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Larchmont Chronicle Neighborhood newspaper representing Hancock Park, Larchmont Village
Miracle Mile, Park La Brea Fremont Place in the Wilshire center area of Los Angeles. Local News and
stories about the local Los Angeles Scene. Historical informattion regarding the Larchmont Chronicle and
Hancock Park area. Founded in 1963 on Larchmont Bouelvard, Los Angeles, CA, California

March 4, 2005

Life on the Miracle Mile

Andrew Harmon

AS LONG AS THE TRAFFIC on his street is light, Andrew Harmon finds many reasons to enjoy the neighborhood.

During a recent lunch of salmon and vegetables at the LACMA cafeteria, I sat next to two young women who ate chicken salad and com-plained about the traffic in the Miracle Mile neighborhood. Or more specifically, what steps have been taken to combat such traffic.

“I mean really, what’s with all the speed bumps here?” asked one of the women. “I can’t drive from Olympic without hitting those things.”

“Oh, just take Stanley,” said the other. “There’re no bumps, so you can get to the office in, like, five seconds.” She snapped her fin-gers, and the salmon in my mouth turned to acid.

Stanley Ave. is my street. It runs north-south just a few blocks east of Fairfax, and it’s the most delightful place I’ve ever called home. But on my block—between Olympic and 8th Street—Stanley dips down and up a brief but steep valley, making it, well, the opposite of a speed bump. Several of the surrounding streets either dead-end into huge concrete planters or are filled with bumps which stop pesky speeders in their tracks. The woman sitting next to me, however, figured out a way to circumnavigate these impediments. Normally, I would applaud such automotive gumption, but I was annoyed that she was among the legions of people who drive down Stanley at 40 miles an hour, cutting off cyclists and yelling into cell phones along the way.

I moved to the Mile from the narrow, choked streets of West Holly-wood, where residents are inured to the trauma of having their side mirrors torn off by moving trucks at least once before the lease is up. In contrast, the streets of the Miracle Mile area are wider, and the parking is blissfully accommodating. It’s not quite as fashion-able as other areas of the city, but we Milers prefer it that way.

This is a neighborhood where you can get a relaxing manicure at Cloverdale Nails, have a tantalizing lunch at Luna Park, and hit the Meridian Gym to work off the French fries you just ate. Follow that with a stroll through the Tar Pits—the bubbles of methane gas breach-ing the surface and quietly hypnotizing you in the midday sun—and you’ve achieved a peaceful, leisurely afternoon without crowds or valet fees.

A drawback is the influx of rush-hour traffic clogging residential streets. While many of us live here in part because of its refreshing proximity to the freeway, we often forget that many cars traveling on the 10 end up in our neighborhood. And if your street doesn’t have speed bumps, it’s especially attractive to commuters, sort of a Pa-nama Canal for those sick of rounding the South American continent.

As residents of the Miracle Mile, we know we can’t have it both ways. We live in a major commercial center of Los Angeles, not a cul-de-sac in Santa Clarita. And that’s what we like: the convenience of a cen-tral location without the cramped existence of other neighborhoods. However, the vitality of the Mile inevitably leads to the traffic we loathe.

I imagine the motorists who careen through our streets aren’t doing it out of disrespect. After all, who hasn’t driven through another neighborhood at a discourteous speed? But whether you live in the Miracle Mile or elsewhere, perhaps we should all think a little more before flying down someone’s street, whether there are children play-ing, a mail carrier delivering letters, or an obstinate cat crossing at a glacial pace.

Andrew Harmon lives and works in the Miracle Mile.

Larchmont Chronicle
542½ North Larchmont Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90004

Editor & Publisher: Jane Gilman
Associate Publisher: Irwin Gilman

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Information about the Larchmont Village, Hancock Park, Miracle Mile, Park LaBrea areas of Los Angeles, california. The larchmont Chronicle provides information, news stories, local events, advertising, real estate information, real estate listing advertisings, Los Angeles area demographics and other neighborhood news.