Category Archives: Go Metro Weekends

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Go Metro Weekends, July 27 – 29

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This excited little boy was the first kid (of many) to enjoy the new interactive splash pad at Grand Park. Photo by Anna Chen/Metro

REDCAT’s New Original Works Festival is back, and week one features programs by Opera Povera, Poor Dog Group and Susan Simpson. Head out this Friday and catch some great theatre performances. The show starts at 8:30 p.m. at the Walt Disney Concert Hall complex and general admission tickets are $18. (Metro Red/Purple Line to Civic Center Station, Metro Bus 70 or 96 to Grand/2nd)

If you haven’t heard about Metro’s expanded late-night service yet…read about it now, and then start taking advantage of it! Go ahead and take Metro to Chinatown Summer Nights, you can stay the entire time and not worry about missing the last train home. With food, music, dancing and more, there will be plenty to keep you occupied. The first of three Summer Nights is this Saturday from 5 p.m. to midnight and it’s absolutely free. Go Metro and receive a free souvenir at the info booth in Central Plaza while supplies last. (Metro Gold Line to Chinatown Station, Metro Bus 45 to Broadway & Chinatown)

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You wanted it, you got it: Late night Metro Rail and Orange Line service begins tonight!

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Metro Board Chairman and County Supervisor Mike Antonovich talks about Metro’s new late night service at a press event this morning at the Gold Line’s Memorial Park station in Pasadena. Photo: Steve Hymon/Metro.

There was a media event in Pasadena this morning to remind everyone that late night weekend service until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights begins tonight.

“The new late night service on Metro Rail and the Orange Line is a win-win situation for everyone in Los Angeles County,” said Metro Board Chair and County Supervisor Mike Antonovich. “Businesses will be able to reach a new range of clientele. More people can go out to eat, drink and have fun on weekends without worrying about a midnight curfew, and more workers now have the option of taking that later shift and can rest assured they’re going to have a safe, reliable way to make it home. Los Angeles County residents will benefit from the connections to the rail system, and people from the San Fernando Valley will be able to travel to other destinations in the county such as Pasadena, Long Beach, Norwalk or Culver City late at night.”

At the event, Antonovich also added that “long range we do have a vision…we want to continue this momentum.” In particular, he said Metro needs to keep focusing on connecting to popular destinations — such as the region’s airports.

Metro CEO Art Leahy said that ridership will be evaluated after six months to determine whether late night service will be added every night of the week. Metro is currently evaluating the possibility of late night service on the Silver Line and is also working with Metrolink on the possibility of extending their service to connect with Metro Rail and the Orange Line.

Here are the times that the last trains and buses will be leaving stations tonight and here is a link to all Metro timetables:

RED LINE

The last train departing Union Station will be at 2:12 a.m.

The last train departing North Hollywood will be at 1:56 a.m.

PURPLE LINE

The last trains departing Union Station will be at 2:02 a.m.

The last trains departing Wilshire/Western will be at 2:03 a.m.

GOLD LINE

The last train departing Atlantic will be at 1:43 a.m.

The last train departing Sierra Madre Villa will be at 1:39 a.m.

EXPO LINE

The last train departing 7th/Metro Center will be at 2:12 a.m.

The last train departing Culver City will be at 1:49 a.m.

BLUE LINE

The last train departing Long Beach to downtown L.A. will be 12:58 a.m.

The last train departing 7th/Metro will be 2:07 a.m.

Service between the Long Beach Transit Mall and Wardlaw will continue past 12:58 a.m. with the last train leaving the Transit Mall at 3:07 a.m.

GREEN LINE

The last train departing Redondo Beach will be 1:58 a.m.

The last train departing Norwalk will be at 2:09 a.m.

ORANGE LINE

The last bus departing North Hollywood will be at 2:53 a.m.

The last bus departing Chatsworth will be at 1:50 a.m.

Timetables with late night hours are posted

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The new late night timetable for the Red Line!

As some people in the Twitterverse discovered yesterday — thanks Carter! :) — the new timetables for Metro Rail and the Orange Line have been posted and they include the new late-night hours scheduled to begin this Friday night/Saturday morning.

Metro is extending the hours for Metro Rail service until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. In some cases, the last trains don’t roll until after 2 a.m. — for example, the last Expo Line train leaving 7th/Metro Center for Culver City departs at 2:12 a.m.

If you want to check the new timetables, the links are posted below.

Blue Line

Red Line / Purple Line

Green Line

Gold Line

Expo Line

Orange Line

Go Metro Weekends, July 20 – 22

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[flickrvideo]http://www.flickr.com/photos/waltarrrrr/5985409011/[/flickrvideo]

The Dark Knight Rises has already been promoted for Friday (will it take over the spot Marvel’s Avengers occupies in my heart? We’ll see!), so I’m just going to start with Saturday.

Relax and enjoy a free outdoor concert at Pershing Square on Saturday night. The FIXX with special guest Modern English grace the stage at 8 p.m. (Metro Red/Purple Line to Pershing Square Station, Metro Bus 14 to Olive/5th, Metro Bus 18 to 5th/Hill)

This Saturday, Eat|See|Hear moves to the North Hollywood Recreation Center. Nightmare and the Cat goes on at 7 p.m. and Tommy Boy shows at 8 p.m. Some of the attending food trucks include Dosa Truck and Ta Bom! Tickets start at $10. (Metro Red Line or Orange Line to North Hollywood Station, walk one block west on Chandler Blvd., Metro Bus 156 to Chandler/Tujunga)

If you’re determined the brave the mid-afternoon heat, head to BloomfestLA in the downtown Arts District (area by Wurstkuche restaurant). There will be music, food trucks, a beer garden and street art. Best of all, BloomfestLA is free to attend. The event lasts from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. and offers a free bike valet. (Metro Gold Line to Little Tokyo/Arts District Station, walk two blocks south on Alameda)

If you have any energy left for Sunday, go to Pasadena for the Gran Fondo Giro d’Italia. Even if you’re not riding in the long-distance bike event – although you can if you’d like, registration the day of is $170 – you can go cheer on the riders and enjoy the expo of bike gear and of course, Italian food. The bike ride starts at 7 a.m. and the expo opens at 9 a.m. at Pasadena City Hall. (Metro Gold Line to Memorial Park Station, walk two blocks east on Holly St., Pasadena ARTS Bus 40 to Marengo/Holly)

Reminder: more Metrolink weekend service between L.A. Union Station and Oceanside

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A Metrolink train in San Clemente. Photo by Loco Steve, via Flickr creative commons.

With the hot weather, here’s a reminder that Metrolink is running more trains this summer on its Orange County line between Los Angeles Union Station and Oceanside. The second-to-last stop is literally right next to the beach in San Clemente.

Click here for train schedules.

There’s also increased service between the Inland Empire and Orange County.

Here’s the news release from Metrolink that was issued earlier this month:

LOS ANGELES – Metrolink launched an additional round-trip from Riverside to Laguna Niguel and back on the Inland Empire-Orange County line, today. Also, a pair of additional trains began operation between Laguna Niguel and Fullerton on the Orange County Line.

Starting Saturday (July 8), Metrolink will add four round-trip trains on its Orange County Line between Los Angeles Union Station and Oceanside on the weekends. This allows riders from across Southern California to take advantage of the $10 Weekend Pass to visit destinations in Orange County such as Disneyland and the many beautiful beaches.

 

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Go Metro Weekends, July 13 – 15

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Historic Core Farmer’s Market. Photo by Shannon V. via Yelp.

The circus comes to the city as Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® presents DRAGONS at the Staples Center. DRAGONS celebrates the Year of the Dragon with a blend of mythic dragon lore and authentic circus feats. There are shows on Friday at noon and on Saturday and Sunday at 11:30 a.m. Go Metro or Metrolink to “the greatest show on earth” and save $8 on regular admission. Use the promo code TRAIN* if buying tickets online. (Metro Blue or Expo Line to Pico Station, Metro Bus 81 to Figueroa/12th. Metrolink connects to Metro through Union Station)

This week’s Eat|See|Hear movie is Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, and it’s taking place on Saturday at Bloch Field in San Pedro. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and tickets start at $10. For $20 you can guarantee yourself the best seat in the house even while arriving fashionably late. Max and the Moon will be performing at 7 p.m. and some of the food trucks attending the event include Rebel Bite, Fatmobile and Sweet E’s. (Metro Bus 246 or 450 to Pacific/15th, walk 4 blocks west to the field or Metro Bus 450 to Harbor Beacon Park Ride and transfer to Red Car to Port O’Call Station)

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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.”

Go Metro Weekends, July 6-8

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June’s opening reception at WWA gallery. Photo via WWA gallery Facebook page

This Friday, head to the Cowboy Palace for some hot country music and free dance lessons. Learn how to line dance from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and then enjoy a performance by Mary White. The bar has a real hitching post out front, so don’t be surprised if you see some horses idling near the door. (Metro Orange Line to Chatsworth Station, exit north toward Devonshire, Metro Bus 166 to Devonshire/Owensmouth)

The Fractured Fairy Tales show opens at the WWA gallery this Saturday. Go check out the charmingly whimsical new takes on the fairy tales you grew up with and perhaps find something to take home. The opening night reception is from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. The show runs until August. (Metro Expo Line to Culver City Station, exit toward Washington, walk southwest to Culver Blvd. for about 5-10 minutes, or transfer to Culver City Bus 1 to Washington/Cardiff)

If you’re a fan of outdoor movies, Dazed and Confused will be showing on the largest outdoor screen west of the Mississippi this Saturday at Grand Hope Park. Admission ranges from $10 to $20. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and food trucks will be there to provide dinner. Live music starts at 7 p.m. with the band The Little Ones playing, and the movie goes on at 8:30 p.m. The movie is rated R, so it might be best to leave the kids at home for this one. (Metro Blue/Expo/Red/Purple Lines to 7th/Metro Station, exit Hope Street and walk 2 blocks south, Metro Bus 66 to 9th/Hope)

The battleship USS Iowa opens to the public this Saturday. Visitors are welcome on the ship from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission tickets are $18.00 and you can buy them in advance online. (Metro Bus 450 to Harbor/1st)

Go Metro Weekends, June 22-24

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Photo from Grand Performances Flickr.

Now that Culver City Station is open, take the Expo Line to The Jazz Bakery, currently holding court at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. Go enjoy some amazing, innovative jazz.  Friday’s performance stars Mary Stallings while Saturday features Dori Caymmi. General admission tickets are $30 and $25 respectively. Both shows start at 8 p.m. (Metro Expo Line to Culver City Station, walk about 15 minutes southwest on Washington or transfer to Culver City Bus 1.)

Grand Performances are back at the California Plaza and kicks off with some dirty dancing this Friday. Dance along to the cult classic film at this free event. Pre-show salsa lessons start at 7:45 p.m. and professional dancers will be performing on stage as well. Don’t miss the special appearance by Kenny Ortega, the original choreographer of Dirty Dancing. Take Metro to Grand Performances and receive a free fountain drink from Starry Kitchen or Johnnie’s NY Pizza. (Metro Red or Purple Line to Pershing Square Station, Angels Flight to the top of Bunker Hill, Metro Bus 14 to Grand/3rd.)

The Look East: Korean Film Festival takes place this Saturday and Sunday at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. Check their schedule of events for screening times. On Saturday at 1 p.m. Byung-hun Lee and Sung-ki Ahn will become the first Asian actors to cast their hand and footprints outside of the theatre. Go Metro to the film fest and get 15% off tickets. (Metro Red Line to Hollywood/Highland Station, Metro Bus 212 to Hollywood/Orange.)

And for a peaceful start to your weekend, check out this gorgeous video showing the various forms of transit in Tokyo by Pat Leezy.

Go Metro Weekends, June 15-17

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The early bird gets the free sandwich! Diners enjoying their free #19 at Langer's. Photo: Anna Chen/Metro

Reminder: Langer’s 65th anniversary celebration is this Friday and Saturday. Find a seat in the restaurant on Friday and get a free hot pastrami sandwich. The same goes for Saturday, except make sure to Go Metro to enter in the hourly drawings for $100 Langer’s gift certificates. Langer’s Deli is open on Friday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Drawings on Saturday start at 9 a.m. (Metro Red or Purple Line to Westlake/MacArthur Park Station, Metro Bus 51 to Alvarado/7th.)

The line outside Langer's Deli. 7th Street is closed to accomodate more people. Photo: Anna Chen/Metro

Get out and move on Saturday with Let’s Move California!: Fitness Feria. The free event takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools. Learn about nutrition, get free health screenings and participate in fun sports activities led by the L.A. Sparks, L.A. Galaxy and Crossfit. Go Metro and get a free raffle ticket for a chance to win some great prizes. (Metro Red or Purple Line to Wilshire/Vermont Station, Metro Bus 66 to 8th/Catalina.)

Pasadena is hosting two great events this weekend. Make Music Pasadena is on Saturday, with over 150 performances throughout Downtown Pasadena. All ages are welcome and admission is free. Visit their website for the full line up and schedule of performances. The event kicks off at 11 a.m. and lasts until 11 p.m. Visit the Luckman booth at 1 E. Colorado Blvd. and show your valid Metro Pass or Rail ticket to receive a 20% savings pass for tickets to see Lila Downs in September, plus get free tickets to another upcoming show at the Luckman. (Metro Gold Line to Del Mar Station, Memorial Park Station or Lake Station. The Pasadena ARTS Bus 10 runs throughout the area.)

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