Customer Reviews

Walking L. A.: 38 Walking Tours Exploring Stairways, Streets and Buildings You Never Knew Existed

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

 

 

Most of us who live in the Los Angeles area are like old-world peasants: we're only familiar with the neighborhoods we live in or pass through at 70 mph on our way to work or school. This book will make you aware that there are fascinating neighborhoods to explore, and that not every neighborhood is a dreary collection of chain stores and fast-food restaurants. It is a collection of walks, pointing out interesting stores, places to eat, historical landmarks, and unique sights along the way. It's a great way to get some exercise while broadening your horizons. The author rates the walks by difficulty; some of those stairways are a bit more difficult than she suggests, but that's a minor complaint. I hope the book gets updated periodically. A must for those who enjoy exploring new areas in their own city.

My husband and I have had a blast on the three walks we've done so far. What a great way to get some exercise and discover hidden gems in the Los Angeles area. I highly recommend this book!!! Each walk is a mini adventure. We've gone to so many places that we never knew existed. No wonder this book received the Ben Franklin award. I'm going to find out what other books the author has written and other books that received the Ben Franklin award. Erin Harris, thank you for writing this book. It's delightful.

pay attention: if you already bought the first edition,
this second one is quite the same, with only 4 added hikings.
it is worth having one of the two, a nice alternative guide
to Los Angeles.

I have been living in LA for 4 years and this is by far one of the greatest discoveries I have found. This book is more than just a simple guide that tells you routes to walk along - it shows you neighborhoods and extremely unique (and often historic) trails, public staircases, and many other fun outdoor adventures to explore - and it does this in an adventurous and very educational manner! LA is unique for the contrasting neighborhoods, the many hills and valleys, and how every house in the entire city is unlike one another, not to mention each street. This book has shown me new places to explore and new shops to try while giving me a stronger appreciation for this city. I have visited some fantastic views in this city I would have never known existed if it wasn't for this book - a must buy for anyone who enjoys exploring, walking, site-seeing, or being outside.

This great book is the best local guidebook to discovering cool and hidden neighborhoods in Los Angeles. The writing is funny and irreverent and the walks are well researched and organized in a very easily digestible way.

I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK VERY HIGHLY.

This book is a VERY simple book about walking tours in LA. Since I live there I was expecting to find some cool walks that I was NOT familiar with, but this was NOT the case. If you have never been to LA or are new to town, this might be a good way to learn the city, but otherwise I would not bother. Also, in a book like this I expect interesting little known facts, but once again, there were VERY few of those in this book. Needless to say, I was disappointed.

I love this book. This first walk I did was the "Music Box Stairs". I'd been a fan of Laurel and Hardy for years and was thrilled when I found out the stairs were still around and in Silver Lake. The whole reason I bought this book was because of those stairs. Being and L.A. native, I was curious to find some interesting places to walk in the area and this book provides it. Some of the stair walks can be difficult, but the author rates them by level of difficulty, so there are no surprises. I recommend this book to anyone that wants to see L.A. in a non-traditional, but still interesting way.

Pretty lame book, really. You are basically walking through random residential neighborhoods. Another one for the give away pile.