This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Why You Can't Enjoy Angel's Knoll Or Its '(500) Days Of Summer' Bench

I have bad news for you, if you were hoping to reenact your favorite scenes from (500) Days of Summer that take place on top of Angel's Knoll: you'll no longer be able to share a tender moment with someone special (or tell your ex the brutal truth that he was never good enough for you) on the park's iconic bench.
Access to Angel's Knoll and the bench inside has been blocked off by a gate since July 30, and The Downtown News has a recent article explaining why (h/t Curbed LA).
Angel's Knoll was always supposed to be a temporary park, but it sounds like its demise was hastened by the death of the state's redevelopment agencies and complaints from neighbors. That strip of land was set aside for skyscrapers that never ended up materializing thanks to a bum market for office space—and to this day there still aren't any concrete plans for developing it.
The Community Redevelopment Agency that owned the land passed it on to a "successor agency," and that agency says that lately they've been getting an increase in complaints about trash, litter and loitering at the park. They decided to just fence the whole thing off in order to "enable the asset's value to be maintained." The plan temporarily backfired: someone forgot to empty the trash cans inside the park. The first fence put up didn't have a gate, so the trash sat there long enough for an infestation of rats to find it. Whoops.
You can still hit up Angel's Flight and the neighboring stairwell.
-
Cruise off the highway and hit locally-known spots for some tasty bites.
-
Fentanyl and other drugs fuel record deaths among people experiencing homelessness in L.A. County. From 2019 to 2021, deaths jumped 70% to more than 2,200 in a single year.
-
This fungi isn’t a “fun guy.” Here’s what to do if you spot or suspect mold in your home.
-
Donald Trump was a fading TV presence when the WGA strike put a dent in network schedules.
-
Edward Bronstein died in March 2020 while officers were forcibly taking a blood sample after his detention.
-
A hike can be a beautiful backdrop as you build your connection with someone.