continued public transport adventures

i decided to go to the fashion district yesterday. i have 3 weddings coming up in the next month and nothing to wear. i wasn't going to drive, with gas prices so insanely high, and then dealing with trying to find parking there and paying for it. with my monthly bus pass i get from work, i can get there by paying just for the gas it takes for the 2.82 mi roundtrip cost of driving to highland park station.

if i do say so myself, i was pleasantly surprised to discover that i have become quite adept at using public transport. i took one bus (the 83) to get there. then on the way back, too hot to wait for that same bus, just hopped on the first bus that came along (10), figured out where it was going, and got off to wait for my bus again, but at a stop near the subway so that in case i didn't want to wait i could take it. it turns out i didn't want to wait after 1 minute in the heat so i hopped on the train and got home! it was beauty.

i've had lots of practice since last year when i first experimented with public transport in LA. at work we can choose between the bus pass and the parking pass. the bus pass is way better because it covers all train and bus lines. and i don't have to pay for gas. and i use it on the weekends.

places of interest for me during the lunch break:

grand central library & farmer's market - my most frequent stop (bus)
chinatown (bus)
fashion district (bus)
cathedral of our lady of angels (rail)
7th & metro mall (rail)
k-town (rail)
city hall (bus or by foot)
groundwork coffee (foot)
lost souls (foot)
lot 44 coffee & tea (foot)
famima (foot)
bonaventure (bus)

the fun continues...

blog action day

Today bloggers are posting about the environment for Blog Action Day. I will merely share links to two blogs that I turn to for green wisdom:

greenLAgirl walks the talk. I read her blog regularly and do searches on it for any info I need. She's now blogging for the LA Times so you may have to go here for the latest. I've also been impressed by EnviroWoman, who has been living plastic-free for almost a year.

FYI, I noticed the other day that IKEA is now charging 5 cents for plastic bags.

the beehive

I've been meaning to post more from my trip, and I'm finally getting around to it! Another tidbit I wanted to share about was the place we stayed in while we were in Rome, The Beehive. They offer hostels, dorms, private rooms and apartments. We stayed in one of their apartments. I loved it! It was eco-friendly, organic-loving and very cute. Here's our room...

They even had a cafe where they serve light vegetarian organic meals for a decent price.

We went for breakfast and I had the granola with yogurt, fruit and organic honey, of course. A little taste of home and a break from paninis, pizzas and pasta.

The business was started by two Americans. It's very traveler-friendly. Our suite had a communal free internet, phone, kitchen and bathroom. It was a treat. They also have yoga classes but those were on break due to the holiday. Cuteness, organic, eco-friendly, free internet, kitchen and yoga...I was a happy camper.

go green

Since my move to Highland Park, I have made some small attempts at living a lower impact lifestyle. Here are some things I've done, and maybe you can too.

1. Drive less: I know it sounds crazy, but public transportation is possible in Los Angeles. I've been to the South Pasadena Farmer's Market, Old Town Pasadena, LAX, Central Library, Downtown Farmer's Market, Universal City Walk, Hollywood Bowl, Ahmanson Theater, Paseo Colorado using it to name a few. I mostly use the rail, but have also been on the bus. Use the Metro Trip Planner to figure out what to do. Get a monthly pass for $62.

2. Take yourself to the airport and back: Use the LAX Flyaway bus for $4 one way. Get to Union Station by bus or rail. From there the Flyaway takes you directly to the airport, and stops at every terminal. Buses leave every half hour. Recently I've noticed buses going to and from Westwood and Van Nuys as well. It is super-convenient! Save your friends and family a trip through traffic and beat those hideous gas prices.

3. De-junk mail: Save some trees. As of today I am free from junk mail! Say goodbye to credit card and insurance offers, Valpak, DMA, ShopWise, MoneyMailer and more. I did it quick and easy through the LAist blog (image by greenlagirl).

4. BYOB: Bring your own bag to the grocery store. You know you're getting sick of those plastic bags piling up in your kitchen and you will never use all of them to line your bathroom trash bin. I use the Trader Joe's bag but any canvas bag will do, and keep it in the car. Just say no to the plastic bag (image by envirowoman).