*The Parks of North Hollywood:

www.gotonoho.comGreetings Canine Angelenos!

Today's blog is all about the parks of my home territory...North Hollywood. I've discovered 10 places in NoHo's 10.2 square miles where a dog can roll in the grass and chase a squirrel or two; not too bad for a major city neighborhood I must say.

Now if your looking for peace and quiet, you probably won't find that here. The Hollywood Freeway (170) makes up the majority of North Hollywood's Western border and most of the neighborhood's parkland runs alongside it. But hey, if we were really worried about that we would live out in the country instead of the greatest city in the world wouldn't we?

There's a lot to love about my NoHo, so let's jump right in and cover ourselves with some dirt and grass:
  

(Click here to see what goes into my parks rating system.)

 

North Hollywood Park & Recreation Center

Rating: 3.5 Paws

11430 Chandler Bl.
North Hollywood, CA 91601

My park (I live a 5 minute walk away) is sandwiched between Tujunga Ave. and the 170 Freeway and runs from just North of the intersection of Riverside Dr. and Camarillo St. to Chandler Bl. near the Orange Line bus terminal.

This park has more squirrels than just about any place in L.A. - I get exhausted chasing them all.

Born in 1927 as Lankershim Park, it was the largest public green space in the San Fernando Valley for many years. Today it's divided into two sections by Magnolia Bl. 

The Southern section is a nice park with hundreds of shady trees, grass to roll in, and 1.6 miles of dirt trails to walk on. There are public restrooms, exercise stations, water fountains and trash cans, but no poop bag dispensers - a glaring omission in a park that is so popular with dogs. There are also quite a few picnic benches and a small memorial to the Californians that were killed on 9/11.

Cross Magnolia Bl. and you'll enter the Recreation center where there are baseball fields, tennis courts, a skate park, a roller hockey rink, a playground and a swimming pool alongside a public library and other city facilities. There is also a nice statue honoring Amelia Earhart, a long time resident of nearby Toluca Lake.

Oooooooooh that's nice....freshly mowed too.

The tennis courts and baseball fields recently underwent a major refurbishing and the newly planted grass is plush and extremely rollinable (I just made up a word!).

This park has become the center of outdoor activities in the increasingly popular NoHo Arts District and I visit it almost every day. Come on by for a visit and check out the rest of my great neighborhood while you're here. Many of the local restaurants have dog-friendly patios and they often give cookies and a bowl of cool water to us canines. Now that's what I call service.

Alexandria Park

Rating: 2 Paws

Laurel Canyon Bl. & Erwin St.
North Hollywood, CA 91601

A couple of miles North along the 170 brings you to the infamous Valley Plaza Mall. Once among the busiest and most cutting edge shopping spots in the country, it's now a "ghost mall" with an interesting story to tell. Pack Leader says you should watch these great videos about the mall's unique history.

Since dogs don't go shopping, the only thing that interests us around here is the neglected little park that sits between the parking lot and the freeway.

You're likely to have this park all to yourself because no one shops in a ghost mall do they?

It's only about 100 yards wide and 1/4 mile long, but it does have decent grass, a water fountain, some trash cans and a couple of picnic benches. It's also infested with gophers. Humans generally dislike gophers in their parks, but I enjoy digging up their little dirt mounds in hopes of catching one. Pack Leader tells me its never going to happen but that won't stop me from trying.

If you like digging for gophers, you need to visit this park.

Valley Plaza Park & Recreation Center 

Rating: 3 Paws

12240 Archwood St.
North Hollywood, CA 91606


At the Northern edge of the Valley Plaza Mall property, behind the Sears store, you'll find St. Clair Ave. and the South entrance to the Valley Plaza Recreation Center.

Tennis courts, baseball fields (including a Dodger's Dream Field for Little Leaguers), basketball courts, a volleyball court, a playground and a swimming pool can all be found surrounding your typical city-run recreation facility buildings. On the freeway side of the park, a short dirt pathway runs between the tennis courts and the swimming pool just South of Vanowen St. 

There's something for everyone, human and canine, to do here.

Cross Vanowen St. and you'll be in Valley Plaza Park, which stretches North to Gault Street. The park has a library, restrooms, exercise stations, lots of trees and a poorly maintained "lawn" that's far more dirt than grass. There are picnic benches and trash cans throughout the park but no poop bag dispensers.

The grass needs some TLC but its still a nice park with plenty to see and do.

In the Northwest corner of the park is a footbridge that goes over the 170 Freeway and takes you to the "Whitsett Fields" aka. the Valley Plaza Sports Complex.

You people should really spend less time in your cars and more time at the park...

Valley Plaza Sports Complex

Rating: 2 Paws

Whitsett Ave. & Vanowen St.
North Hollywood, CA 91605

If you play soccer or baseball in the Valley, then you know about this place. The North end of the park has some baseball fields and the South end is full of soccer fields. Usually it's packed with local athletes, but come early on a weekday and you'll have the fields all to yourself.

Pack Leader says I'm too short to play keeper.

Next to the fields are restrooms, water fountains, trash cans, picnic benches and even a concession stand on busy weekends. However, like all the parks in NoHo, there are no poop bag dispensers. I think I have to have a word with Councilman Krekorian about that...

Somebody left behind a soccer ball! The "finders keepers" law is in full effect here.

After kicking the ball around for a while, travel another mile or so North along Whitsett as it parallels the 170 to the intersection of Strathern St. and Whitsett Ave. near North Hollywood's border with Sun Valley. There are two more small parks there to investigate.

Strathern Park West

Rating: 2.5 Paws

12728 Strathern St.
North Hollywood, CA 91605

The official address of this park is on Saticoy St., but I don't recommend entering from there because of limited parking, the park is actually a couple of hundred yards down a broken glass covered alleyway, and there is no sign telling you the park is there. You should enter the park from the North end on Strathern St. or from the South near the end of Lull St.

This is definitely the least visited park in NoHo.

The park is a narrow half-mile long strip of grass between the 170 Freeway and Beeman Ave. There are no amenities except for a couple of benches and trash cans but I love this place because it's an unofficial off-leash park and very lightly used. If you want to get away from the crowds and run free, this place is just what the vet ordered.  

 

 Jamie Beth Slavin Park

Rating: 1.5 Paws

7965 Whitsett Ave.
North Hollywood, CA 91605

This is a tiny pocket park that is separated from Strathern Park West by the 170. It has a playground, basketball court, a few picnic benches, a water fountain, and a short paved pathway. While there isn't much to do, I must admit the grass is nicely kept and there is an abundance of gopher holes...if you're into that sort of thing.

It's tiny but its got the basics.

That's it for the parks that run alongside the 170. Now let's check out the rest of the neighborhood:

Tiara Street Park

Rating: 1.5 Paws

11480 W. Tiara St.
North Hollywood, CA 91601

North Hollywood's newest park is really just a playground for the kids but there is some nice grass to roll in as well as exercise stations, water fountains, trash cans, and restrooms for the humans. There's even a short pathway that goes around the entire park.

As a bonus, it's right next to an In-N-Out Burger which adds a delightful beefy aroma to the air. I highly suggest you talk your humans into sharing a Double-Double with you while you're there.

Whitnall Highway Dog Park

Rating: 2.5 Paws

5801 Whitnall Highway
North Hollywood, CA 91601

It's ragged looking and the grass is always in poor shape, but it's NoHo's only off-leash dog park so it's hard not to love. There are benches for the humans to sit on while they watch their doggies play and there is usually a kiddie pool to jump into. As with most dog parks, there are poop bag dispensers, water fountains and plenty of trash cans.

The park is split into big dog/little dog sections that are separated by a dirt parking lot.

This apartment building across the street has spectacular decor if you ask me...

Victory-Vineland Park & Recreation Center

Rating: 2 Paws

11117 Victory Bl.
North Hollywood, CA 91606

This small recreation center is right next to the Target store at the intersection of Victory Bl. and Vineland Ave. It's a tiny spot with just a single city building, a tennis court, a basketball court and a playground. Behind the building is a park large enough for two soccer fields and a few picnic benches.

It's not the biggest or prettiest park around...but its a park and I'm thankful it's here.

Chandler Bikeway

Chandler Bl. & Vineland Ave.
North Hollywood, CA 91601

At the Southeast corner of Vineland and Chandler is the Western entrance to the Chandler Bikeway. Its not really a park but it's a great place to take the dog on a stroll. It's also where you'll find one of my favorite things to roll in - the free mulch pile the city has set up for anyone who wants to take some mulch home for their lawn or garden. Pack Leader doesn't exactly approve of me rolling in the smelly mulch, but I can usually get a quick tumble in before he pulls me away.

The pathway runs for miles; deep into Burbank.

In the North Hollywood section of the bikeway are the Chandler Murals - a collection of amazing paintings on the street facing walls of the local businesses. The people who made these have some serious talent and they've created the "artsiest" street in all of NoHo - maybe all of L.A.

Of all the murals, this is my personal favorite.

This one is Pack Leader's favorite.

When you reach N. Clybourn Ave., you've reached the Eastern border of North Hollywood and the end of our adventures for today. 


I hope you've enjoyed exploring North Hollywood as much as I have and that my blog inspires you to check out one of L.A.'s most unique and fastest growing neighborhoods. Maybe I'll.....


...see you at the park!


Chloe Canine-Angeleno







Some of the information I've shared in this blog came from the following sources:

Universal City-North Hollywood: A Centennial Portrait
by Tom Link



All photographs were taken by my pack leader, Jim Gross

Everything else was discovered by getting my paws dirty and the extensive use of my nose.

The Los Angeles River UPDATE! - The San Fernando Valley Update 2

When I began my exploration of the Los Angeles River earlier this year, there were many places in the San Fernando Valley where access to the river was impossible or very impractical.

However, over the summer, a lot has changed and it seems like every passing month brings our river closer and closer to becoming an asset to Valley life instead of the concrete eyesore it's been for years.

In Update #1 I visited the Headwaters Greenway in Canoga Park and the North side of the Valleyheart Riverwalk Greenway in Studio City - two gorgeous new additions that opened this year.

Today I'm going to show you the latest piece of the 51 mile long puzzle the city is slowly putting together - the beautiful new bike path on the South side of the river that runs from the end of the Headwaters Greenway to the Van Alden footbridge in Reseda. 

Opened in late August, the bike path begins at the Mason Ave. bridge and makes it's way East for 2 miles. Along the way there are plenty of benches, water fountains, nice landscaping, and solar powered lights - but no poop bag dispensers. (I may have to start a Poop Bag Foundation or something to raise money for this issue that's all too common along the river.)

The path meanders along the Southern bank of the river and there is no access to the North side for this entire stretch - I imagine that's a project for another day.

The Mason Ave. bridge is where our journey begins.

As soon as you get on the path there is easy access to the water which, on most days, is barely deep enough to cover your paws.

Just 1/10th of a mile West of Mason brings you to the Van Owen St. bridge, where the river makes it's first of many slight turns to the South.

Access is through one of the pretty gates that are found along the entire length of the river.

A 1/2 mile stroll from Van Owen finds us at the Winnetka Ave. bridge, where you'll find a brand new exercise station similar to those found at many of L.A.'s parks and recreation centers.

Looking West at the beautiful mountains and the Winnetka Ave. Bridge.

Continue West for just over another 1/2 mile and the Corbin bridge appears just before the river takes it second slight bend to the South.

Foe some reason, we were the only ones here on a beautiful weekend morning....

A little more than 1/2 mile past Corbin is the Tampa Ave. bridge, near the busy intersection of Tampa and Victory Bl.

Everything is so new and clean around here - let's keep it that way.

Another 1/4 mile walk and we are at the end of the line, the Van Alden Ave. footbridge.

The Van Alden Ave. footbridge connects the trail with Reseda to the North and Tarzana to the South.

The first 3.09 miles from Headwaters is now complete...

That's the end of the road for now. Since there is no access to the North side of the river, this is an out and back trip of just over 4 miles... a great way to get some exercise whether you're traveling by paw or on a bike.


*Strange footnote:

On the day we visited, under each of the bridges (but nowhere else), there were dozens and dozens of spiders hanging from webs they made between the railings of the fence that separates the bike path from the river.

I've never seen anything like it before. If anyone has any idea why they do this please send me an email. Until then...



See you on the river!


Chloe Canine-Angeleno







Much of the information I've shared in this blog came from the following sources:

The Los Angeles Times


All photographs were taken by my pack leader, Jim Gross

Everything else was discovered by getting my paws dirty and the extensive use of my nose.

The Los Angeles River #6: Glendale Narrows West

Greetings Canine Angelenos!

Welcome to the 6th installment of my dog-centric look at the Los Angeles River.

In Part 1, I covered the Western San Fernando Valley - from the Headwaters to the Sepulveda Basin Dog Park.

In Part 2, I took a thorough sniff of the entire Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area.

In Part 3, I explored the Eastern San Fernando Valley - from Sepulveda Bl. in Sherman Oaks to Universal City.

In Part 4, I made my way through Burbank and parts of Glendale, completing my exploration of the river's West to East section.

In Part 5,  I journeyed along the Glendale Narrows by exploring the East side of the river; from the "Great Bend" to the Riverside-Figueroa bridge.

And now, in Part 6, we'll check out the West side of the Glendale Narrows.

Let's get going!



* Ferraro Fields to Los Feliz Bl. Bridge

In Part 4, we ended our West side journey across the street from the Ferraro Soccer Fields, which are in a small slice of Griffith Park that is separated from the main park by the 5 Freeway. This is a good place to park your car while we continue our journey South because there is easy access to the bike path.

Dog Park! Its not the greatest dog park in town, but I'll save that for another blog post.

Walk through the gate opening and we'll have access to the water right away - a good spot for a quick dip before we get started. After getting our paws wet, head South along the bike path and soon the riverside fence will block us from the water as we walk under the 134 Freeway.

After just over 1/2 mile of walking, the fence opens up again and we can get to the water. The vegetation that is so common in the Glendale Narrows makes its first appearance here and the birds are glad to see it. If you can put the noise of the 5 Freeway out of your mind, it looks and feels like the natural river it was so long ago.

Hello Mr. Heron!

Shortly (just over 1 mile from our start) we'll pass under the Colorado St. Bridge and another 1/3 of a mile takes us past Tunnel #1, which goes under the 5 Freeway and provides access to Griffith Park. This tunnel is mostly used by horses and their people who have crossed the river from Atwater Village on their way to have fun in the park.

Griffith Park's Tunnel 1 leads us into the park near the Crystal Springs Picnic Area

Continue South for another 1/2 mile and the fence once again prevents access to the river as we approach Los Feliz Bl.

Time to get back on the bike path...or get our paws wet walking under the bridge.

* Los Feliz Bl. Bridge to Glendale-Hyperion Bridge

Instead of going under the bridge, we decided to go over it via the Alex Baum Bicycle Bridge, which was built in 2002 to provide safe passage over Los Feliz Bl. and is dedicated to Alex Baum, a major player in the effort to turn L.A. into a bike-friendly city.

The 'arch' is supposed to represent the spokes on a bicycle wheel...

Soon after Los Feliz Bl., the vegetation grows almost to the river bank, limiting our access to the main part of the river. However, there is still water to splash in most days.

Looking North toward the Los Feliz Bridge....there's no place quite like L.A. is there?

Just over 1/3 mile South of Los Feliz Bl., there are two footbridges that provide access to the river. The Sunnynook footbridge goes over the river to the East side and beyond to Atwater Village. The Griffith Park Recreation Center footbridge takes us over the 5 Freeway and into the recreation center, where there is grass to roll in, picnic benches, water fountains, trash cans, and tennis courts.

Over the river...

...or over the freeway.

Immediately after the footbridges is the Sunnynook River Park. Opened in 2013, its almost 3-1/2 acres of native plants, benches, info signs, and the Luis McAdams Riverwalk, which ends just before the Glendale-Hyperion bridge.

The trail is named in honor of Luis McAdams, the co-founder of FoLAR.

Approximately 0.6 miles South of Los Feliz Bl. brings us to the Glendale-Hyperion bridge.





* Glendale-Hyperion Bridge to Glendale Fwy. Overpass

Walk under the bridge (or stay on the bike path) and you'll pass the Red Car pylons that still stand many years after the Red Cars made their last run. This is perhaps the prettiest section of the river and the speed of the water picks up considerably.

Check out my post about the East side of the Glendale Narrows for more about the Red Cars.

The next 3/4 of a mile is a beautiful walk leading us to the Fletcher Dr. bridge. Pass under the bridge and almost immediately to our right is a small park and a pathway leading up to Fletcher Drive. Take the pathway and check out one of the nicest of the many gates along the river.

The Great Heron Gate is the entrance to Rattlesnake Park, a pocket park with benches and trash cans that was built by Northeast Trees in 1997. The park is named after the nest of rattlesnakes they found during construction. The snakes were relocated and now this park is one of the official points for kayakers to enter the river.

Nice gate......so you're sure the rattlesnakes are gone?

Return to the bike path and walk another 1/4 mile to reach the Glendale Freeway (Rte. 2) overpass.

Under the freeway is one of the most popular spots for fishing on the river...that's right, I said fishing.

* Glendale Fwy. Overpass to Riverside-Figueroa Bridge

The next 2.3 miles is by far the most developed section of the river for recreation. There is a lot to see here and it seems like every couple of months brings us something new to explore.

Just beyond the overpass is the newest addition to the river's fun spots. Phase II of Marsh Park just opened in August 2014 and its sure to be a hit for years to come.

Near the riverside entrance to the new Marsh Park Phase II

There is a big parking lot here with EV charging stations, a building to host events, restrooms, an exercise course, lots of grass, benches, poop bag dispensers and a dog-friendly water fountain.

Any park that has one of these is OK in my book...

Back on the bike path, another 1/4 mile brings us to the original Marsh Park with it's funky playground, benches, grass, a water fountain and poop bag dispenser.

Well this isn't something you see everyday at the playground...

Just past Marsh Park, the vegetation in the river grows right up to the bank, blocking access to the water for almost a mile. However, there are plenty of things to keep us busy along the way.

About 0.6 miles South of the Glendale Freeway is tiny Elysian Valley Gateway Park. This was the first park built along the river back in 1996. It has picnic benches, a poop bag dispenser, trash cans, and a water fountain. There's some grass to roll in too. Not bad for a little park.

Its been 18 years since this park opened...a lot has happened since then.

A two minute walk past Elysian Valley Gateway Park and we're at perhaps the coolest and certainly most unique new feature of the Glendale Narrows...The Frog Spot.

"The Frog Spot serves as both a community gathering space and as a launching pad for excursions into the river..." say the good people at FoLAR, the creators of this wonderful idea.

An "oasis" along the banks of the LA River

Underneath their shady canopy you'll find a concession stand where you can buy snacks, a cool drink, or a hot cup of coffee. The first thing they asked Pack Leader when we got there was "Can I offer you some water for your dog?" Are these people great or what?

On the weekends there are often bands playing, barbecues, and a variety of educational programs for kids and their Pack Leaders......I mean parents.

The next mile or so along the bike path takes you past the occasional bench to take a break at and offers views of the Taylor Train Yard across the river. Soon the vegetation recedes from the bank and the river can be seen again in all its glory.

My sentiments exactly.

At just over two miles South of the Glendale Freeway overpass you'll find Steelhead Park. Here there's a small amphitheater used for educating kids about the river, info signs, a water fountain and a little bit of grass. There are no poop bag dispensers.

The Steelhead trout was once very common in the river.

Go South for another 1/4 mile to arrive at Egret Park and the end of the bike path. The small park has benches, water, trash cans, a porta-potty, poopbag dispenser, and a bunch of info signs.

If you like fancy gates, it really is hard to beat the parks of the Glendale Narrows.

You can see this awesome mural while relaxing on the benches of Egret Park.

The bike path may end here for now, but you can walk South of Egret Park along a dirt path that takes you to the construction site of Riverside-Figueroa bridge. The path ends at the train tracks near the junction of the 5 and 110 Freeways near Avenue 19. When we took these pictures in August 2014 you could see both the new bridge and the old one. Since the old bridge is going to be demolished, you'll have to get there soon to see it.

An effort to turn the old bridge into a park recently failed....

We found some strange things underneath the old bridge...

The end of the trail....and the Glendale Narrows.

We did it! We've covered the LA River from it's Headwaters to the end of the Glendale Narrows. Next stop is Downtown LA. Be sure to subscribe to my blog or visit my website to join me as I make my way toward Long Beach and the Pacific Ocean.


See you on the river!

Chloe Canine-Angeleno





Much of the information I've shared in this blog came from the following sources:

Los Angeles River Revitalization Corporation

LA Mountains

Los Angeles Times 

North East Trees

KCET 

Down By The Los Angeles River

All photographs were taken by my pack leader, Jim Gross

Everything else was discovered by getting my paws dirty and the extensive use of my nose.