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09/28/08 |
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On this page: Day Four, Tuesday, 4 September 2007 An ode to a Pilates studio in Burbank: Center Studio Pilates The Freeway Ride to Burbank and North Hollywood The Ride on Los Angeles' Metro Subway and Light Rail System Day Four, Tuesday, 4 September 2007 It's Tuesday, 4 September 2007 and for most of us it's back to the grind. You know, the morning commute and hoping you make it kind. Not for me, as I have one more day to check out Los Angeles by itself before having to make the flight back to Tampa the next day on Southwest. After breakfast and downloading the latest batch of pictures I have taken the day before it was time to check in for my flight back to Tampa on Southwest. Just a couple of clicks on the Southwest web site, enter my PNR number, and - voila - my boarding pass, assigned into Boarding Group A as usual. But this trip back to Tampa would take a different turn, as you will see on Day Five (which is the next page). Once I got this important task done it was off to explore Los Angeles in the remaining time I had before the next day, both by freeway and by Metro. First I drove up Interstate 405 to Interstate 10, then I cut over on Interstate 10 to CA 110 north. Then I drove north on CA 110 through the canyon of downtown Los Angeles to US 101, then it was northbound on US 101 to Barham Blvd. which would lead me past the Warner Brothers studios and to Hollywood Way and eventually Burbank. Once in Burbank I did some street level exploration going by the landmarks that I have been to during my Labor Day 2003 trip to the Los Angeles area. I drove up Hollywood Way to the Burbank Airport to see if the Hilton Hotel was still there. The buildings are still there, the Daily Grill restaurant is still there, but one thing was missing: The Hilton name. It turned out that the hotel became a Marriott, which is why I could not find it when I was searching for a hotel for this trip as I wanted to recreate some moments of my 2003 trip to Los Angeles. Look at it this way, where I stayed at the Hilton LAX Airport on Century Blvd. worked out well sans the steep expense; after all, expect to pay more in the Los Angeles area than St. Petersburg, Tampa, Ft. Lauderdale or Baltimore combined. After driving by the Burbank Airport I headed back south on Hollywood Way to Magnolia Blvd., where I headed west to North Hollywood and the second part of my Los Angeles exploration: Metro. I got to admit it, a rail system like the Los Angeles Metro is what the Tampa Bay area desperately needs. Moreover, it wasn't expensive - only $5.00 for an all day pass. I boarded the subway - dubbed the red line - at North Hollywood and rode it all the way to its terminus at Union Station, where you can interconnect with MetroLink Commuter Rail or with Amtrak for long distance travel. On a side note: Amtrak does indeed have a transcontinental train that runs three times a week from Los Angeles to Orlando, which is called The Sunset Limited. Currently (as of 2007) the train runs east to New Orleans with no service beyond due to track infrastructure damage as a result of Hurricane Katrina in 2005; hopefully, full service should be restored soon as a cross country train ride is the best way to see the country. I turned around at Union Station and went back two stations for a trip south to Long Beach. The Metro from downtown Los Angeles to Long Beach is mainly above ground light rail for the most part with a small subway section in downtown Los Angeles. I didn't get off in Long Beach as time was getting constrained, so I remained on board for the return trip. As I have already explored Hollywood earlier I took the red line back to North Hollywood and my car. But I also got to admit, seeing Los Angeles by way of Metro is better than from your own car, especially when it's rush hour. Once in North Hollywood it was back onto Magnolia Blvd. and into Burbank. I parked my car on the street on Hollywood Way just south of Magnolia Blvd. to do some exploring before I had to head back to LAX and the Hilton so that I could prepare to pack for the return trip home. I returned the rental car that I had for the past few days, a Chevrolet Cobalt, to Alamo so that I have one less thing to do the next day; the friendly folks at Alamo gave me the stellar customer service by personally returning me back to the hotel! After all, this is the best customer service I experienced! An ode to a Pilates studio in Burbank: Center Studio Pilates Since 2002 I have been working out doing Pilates, both in a private session and a group mat class setting at a Pilates studio north of downtown St. Petersburg that was called Soul Stretch Pilates. After all, a Pilates private session or a group mat class was my own private sanctuary. During the height of my Pilates days I continued my workouts even when I was on the road, including my 2003 trip to Los Angeles over the Labor Day weekend. So, enter another Pilates studio called Center Studio, which was located on 3715 West Magnolia Blvd. just west of Hollywood Way in Burbank and convenient to where I was staying at the Hilton just about a few minute's drive north. The format of Center Studio's mat classes were almost just about the same as Soul Stretch (but remember, no two mat classes are exactly alike): Pilates exercises like the Hundred and Rolling Up Like a Ball, plus exercises using a Thera-Band and an exercise ball. The instructors were the best and gave me some guidance along the way. I wanted to do a few more classes at least but my time in the Los Angeles area was limited. Unfortunately, on the home front Soul Stretch closed its doors around 2005 leaving me without a Pilates studio. However, I was introduced to another Pilates studio in downtown St. Petersburg which I have been using; unfortunately, my trainer left several months later and because of other activities which have been cutting into my schedule I have had to stop doing Pilates. With the 2007 trip to Los Angeles I was hoping to maybe get back into the shape of all things Pilates by taking a mat class or two at Center Studio in Burbank. Sadly to say, I attempted to go to their website a day before I left for my recent Los Angeles trip but I get the dreaded 410 message we in the Internet world know: The page was gone. When I rode by where Center Studio was located in Burbank I was looking for it but my fear was realized: Center Studio was no longer in business. WEBMASTER'S NOTE: If anyone in the Burbank or surrounding area knows about Center Studio Pilates that used to be located on 3715 West Magnolia Blvd. please contact me using the Contact Me page. I am not sure if Center Studio Pilates is either indeed out of business or if the studio has moved elsewhere in the Burbank area. Today the Garri Dance Studio sits in the storefront space where Center Studio once stood. The Freeway Ride to Burbank and North Hollywood Signage denoting the entrance to Interstate 405 north from Century Blvd. The "Freeway Entrance" sign is in desperate need of either cleanup or replacement due to graffiti. Signage for La Cienega Blvd. as well as CA 42 to Inglewood, taken from the entrance ramp onto Interstate 405 north. You are probably wondering why you see barbed wire on nearly all interstate and freeway overhead signs in California; their chief purpose is to deter vandalism by climbing up one of the posts to get to the signs. By comparison Florida used to have catwalks for its overhead signs many years ago but today's Florida DOT design standards for overhead sign structures do not use catwalks and are designed in a way to prevent vandalism. The merging traffic warning sign: The California version and the Florida version for comparison. Final opportunity for CA 90 west to Marina Del Rey and advance signage for Jefferson Blvd. coming up in 1/4 mile. Notice the through signage for Interstate 405 to Santa Monica (via Interstate 10 west) and Sacramento (via Interstate 5 north). Next we take a minor jog onto Interstate 10 east and here is the exit for CA 110 north through downtown Los Angeles to Pasadena. The California version of Pasadena, that is. This is where Interstate 110 and CA 110 come together and from what I understand CA 110 north of Interstate 10 will eventually become Interstate 110; however, you can't put up interstate shields without going through AASHTO and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) first. Also notice the 30 mph ramp speed - it's a sharp turn! Now we're on CA 110 north going through downtown Los Angeles on our way to US 101 north. Here is signage for US 101 north to Hollywood as well as Interstate 5 south to Santa Ana and Interstate 10 east to San Bernardino. As you will see, trucks are prohibited on CA 110 north of US 101 because of the tunnel ahead. Final opportunity for US 101 or Interstates 5 and 10 from CA 110. At the ramp split for US 101 or Interstates 5 and 10. Notice how old the signs are, probably from when the freeways opened so many years ago. We're north on US 101 bisecting Hollywood on our way to Burbank. Here are two exits from US 101, one for Sunset Blvd. and the other for Hollywood Blvd. Intersection of Hollywood Way and Magnolia Blvd. in Burbank. Notice the California standard mast arm traffic signal with the left turn signal. We'll head west on Magnolia Blvd. to Lankershim Blvd. in North Hollywood to catch the Metro. A view of where Center Studio Pilates used to be. More on that later in this web page. The Ride on Los Angeles' Metro Subway and Light Rail System We're now on the Metro Blue Line headed out of downtown Los Angeles. This is probably the Pico station. Pacific Coast Highway station: Southbound and northbound. After a ride through Long Beach, we're on our way back to downtown L.A. Here is the entrance to Interstate 10 east. The front of the cab of the light rail train between downtown Los Angeles and Long Beach, taken at Metro Center in downtown Los Angeles. I did not get many pictures on the way to Long Beach and back for two reasons: The afternoon sun which precludes getting good pictures in a southerly direction and the afternoon commuter crowd on the way back, as I got to experience rush hour in Los Angeles from a light rail point of view. After all, if Los Angeles can have a system like this why can't Tampa/St. Petersburg? Besides, the Tampa/St. Petersburg area is going to have Los Angeles freeway style gridlock soon if nothing is done to fix Tampa's antiquated and near unreliable transit system. Intersection of Figueroa and Wilshire Blvd. in downtown Los Angeles. Here's a closeup of the mast arm traffic signals on Figueroa. Hollywood/Highland Station on the Metro Red Line. This is headed north going towards North Hollywood. Looking north on the northbound tunnel from the Hollywood/Highland Station. The Return to Burbank (and an ode to Center Studio Pilates) More of the intersection of Hollywood Way and Magnolia Blvd.: Looking east on Magnolia Blvd. and looking north on Hollywood Way on a different angle. Today the Garri Dance Studio is in the same place where Center Studio Pilates used to be. Combination shield sign for both Interstate 5 and CA 134. This is looking east on Magnolia Blvd. as you approach Hollywood Way. Closeups of the CA 134 and Interstate 5 shields in Burbank.
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This site was last updated 09/25/08