DocK

The L.A. Zoo area includes most, but not all of Griffith Park. This part of Griffith Park has three golf courses, the Griffith Park Observatory, Travel Town and Museum, the Autry National Center Museum, the L.A. Zoo, an equestrian center, bicycle rental, a Merry-Go-Round, the Greek Theater, and a lot of park area. While all of these destinations can be enjoyable, some parts of the area are not as safe as they could be, and visitors need to be aware of their surroundings. It is not a residential area.

The LA Zoo was founded in 1966. It is owned by the City. It houses some 1,100 animals from all over the world. The Zoo has a California condor breeding program which has been successful in increasing the numbers of these rare birds. There are many habitats, from a gorilla reserve to sea lion cliffs, with more being planned and built. There are also Botanical Gardens. The Zoo is open every day except Christmas.

The Autry National Center Museum of the American West is near the Zoo. There are ongoing exhibitions called Opportunity, Conquest and Community, in addition to changing exhibits, festivals, lectures, and music. There is something here for everyone, especially during the summer.

The Greek Theater is an outside 5801-seat venue which presents concerts by a wide variety of
musicians.

The Travel Town Museum in Griffith Park tells the story of railroad history. It is has a small, restored and operating stretch of rail. There are a number of different trains and cars running at Travel Town. There are also trains running at the south end of Griffith Park.

Griffith Park itself is over 4210 acres of natural terrain as well as landscaped park. It is the largest municipal park with an urban wilderness area in the United States. There are many habitats within the park. Hiking and picnicking are allowed. There are two sleepover camps in the park. The land for the park was donated by Griffith J. Griffith. The Park is managed by the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks.

The Griffith Park Observatory, which was planned by Griffith, has recently been renovated. In addition to the Planetarium, there is a theater named for Leonard Nimoy, who helped fund the renovation. There are public telescopes, exhibits, lectures, school programs, and more.

There was a fire in 2007 that destroyed 817 acres of Griffith Park. The fire came close to the Zoo. The city is working on stabilizing the slopes and restoring the area. In this area of Southern California, fire is always a risk. You have to be careful at all time and aware of where you are when visiting any part of this area.

Century City is not really a city. It is a mainly commercial area developed just west of Beverly Hills. It used to be one of 20th Century Fox’s backlots. In 1961, the studio sold the parcel, which is only 180 acres, to a developer who eventually built a number of high rises, including office space, a shopping mall, the Century City Plaza Hotel and the ABC Entertainment Center. These were some of LA’s first “skyscrapers.”

The ABC Entertainment Center contained ABC’s television network operations. It also boasted the Schubert Theater, which, despite its unfriendly seating, was the place to see many performances from the late 1970’s until its demolition in 2002. The space is now occupied by a new glass building where the famous Creative Artists Agency calls home.

The shopping mall in Century City opened to the public in 1964. At the time, it was small and the only major retailer was the Broadway. It has been renovated several times, each time bringing more space and more choices, including a Bullock’s and a market (the “Marketplace”) instead of a food court. The AMC movie complex added in 1987 contained 14 theaters, making it one of the largest in the country. This was probably the high point for the mall. As department stores went under in the 1990’s, Broadway and Bullock’s were both casualties. Bought by the Westfield Group in 2002, the mall was redone once again, and has acquired more trendy and expensive shops. The current name is the Westfield Century City, and it is still a very popular place to shop for residents of surrounding areas.

The people who live in Century City live in condominiums or apartments. There are no single homes.

According to the LA Department of City Planning estimates in 2008, there are just under 6000 people living in Century City, less than 700 of them being school age.

While Century City is part of the LA Unified School District, there are no schools within the area. High School students used to go to Hamilton High School to the south; they now go to University High School to the West. Century City is immediately adjacent to Beverly Hills and residents facing east can Beverly Hills High School out the window. However, BHHS generally does not allow Century City residents to attend.

During the day there are almost 50,000 people working in Century City. The office space is consider prime and is used by a wide range of businesses.

The hotel, still called the Century Plaza Hotel, it is now a Hyatt Regency, although it changed hands in 2008. The new owners were prevented from demolishing it since it is now on the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s list of the most endangered historic places in America. After a million dollar renovation of the guest rooms, as well as areas for business meetings and parties, the hotel markets itself as a luxury destination with an award-winning restaurant and popular bar. Because of its location, the Century Plaza Hotel is a good base to explore all of Los Angeles.