On Transportation
How I am get from here to there
Hello!
It has been a minute since I’ve written here. To say that the last month and a half since I got back from France has been hectic would be an understatement. In the last 2 months I:
Returned from France
Packed my one bedroom apartment to move
Got sick and was on the couch for all of Memorial Day Weekend
Moved to a new apartment
Took an improv class
Worked my 9-5
Took a French class
Recorded podcasts
Had several routine doctors appointments (my teeth are great!)
And got into a car accident
On that last note, I am fine. No one is hurt. Of course, the timing of that accident could have been better—not that there’s ever a good time to get into a car accident—but the day before moving really was unfortunate.
Fortunately, I had already decided to hire movers, and I have some fantastic friends who helped me out on those moving days. But, my car went straight to the shop…where it has been for 40 days and counting.
Apparently, due to some unforeseen hacking events and a lack of parts in general, Hyundai Elantra front bumpers are on back order, and my lovely little Antoine will be in the shop for the foreseeable future. Leaving me carless. In Los Angeles.
Now, if there’s one thing people think about when they think LA it’s the traffic. Okay, it may also be Hollywood and the beach, but traffic is up there. This is for good reason, as everything is spread out and the likelihood that your work (if you don’t work from home) is near where you live is minimal. That and the Purple line of the metro has been in development for at least 6 years (yes, LA has a metro). I have met a few people who don’t have a car here, but it isn’t the easiest way to navigate life in the City of Angels.
As of two weeks ago, I joined those ranks. While my insurance covered a car for 30 days, I was asked to kindly return the vehicle at the 30 day mark. And as grand theft isn’t something I wanted to try, I obliged.
So now, I am carless in Los Angeles (side note: this feels like the name of someone writing into Dear Abby).
After walking upwards of 20,000 steps per day in France, walking around a city is one of my favorite pastimes. But LA is not a walker’s city. Even within “walkable” neighborhoods, the collections of cute shops, restaurants, etc. are scattered over several blocks. And perhaps past several underpasses. Not the most scenic way to get around.
I’m two weeks, and I have to say—it isn’t too bad. My new house is in Koreatown, and has much more around it than my previous spot in Hancock Park. I can now walk to more restaurants and bars, a post office, and an H Mart. And Larchmont Village is still within walking distance, which is necessary to satisfy my Larchmont Wine and Cheese sandwich cravings.
I also have gotten to know a new side of LA—the public transportation. Yes. LA has public transportation. The aforementioned metro line has several stops around the city. And, on the slim chance you are by one as is your destination, it is an incredibly convenient way to get to where you need to go. There are also busses that connect the dots all around the large metropolis. The other day, I took a bus in LA for the first time, and it was quite easy. Granted, I didn’t have to change busses, and I wasn’t on a tight schedule, but I felt very proud of myself for walking 2 blocks to take the bus instead of calling an Uber.
Not that I haven’t used Uber or Lyft a little more in this carless moment. At night or if I’m running late (as I am wont to do), an Uber or Lyft becomes my go to option.
There is also a fleet of electric cars for car share. I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m sure I will as my car continues its absence. And of course, there’s the electric scooters available for rent, but I like having my collar bone intact, so I think I’ll skip those.
For longer hauls, I have discovered the joys of the train. Last week, I took the train to go see my friend Gaya in Oceanside. I am used to the train in Europe, but I have only taken it once in the US. Okay, fine, I have taken the Long Island Railroad much more than that, but the LIRR doesn’t have the same vibe as the Amtrak. To my knowledge, there is no meal car, which makes it automatically different.
I quite like train travel (when I’m not running between stations in Paris). There’s something easy and relaxing about it that isn’t found on a plane or an airport. Maybe it’s the lack of TSA. Maybe it’s that you can keep your bags with you and not wait at baggage claim (though I do hate the stress of finding a spot for larger luggage). Maybe it’s freedom to roam about the cabin without waiting for the seatbelt sign to turn off. Regardless, the slow ambling of the train on the tracks makes for a very pleasant way to start the morning.
My biggest carless challenge has been this weekend since my friend Kali has come to visit. And though I tried to rent a car, the rental car place was only willing to give me a Toyota Tacoma…which is not something I felt like driving around Los Angeles. So, Kali has gotten to see what LA is like on foot—which is of course the way most locals traverse around this city.
I would love for my car to get fixed sooner rather than later. I miss the convenience of hopping in my car to run to get groceries and it is harder to see my friends who live across town. But for the moment, life without wheels isn’t too bad.
Ten Things This Week
As I am walking more, podcast time has increased. My newest podcast find is Wikihole with D’Arcy Carden, and it’s a whole bunch of trivia fun.
Speaking of podcasts, the delightfully wonderful Chris DeRosa was a guest on Best Line/Worst Line to talk about the Britney Spears classic, Crossroads. It was a joy.
I started My Lady Jane on Amazon Prime, which is a fantasy retelling of the life of Lady Jane Grey. I am intrigued by it and want to love it so much, but I’m not quite there yet. If you have watched it, I’d love to discuss.
I have been listening to a lot of French music recently. Some favorite artists include Bon Entendeur, Pomme, Angèle, and The Pirouettes.
Judith Viorst, the nearly-90 year old author of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, wrote this delightful article about loving her life right now.
I finally went to Sqirl, a breakfast place in Los Angeles. It is very LA and very good. Get the ricotta toast.
I’ve been re-reading No Exit by Jean-Paul Sartre. I like it as much as I did when I first read it, if not more. Now I want to read it in the French.
With all the walking I’ve been doing, I have to give a shout out to my Rothy’s. These are feet savers.
I also have to give a shout out to Crystal Spa in Koreatown. It was my first Korean Spa experience, and Kali and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I’m going to my first Drag Con next week in LA, and I can’t wait. Freaking finally.
Talk to you next time!
- Melanie