Way OT: Running in downtown L.A.

Submitted by northmuskeGOnBLUE on

I will be attending a conference in two weeks in L.A. and I am looking for some good places to run outside. My hotel is downtown (near the Staples Center) and I will not be interested in driving to another location to do my running. I also won't have a car, so it is really a moot point!

I have never stayed in downtown L.A. before and I am not sure if there is a good network of trails or suggested running routes. Of course, I am also interested in knowing the areas to avoid as well. I am an early morning runner, usually hitting the pavement by 6am. 

Are there any board members familiar with the downtown "running" landscape in L.A? Does anyone have a good Web site that they could recommend to find good places to run in the area? Suggestions for places to avoid? I have done some online research, but most of the suggested running areas are not located in downtown. This makes me wonder if I should avoid running in the downtown alltogether. 

Any thoughts or suggestions would be most appreciated. Thank you!

MGoBoard

MoJo Rising

April 18th, 2016 at 6:01 PM ^

You'll be runnin alright like Jake the Snake! LOL

If you wake up early enough you should be ok to run especially if on the weekends. Otherwise, ask the concierge. People do run but DTLA is not exactly the best place to run. If you had the time, you should run around Brentwood/Santa Monica via San Vicente Blvd and then along Ocean Ave towards the Santa Monica Pier. 

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Imjesayin

April 18th, 2016 at 6:05 PM ^

I wouldn't run in downtown. There are too many lights to wait for (unless you want to bounce up and down at the corner like I see people do).

Even early in the morning there is traffic and drivers are shitty. So it can be dangerous.

Yes, there are occasionally crazy homeless people but probably won't bother you. But who wants to take the chance.

Every area in downtown LA is covered by some street gang, but like vampires, they don't come out between 5-8 a.m. Generally. 

I'd spend the 30 minutes to drive to the beach. (It's 30 minutes if you leave EARLY.) Go to Santa Monica and run down the beach path made for runners and bicyclers. It's beautiful and the air is great. 

Griffith Park and USC Campus are good too I've heard but can't confirm. And closer.

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Heteroskedastic

April 18th, 2016 at 7:18 PM ^

I am a runner. When I stayed in Downtown LA last year (same situation, no car) , I chose to run on the treadmill. It was the first time in 10 years I ran on a treadmill. Just sayin.  There are some pretty cool things to see within walking distance if you have the time. Bradbury Building, Last Bookstore and the Biltmore topped my list. 

 

HIstoric Downtown LA

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AngryAlum

April 18th, 2016 at 8:04 PM ^

I too lived in downtown LA for many years.  if you are being very utilitarian you can probably just run around the convention center because it a big campus and if there is no event there wont be a lot of busy intersections to cross.   otherwise you can take the blue line south a few stops heading toward long beach to the Coliseum/natural history museum and run around more of a nice parklike setting.  otherwise its asphalt/concrete around the convention center.

the air quality remarks are SOO overblown now.

lastly im not a runner

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WestQuad

April 19th, 2016 at 7:37 AM ^

I used to live in LA and the beach and Griffith Park are awesome, but I went back last year for the Cable Show and for some crazy reason decided to walk from the Staples Center to the Disney Concert Hall for a dinner.  I thought it was going to be a ghetto because that's pretty much my image of downtown LA.   That route was the most upscale cool area.  I zig zagged in and out of some mini parks (Grand Park) along the way, and went by the LA City Hall and the LAPD HQ (Dragnet) which were really cool.  

 

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bob_ufer

April 18th, 2016 at 9:26 PM ^

My wife had same question once running from Hyatt (now Sheraton) at 711 Hope. The front desk person looked at her like she was crazy to even think about it.

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Badkitty

April 18th, 2016 at 9:31 PM ^

It's probably out of the way for you but I used to live a few blocks from Runyon Canyon Park. Nice trails. Lots of people watching and the occasional celebrity.



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swamyblue

April 18th, 2016 at 9:41 PM ^

Head north on Figueroa, opposite USC towards sixth. Left on 6th...up the hill you go to Bixel. Make a right on to Bixel. Up the hill a bit at Bixel and 3rd is a school track. (De la Hoya academy or something) Should be open that early. Haven't been since the summer (recovery from a back injury) but worth a shot. Best of luck.

Note: Left on 5th or 6th en route to Bixel.



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InandOutEasy

April 18th, 2016 at 10:43 PM ^

I would suggest running stairs in a neighborhood close to DTLA like Silver Lake or Echo Park, if only to get out of DTLA and you'll get some nice views. Spending your entire stay in DTLA may be a little miserable. This site has info on good stair hikes in those and other neighborhoods: http://climbingla.blogspot.com/

Also, I think you should be okay running around 6:00am. I think the main issue with running in DTLA is dodging cars, people and bikes, but there won't be much activity at that hour. Just avoid Skid Row (bounded by 3rd, 7th, Main and Alameda) and stay east of the 110. 

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Esterhaus

April 18th, 2016 at 11:10 PM ^

 
I stay at the Staples JW Marriott at least quarterly and more often every two months, sometimes for upwards of a week at a time and I run or waddle thereabouts on the "streets" although "sidewalk" is more apropos for those of us who wish to continue living. Suggestions:
 
- run only in the early morning after daylight, say 6a to 9a. Outside this span you are fair game for crazy drivers and, when it's dark that area, street violence unless you see a crowd and blend in, and sometimes locals run in groups there it does happen - check out local running orgs and contact them, LA folks are friend albeit weird when you can get ahold of them - plan ahead;
 
- if alone and 6-9, from Staples plot a course from there to Pershing Square online - it's a grid - and always run on the sidewalks to/from Pershing Square, NEVER EVER IN THE STREET, I don't care where you live and if you believe you can manage LA streets, except when crossing with the light and even then look and listen CAREFULLY or you will get run over and die unless during the quiet period;
 
- bring a small wad of stashed cash to have your breakfast at El Centro Market before returning home, it will be worthwhile at least once. Ignore the dodgy characters near Pershing Square and the Market, during daylight they don't have the balls to hurt you, but at night and in packs ... ;
 
- drive, taxi or find some other way to run along the oceanfront practically any hour of day provided you stay on the oceanfront trail, could be Santa Monica, Malibu, Redondo or whatever apart from near LAX (Venice is okay and sometimes interesting though not as much as twenty years ago); and
 
- in the mornings near Staples, nobody is awake - which is part of the problem with drivers in addition to alcohol and sexting - and almost nobody is about town - that area is a ghost town 6-9 in the mornings, at most other times drivers will run at high speed undetected and emerge from nowhere on a mission to kill you it seems.
 
Take care, that territory IS doable but you must remain on the sidewalks. Consider running the LA Marathon some year, it can be a lot of fun when it's not being the majority more typical non-fun event due to weather or comparable conditions. Good luck.

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RobGantz

April 18th, 2016 at 11:36 PM ^

I've lived in L.A. for 25 years.  There are some nice places to run, however, downtown is not one of them.  I live near Hancock Park.  It's really easy to get to from the Purple Line, the subway.  If you take that to Wilshire and Western, the last stop, you can have a nice run along 4th.  Get off at Wilshire and Western.  Go 4 blks west to Wilton.  Take that north to 4th street and head west.  A nice run would be run down 4th past La Brea to Cochran and head south to 6th street.  Take that west to LACMA and the La Brea Tar PIts.  Make a circle around and head back.  Hancock Park is beautiful and shaded.

I usual run that, or I head to Santa Monica and run the stairs.  If you are up for the beauty of the ocean and have time, that's the place to run.  The ligthrail is expected to open up to Santa Monica from downtown sometime at the end of May.

 

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