Over the last few years, I might have complained once or twice that there are very few restaurants within comfortable walking distance of our old Los Angeles apartment. These complaints require context.
First, you can walk to two good restaurants—a Ramen place and Peruvian restaurant—and a supermarket in less than five minutes. Another block away there is an Italian place that—sadly—has gone downhill, next to one-Michelin Star, Kali (never been). And, within roughly 15-minutes, you have two-Star Providence (never been, though my wife has), one-Star Osteria Mozza (which might end up my favorite restaurant in LA) and—mentioned in the Guide—well-known French joint, Petit Trois.
The “Big Mec.” More on that in a minute. A lot more on that in a minute.
But first—all of this is all relative.
A 5- or 15-walk in our old neighborhood either sucked or was hardly pleasant. Despite its density and concentration of different types of businesses, even our well-positioned (former) neighborhood isn’t conducive for walking. Parts of the journey off of busy—(with cars)—Melrose Avenue are nice. However, a 15-minute walk in LA feels like you walked alongside the autopista in Spain between Barcelona and Valencia.
In Valencia, you walk 15-30 minutes, even an hour, with relative ease, while still getting great exercise in an interesting and mentally/intellectually stimulating setting built—first and foremost—for walking. And—in any direction during those time frames—you have literally dozens upon dozens of cultural, commercial and culinary options across price ranges.
Throw in residential alongside the three Cs—(maybe we have something here)—and you have the winning formula. Only a handful of US cities have it and continue to nail it. But this flavor of urban living in America almost always comes at a steep price.
Now—let’s talk burgers.