This week, I visited Hollywood. I don't think we
realize how close it is to our campus. Often I can get caught up in the UCLA
and Westwood bubble and forget that we are literally minutes away from neat
centers and streets where we can enjoy California culture. In my visit to
Hollywood, this is just what I did. We drove down the winding curves of Sunset
Blvd through Beverly Hills, designed to make visitors feel like they were not
driving on a grid system, but a more natural one where the road contoured to
the environmental features. Upon driving into Hollywood there was a clear shift
in social difference, noticeable by the types of buildings and landscaping. It
has a distinctly different feel than Beverly Hills, although there was no
concrete boundary between the two. Traffic flows easily through Sunset Blvd, as
it changes from Hollywood to Beverly Hills. The exotic luxury cars still roll
through, even though we are no longer in an area that has the high
socioeconomic demographics that Beverly Hills boasts. There was no denying we
were in the film capital of the world, because the street was lined with movie
and TV advertisements.
Although quite commercial, the street was pretty
quiet as far as pedestrians go, on my Saturday morning stroll. There were
plenty of people enjoying the unseasonal heat in the patios of the many cafes
and restaurants that line the street. It was clear that the area would come
alive when the sun went down, gauging by the amount of night clubs and restaurants.
Sunset Blvd is known for drawing people from all corners of the city to enjoy
one of the famous night clubs lining the street. These include, The Roxy,
Whiskey a Go Go and Key Club, just to name a few.
This area is a great example of how auto-mobility
is essential in Los Angeles. People are able to travel here, from all different
parts of the greater Los Angeles area to patronize these establishments, even
though it is not in a particularly central place. The decentralized hub of
Hollywood draws crowds to it, even though it would not be considered the cities
center. Only further proving the fact that Los Angeles depends on cars, a true
city of the postmetropolis.
