Thursday, July 26, 2007

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  Someone asked me a really stupid question the other day.  He asked me what my favorite Los Angeles freeway was.  He set up his question with an explanation of why his favorite freeway was the 210 freeway, but only the section that runs through the Crescenta Valley.  At first I thought it was because of the beautiful hills that it traverses, but I was wrong.  He said that he liked that portion of the 210 because the concrete is really smooth over there.  When he posed the question to me, I admitted that I never invested much thought into what my favorite freeway was.  I eventually decided that the 101 was my favorite freeway because I liked the symmetry of the number “101”.  I told him that I was a fan of symmetry, in general.  I told him that I liked having a symmetrical face and body, and that my favorite number was the number “8” (which is vertically symmetrical).  He seemed satisfied with my answer.  We shook hands, he handed me his Christian music CD, and he walked away.  This was a real person.

  The more I thought about it, the more I realized that the 101 is kind of a cool freeway.  It has a unique white shield that no other L.A. freeway has (the other freeways must undoubtedly be jealous), and it mostly runs east/west through L.A. even though it is labeled north/south (it is a rebellious freeway).  U.S. Highway 101 begins in East L.A.  From there it extends along a western/northwestern path and courses through downtown L.A., Silver Lake, and Hollywood.  It eventually reaches the Hollywood Hills that comprise the northern border of the L.A. basin, and through the Cahuenga Pass it traverses through the hills and into the San Fernando Valley.  The 101 reaches a junction in the southeastern valley known as the “Hollywood Split”.   The northern route becomes the Hollywood Freeway and travels through the highly populated communities of North Hollywood and Valley Village.  The Hollywood Freeway merges with the Golden State Freeway and continues north through the less-affluent communities of the valley, such as Pacoima and Sylmar.  The western route of Highway 101 becomes the Ventura Freeway and runs along the southern border of the valley.  This highway travels through well-known communities such as Sherman Oaks, Tarzana, and Woodland Hills.  The San Diego Freeway runs north/south through the heart of the valley and divides it into eastern and western portions.  The San Diego Freeway enters the southern valley through the Sepulveda Pass and runs through suburban communities such as Van Nuys, North Hills, Mission Hills, and eventually merges with the Golden State Freeway in the north.  The Simi Valley Freeway runs in an east/west direction in the northern valley and stretches from the city of San Fernando in the east to Porter Ranch in the west.  There are over 30 communities within the San Fernando Valley, and these comprise a large percentage of Los Angeles’ population.  It’s so large that if the San Fernando Valley seceded from the city of Los Angeles (as it attempted to do in 2002), it would be the sixth largest city in the United States.  I can go on forever about every community, freeway, bus line, school, etc. in the valley, but I think you get the idea:  the valley is fucking huge.

  The valley is actually a fun place to live (despite claims to the contrary).  It has a good mix of urban and suburban life.  Sushi restaurants in Studio City, city carnivals in Arleta, trendy bars in Encino, and super-cool malls in Canoga Park all contribute to the diversity of the valley.  There are horse ranches in Lakeview Terrace, television studios in Burbank, and I believe that there is a Bally’s Gym for porn stars in Chatsworth.  Cruising down Laurel Canyon and driving through the neighborhoods south of the Boulevard is somewhat of a pastime for locals (I guess).  Watching out-of-work screen writers trying to get noticed while waiting on tables at a Ventura Boulevard restaurant is always fun, too.  Pundits will always claim that the weather is too extreme and the air quality is horrible.  However, the poor air quality has actually been a good substitute for a cigarette, thus decreasing my daily cravings.  The Valley is ultimately good for my health.  I think I’ve found my home in the Valley, despite the fact that I feel lost.

  Now, I would never be physically lost in this city. Despite its large size, it’s pretty easy to get around.  All the streets are straight and run in a cardinal direction, and they all parallel another street.  (Or, as Sarah once said, “They all go, like, this way and this way,” as she made moving gestures with her hands.)  If you name any two streets you can probably picture where that intersection would be.  However, there’s something about the valley that makes me feel lost, and I don’t really know what it is.  Perhaps it has something to do with the large number of people here, because that seems to only remind me of how lonely I am.  Maybe it’s because Sarah is from Van Nuys.  Or maybe it has nothing to do with the Valley at all.  Perhaps it’s because I’m at a point in my life where I don’t have what I want.  Or maybe it’s because I’m 30 and losing all my friends to marriages.  Or maybe it’s because I let my friends walk all over me and flake on me.  Or maybe I feel lost simply because I am a loser.  Or maybe it’s because the Valley is somewhere between Hollywood and the rest of the world.   Much like the valley, I feel that my life is enclosed as if surrounded by mountains.  I don’t know if it’s a coincidence that I live here at this stage of my life, or if I’m just trying to rationalize my existence. 

  Whatever. 

  Even though I feel lost, I know that I am missing to no one.

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