Day 1 of My LA Hood Challenge, New Year's Day in Baldwin Hills

'Hood:  Baldwin Hills

Where:  Smack in the middle of LA

I thought I'd start out the new year — and my year-long challenge to see LA's neighborhoods — with a hike.  This, I figured, would coincide nicely with the diet and exercise regime I start every year on Jan. 1.

One of my favorite hikes (OK, one of my only hikes) is the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook, a 511-ft. peak hill just southwest of downtown with amazing views of the city.  I figured it'd be inspiring to see what I'm about to embark upon for the next 365 days.

Only problem was, when I looked into it further, I realized that—even though Baldwin Hills is right there in the name of the hill—it's technically in Culver City. And Culver City, alas, is not part of Los Angeles.

So... plan B.   A quick Google search led me to the Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area nearby at La Cienega and Rodeo.  I was lacing up the ol' hiking boots getting ready to go when, upon taking a closer look at the map, I noticed the park appeared to be in an unincorporated part of the city—in other words, not City of LA.

So...plan C.  I'd do the hike anyway because, dang it, I wanted to see some vistas and valleys and the Hollywood sign through the smog!  To be true to the spirit of the challenge, however, I tacked on a drive through two notable (at least according to Wikipedia) Baldwin Hills residential communities.

I zipped to the park in just 10 minutes (although on a non-holiday, I'd triple that).  I couldn't have asked for a more glorious day to begin my adventure—mid-'70s and sunny.  I'd spent the morning reading posts from friends back home in Michigan bemoaning a snowstorm, which made me especially grateful for the day.

After paying the $6 weekend/holiday fee to enter, I had a choice to park and start hiking up to the top, or drive up and hike once I got up there.  I decided to drive (don't judge), and it was a lovely wooded drive past a lake, gardens, and—a tad less scenic— oil rigs.  Ah well, considering this is dead-center LA, it was pretty naturey overall.

I walked about two hours through grassy fields and along trails.  Along the way, I encountered other people, but I also had long stretches of being on my own.  Some of the sights ...

All in all, a perfectly pleasant way to spend an afternoon.

On the way home, I drove through two neighborhoods:

The first was Baldwin Hills Estates, which I read is known as "The Dons" because all the streets are named after the Dons that originally lived there (Don Miguel, Don Marco, etc.). It's also one of the wealthiest majority-African American areas in the US. I enjoyed a peaceful, winding drive through quaint, '60s style homes.

The other 'hood, Village Green, is a historic area, but it basically looked like a bunch of older condos... the historic-ness of it was lost on me.  Sorry, but "meh."  To be fair, the selling point of the area is that it's a walking-only area, with communal space between the buildings, so maybe if I wasn't already "walked out" I'd have enjoyed it more.

Regardless, I can promise I wouldn't have done any of this if it weren't for my LA Hood Challenge, and I'm so glad I did.

One down, 136 to go...