Throwback Thursday: San Fernando Valley, Circa 1924

Thanks to the LA History Twitter feed for this gem: A look at the Valley (and Ventura Blvd.) in 1924, via this classic map from the Los Angeles Public Library archives!

(Click on the map for a bigger look)

District Pub NoHo Signs On as the Great LA Walk After-Party Venue!

Big news! We've found a spot to celebrate the end of the GREAT LOS ANGELES WALK! Join us after hoofing 17.2 miles at the District Pub NoHo, where we'll eat some food and throw back some beverages while recapping the day. (I wish I had the money to pay for all of us, but alas, you're on your own with covering your food/drink.)

The District Pub NoHo has sausages, burgers, salads, etc. And yes, there are vegan options! Here's a recent rave from a Yelper:

So happy to have this craft beer and exotic sausage stop so close to where I live. Very happy to call myself a regular here. Great food. Great staff. Great beer.

Another plus: aside from the two TVs above the bar showing sports they also have a projector playing classic movies all the time.

Make sure you come here if you live nearby or are even passing through.

Join us after we take a group photo at the Art Institute!


District Pub NoHo
5249 Lankershim Blvd
North Hollywood, CA 91601
Phone number (818) 732-7319

Valley Relics to Kick Things Off This Saturday!

We're thrilled to welcome Tommy Gelinas, the founder of the San Fernando Valley Relics Museum, to kick things off on Saturday. Tommy promises to bring a surprise as well, so get down to the Warner Center Park early!

Here's a bit about Tommy:

Tommy’s fascination with the history of the San Fernando Valley begun at a very young age. He began collecting artifacts from our valley’s past a little over 20 years ago and now the collection is the largest of its kind pertaining to the San Fernando Valley and surrounding areas. One of Tommy’s dreams was not only to preserve and protect our local history but to open a museum to showcase the collection. In late 2012 The Valley Relics Museum was established as a Non Profit and opened its doors to the public in October 2013. Through hard work and perseverance The San Fernando Valley now has a spot light on its amazing accomplishments and rich history.

We'll see you and Tommy on Saturday!

Weather Forecast: A Good Day for a Walk This Saturday

Looks like you can keep the umbrellas at home. (No surprise, given the dry year we're having.) But you might want to grab a light jacket or wear your shirt over long sleeves. It's going to be a high of just 69 degrees in the Valley.

In other words, a PERFECT day for a long urban hike! There will be clouds too, so no burning sun. It couldn't be any better. (OK, perhaps 75 degrees would be a touch nicer. But we'll live.) See you Saturday!

The Great Los Angeles Walk 2014 Press Release

to be released to the media on Monday:

THE NINTH ANNUAL GREAT LOS ANGELES WALK IS HEADING TO THE VALLEY FOR THE FIRST TIME -- HIKING VENTURA BOULEVARD ON NOV. 22

LOS ANGELES (Nov. 10, 2014) -- Hundreds of Angelenos will hit the sidewalks this November 22 for The Great Los Angeles Walk 2014 – the annual event that dispels the myth that “nobody walks in L.A.”

This year, for the ninth edition, the Great Los Angeles Walk (http://www.greatlawalk.com) is doing something different: We're bringing the walk to the San Fernando Valley for the first time!

That means this year, participants will hike east down Ventura Boulevard. (Normally the Great Los Angeles Walk heads west, from downtown Los Angeles to the ocean.) It is, after all, a street made famous through countless songs (Tom Petty's "Free Fallin'") and also considered the Valley's main drag.

Participants will meet at Warner Center Park (also known as Warner Ranch Park – 5800 Topanga Canyon Blvd.) at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 22, and proceed to walk approximately 17.1 miles (at a casual, all-day pace) to North Hollywood.

Walkers will pass through Woodland Hills, Encino, Sherman Oaks, Studio City and Universal City on their way to the end point: The Art Institute of California building in North Hollywood (5250 Lankershim). Along the way, they'll see a wide range of architecture (Casa de Cadillac, Fleetwood Center, Mel's, Valley Beth Shalom) and Valley sites – as well as CBS Studio Center, Universal Studios, Los Encinos State Historic Park and the historic Campo de Cahuenga monument site.

The Great Los Angeles Walk will conclude with an after party in North Hollywood at a location to be announced later.

This year's Walk will also be the most transit-friendly yet, as both the start and end points are near the Metro Orange Line, making easy access for anyone who parks at either end.

L.A. journalist and blogger Michael Schneider launched the Great Los Angeles Walk in 2006 as a way to celebrate his tenth year in Los Angeles. Inspired by the book “Wilshire Boulevard: Grand Concourse of Los Angeles,” by Kevin Roderick (with research by J. Eric Lynxwiler), he decided to walk the street’s entire length.

In 2007, for an encore, he chose another downtown-to-the-ocean route: Pico Boulevard. The 2008 Walk took on Santa Monica Blvd. In 2009, the event kicked off in the historic West Adams district and walked to Venice Beach via Adams and Washington. In 2010, for its fifth edition, the Great Los Angeles Walk reprised its original Wilshire journey. In 2011, more than 250 Walk participants marched to the ocean via Hollywood Boulevard. In 2012, the Walk traveled across Melrose Avenue, and in 2013, Sunset Boulevard.

The Great Los Angeles Walk grew from dozens of participants to hundreds, and continues to expand each year as more Angelenos join in to explore their city on foot.

As always, the Walk is completely free. It is up to the participants to decide how much or how little of the walk they want to do. The Great Los Angeles Walk has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, the L.A. Weekly, KABC-Channel 7, LAist.com and KNBC.com. In 2012, the LA Weekly recognized The Great Los Angeles Walk in its "Best of L.A." issue.

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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.

The Great Los Angeles Walk 2014 T-Shirts Are On Sale Now!

Get your shirt now in order for it to arrive before this year's Walk! Wear it proudly on November 22 -- and show everyone that, yep, you spent all day walking down Ventura Boulevard! Click above for the T-shirts... which this year have some color to them!

We've just posted a whole t-shirts at Spreadshirt, including choices for men, women and kids. Go here: greatlawalk.spreadshirt.com.

Meanwhile, keep up with info about this year's GREAT LOS ANGELES WALK down Ventura via our website (www.greatlawalk.com) or our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/greatlawalk). And RSVP at our email (greatlawalk@mail.com) or our Facebook events page!