatable! magnificent and beautiful. it feels like you aren't in la... very humbling

Shaunt

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 20:40:19 -0800

Colonel Griffith sold the park to the city of L.A. partly because he felt it was haunted by the ghost of the former owner of the land, Antonio Feliz.

lagirl65

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 19:46:45 -0800

In the the late 60's draft dodgers would make there home in the forest of Griffith Park, or so my grandmother would tell me as a child.

Brian Bubonic

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 19:43:40 -0800

Go ride the merry-go-round. It's been in the park since 1937!

susannahcarradine

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 19:24:32 -0800

Ever got lost in Griffith Park? It is so not fun. I followed the path of empty condom wrappers and wadded-up paper towels and found my way out. So gross! So wrong!

sk91101

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 18:38:04 -0800

Bronson canyon, the most famous cave of them all and where Batman lives, is actually an old rock quarry on the southern edge of Griffith Park.

blazingshark

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 18:25:50 -0800

you can go on guided horseback rides!

thatoldqueen

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 18:16:13 -0800

The Old Griffith Park Zoo in Los Angeles has been called one of seven amazing abandonments. Though this location was abandoned decades ago it is unusually available to visitors even today. It isn’t every day that a set of abandonments not only survives for generations but also remains available to the public as a kind of museum or window into the past.

nemmadilemma

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 17:16:32 -0800

Every year, the entire student body of my all-girls Catholic high school (located just south of Griffith Park) would go on a 10K Walk that wound around the neighborhoods in Griffith Park. One year, Leonardo DiCaprio pulled over in his car and talked to us. None of us ever forgot it.

carlosthedwarf

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:39:20 -0800

I lost my virginity at Griffith Park

Bobojeg

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:22:08 -0800

Colonel Griffith J. Griffith was tried and convicted for shooting and severely wounding his wife. When released from prison, he attempted to fund the construction of an observatory, planetarium, and amphitheater in the park. His reputation in the city was tainted by his crime, however, so the city refused his money.

kitten

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:13:43 -0800

Luvs Griffith Park. It has an old zoo area. Hhhmmm...I have a Griffith Park story too. I was walking my dog one day and we came across 5 coyotes. We stood very still. They watched us for a while but soon went on their way. That's nature...you have to respect it.

vickistep

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 15:25:43 -0800

I was just at Griffith Park this past Sunday on my favorite trail! Brush Canyon Trail - getting there by taking Franklin to Canyon Dr. and heading north until the pavement ends. I also enjoy grilling with friends in the old zoo area- where else can you grill inside a retired animal holding! Yay for Griffith! And I haven't been to the Greek yet (with 2+ years in LA) so hopefully I win!

brainylagirl

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 15:15:42 -0800

Get your homemade apple or rhubarb pie a la mode w/ Fosselmann's ice cream at Trails, near the Fern Dell in Griffith Park. Then go on a hike to burn it off!

dandyrandy

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 15:03:38 -0800

Griffith Park has a fantastic vintage-style carousel/merry-go-round!

MFF0RD8

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 15:01:17 -0800

my favorite trail up to dante's peak starts at the bird sanctuary, but i haven't been there since last year's fire so i don't know if that's still a trail or not.

reverto

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 14:57:03 -0800

Anyone who's parked at the Greek has lived to regret it. Paying 12 bucks for stacked parking -- meaning you have to sit and wait in your car until everyone in your way shows up so you can leave -- is the worst. Oh, and the traffic jams through the neighborhood south of the Greek suck, too. Here's what you do instead: Park on N. Commonwealth Ave. just north of Vermont. Then walk up to the end of the residential area, bear left and look for the yellow gate just inside the boundaries of Griffith Park. Walk past the gate and you'll find yourself taking a leisurely, peaceful 15 minute stroll adjacent to the Roosevelt Municipal Golf Course. Eventually you'll emerge about 100 feet south of the theater. After the show they sometimes open that road up to cars. If you're good, you can hitch a ride back to Commonwealth in the back of a pickup. Fun!

BummyDude

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 14:54:37 -0800

http://savegriffithpark.org/ is leading the fight against commercial development of the park

gonzoworm

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 14:54:17 -0800

I'm so glad that Amir's Garden survived last year's fires...such a great corner of LA!

MrChrisCarey

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 14:43:53 -0800

The Hollyridge Trail is my favorite Hike in Griffith Park. It starts at the end of Beachwood Canyon Drive. I took this photo on the morning of Memorial Day. http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c7/DJRokyManson/HollyridgeTrail.jpg

ajamison

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 14:32:55 -0800

The Griffith Park Observatory's three domes are pure copper.

Kokrra

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 14:26:44 -0800

Griffith park? Can they put more Water sinks in there? It will be so nice, to have some water to referesh yourself while you are hiking!

vbokin

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 14:25:13 -0800

Griffith park is almost to five times the size of Central park in NYC!