I personally have found great use in Metro Lines Orange and Red - central to frequent hang-outs, theaters, higher education, and all things daily - but in an attempt to see what more Los Angeles has to offer I’ve decided to tackle the other lines one by one: first off, the Gold Line. In all things purposeful, I figured it’s not a bad idea to see what lies between Union Station and the foothills of Sierra Madre, but I must admit that it was my friend Duane who unknowingly set me out on the hunt. One Saturday afternoon he came home from Chinatown with boxes of lemon biscuits, moon-pie-esque desserts, and gummie candies, and while I haven’t yet found out where he discovered those treasures, I will soon enough. I did however find an awesome Mongolian barbecue place, which I will mention (with directions) towards the end.
So, in constant pursuit of utilizing Los Angeles’ services to satiate spontaneous whims, I did a little digging and found out that Metro is doing a little digging of their own - a partial-underground extension of the Gold Line. Out of eight stops, two will be underground, and the remaining six will be above ground. How New York of Los Angeles! Considering how well the Red Line has fared in this land of earthquakes has proved underground reinforcement beyond feasible. I have never claimed to be an engineer; I am merely a passenger, but I am thankful for the efficiency of the architectural achievements. In fact, current construction has gone “3 million work-hours without an accident”, a safety record for the benefit of workers, but no doubt to secure passengers’ safety once-completed.
Currently the Gold Line heads in a northwest direction, towards Chinatown, ending in Pasadena. But this extension will go in the opposite direction - southeast, through Little Tokyo to just past the East LA Civic Center. Construction is nearly 80% complete, and total completion is anticipated in 2009.
The Metro Gold Line Eastside extension will connect East Los Angeles, Boyle Heights and Little Tokyo/Arts District with the entire 73 miles of the Metro Rail system that crisscrosses the county from North Hollywod, Hollywood, Wilshire District and downtown Los Angeles to Long Beach, Norwalk, El Segundo, Chinatown and Pasadena.
The swell thing is while this will be much better for everyday commuters, it overall will be a great way to soak up the colors and flavors of the city. For instance, since we all love good food, the Gold Line will be connected to two King Tacos - one in Pasadena (accessible by Metro rail, Memorial Park station [click here]), and one at a future East LA Civic Center station. You will also be able to reach the farmers market in Little Tokyo at a future Little Tokyo/Arts District station [click here], just to name a couple. In fact, an Eastside Flavors Map has been compiled by Metro, which you can access here.
As aforementioned in the outset and in appreciation for the line that we currently have, here’s a personally recommended place for you to try should you want some good all-you-can-eat Mongolian BBQ:
- Mongols Bar Bq Golden Lion | Sunday - Saturday, 11:30am - 9:30pm | (626) 796-1832 | Map | At Sierra Madre Villa Station, take local bus 266 at Bay 6 to Colorado and Rosemead - the eaterie will be across the street and to your left.
Enjoy! And feel free to provide your input on a personal something worth seeing/feeling/hearing in LA that we can dare map via rail.
Photo by Kasim Patton
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2 responses so far ↓
1 Streetsblog » Today’s Headlines // Sep 9, 2008 at 7:45 am
[...] Gold Line Review (LA CityZine) [...]
2 Elson // Sep 9, 2008 at 7:55 am
I work across the street from the Sierra Madre Villa station. Though I love me some Mongol BBQ, I don’t think I can show up at the office smelling like grilled meats. But speaking of eats, I’d also recommend the Pasadena Sandwich Co. on Sierra Madre Villa Ave, just a bit north of Foothill. They serve up some humongously-sized sammiches there.
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