The innocence of Halloween

Today our family went to the Los Angeles Zoo for their annual kids’ Halloween celebration. It seems like the zoo’s most popular event, with the ticket queues full of people throughout the day and the parking lots (usually no more than half-full) completely full by around noon. Back when we lived in Glendale (before we had kids), I remember seeing the I-5 exit for Zoo Drive with a mile-long line of cars waiting to exit, and checking the events calendar to see what was going on.

If I were to guess why it is so popular, it would be 1) it is a long-running event at a city-run facility, 2) children are encouraged to wear Halloween costumes, and most people consider the zoo fairly safe, 3) corporate sponsorship provides good candy for the trick or treat stations, as well as music and entertainment.

In fact, after having to wait almost an hour last year to buy tickets, the Halloween event was the main reason why we decided to become members of the zoo earlier this year (members can walk right in by showing their cards and ID’s). We also planned our October calendar around our plans to attend the zoo event.

Last year, our daughter had no problems with any Halloween activities (of course, they were all age-appropriate). But this year, at three years old, she is actively avoiding any of the scary aspects of the holiday—Halloween paraphernalia like skeletons, ghosts, and witches. She got spooked by a zoo employee with a rubber monster arm, and refused to go through the trick or treat line. And she didn’t last long at a Halloween concert with ‘scary music’ in Griffith Park a few weeks ago.

When I was growing up in Los Angeles, Halloween was probably my favorite holiday of the year. And back in the 70s, celebrating Halloween was still for kids. Halloween meant deciding on a costume, carving jack-o-lanterns, trick or treating in the neighborhood, and having lots of candy to last for a few days. For me, what was most fun was that social order was turned upside down for one night. Adults pretended to be scared by your costume. You could go house-to-house and get candy from complete strangers.

When I got to college in the mid 1980s, I hadn’t celebrated Halloween for about ten years. But I soon realized that Halloween was an important event for most college-aged kids as well, and that people of all ages were starting to celebrate the holiday.

Halloween has grown into such a large social event for all ages and economic juggernaut, with gory horror films released each year in time for Halloween, and re-themed amusement parks with attractions designed to shock and scare adults.

I miss the innocence of Halloween when I was growing up, and hope that my daughter and son can still enjoy the holiday I did, without the blood and horror that are so pervasive today.

Further parking restrictions for Griffith Observatory reopening

Update: As of Saturday, November 3, 2007, the roads to the Griffith Observatory were re-opened to private vehicle traffic. The observatory shuttle is no longer running, and there is no longer any cost associated with visiting the Griffith Observatory. Read more here and here.

It appears that public parking will be restricted not only at the Griffith Observatory parking lot, but also in Griffith Park in the areas around Vermont Canyon, Fern Dell (the Western Avenue entrance), and in surrounding residential neighborhoods. This will be taking place around the time of the Griffith Observatory's reopening on November 3rd.

From Los Angeles City Councilman Tom LaBonge's weekly newsletter from last Friday:

Responding to Los Feliz residents’ concerns regarding the expected increase in traffic and visitors once the Griffith Observatory reopens, Councilmember LaBonge got Council approval this week to establish six new temporary preferential parking districts in Vermont Canyon and Fern Dell neighborhoods adjacent to Griffith Park.      The districts, while approved, will not go into effect until all petitions are completed by residents, notices are sent to all property owners and signs are installed along affected blocks.                         

“We want the reopening of the Griffith Observatory to be a time of celebration and a time where all of us can embrace this great occasion,” said Councilmember LaBonge.  “               The new districts will affect certain blocks of Aberdeen, Commonwealth, Gainsborough, Glendower, Hillhurst, Inverness and Vermont avenues; Los Feliz Boulevard; Rodney and Cockerham drives and Glendower Place in Vermont Canyon.  In the Fern Dell area, PPDs are being established on select areas of Fern Dell, Moco Lane, Live Oak Drive and Red Oak Drive.  

That means that if you do not have a preferred parking sticker, you will not be allowed to park in those residential neighborhoods, and then walk or bike to the observatory or other nearby park destinations.

Persons traveling by car will be restricted to parking at the Greek Theatre parking lots  whether they are park users or intend to walk to the Observatory.

If this information is correct, those who like hiking to the top of Mount Hollywood from near the observatory will now be forced to make a much longer hike from near the Greek Theatre at the bottom of the hill. If you want to go up to the observatory area at nighttime for that fantastic view of the Los Angeles nigh sky, you've got a very long hike to make in the dark, or you have to pay $8 and ride the shuttle bus (don't forget to make a reservation). And of course, don't expect any parking availability on nights when the Greek Theatre has a concert.

“Our intention with these PPDs and other measures is to allow access to the park while helping to maintain a residential atmosphere for the neighborhoods right next to it,” said Councilmember LaBonge.

I don't want to make the Los Feliz homeowners' association into the bad guy, but they have to realize that a lot of people enjoy using Griffith Park for recreation, even those of us who live (and own homes) in Los Feliz. Requiring people to take a shuttle bus to the observatory was no doubt necessary to avoid traffic nightmares in an already congested Los Feliz Boulevard corridor, but charging each adult $8 to ride the shuttle just makes the observatory and Griffith Park that much less accessible to the public at large, especially the less affluent.

Griffith Observatory shuttle will cost $8; free tickets also planned

Update: As of Saturday, November 3, 2007, the roads to the Griffith Observatory were re-opened to private vehicle traffic. The observatory shuttle is no longer running, and there is no longer any cost associated with visiting the Griffith Observatory. Read more here and here.

Tuesday was media day for the re-opening of the Griffith Observatory. Los Angeles City Mayor Villaraigosa spoke at a press conference in front of the observatory, where he announced that the re-opening date would be Friday, November 3rd. He also urged visitors to make reservations to the observatory through its website because access will be on a timed-entry and shuttle reservation system.

Instead of a $5.50 fee for the shuttle, as had been previously reported, the shuttle will now cost $8 for adults, $4 for seniors and children ages 5-12, and free for children under 5. The shuttle will run from the Los Angeles Zoo in Griffith Park and from the Hollywood and Highland shopping center in Hollywood. The city expects that the shuttle buses and timed reservation system will be in effect for about a year.

I spoke to Jon Kirk Mukri, the general manager for the city's Department of Recreation and Parks. He said that the city attorney had advised that Col. Griffith's bequest to create the park (and build the observatory) had required that access be free to all. So the city looked at the 199 parking spaces in the observatory parking lot, and estimated those would be equivalent to 1200 admissions daily to the observatory.

Mukri said that the city has decided to allocate 1200 free tickets to the observatory, which will be released 48 hours in advance. The logistics have not yet been worked out, but the city may run shuttle buses for these tickets from the Greek Theater parking lots at the bottom of the hill.

Meanwhile, hikers and cyclists who can get up to the observatory will be free of charge, but they must also make reservations through the timed-entry system. The Observatory will be open from noon to 10 pm Tuesday through Friday, and 10 AM to 10 PM Saturday and Sunday (closed on Monday), so that the parking lot next to the observatory (where the trailhead leads to the top of Mount Hollywood) will be available for hikers and others before the observatory opens.

Some photos from the preview:

A model of the moon in the underground Edge of Space exhibit area.

The Depths of Space exhibit area (also in the new underground area).






The refurbished exhibit area in the west wing of the observatory. Notice the great natural lighting.




More great lighting in the passageway to the new underground areas.