White Boy/White Dog Move To Skid Row

Certified Beach Dude Moves To Downtown Los Angeles

On Friday, August 1st at 5pm, there will be an interesting event that is hosted by 2 organizations that I really like- Los Angeles Athletic Club and Good Samaritan Hospital. (Contrary to what you may think based upon me checking myself out of Good Samaritan, I think it’s a great hospital, and I was treated excellent by everyone except one doctor and one nurse, who just pissed me off more than mistreated me).

While I am a member of LAAC, I know nothing more about the event other than what is posted on the Walk Downtown LA website. The intriguing part is the concept that “participants will attempt to walk every street in Downtown LA”. I’ve walked a lot of downtown, but certainly not every street, so I may learn quite a bit on the walk. It almost sounds like some sort of scavenger hunt-type event, without a real plan- I’m also confused as it sounds like it happens every Friday, as according to the e-mail sent to the [newdowntown] mailing list, it states “The first session of this program will end on October 3, 2008.”

The event is $25 (is this per week?) and the fee gets you a t-shirt, with a portion of proceeds going to “Good Samaritan Hospital - Emergency Services, a non-profit community hospital serving the downtown community for more than 100 years.”

I already walk on the average 8 miles a day with White Dog and to and from LAAC, but I guess my feet are healed enough to put some more miles on- you can’t really do too much cardio/fat burning… (well, yes you can, but this should not be too bad).

I don’t think it will be “dog friendly” though, as you probably have to go into LAAC to register and for final activities. Maybe some of the cute ladies from LAAC that I’ve been trying to meet will be there…

UPDATE: From Cory Hathaway, Director of Membership, LAAC:

Why is there a fee?

This optional one time donation covers the costs of the t-shirts and the booklet. The proceeds left over will go to Good Samaritan Hospital Downtown LA Emergency services fund.

What type of event is this?

This event is a group exercise class, similar to yoga, boot camp, etc. It is the only class at The Los Angeles Athletic Club (www.laac.com) open to non-members.

How is the progress of the walk tracked?

Each participant will receive a tracking booklet. This booklet breaks downtown into six sections and lists the streets in each section. Participants will check off each street they have walked. They may also walk and track their progress outside of the Friday walks. If you walk every street in Downtown your name will be engraved on a plaque that will be displayed within The Los Angles Athletic Club.

How will the Friday routes be determined?

Each Friday we will have a formal route with a printed map of that days walk. We will also attempt to have a special guest for each walk based on the area of Downtown that we will be walking too.

Where will the walks start and end?

Each Friday walk will start and end at The Los Angeles Athletic Club, 431 West 7th Street. After the walk participants will be able to go to the 8th floor lounge if they would like to eat, drink, play billiards or just hang out.