The Brief

If you’re in downtown Los Angeles, near Figueroa and Flower Street, look up — and you may find yourself near a futuristic sky bridge.

No, this isn’t science fiction, but it may have been inspired by that. The downtown pedways — a more enticing way to say pedestrian walkway — are one of L.A.’s unfinished dreams.

They’re a bit out of place: elevated, concrete routes that connect only a few high-rises in downtown to each other. It’s the remnants of a lofty but failed idea of what pedestrian travel could have become.

A brief history of the pedways

A pedestrian walks across a pedway in downtown Los Angeles.

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Samanta Helou Hernandez

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LAist

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Think of the pedways as a shortcut for the yuppies and finance bros, a “glorified park-and-ride,” or a bit of Blade Runner futurism.

You can get around from above, without crossing traffic, and they're probably only useful if you have business in one of those high-rises or the Westin Bonaventure.

The pedways were designed by Calvin Hamilton, a former L.A. city planning director who served between 1964 and 1985. They were expensive, but federal funding covered a large portion of the costs.

Calvin Hamilton (at right), along with Walter J. Braunshweiger and Mayor Yorty, looking at a building model in 1964.

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Herald Examiner Collection/Los Angeles Public Library

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Hamilton’s “ambitious” plan was first presented in the 1970 report “Concept Los Angeles.” Among his ideas, Hamilton believed that L.A. should be divided into self-sufficient centers, full of rooftop plazas and rapid transit options where people of any income could live. It was a controversial plan that called for an overhaul of city zoning, but the city council did adopt it in 1974.

The pedways were Hamilton’s way of separating pedestrians from traffic to “enhance the convenience, safety and pleasantness” of the centers. They were part of a larger plan that would’ve put an LAX-esque people mover train in downtown.

“We planned for the rapid transit in each center going all the way around the city, and it would have made a big difference, because it meant that everybody didn’t have to have two or three cars,” Hamilton said in an oral history interview for UCLA. “That would have made a big difference in Los Angeles in terms of pollution.”

A concept drawing of part of Los Angeles with centers and suburbs.

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Courtesy Metro Transportation Research Library & Archive

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A concept drawing of a secondary transit area where people could connect to city centers.

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Courtesy Metro Transportation Research Library & Archive

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Hamilton, ever into aesthetic visuals, dreamed of these bridges being full of sculptures, food and kiosks — and importantly, people. He envisioned hundreds of pedestrian bridges at different building levels, but today there are only about 10 pedways in the Bunker Hill neighborhood. And if you walk on any of these paths now, you’ll likely be alone. The paths don’t get used much compared to the streets below.

A pedestrian walks across a pedway in downtown Los Angeles.

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Samanta Helou Hernandez

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LAist

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That may be for good reason. Pedways were popular in the 1970s as a way to separate people from cars, but that’s since fallen out of favor with designers.

So what happened? Hamilton’s plan came to a halt in 1981 after federal funding was eliminated and he stepped down as director shortly after over conflict of interest concerns. The city council moved away from his ideas toward planning options that it felt were more feasible to implement. Hamilton died in 1997.

Why designers don’t like pedways anymore

Pedways are largely seen as a design failure these days. There are two main reasons for that — some think they ruin the skyline and others think they zap a city’s energy. Some complained that it hurts the economy because people are routed away from shopping spots.

A pedway in downtown Los Angeles.

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Samanta Helou Hernandez

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LAist

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“The pedway sucked life from the streets below without creating sufficient traffic on its own,” architect Rex Lotery told the Los Angeles Times in 1990. Adding insult to injury, Lotery said the bridges tended to “look like hell from a distance.”

A far cry from the futuristic dream they were supposed to serve, but the Jetsonian idea for designers did catch on in a few places across the country.

The reason? Weather. Heated passageways do well in places like St. Paul and Atlanta, while Houston’s air-conditioned ones have been lauded too.

But in L.A., we’re a sunny haven. Our pedways don’t have those bells and whistles because our weather isn’t as harsh. They’re just a plain walking path, making it less essential for people to use.

Where you can find the pedways

A pedway in Downtown Los Angeles.

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Samanta Helou Hernandez

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LAist

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The pedways can still be used downtown.

If you want to visit them, expect little signage, and possibly, some closed-off exit points. These paths connect between buildings, so you’ll likely be going from the escalator to the lobby. People have documented the routes through each path, so be sure to check it out before you go.

Some sections require you to be on certain floors of the buildings or access from particular sides of the streets. Here’s where they are:

And when you’re there, don’t forget to pay homage to Hamilton’s dingy plaque on the northwest bridge, which was once stolen before.

A plaque honoring Calvin S. Hamilton, a former director of planning, on a the floor of a pedway in downtown Los Angeles.

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Samanta Helou Hernandez

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LAist

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California Attorney General Rob Bonta provided guidance this week to childcare providers on new legal requirements to protect children and their families from immigration enforcement activities.

Under a new law that went into effect this year, childcare providers are not allowed to collect information about a child's or family member’s immigration status, unless necessary under state or federal law. Bonta’s office says there currently is no such requirement, though that could change with federal programs like Head Start.

“Childcare and preschool facilities should be safe and secure spaces so children can grow, learn and simply be children,” Bonta said in a statement.

His office says daycare centers also should not keep information about a formerly enrolled child longer than is required by state law.

The new law also requires facilities to inform the attorney general’s office and the state’s licensing agency if they get any requests for information from law enforcement related to immigration enforcement.

Facilities also must ask families to regularly update a child’s emergency contact information to make sure someone can be reached in case a parent is detained by federal immigration officials.

The Santa Ana winds are here to welcome us into the weekend, bringing warmer temperatures.

The winds will reach Point Mugu to the Santa Clarita Valley, down to Orange County and parts of the Inland Empire valleys and foothills east of the 5 Freeway.

Peak gusts are expected to reach 35 to 55 mph. The western San Gabriel Mountains, Highway 14 corridor, Santa Susana Mountains and the western Santa Monica Mountains are under a high wind warning until 6 p.m., when gusts could reach 65 mph.

As for temperatures, highs for L.A. County beaches will reach the upper 70s and up to the low 80s for inland areas.

Parts of Orange County and Coachella Valley will see temperatures in the mid- to upper 80s, with the warmest areas expected to reach 88 degrees.

Getting together with friends at a bar or pub tends to get a lot harder when children and needy pets enter the mix. One solution — Breweries! Beer gardens! Brewpubs!

Because parents (of kids and pets) want to go out, too — and not necessarily to a fast food restaurant with an indoor playground and no beer.

Thankfully, the Orange County suburbs where I live have gotten on board with my family- and pet-friendly craft brewery dreams. The key ingredients for me are spacious patios, a water bowl for the pooch, and food — either made onsite or, at the least, easy and quick to order and get delivered from somewhere else. Board and pub games are an added bonus.

Plus, of course, great beer from small, independent, local breweries. On the beer front, I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of beer I encountered on my self-arranged tour of breweries in the Costa Mesa-Huntington Beach area.

Gone are the dark, dank days of nothing but IPA (IYKYK); now, you can find everything from pickle-tinged blondes, to mild sours, to rich and creamy stouts. If you’re not a big beer fan, every place I visited also had their own craft-made hard seltzers on the menu, as well as some non-alcoholic beverages.

Here are some of my favorites:

Riip (Huntington Beach)

Riip in Huntington Beach has two spots with full kitchens specializing in pizza and a wide variety of IPAs and other beer styles.

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Jill Replogle

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Riip has been a family favorite since the company opened its first tasting room in Sunset Beach in 2015, with board games and tables the kids could write on. They have since expanded a lot, with a pizzeria next door and another location near Fountain Valley, which also serves excellent pizza, and has a small arcade to keep the kiddos busy.

One thing they do especially well: For serious IPA drinkers, Riip is your place. They usually have at least half a dozen different IPAs on tap, along with a decent variety of other beers, lighter and darker.

This place is great for … dinner after the kids’ [insert sport] game. Also for date night.

At Flashpoint Brewing Company in Huntington Beach, you can check out the brewing vats and other machinery up close while enjoying the results.

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Jill Replogle

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LAist

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Flashpoint Brewing Co. (Huntington Beach)

I only recently discovered Flashpoint, which opened in 2020 on an industrial street near Huntington Beach Central Park. I actually love this aspect of craft brewery taprooms: they’re often located outside of trendy food and retail areas because they need to be able to actually brew beer there as well as serve it.

Flashpoint has a big patio lit with fairy lights. The tall doors of their brewing area, and an adjacent room with the taps and more tables are rolled up during opening hours, giving it a spacious, indoor-outdoor feel.

One thing they do especially well: All the beers I tried were highly drinkable. In other words, not crazy hoppy or overly heavy on flavors. The nectarine sour was especially good, refreshing with just the right amount of tartness.

This place is great for … An early evening toast, watching the clouds turn pink.

Green Cheek Beer Co. in Costa Mesa serves great beer and food, including shareable, snackable items like pad thai cauliflower.

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Jill Replogle

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LAist

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Green Cheek Beer Co. (Costa Mesa)

Green Cheek Beer Co. now has three locations in Orange County and one in Oceanside. Their Costa Mesa spot is conveniently located not far from the city’s Bark Park. So, naturally, after my pooch has fun, I deserve a cold one.

Green Cheek has a huge covered patio filled with long picnic tables. My dog, Ace, was very happy to find a bowl of water set out for their canine visitors, and lots of pets from the humans.

One thing they do especially well: Green Cheek makes great beer. But what I love most about their Costa Mesa spot is that you can soak up the alcohol with food, including smash burgers, tots, and pad thai cauliflower, from their good and reliably fast kitchen.

This place is great for … reading a book, or making a new friend! Their long picnic tables make it easy to opt in or out of the surrounding social scene.

Bootlegger's Brewery outside the LAB Anti-Mall in Costa Mesa has a quiet patio for day drinking, and a lively trivia night scene.

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Jill Replogle

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LAist

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Bootlegger’s Brewery (Costa Mesa)

Within walking distance of Green Cheek is Bootlegger’s Brewery. Bootlegger’s started in Fullerton, and now also has tasting rooms in Costa Mesa and Redlands.

Their Costa Mesa spot is on the outskirts of the LAB Anti-Mall, a collection of small businesses and restaurants, at least one of which will deliver food to your table. A section of the parking lot has been turned into a nice outdoor patio with sun shades for daytime and heat lamps for chillier evening hours.

One thing they do especially well: Their Kosher Crusher pickle blonde ale. They debuted it last fall and it is seriously good — light, refreshing, and just a little bit zesty.

This place is great for … “working” on a Friday afternoon (I was not the only one there typing one-handed on my laptop with a beer in the other), and then inviting friends to join you for happy hour.

There's an ambiance for everyone at Salty Bear Brewing Co. in Costa Mesa.

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Jill Replogle

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LAist

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Salty Bear Brewing Company

Salty Bear is part of The Camp, an uber-cool retail and restaurant complex also within walking distance of Green Cheek and Bootlegger’s (you can do a tasting tour!).

Salty Bear is worth a visit for the aesthetics alone. It has a great bar with midcentury tiling and dimpled red leather. The sprawling, leafy outdoor patio provides plenty of room for the kids to wander.

One thing they do especially well: Their Coastline Strawberry Blonde made me nostalgic for the fruity beers that got me hooked on craft beer in my 20s — but so much better.

This place is great for … Kickin’ it on the patio with friends, either listening to live music, or letting your kids practice performing on the teepee-themed outdoor stage.

Other options in OC south of the 405:

Steady Kitchen and Taps, 18055 Magnolia St, Fountain Valley

Synth Beer Company, 2960 Randolph Av, Costa Mesa

Brewing Reserve of California, 2930 College Ave D, Costa Mesa