Customer Reviews

Secret Stairs: A Walking Guide to the Historic Staircases of Los Angeles

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

What a nice book. I live in the Echo Park district of Los Angeles, and a friend suggested this book to me. I realized I had read a novel by the author a few years ago that I really enjoyed, "The Ivory Coast" a jazz/noir set in Vegas, so I picked up a copy. Now I'm planning to take the walks written about in the book. Wow. As a kid, one of my favorite "Three Stooges" was shot on a stair street. They had a job delivering ice, and Curly has a huge block of ice in tongs, and when he gets to the top, he's holding a little ice cube. What I love about L. A. is how much history and mystery exists here, particularly on the east side, and parts of Hollywood. Because it was run down over here for so long, large swaths of the east side weren't touched when all of the money moved in a little west, and few of those monstrous developments occurred; there are still little nuggets and gems you can find. My only quibble is that I would have loved pictures of the stair street, but on the other hand, the descriptions are great, and leaving the mystery makes me want to go there myself. Which I plan to.

We are always looking for unique and fun things to do with our children or just on our own and this book offers both. We get to mix some fun history, good ol' exercise and family time as we seek out the next great secret stairs. Nice job Mr. Fleming.

In a time when most of us are worried, or at least aware, of our physical health and gyms and various work-out methods (Pilates, Spinning, Bootcamp, etc) are sprouting everywhere, Charles Fleming brings us Secret Stairs. I have had the pleasure of taking several of these walks and I am here to say that is quite the Cardio work-out. However it is not just that, these walks are filled with secret paths, discovering new neighborhoods, stunning views and once you to read this book or take one of the walks with Mr. Fleming himself (treat!) you will then have tidbits of old (and new) Hollywood secrets. So order your book and get started today!

Great book, even for non-walkers like myself. I've lived in Los Angeles nearly my entire life, and I didn't know about any of the places so delightfully described in Charles Fleming's book. It's like discovering a secret wilderness in the midst of city I thought I knew so well. This is a must-read for anyone who lives here or plans to visit.

A round of applause for this fine book. Really helpful in discovering (rediscovering?) how magical Los Angeles can be. Great exercise, great writing and fabulous history. A must-own for LA history lovers.

What a wonderful book! Not only has it kick started my Springtime outdoor exercise routine, but in the three walks I've done so far, it's already taken me to parts of my very own neighborhood that I've never seen before. Many of the staircases featured in the book are historical landmarks, and feature some truly beautiful construction. But it's not just the stairs that make these described urban hikes enjoyable, it's also the writer's knack for pointing out the architectural and environmental curiosities on each walk. Strolling the quiet residential streets, I've found myself chatting and sharing portions of the hike with friendly neighborhood residents, a wayward group of German tourists, and some garrulous joggers. Walking for leisure, it seems, really makes LA seem like a community in a way it never will if only viewed rushing past your windshield. I can't wait to do the rest of the hikes in the book!

I've been impatiently awaiting this book and it's finally here! I'm keeping a copy of it in my car and I've already needed it for a walk around some secret stairs in Santa Monica/Pacific Palisades. I really liked the shaded parts of the maps which connect the dots (stairs) as it were so you don't get all lost & confused... Good background info too, gotta learn all about my adopted city ya know...the ONLY problem is that all my favorite secret stairs might not be so secret any more- but I guess I can share...Beautiful cover, I bought two cuz I know someone is going to spy it on my coffee table and I will be so cool when I casually just hand it to them, and tell them to keep it, but the only catch is, "shhh, keep it a secret!" Plus besides, I hate it when stuff goes out of print and you wish you would have bought it before it was too late...

I've been living in LA for 3 years now, and my partner for ten. And some of my friends for their whole lives. And all of us have been taking random walks out of the book, and seeing all these amazing new facets of the city we never even knew existed. The walks are wonderful, and the chatty little travelogue associated with each are great.

This is an off-beat enticement to little-known wonders of Los Angeles. Nostalgia that can be experienced and enjoyed while it is felt. A wonderful trip for the mind as well as for the feet.

We went on our first LA Stair walk...this is a delightful book and although some of the stairs I knew about, the others I did not and what a find to realize that there were so many Secret Stairs!