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Go Metro to the Grand Park opening and get the chance to win a huge prize package

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A view of Grand Park in the late afternoon. Photos by Anna Chen/Metro

The first two blocks of downtown’s brand-new Grand Park - from Grand Avenue to Hill Street – will open to the public with a two-day celebration on July 28 and 29. Grand Park is just steps from Civic Center Station on the Red and Purple Lines and plenty of buses also have stops around the park, which means it’s easy to get there with Metro – and if you go Metro to the opening events, you’ll get the chance to win the Grand Avenue Prize Package!

Just show your Metro pass at the info booth on either Saturday, July 28 or Sunday, July 29 to enter for your chance to win. The Grand Avenue Prize Package includes:

July 28 also happens to be National Dance Day. Head to the park and get your dance on with Lauren Gottlieb, a “So You Think You Can Dance” All-Star, and Gina Grant from Zumba. The two ladies will lead the public in the official National Dance Day dance routines.

The National Dance Day Celebration lasts from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Afterward, enjoy free community dance classes and performances, a special performance by IRIS from Cirque du Soleil, other fun activities and food trucks for the rest of the day.

Festivities continue Sunday, July 29 from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. with Music in the Park. The inaugural musical event will feature regional musical performers presented by Grand Performances in partnership with The Music Center.

When the third block of Grand Park (from Hill St. to Broadway) opens later this summer, visitors exiting Civic Center Station will come out right in the middle of the park.

Reminder: Angels Express service on Metrolink

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Angels Stadium. Photo by Kwong Yee Cheng, via Flickr creative commons.

The Angels return home this Friday night to face the Texas Rangers, who the Angels are chasing in the American League West. The Angels are then home all next week against both Kansas City and Baltimore.

Metrolink continues its Angels Express service, offering round-trips from Union Station to Angels Stadium for $7 for all 7:05 p.m. weeknight games. Trains leave Union Station at 5:50 p.m. and then leave Angels Stadium 30 minutes after the end of the game. On Friday nights, trains leave 45 minutes after the game so fans can watch the fireworks without rushing.

The news release from Metrolink is posted after the jump with all the details.

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Metro to run all trains and Orange Line busway until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights!!!

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In the nearly three years that I’ve been running this blog, I’m pretty sure the most requested service change from readers has been for more late night rail service, particularly on the weekends.

Metro CEO Art Leahy has decided to do just that. The specifics:

•All Metro Rail lines will run until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. That includes the Red/Purple Line subway, the Blue Line, Expo Line, Green Line and Gold Line.

•Trains will run every 20 minutes between midnight and 2 a.m.

•The Orange Line will run until 2:40 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights in order to meet the last trains at the North Hollywood Red Line station. The Orange Line will also run every 20 minutes between midnight and 2:40 a.m.

•The plan at this moment is to begin late-night service on the weekend of July 27-28 but Metro is also working to determine if late night service is needed on the Silver Line, as well as working with Metrolink on the possibility of extending their service to connect with Metro’s.

Metro will provide more details on scheduling later in the month and there will be a considerable p.r. push to let everyone know about the new service. Suffice it to say, this is good news for workers and those going out on weekend nights, whether it’s to restaurants, bars or the many events in the region.

Here’s a statement on the new service from Los Angeles Councilman and Metro Board Member Jose Huizar:

“I’m very pleased that Metro is extending late-night, weekend train service hours to 2 a.m.
In 2008, my office launched a similar, public/private partnership extending Red Line service hours during the winter holidays. Following the popularity of that program, I’ve heard from many people for the need to permanently extend Metro train service hours. In Downtown Los Angeles, Metro’s extended Friday, Saturday evening hours will allow more customers to enjoy the many exciting late-night venues we offer, as well encourage more people to use public transportation.”

dineLA with Metro!

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Traxx restaurant at Union Station. Photo by Anna Chen/Metro

dineLA takes place from July 16 – 27 for its first ever summer run, and many of the participating restaurants can be easily reached by Metro.

For those who aren’t familiar with dineLA, it’s 12 days of foodie heaven. Restaurants put together special three-course menus at fixed prices ranging from $15 – $25 for lunches and $25 – $45 for dinners. (Prices do not include drinks, tax or gratuity.) The menus often include the restaurant’s most popular dishes or the chef’s latest creations, and it’s a great way to sample a variety of dishes at reasonable prices.

Here’s a list of just some of the participating dineLA restaurants that are near a Metro stop:

  • Lukshon –Culver City Station, Expo Line; Culver City Bus 1 to Washinton/Helms
  • Mo-chica – 7th St/Metro Station, Expo/Blue/Red/Purple Line; Metro Bus 51 to 7th/Grand
  • Brunello Trattoria –Culver City Station, Expo Line; Culver City Bus 1 to Washington/La Cienega
  • Maison Akira –LakeStation, Gold Line; Metro Bus 180 to Colorado/Oak Knoll
  • Sushi Roku – Memorial Park Station, Gold Line; Metro Bus 180 to Colorado/De Lacey
  • Haven Gastropub – Memorial Park Station, Gold Line; Metro Bus 180 to Colorado/De Lacey
  • Parkway Grill – Fillmore Station or Del Mar Station, Gold Line; Metro Bus 177 or 256 to Arroyo/Bellvue
  • Aburiya Toranoko – Little Tokyo/Arts District Station, Gold Line
  • Wolfgang Puck L.A. Bistro –Universal City Station, Red Line
  • Rolling Stone Los Angeles – Hollywood/Highland Station, Red Line; Metro Bus 212 to Hollywood/Highland
  • Papilles – Hollywood/Vine Station, Red Line; Metro Bus 222 to Yucca/Vine
  • Rivera – Pico Station, Expo/Blue Line; Metro Bus 81 to Flower/11th
  • Corkbar – Pico Station, Expo/Blue Line; Metro Bus 14 to Olive/12th
  • The Sky Room –1st Street Station, Blue Line; Long Beach Passport Bus A, B or D to Ocean/Breakers
  • Water Grill –Pershing Square Station, Red/Purple Line; Metro Bus 60 to Grand/6th
  • Traxx – Union Station, Red/Purple/Gold Line

Make sure to visit dineLA’s website for a complete list of participating restaurants. And as always, there is more than one route to get you to all this great food, so use Trip Planner. Happy eating!

Rock the 1st of July at East L.A. Civic Center

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Sadly, we won’t be getting a government mandated three-day weekend this Fourth of July (if you’re taking three days off work anyway, good for you!), but that doesn’t mean the weekend is a total bust. There’s the Orange Line Extension opening events to look forward to on Saturday, and ArtsFest 2012 kicks off on Sunday with Rock the 1st of July.

Rock the 1st of July takes place at the East L.A. Civic Center, just steps from the Metro Gold Line station of the same name. The event includes a bike clinic, artwalk, food and refreshments, a veterans tribute and concerts. The day starts at 12 p.m. and ends at 9:30 p.m. with a fireworks show.

Then, every Friday from July 6 to August 24, you can hit up the East L.A. Civic Center for a J.A.M. Session. Each Friday night J.A.M. Session features dancing and mucis from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. A movie will be shown afterward, with additional movie showings on June 29 and August 31.

Other parks participating in ArtsFest 2012 include:

  • Rimgrove Park, July 10 and Aug 7 at 747 N. Rimgrove Drive, Valinda 91744
  • Valleydale Park, July 6, July 27 and Aug 24 at 5525 N. Lark Ellen Avenue, Azusa 91702
  • San Angelo Park, July 13 and July 27 at 245 San Angelo Avenue, La Puente 91746
  • Pellissier Village, Aug 11, location to be announced

 Use Trip Planner to plan the best route for you. The Metro Gold Line connects with the Red and Purple Lines at Union Station.

Go Metro to X Games and Anime Expo

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And that’s just a few of the attendees at AX! Photo via Anime Expo Facebook

This year, Anime Expo and the X Games - both events that bring thousands to downtown Los Angeles – overlap for three days. Anime Expo takes place June 29 to July 2 at the L.A. Convention Center and the X Games take place June 29 to July 1 at L.A. LIVE and Staples Center. This means there will be tons of cosplayers, skaters, bikers and fans of all ages converging in downtown this upcoming weekend, not to mention street closures around the L.A. LIVE area to accomodate the outdoor ramps and bleachers.

Grab some big air right next door to AX. Photo via X Games Facebook.

To avoid traffic and parking frustration, why not take public transportation to both events? Plus, if you go Metro to the X Games you can pick up a free tote bag from the NAVY booth.

• The new Expo Line runs from Culver City to 7th/Metro Center at the intersection of Figueroa and 7th streets, with a stop at Pico — two short blocks from the L.A. Convention Center, L.A. LIVE and Staples Center. There is free parking available at the Metro garage at La Cienega/Jefferson, Crenshaw station and at the Culver City Station, as well as many paid parking options at Exposition Park.

• The Red Line subway runs from North Hollywood to Union Station. There is free parking at the North Hollywood Station, Universal City Station and numerous paid parking lots around stations in Hollywood. There is also paid parking at Union Station — it’s $6 for the day.

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Cheap and tasty eats on the Expo Line from the 99 Cent Chef

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Blogger Billy Vasquez — aka the 99 Cent Chef — has a great review of all the delicious and cheap food you can find within walking distance of the Expo Line. It’s a handy guide for those thinking of going Metro to explore some of the newest neighborhoods to have a Metro Rail station.

Here’s Vasquez’s video recap — a montage of scenes from the train ride and the tasty eats that he tracks down.

I’d like to echo the India Sweets & Spices recommendation. It’s some of the tastiest Indian food in L.A., period. Plus you can stuff yourself for about $8! Be sure to try the samosas.

H/T to Culver City Patch.

Go Metro to the Hollywood Fringe Festival

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Photo courtesy of Hollywood Fringe Festival

Celebrate theatre, dance, art, comedy, film, cabaret and much more at the Hollywood Fringe Festival, which continues until June 24.

With more than 200 different shows scheduled at the Fringe Central Mainstage at Open Fist Theatre and dozens of other venues in Hollywood, you’ll find yourself entertained for days. The Fringe provides a framework for producers to present an incredible variety of work in an accessible and festive environment and is dedicated to creating a forum for local, national and international artists.

Go Metro and receive $2 off a Fringe Button when purchasing tickets at the Open Fist Theatre box office. A Fringe Button gets you $1 off every Fringe show and additional discounts around Hollywood.

The Hollywood Fringe Fest is easily reached from both the Red Line’s Hollywood/Vine Station or Hollywood/Highland Station. For the best bus route or connections, check the Trip Planner.

Go Metro to live music: honeyhoney

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honeyhoney - ”Little Toy Gun”

With a half-dozen stages set up for Make Music Pasadena 2012 within walking distance of the the Del Mar and Memorial Park Gold Line stations, it doesn’t get any easier to Go Metro this weekend to enjoy a piece of what summer is all about: outdoor shows. Though there are a host of artists and stages worth visiting throughout the day Saturday, when the clock strikes 6 p.m., make sure you’re in front of the Levitt Pavilion to check out honeyhoney.

Their sound is often described as a mix of soul, rock, folk, jazz and country, among others, but since I’m not one to split hairs, I’ll just define their sound as “great tunes” and call it a day. The band was formed in 2006 by Suzanne Santo, an actress and solo performer at the time, and Ben Jaffe, who was recording music for TV and film. After meeting through a mutual friend, the duo cultivated their creative chemistry for a few years and then released “Loose Boots EP” in 2008, which was followed by their first full-length album entitled “First Rodeo” that same year. After three years of performing and writing, they most recently released their second full-length studio effort “Billy Jack” just last fall.

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Culver City bus connections with the Expo Line

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Click above for a larger image.

With the Expo Line’s Culver City station opening at noon on Wednesday, June 20, Culver City bus has issued the above map showing bus connections from the station.

Two Culver City buses stop near the Expo Line station:

Culver City Line 1 runs along Washington Boulevard from Venice Beach in the west to Washington and Fairfax in the east.

Culver City Line 7 runs east/west from Venice & Culver to Marina del Rey primarily along Culver Blvd.

In addition, Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus has service changes going into effect June 17 in part to help with connections to the Expo Line. This includes the 12 and Super 12 line running between the Culver City station and UCLA. The entire Big Blue Bus system map is here.

Also stopping near the Culver City station are Metro’s 33 and 733 — the local and rapid bus that run along Venice Boulevard — and the 220, which runs between Culver City and the Beverly Center in Los Angeles. In addition, the 534 line stops on Venice Boulevard; the 534 runs between the Washington/Fairfax transit hub and Santa Monica and the Pacific Coast Highway to Malibu.