Secret Walks. Charles Fleming
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elements (like the bronze doors) from local sculptor Robert Graham, the cathedral was opened with great civic fanfare in 2002, after an expenditure of almost $200 million in construction costs. Among those interred here are Gregory Peck and the remains of Saint Vibiana.
Descending on Temple, go past the cathedral and turn left onto Hill Street. Walk two blocks, again crossing the Santa Ana Freeway. Just beyond this, to your left, is an unusual historic monument. This is what’s left of Fort Moore, where in 1846 a small band of U.S. Marines held off an assault by the local Mexicans and Californios, who for some reason resented being ruled by a foreign occupying force. The Marines were expelled, but returned in force. Los Angeles was taken some months later, and has been under U.S. control ever since. The fort was later rebuilt by a platoon of Mormons. All of this strange history is recounted artfully on the remaining walls.
Across Hill Street from this monument, back at the corner of Hill and Arcadia, find the staircase that drops down from Hill Street to Broadway. Then follow the sidewalk to descend another block. Cross Spring Street to the south side of the street, then turn left and walk a half block along Spring.
At a break in the long line of fencing, find the little staircase on your right, and descend to a walkway that runs between the original cathedral of Nuestra Señora la Reina de Los Angeles on your left and the museum known as Plaza de Culturas y Artes on your right—free to the public, and containing some great examples of early California art.
Follow that walkway to Main Street, cross Main, and once more enter the main plaza at the head of Olvera Street. Crossing this, take note from this angle of the area’s other church, a 1925 Methodist Church, which has a fine, tiled cupola dome. You will also probably see a forlorn donkey attached to a cart, whose job is to sit underneath or stand next to tourists who want their pictures taken.
Cross the plaza, heading generally toward Union Station and its clock tower. On the left, you’ll note a mural depicting the annual Blessing of the Animals (this ceremony does take place here every year on the Saturday before Easter). Also nearby are a statue of Spain’s King Carlos III and a huge equestrian statue of Antonio Aguilar, a popular Mexican actor and singer who was one of the first Mexicans to get his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Drop down a few stairs to Alameda Street. Cross Alameda to the front of Union Station, and you will find yourself back at your starting point.
WALK #2
L.A. RIVER WALK SOUTH
DISTANCE: 2.2 miles
DIFFICULTY: 1
DURATION: 1 hour
DETAILS: Dogs on leash allowed. Wheelchair accessible. Metro buses #96 and #603.
This stretch of the Los Angeles River bank may one day be a fine, green waterside park. For now, it’s a good place to stretch your legs, get some fresh air, and see some unusual bird life.
Begin your walk at the intersection of Riverside Drive and Fletcher Drive, perhaps at Rick’s Burgers or trendy Salazar just up the road. Head east on Fletcher and pass under the Golden State Freeway (I-5), on the north side of the street. When you get to Crystal Street, turn left and walk to the end of the road—where you’ll find the entrance to the Los Angeles River Bike Path, sometimes referred to as the Los Angeles River Greenway Trail. Turn in to the left and begin walking north, with the river on your right.
This section of the river is a prime example of what’s happening all along its length: the concrete water sluice, built to control rainwater inundation after Los Angeles saw deadly floods in the early part of the twentieth century, has now begun to take on the features of a natural river.
The flat, clean bike path, which is lighted for evening walks and rides, parallels a green belt largely free of debris and trash. Willow trees have taken root. Rushes and reeds have flourished, as has the bird population. An early morning walk offers views of stilts, herons, egrets, and a variety of ducks.
Walk upstream on the path (being mindful of the bicycles who claim the right of way). As the roar of the freeway softens, look straight ahead for a view of the Griffith Park hills. Far off to the right, you may get a glimpse of the buildings of Forest Lawn’s Glendale property, too.
As you approach a complicated series of overpasses, watch for the new pedestrian bridge on your right. This runs along the tracks of the old Red Car line that crossed the river here. Opened in early 2020, it’s only for bikes and pedestrians. Enjoy and cross to the opposite bank.
This is Red Car River Park, whose murals tell some of the story of Los Angeles’s once-great public transportation system. (A fuller story, though fictional, was told in the book Who Killed Roger Rabbit? and the film based on it, Who Framed Roger Rabbit.)
Head south along the river, with the water to your right. If it’s a dry day, you might stroll down the sloped bank to the flat walkway at the water’s edge. Do not do this, however, if the river is moving fast, if it’s raining, or if it looks like it might start raining. This is a dry day exercise only.
At the water’s edge, the birds may be quite close—mergansers, great egrets, snowy egrets, osprey, sandpipers, stilts, great blue heron, and green heron are almost always visible. Varieties of fish are said to swim in the river, too, though I’ve never seen them.
The islands that have formed around the trees in the middle of the river are tempting, and it’s hard not think of Huck Finn adventures beginning here. But wading isn’t recommended, and the people who may have already made their homes on the island, in the dry season, may not appreciate visitors. Best stick to the bank.
The walk continues on, flat and gentle, at both the river’s edge and the pathway the runs along the top of its bank. In time, as you near some high-tension power lines, the pathway will come to an end. Watch for a trail leading up to a nicely designed metal gate inset with river rocks. Walk through this gate and turn right. You’re back on Fletcher, walking across the Fletcher Drive Bridge, where a metal plaque will tell you that the bridge was constructed and opened in 1927.
Once across the bridge, continue under the freeway to find your starting point on the corner of Fletcher and Riverside Drive.
Optional Walk Extensions
OPTION #1: Instead of crossing the bridge and heading back toward Riverside, stay on the river walk and use the sloping river bank—watch your step here if it’s damp out, and consider avoiding this if it’s raining—to cross underneath Fletcher. From there, continue until the river walk crosses under the 5 freeway. From there, you can explore Bowtie Parcel, Taylor Yard, and the back side of Rio De Los Angeles Park. Keep in mind, however, that it will be many miles to the next opportunity to cross back over to the west side of the river.
OPTION #2: Once across Fletcher Bridge, cross Fletcher at Crystal Street and walk through Great Heron Gate into Rattlesnake Park. A short distance down the western side of the river’s bike-way, you will see a sign reading “River Access Point,” designating the put-in for public boating on the Los Angeles River. If boating is in season, it will say so—a large sign reading “Open for Season” will be spray-painted directly on the concrete bank of the river.
Kayaking on the river only became legal in about 2012, and this part of the river opened for public boating in 2013. The part of the waterway that is legally navigable is only a couple of miles, but it’s such a charming little kayak ride, and such a promising glimpse of water use to come, that it’s worth a look.
WALK #3