CicLAvia Returns to the 'Heart of LA,' and We're Back Too

It had been a while since we grabbed our bikes and headed to the open streets for one of our favorite Los Angeles events, CicLAvia -- a function both of the pandemic and our busy schedules. But Nathan and I made it out to Chinatown on Saturday, and rode our bikes all the way to Mariachi Plaza and back, enjoying the sights and sounds of the city along the way. 

It's been easy to get a little down on Los Angeles lately. There are a lot of frustrating things about the current state of our city. But being back out with thousands of other Angelenos and enjoying the beautiful day... it brought back some of the passion for LA that had been starting to wane. (Later that evening, we also hit a Lakers preseason game — quite a day in LA!) More shots from our Sunday in downtown:

CicLAvia Returns to Wilshire Boulevard, and Blogger Kid 2.0 is Ready (PHOTOS)

CicLAvia was back for a shorter course this Sunday, shutting down Wilshire Boulevard between downtown and Western. But that was good enough for the thousands who came out and took advantage of the empty street to ride their bikes, skateboards and other contraptions -- or even just walk it.

It was an even bigger deal for the Franklin Avenue crew, as it was the first time Blogger Kid 2.0 rode his own bike, without training wheels, at a CicLAvia! We only took the training wheels off a few weeks ago, so we were mighty proud.

Also: A shout-out to the CicLAvia personnel on hand, who rushed to our aid when the Blogger Kid 1.0 snapped off his bike pedal and tumbled to the ground. Luckily, he only got a few scrapes. But his bike is going to need some work!

More shots from a beautiful -- but hot! -- Sunday at CicLAvia:

Scenes from a Valley Cic-LA-Via

Back in November The Great Los Angeles Walk took on the Valley, walking Ventura east from Topanga Canyon all the way up Lankershim to North Hollywood. On Sunday, Cic-LA-via followed the tail end of that course, picking up from Coldwater Canyon. I brought along the Blogger Kid, and together we biked the entire route, 6 miles each way. As usual, it was a blast, and we had a chance to revisit some of the things we spied on foot back on the Walk. Some pics from the day:



The Cic-LA-via bus


A brass band joins in


Even E.T. and Elliott joined in!


Free books from the LA Public Library on this book bike (bookcycle?).


The Blogger Kid and I discussed the merits of this NoHo sign. I still find it gaudy, but he points out it's at least not boring.


No cars were being washed on Sunday!

CicLAvia's Next Stop: The San Fernando Valley

CicLAvia is following the lead of the Great Los Angeles Walk and heading to the Valley! On Sunday, March 22, 2015, from 9am-4pm, the CicLAvia path will follow the final 6 miles of last November's Great Los Angeles Walk path, heading from Studio City to North Hollywood via Ventura Boulevard and Lankershim!

For those of you who walked with us in November, it's another chance to see the Valley up close, this time either on bike or back on foot!

Other CicLAvia events planned for 2015 include:

Pasadena - May 31
Culver City to Venice - August 9
Heart of LA - October 2015

Read all of our past CicLAvia coverage here.

Scenes From CicLAvia, from Echo Park to East Los Angeles

CicLAvia was back this past Sunday, as thousands of Angelenos braved the heat and hit the empty streets with their bikes, skateboards, strollers and other contraptions. I was there, and rode my bike from Echo Park to the East Los Angeles Civic Center and back again -- drinking lots of water and eating many tacos along the way. (That'll be a separate post.) It was a great day -- here are some pics.


Riding through the famed 2nd Street tunnel -- as seen in virtually every car commercial.


Riding down Bunker Hill


At the Echo Park starting point


Riding over the bridge spanning the Los Angeles River


L.A. City Councilmember Tom Labonge -- Mr. L.A. -- shows off the sights from the bridge


Mariachi Plaza


The view from Mariachi Plaza


Riding down Cesar Chavez Ave. in Boyle Heights


Boyle Heights painting at Guisados


Creepy Elmo!


Oh thanks, Cic-LA-Via volunteer, you're awesome too!


Greetings from East Los Angeles


Evergreen Cemetery


Performances at the East Los Angeles Civic Center -- the eastern hub of this Cic-LA-via


The Los Angeles skyline


Dance-LA-Via!

Scenes from CicLAvia's Return to the Heart of Los Angeles

We never get tired of CicLAvia, the day that miles of L.A. roads are shut down to cars and turned over to bicyclists and pedestrians. For this Sunday's edition of CicLAvia, organizers returned to the heart of downtown, with spokes to Chinatown, Mariachi Plaza, Pico/Central and MacArthur Park. Food trucks, bands, activities, bike repair, retail booths and more were there at every stop. And at the center of it all, in Grand Park, everything from a kids' play area to an Italian food festival greeted participants.



More than 100,000 people took part in October's event, according to organizers, who hope to eventually turn CicLAvia into a monthly event. (Too much of a good thing?) A few pics from this time:


Zumba marathon in Boyle Heights at Mariachi Plaza


The dancing Stop sign at City Hall


Concert stage in Chinatown


Coca-Cola bottling building at Central and Pico


Game area at Grand Park