Las Ramblas: Barcelona.
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Looking at these photos, one can almost imagine that they are staring, not at a Spanish scene, but somewhere in the vicinity of La Cienega and 3rd Streets in Los Angeles.
In the distance is the Hollywood Hills, but the foreground is a wonderful assembly of classical architecture and pedestrian friendly streets. A thriving, bustling, civilized and entertaining theater of life and commerce. Just imagining it…….
In Santa Monica, we have the Third Street Promenade, the only place that comes close to this. But in the San Fernando Valley, we have indoor malls and the “glories” of Van Nuys and Reseda.
It is up to us and the city planners to get together to remake the decaying and forgotten parts of the San Fernando Valley so that we also have places like this in our part of LA.
I was in Barcelona last year and loved it partly because it did remind me of LA. If LA had Barcelona’s expansive subway system and walkable streets, it would be perfect.
There have been talks of remaking Broadway downtown into a pedestrian only street. It’s already one of the most vibrant streets in the city (if not the country) and this would just make it even more so.