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THINGS
TO DO IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA |
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Angels
Flight Los Angeles
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By Matthew
Martz |
If you just love the City of Angels and all its
unique attractions, or are visiting for the first time
and want to feel a bit of the city’s past charm,
Angels Flight Railway offers a quick and exciting “tour”
at an amazing price. If you will be visiting the Bunker
Hill area, or the Museum of Contemporary Art, you absolutely
must try the railway.
One of Los Angeles' most enduring landmarks, the railway
was originally constructed in 1901 on the Southwest
corner of Third and Hill Streets. Designed to carry
passengers up and down the steep incline between downtown
and Bunker Hill, then a fashionable residential district,
it is the "shortest railroad in the world".
The Angels Flight Railway consists of two cars, named
Olivet and Sinai that work in tandem and are connected
to the same cable. In 1969, Angels Flight was dismantled
to make way for the redevelopment of Bunker Hill, but
citizens finally convinced the city that it should be
rebuilt.
In 1996, the restoration and reinstallation was complete,
with a new location a half-block south of the original.
The new Angels Flight uses 60 percent of the original
material from its former days of glory, including the
railcars, the station house, and the two end station
arches. The total cost of restoration was $4.1 million.
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Angeles Flight Railway |
For just 25
cents, you can board one of the two orange and black incline
railway cars. As short as it is, 298 feet to exact, Angels
Flight is an essential Los Angeles experience. The railway
connects 351 South Hill Street, near the Metro Red Line
Pershing Square subway station at the corner of Fourth and
Hill Streets, with the California Plaza Watercourt at 350
South Grand Avenue.
The historic core is a neighborhood in downtown Los Angeles
between Hill and Main streets, which overlaps with the Jewelry
District on its western end. This is what you think of when
you think of Los Angeles. Much of the area now has been
converted to luxury condominiums.
Bunker Hill is a short hill that peaks around Third Street.
Due to the skyscrapers built on it, the hill stands out
from the rest of the L.A. basin and is synonymous with downtown
as far as most people are concerned. Those skyscrapers are
a sight. California Plaza consists of two unique skyscrapers,
One California Plaza and Two California Plaza, which are
home to MOCA (Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art), Colburn
School of Performing Arts, the Los Angeles Omni Hotel, and
a 1.5-acre water court.
Colburn Academy is a world-renowned school for musical children
with unique gifts. Performances are offered on a regular
basis, and are posted on their website. The Omni Hotel is
a luxury 17 story retreat within short drive of the city’s
most famous attractions.
The Museum of Contemporary Art was founded in 1979, and
is the only museum in Los Angeles devoted exclusively to
contemporary art. It collects and presents work produced
since 1940 in all media. In a remarkably short time, MOCA
has developed one of the nation's most renowned permanent
collections, which now features over 5,000 works. |
Angels
Flight Boarding Station |
Angels Flight from Bunker Hill |
Angels Flight
Railway is open every single day of the year, including
all weekends and holidays, from 6:45 am until 10 pm -- sometimes
even later if there are concerts going on at the Cal Plaza
Watercourt.
Yes, it is really just 25¢ to ride and it's funicular!
So why not plan a day trip in the area? Soak up some of
old Los Angeles by visiting the historic core, gander and
take pictures at the skyscrapers, absorb some art at MOCA,
and be sure to include a trip aboard the Angels flight.
The railway is 30 minutes from any where in Los Angeles;
if traveling from Orange County allow two hours to drive
and to find parking. Plenty of restaurants are nearby to
suit all tastes and budgets.
Angels Flight is two stations from Union Station on the
Metro Red Line. Parking is plentyful in and around Union
Station and Olvera Street and Los Angeles Chinatown are
within walking distance. Exit Pershing Square station for
Angels Flight and Grand
Central Market. |
| Nearby
Los Angeles Points of Interest: |
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Chinatown
16 square blocks of shops, ethnic restaurants
and art galleries. |
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Beverly
Hills located
in the heart of LA is the epitome of wealth and
style. |
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Little
Toyko cultural center for Japanese
Americans in Southern California. |
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Hollywood
start your trip
at Grauman's Chinese Theater or Madame Tussauds. |
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Olvera
Street Olvera Street is truly a magical
place nestled among the skyscrapers. |
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