The Great Los Angeles Walk 2014 Recap: We Conquer The Valley

Several hundred of us marched across the San Fernando Valley -- "America's Suburb" -- on Saturday, getting an up-close-and-personal look at most of Ventura Boulevard. And it was, like, totally awesome to the max!

OK, enough with the early 1980s Valley stereotypes. The 9th Annual GREAT LOS ANGELES WALK attracted a large crowd of first timers and veteran participants, particularly many new folks from the Valley who had never heard of the GLAW until this year. In the process we hiked at least 17 and a half miles from one end to the other -- Woodland Hills to North Hollywood.

Along the way, we traveled through Tarzana, Encino, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Universal City and more. The weather was great, the food options were plentiful and there was much to see. In the end, we celebrated at District Pub NoHo, which was fantastically accommodating to our group.



We kicked things off with a visit from the Nudie car, an El Dorado customized by the late tailor Nudie Cohn. Tommy Gelinas of the Valley Relics museum brought the car for all to see, and also gave a talk about how passionate he is about Valley pop culture history.


Tommy Gelinas, left, and Scott Sterling talk about their mutual love for the Valley.

Then Scott Sterling of the newly opened Museum of the San Fernando Valley spoke and told us all about some of the landmarks we would see on Saturday, and a bit about his new brick-and-mortar location. Thanks to Tommy and Scott for kicking things off!



Along the way, this year's Walk gave us a look at some of the Valley's coolest mid-century architecture, including the Fleetwood Center, Mel's Drive Inn, Casa de Cadillac and more. We also passed by historic sites like the Rancho Los Encinos (a state park most of us had never even visited) and Campo de Cahuenga. We even passed by two of Hollywood's busiest studios: CBS Studio Center and Universal Studios.



This being the most built-up walk of businesses we've ever done, I also lost count at the sheer number of Starbucks we walked by. Not to mention Vape stores. Apparently the Valley really likes vaping. (There were also quite a few tacky furniture stores, reminding us that some folks may still be stuck in the 1980s after all!)



Here are some more pics from the day:


A lot of BBQ joints in the West Valley. This is not a bad thing.


Now this is a taste crime. This infamous building could be one of the ugliest on Ventura.


The view from Woodland Hills' Chalk Hill -- which I did not know was named Chalk Hill until Saturday!


Classic In-N-Out Burger design.


Woodland Casual Patio and Rattan (architect unknown)


Best-named business on Ventura?


Fleetwood Center (architect Lee Oakes). Strip mall with a Cadillac facade, yet was never a car dealership.


Corbin Bowl -- renovated but kept its cool original sign.


Sorry Cupid's, but your mascot is a touch creepy.


Tarzana! No lion sightings.


You buying?


It's always time to buy liquor.


The hookup on Hookahs.


The best mural on Ventura, hands down. SWEEP THE LEG! Oh "The Karate Kid," you and "E.T." were my first introduction to the San Fernando Valley as a kid.


There's something cool about walking by this Googie-style car wash on foot. Won't be needing one today!


Like I mentioned, the Los Encinos State Historic Park was a great find on this Walk. We had never visited.


More from the park


Some history for ya.


El Camino Real bell


THESE ARE NOT REAL PEOPLE. This art installation is kinda interesting, kinda weird, kinda disturbing.


Walking toward the 405


Just, no.


Mel's Drive Inn (Armet & Davis) Googie design.


Casa de Cadillac (Randall Duell, Phillip Conklin), recently restored but first opened in 1949.


I don't know.


Puppet school!


The Valley's war on hipsters.


Soft serve break!


Daryl from "The Walking Dead," spotted on Ventura!


The literal Studio City Hand Car Wash.


This late in the day, breaks are necessary!


Words of encouragement from Prints Charm'n!


Campo de Cahuenga


Tupac ushers in the final stretch.


These North Hollywood Toyota mannequins ALWAYS freak me out.


RIP, Robin.


NoHo! Almost there.


Just a portion of the folks who made it to the end, at the Art Institute of California-Hollywood. (Many were still walking or already celebrating at District Pub Noho when this was taken.)

Thanks to everyone who came and walked! We'll see you next year for the 10TH ANNIVERSARY GREAT LOS ANGELES WALK -- Saturday, November 21, 2015!

Read most of the Tweets from the day -- at least the ones with the #glaw hashtag -- here!

Post your Great Los Angeles Walk 2014 photos to our Flickr stream here.

Still want a t-shirt as a souvenir? They're available here: http://greatlawalk.spreadshirt.com/.

Here are some links to other recaps of this year's Great Los Angeles Walk. Send us your links!

The Great Los Angeles Walk 2014 Flickr Pool

DOWNLOAD: The 2014 Great Los Angeles Walk Handout PDF

Save some paper and download this PDF for the Great Los Angeles Walk 2014 Route to your smartphone.

The Great Los Angeles Walk 2014 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

"Wait, you're doing what?"

"Is walking 17 miles even humanly possible?"

"Can I bike it? Bring a dog? Quit half way through? Are you personally driving me back to my car?"

Here it is, the unofficial Frequently Asked Questions roundup for the GREAT LOS ANGELES WALK 2014! (This will be updated with new information as it comes available!)

1. WHEN/WHERE? Saturday, Nov. 22, 2014 -- the Saturday before Thanksgiving, like we do every year. We're meeting at WARNER CENTER PARK (also known as WARNER RANCH PARK) in Woodland Hills (5800 Topanga Canyon Blvd). By 8:45 we'll gather for a pep talk, some info about the day and perhaps a surprise speaker. (Suprise speaker TBD.) Then, we're off, straight at 9 am!

2. WHO? We're expecting 300 or so urban hikers this year. We're taking RSVPs at greatlawalk(at)mail(dot)com (yes, "mail," not "gmail") and on Facebook, but RSVPs are not necessary. We'll take anyone who shows up too!

3. HOW MUCH DOES IT COST? C'mon, it's completely free! But you're on your own when it comes to lunch, dinner, water, etc. So don't forget to plan accordingly.

4. WHAT'S THE PATH? From Warner Center Park, we'll walk to Ventura Blvd., then hike it all the way to Lankershim (near Universal City). Then, we'll walk up Lankershim to North Hollywood and end at the public art in front of the Art Institute of California (Weddington and Lankershim, see below).

We'll then celebrate an an after party (Location TBD).

5. WHAT IF I CAN'T GET THERE THAT EARLY, OR DON'T WANT TO START THAT FAR WEST? Just wait for us somewhere on the path and join in once we pass by. Several hikers will be Twittering as well -- including us, at @greatlawalk. Check one of those Twitter accounts to figure out where we are.

6. HOW LONG IS THE HIKE? Around 17 miles. IMPORTANT: This is not a race. Sure, you can sprint all the way to the end, but where's the fun in that? There's no prize for who gets there first. Instead, take a breath, and join the bulk of us as we leisurely stroll toward the end and stop frequently to take in the sights.

7. WHEN WILL WE GET TO THE END? With so many hikers, people will eventually start to space out. Impatient, faster walkers might get there soon after lunch. But the bulk of the walkers will get there around 4.

8. CAN WE BIKE IT? BRING KIDS? PETS? Because you're walking on your own accord -- remember, this is an unofficial gathering of passionate Angelenos walking the streets of their favorite city -- you can do whatever you want. Use your best judgement, of course. We're not responsible for you.

9. WHAT ABOUT INJURIES? Again, there is no infrastructure to our Walk, so you need to take care of yourself just like you would whenever you walk anywhere. Be careful, stay safe and stick with a group of walkers!

10. WHAT ABOUT LUNCH? We'll be taking a lunch break -- probably around an hour or so -- around the halfway point. We're still working on finding businesses along Ventura to perhaps offer GREAT LA WALK specials.

11. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE WALK IS DONE? We'll take group photos at the end... and then celebrate at an after party between 4 and 7 pm at DISTRICT PUB NOHO.

12. HOW DO I GET THERE, OR GET HOME? This is the most transit-friendly GREAT LA WALK ever. The start and finish are both near the Metro Orange Line. You can park at one end (Warner Center or North Hollywood) and take the Orange Line back to your car (or else arrange transportation -- or perhaps, if you're hiking with others, station cars at both ends).

13. WHAT SHOULD I WEAR/BRING? Loose, comfy clothing. I'd wear shorts, a t-shirt (and perhaps a sweatshirt, depending on the temperature). Also, tennis shoes... sunglasses... a hat... sunscreen... extra socks... a blister kit (optional, of course -- I haven't brought one, although Band-Aids  are a good idea)... and most importantly, a camera! We'll all be documenting it and posting pics later.

14. HOW CAN I GET A T-SHIRT? T-shirts are now for sale at http://greatlawalk.spreadshirt.com (we don't make any money off of these). But order fast, in order get the shirts in time for the Walk.

15. HOW SHOULD I TRAIN FOR THIS? It's not a marathon, so training isn't really necessary. I suppose you could walk around your neighborhood in the days before hand... but I'd avoid any big gym routine the day before, so you're not sore the day you're hiking. But other than that... I didn't train at all for any of the previous eight walks, and have turned out just fine.

16. WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? Why not? There's no special reason, no charity, no protest, no issue we're promoting -- other than a passion for Los Angeles. In 2006, I organized our walk down Wilshire to mark my 10th anniversary in Los Angeles. But it was so much fun, and it was a chance to meet so many new people, that we did it again in 2007, down Pico; in 2008, via Sunset and Santa Monica Blvd.; and in 2009, we hit West Adams as we walked down Adams and Washington to Venice Beach. In 2010, we returned to Wilshire for the fifth walk; in 2011, we hit Hollywood; in 2012, it was Melrose's turn; and in 2013, it was all about Sunset Boulevard.

It's the Saturday before Thanksgiving as well, so somehow I don't feel as bad gorging on sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie a few days later. And hey, it'll be a cool conversation piece at your holiday party.

17. CAN I SEND IN PHOTOS? READ A RECAP LATER? Of course! We'll have an official GREAT LOS ANGELES WALK 2014 page on Flickr for you to upload your pics. And check out www.greatlawalk.com the Monday after the Walk to read a full recap! Send us links to your own recaps, YouTube videos, etc.

18. IMPORTANT: You are walking on your own volition. The Great Los Angeles Walk is just a casual opportunity to walk with other Angelenos through the city. It's not an official organization of any sort -- and is therefore not responsible for your conduct or anything that may happen during your hike. Be careful, and be respectful of others and of your city.