I wanted to do an urban hike this morning and get at least 5 miles in. I love Griffith Park but knew that it would be very busy. The question was not where else, but which park. In the City of Los Angeles alone, there are more than 435 parks and rec centers. In addition to Griffith Park, there are also a few more regional parks and other large parks in L.A. City. Then there are the L.A. County Parks, Mountains Recreations & Conservancy Authority parks, Santa Monica Mountains, and other parks under the jurisdiction of other cities in Los Angeles County.

Since I got up later than I originally planned, I didn’t want to go too far. I opted for Elysian Park because it was easy to get to (either from the I-5 or 101) and it was near my friend’s family bakery, Kien Giang. My plan was to reward myself with a Vietnamese Sandwich and mocha cake after my hike.

But on my way to Elysian, I ended up taking a detour. All I had to do was continue straight on Echo Park Blvd, past Sunset, then left on Scott. But I suddenly had a craving for Tartine’s morning bun and vanilla latte. By “suddenly”, I mean I’ve been thinking about it from the time I got on the freeway.

So there I was with my morning bun and latte. And there were actually empty tables. I thought about just sitting outside and doubling my miles tomorrow. But I powered through! Yay Me!

Elysian Park doesn’t have the same bells and whistles as GP– a few museums, a zoo, an old zoo, or amphitheaters. But it has good trails, a baseball field, soccer fields, LOTS of picnic tables, and amazing views. The view of Downtown L.A. with Dodger Stadium on the foreground on a beautiful day is unbeatable. And if you walk across the road, you also have an awesome view of the north side of L.A.: L.A. River, the I-5, Mount Washington, etc. Elysian Park has “stuff” but on a smaller level than GP. I think of it as a “boutique” GP because it’s not as big, seems lusher, cleaner, and not as busy. It’s kinda like the Starwood of the Marriott family. Ya know what I mean?

Below are pictures from my morning in Elysian Park. Note that there’s not a lot of people. And that it’s so green!

If you have not been to or explored Elysian Park, you should give it a try. It’s not crowded, lots of shade, great views (if you go to the top) and there are trails. If you are training or want to push your workout, the hills are no joke.

And if you just want to chill, there is plenty of space!

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