Occidental College
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Don't know where to go this weekend? Follow the Gold Line...
September 28, 2011
I hear quite a bit that it's so hard to get anywhere in LA. I agree. As someone who spends way more time in my car than I should, it is not easy to get around LA in a car. Fortunately, there is a metro system that does a decent job. It's not great if you're in a hurry, but it does take you to some interesting places. Oxy is fairly close to the Metro Gold Line which picks up in Highland Park.
But what can you do on the Gold Line? That's a good question. AAA's Westways Magazine just featured an article titled "L.A. by Light Rail" giving you some thoughts on where you could go if you had a day to spend on the Gold Line. They include cultural stops like monuments & museums, fun places to shop, and places to grab some grub while you're out and about. I know one of my favorit stops is Phillippe's which gets one of their mentions.
There are a few things that they don't talk much about though. One is that the Gold Line goes the other direction - out into South Pasadena, Pasadena, and beyond. Did you know that by hopping on the Gold Line the other direction from downtown LA you can hop off at the Mission St. station and find all sorts of fun things. You could wander through Book Em Mysteries to find your next book for pleasure reading over a break or check out Vidéothèque for cult or indie film stuff. While you're in the area you could grab yourself a bite to eat at Mix N Munch with a variety of fabulously comforting cereals and grilled cheese sandwiches. If that's not 
quite for you, there are so many little places to eat around here, that you're sure to find something. The best part of all of this is that it's all only a block or two from the Mission St. Metro station.
Another thing they don't mention is that you can do all of this really easily with a little help from Oxy's ResEd department. They have Tap cards that you can check out to explore the city. A day pass on a Tap card only costs $5 and gets you unlimited hops on and off the Gold Line as well as unlimited transfers should you want to stretch out further on the Red or Purple line, or if you want to take a bus.