Category Archives: Metro Lifestyle

Go Metro Weekends, March 2 – 3

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Grand Park Book Fest this Saturday, furry friends make great reading buddies! Photo via Grand Park Official Facebook

Grand Park Book Fest this Saturday, furry friends make great reading buddies! Photo via Grand Park Official Facebook

With the weather warming up, what better than to spend the day outside with a good book? Bring the whole family to downtown’s Grand Park Book Fest, taking place Saturday, March 2. There will be performances, a pop-up indie bookstore, readings for all ages, music and more. Show your TAP card at the Grand Park info booth to receive a free souvenir poster. The book fest lasts from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is free for all to attend. (Metro Red/Purple Line to Civic Center Station, Metro Bus 10 or 48 to Hill/Temple)

Also on Saturday is the seventh installment of This Is Your Library, a late-night style talk show held at the Central Library‘s Mark Taper Auditorium. There will be food, music and librarians. General admission is $20, concert only admission is $5. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the concert, featuring Feeding People, is at 9:30 p.m. (Metro Red/Purple Line to Pershing Square Station, Metro Bus 16 to 5th/Grand)

Celebrate the National Day of Wales at the Los Angeles St. David’s Day Festival on Sunday. The event takes place at Barnsdall Art Park from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. There will be performances, a Celtic marketplace, Welsh Corgi demonstrations and more. Show your TAP card to the Barnsdall Theater cashier to get $5 off on Grand Concert tickets. Your TAP card can also save you 10% on purchases from festival vendors. The festival is free to attend, separate paid tickets are required for the Grand Concert. (Metro Red Line to Vermont/Sunset Station, Metro Rapid 754 to Vermont/Maubert, Metro Bus 217 to Hollywood/Edgemont)

Metro to run expanded service on Gold Line for Masquerade Motel

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Going to Swedish House Mafia’s Masquerade Motel? The music festival will take place March 8 and 9 at the L.A. State Historic Park, which is conveniently served by the Metro Gold Line Chinatown Station. The park is also just a short walk from Union Station.

Your Masquerade Motel ticket or printed ticket receipt gets you a free ride to and from the festival on Metro Bus and Rail. Take advantage of this deal to avoid the congestion and serious lack of parking in Chinatown. This is especially true for those attending on Friday, who will have to deal with the usual Friday evening rush hour traffic of those leaving DTLA offices.

Metro will be running expanded service on the Gold Line during the festival to accommodate crowds. And with Metro Rail open late on Friday and Saturday nights, getting home after the show should be no problem.

Here’s Live Nation’s monster news release on how to get there:

Go Metro to Swedish House Mafia’s Masquerade Motel L.A. concert by sourcemetro

Grab a Grand Slam from Denny’s at Union Station

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If the craving for pancakes hits you while you’re at Union Station, head over to Denny’s,located across from Patsaouras Plaza on Ramirez Street. The location is open 24/7, and now if you show your TAP card you’ll save 10% on your bill.

The discount is valid at this Denny’s location only. Union Station is served by the Metro Red, Purple and Gold lines, and numerous bus lines. DASH D stops right outside the restaurant.

If you’re thinking about heading over this Saturday, February 23, please plan to access Denny’s on Ramirez Street from Commercial Street on the other side of the freeway.

The off-ramp from the I-101 Freeway, Vignes Street and Cesar E. Chavez Avenue will be closed to traffic from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. due to maintenance work at Metro headquarters.

Go Metro to LA Times Travel Show and save $3 on tickets

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Photo from LA Times Travel Show Official Facebook

Photo from LA Times Travel Show Official Facebook

Don’t miss L.A.’s biggest and best travel event at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The L.A. Times Travel Show takes place on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 23 and 24 from 10 a.m to 5 p.m. both days. Attendees will be able to get travel tips, learn about exciting destinations, enter in trip giveaways and more.

Go Metro and receive a $3 discount on general admission. Present a valid TAP card or L.A.County employee ID at the box office the day of the event to get the discount.

The L.A. Convention Center can be reached from Pico Station off the Metro Blue or Expo lines, as well as by the Metro Silver Line and numerous other Metro buses. For more route options and connections, use Trip Planner.

Go Metro Weekends, Feb 16 – 17

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Photo by Anna Chen/Metro

“Tiny” Sturgess and “Flight Time” Lang hanging out at Union Station on Thursday. Photo by Anna Chen/Metro

This weekend, head to Chinatown and enjoy the Chinese New Year Festival. There will be food, performances and the chance to score a free gift. The Chinese New Year Festival will take place from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 16 and 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 17 at Central Plaza. The Golden Dragon Parade starts at 1 p.m. on Saturday. All events are free to the public. (Metro Gold Line to Chinatown Station)

If you’d like to support local high school engineers and also take a gander around Union Station’s old ticketing area, Saturday’s your chance. The ASCE Annual Popsicle Stick Bridge Contest will be held there from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is open to the public for viewing. Go and reminisce about the fun days of high school physics! (Metro Red, Purple or Gold Line to Union Station)

The Harlem Globetrotters will be playing at Staples Center on Sunday at 1 p.m. Go Metro and get $5 off on tickets, just show your TAP card at the box office or use the code METRO when purchasing online. (Metro Blue or Expo Line to Pico Station, Metro Bus 81 to Figueroa/12th)

Metro Day Pass = $5. Gallon of gas in downtown L.A. = $5.11 for regular

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El Pasajero Editor Jose Ubaldo took the above photo this morning on Alameda Street near Union Station. It’s no secret gas prices have been on the rise lately and as of Monday averaged $4.04 for a gallon of regular in California. As for the price above — that’s Death Valley prices, people!

As for the day pass, it’s price remains the same and doesn’t rise according to the whims and whatevers of major global corporations. From metro.net:

On buses

Load a Day Pass on your TAP card for just $5. As a convenience for those who don’t already have a card, regular TAP cards will be available for purchase with a Day Pass for a total of $6. Like all TAP cards, they can reloaded again and again with any TAP product, including the $5 Day Pass.

At stations and pass outlets

You can load a $5 Day Pass onto your TAP card at Metro Customer Centers, retail TAP vendors and ticket vending machines. If you don’t already have a card, you can purchase one with your pass at these locations for an additional $2.

In addition, a weekly Metro pass is $20 and a monthly pass $75. A monthly EZ Pass that allows for travel on Metro many other buses in Los Angeles County is $84. More info on fares here.

New platform decals reinforce the message: let people off the train before boarding the train!

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As many of you have noticed in the past week, there are new floor graphic decals on the platforms serving the Red and Purple lines at the 7th/Metro Center Station in downtown Los Angeles.

IMG_3168[2]The intention of the decals is to deal with an issue many of you have also raised: exiting rail cars can sometimes be difficult because people trying to board the train stand directly in front of the doors, blocking the exit route. Some riders have said this makes L.A. transit riders look amateurish compared to other cities!

Here’s some information from Stephen Tu in Metro rail operations about the decals — interesting stuff:

•THE PROBLEM: 7th/Metro is our busiest rail station in the system and one with high turnover due to transfer activity between all four rail lines. We currently build 60 extra seconds into the subway schedule just to account for the increased amount of boardings/alightings at this station. As many of us know, simultaneous boarding and alighting is the most inefficient and uncomfortable method for passenger flow.

•THE SOLUTION: Ideally, passengers should exit the train first, then those on the platform may board.  As a result, Rail Operations approached Creative Services on identifying cost-effective solutions to improve passenger flow and reduce dwell times at this station. After Creative Services reviewed floor graphics throughout the transit industry, and met with various internal Metro staff including Operations, Facilities Maintenance, Civil Rights and ADA, this design was chosen as the best fit for our system.  This is a temporary decal that will be evaluated for effectiveness.  We will soon be testing a slightly elongated floor graphic on the outbound track at 7M.

•THE NEXT STEP: If successful, this program will be expanded to other stations with high turnover and with more permanent material.

So there you have it. My understanding is that the testing has gone well with a few occasional problems in which the train doors don’t line up directly with the decals. Your thoughts, readers and riders? Comment please.

Sweet(heart) Metro deals for Valentine’s Day

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Thursday, February 14 – or Valentine’s Day, for those who observe it – is fast approaching. Whether you’re celebrating with a special someone or just want to take advantage of V-day deals with a friend, you won’t want to miss these exclusive Metro discounts.

Those traveling through Union Station on the morning of Valentine’s Day will get the chance to see Harlem Globetrotters “Tiny” Sturgess and “Flight Time” Lang. The duo will be in the East Portal on Thursday to greet morning commuters with roses and other surprises. If you can’t make it, catch them at the Staples Center on February 17. Go Metro and get $5 off on tickets, just show your TAP card at the box office or use the code METRO when purchasing online.

Select performances of Backbeat at the Ahmanson Theatre from February 14 – 17 are just $49 or $59. Buy tickets online or call 213.972.4400 and use the code LOVE METRO to get the special prices. Subject to availability. (Metro Red/Purple Line to Civic Center Station, Metro Bus 10 to Temple/Grand)

Buy tickets online to the February 14 performance of Jekyll & Hyde at the Pantages and get a free pre-show dinner at Lexington Social House. (Metro Red Line to Hollywood/Vine Station, Metro Bus 217 or 780 to Argyle/Hollywood)

Mention V-Day at Madame Tussauds Hollywood on Valentine’s Day and get a special two-person package for $35. The package includes 2 tickets to Madame Tussauds Hollywood and 1 special couples wax hand. (Metro Red Line to Hollywood/Highland Station, Metro Bus 217 or 222 to Hollywood/Orange)

Stop by the See’s Candies kiosk at Union Station and get 10% off any of their candy selections. Offer valid from Sunday, February 10 to Thursday, February 14. (Union Station)

For more Valentine’s Day date ideas that won’t leave you skint, check out this list of Metro V-day specials. Just present your valid TAP card to receive some sweet deals.

Go Metro to the Chinese New Year Festival and the Firecracker 10k

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My free gift from last year's Chinese New Year Festival. Wonder what I'll get this year!

My free gift from last year’s Chinese New Year Festival. Wonder what I’ll get this year!

For firecrackers, great food and fun cultural performances, head over to Chinatown this Lunar New Year.

The Chinese New Year Festival will take place from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 16 and 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 17 at Central Plaza. In honor of the Year of the Snake, festival goers will have the chance to participate in a record-breaking attempt to fold 800,000 pieces of paper to make a giant snake structure, which will be submitted to the Guinness Book of World Records for evaluation. There also will be plenty of food, drinks and live entertainment.

Go Metro to receive a free gift while supplies last. To claim a gift, simply present a valid TAP card or L.A. County employee ID at the Chinatown BID info booth located in Central Plaza.

The Golden Dragon Parade will take place on Saturday, Feb. 16 at 1 p.m. The parade will feature floats, marching bands, various dignitaries and more. Both events are free to attend.

The following weekend, Feb. 23 and 24, is the L.A. Chinatown Firecracker 5k/10k Run, Walk, Kiddie Run and Bike Ride. The bike ride will take place at 9 a.m. on Saturday while the runners will take to the streets starting at 8 a.m. on Sunday. Metro riders can get $3 off the race registration fee when they sign up online using the promotional code GOMETRO13. Registered participants who show their valid TAP card or L.A. County employee ID at the run will receive free bag check-in service.

The free Nite n’ Day Festival will take place the same weekend. It will feature music, food and cultural entertainment from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 23 and 8:15 a.m. to noon Sunday, Feb. 24.

All of these events are easily reached from the Metro Gold Line Chinatown Station. It’s the best option when it comes to avoiding traffic from street closures and dealing with limited parking spaces. For more route options, use Trip Planner.

Go Metro Weekends: Lunar New Year Festival

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Photo from Pacific Asia Museum Official Facebook

Photo from Pacific Asia Museum Official Facebook

It’s never too early to start celebrations for the Year of the Snake. The Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena will hold a pan-Asian celebration of Lunar New Year on Saturday, February 2.

The festival will last from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be food trucks and performances, and visiting artists from Jiangsu, China will demonstrate paper cutting, lantern making, sugar art, cloth art, Chinese knotting, and Suzhou silk art. Admission is free.

The Pacific Asia Museum is located about 4 blocks east of the Gold Line Memorial Park Station. It’s a fairly easy walk. Metro Bus 264/267 to Los Robles/Union will drop you off right in front of the museum.