NANOG44 Local Information

From: "Celeste Anderson" at usc.edu
To: nanog-attendees
Sent: Friday, October 3, 2008 5:15:36 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern
Subject: NANOG44 + ARINXXII - Things to do in downtown Los Angeles

Dear NANOGers,

If you are attending the upcoming NANOG 44 / ARIN XXII meetings in Los Angeles and are planning on spending some free time in the downtown area that does *not* involve visiting your equipment located in one of the many downtown Collocation facilities, the USC Department of Geography has a nice website that includes walking tours. See http://college.usc.edu/geography/la_walking_tour. I personally would avoid the Skid Row/Greyhound bus area even though it is considered an area in " transition".

You can also get information on the various historic buildings in and around downtown at the Los Angeles Conservancy website including information about the Biltmore and 818 W. 7th, see http://www.laconservancy.org. There are tours of the Biltmore every second and fourth Sunday of the month (October 12 would be one of those days!).

There are many events and exhibits on the USC campus, most of them free. Check out the website at http://www.usc.edu. One caveat: October 11-12, 2008 is "Parents Weekend" at the USC Campus, so it will be more crowded than usual. The USC Ticket Office has discounted tickets to area attractions such as Universal Studios, Knotts Berry Farm and Disneyland.

Other useful links:
http://www.olvera-street.com (Olvera Street, they also have a nice See "LA section' on their website). If you do happen to go to this area, don't miss Philippe's Restaurant celebrating its 100th year on October 6, 2008 which is just a couple of blocks north. Also Union Station is across the street.

http://www.nhm.org/expo/expopark.htm (Exposition Park just south of the USC campus, includes the Natural History Museum, the California Science Center, the African American Museum, as well as the Coliseum and Sports Arena)

Staples Center See previous email about Hockey. Rock Band Live is playing on Friday October 10th and Tina Turner is there on October 13th.

Dodger website If the playoffs come to Los Angeles during NANOG/ARIN, Dodger Stadium is just north of downtown Los Angeles.

LA Music Center, including Disney Hall

RedCat Theater

Museum of Contemporary Art

For unique museums see:

Japanese American Museum located in Little Tokyo

Museum of Neon Art

The Latino Museum

http://www.lacity.org/rap/dos/parks/griffithpk/attractions.htm (Griffith Park including L.A. Zoo, Observatory, Autry National Center, Travel Town, Horseback riding, etc. With over 4,210 acres of natural chaparral-covered terrain and landscaped park areas, it is the largest municipal park with urban wilderness area in the United States).

For cheap transportation see http://www.ladottransit.com/dash/. Taking the bus saves you the agony of trying to find a parking space, especially in an around USC on "game" days. The Dash lines are 25 cents. Other public transportation options can be found at Metropolitan Transit Authority's website.

There is also reportedly a new Starline bus tour for the downtown Los Angeles that is a hop-on-hop-off style tour, but it does not appear to be posted on their website. The Biltmore concierge might have more information when you arrive.

For those on a budget, there are USC Women's Volleyball games on Friday October 10, and Saturday October 11. General admission is $7. They are played at USC's Galen Center which is at the corner of Figueroa and Jefferson Blvd. The California Science Center admission is "free", although you do have to pay to park. The Los Angeles Central Library is a short walking distance from the hotel and has several exhibits, see Los Angeles Central Library.

This is just a smattering of all the things you can do and see close to downtown (you could also hop on a train and explore Hollywood, Pasadena, Long Beach etc.).

Looking forward to seeing you all in Los Angeles.

--Celeste