Sunnynook to Yoga

Play the L.A. River is a come-one-come-all project by the arts collective Project 51 -- a collective of L.A. River-loving artists, designers, planners, writers, educators -- that invites Angelenos to explore, enjoy, reclaim, and reimagine the mighty L.A. River as a grand civic space that can green and connect our communities.

CARD: 6 of Glendale Narrows

SITE: Sunnynook to Yoga, Atwater Village, Los Angeles 90039

Sunnynook to Yoga -- It's the perfect starter site. Thousands of L.A. River newbies have been introduced to the river here, and countless Angelenos have fallen in love. It's a kind of perfect marriage of River and City, a lush ribbon wedged between Griffith Park and Atwater Village. Ducks and power lines, parks and neighborhoods, fish and bridges.

Let's hear how Project 51 team members have played here:

I've never seen anyone NOT play here. A yoga course, bike and walk paths, two footbridges, a brand-new park, an accessible green river. Me, I like to sit on the wall, feel the breeze, and watch the ducks. (I have a thing for ducks.) What else? Maybe skip rocks. Maybe race around the loop between Sunnynook and Los Feliz. How about a footbridge picnic -- tacos on one footbridge, pastries on the second? How about a "flora, fauna, and infrastructure" photo scavenger hunt? How about if I summon a bunch of friends, stand on both sides of the river, and sing rounds into the space between? How about if I make it a flash mob? Wanna do it?
--Jenny Price

 The signs. That's what I first notice here on the east bank, by the Sunnynook footbridge. The signs scream municipal codes. The riverbed is not for sleeping! And resting? Verboten! Don't loiter or remain, and don't even think about putting that quilt down here! LAMC Sec. 41.22. These signs capture the complexity of urban nature, open spaces, and public places in a megalopolis like L.A., where homeless encampments line the riverbanks and other "forgotten" spaces. How do I want to play? I want to shout back at the signs and out to City Hall that the river is a place for respite and rest, that everyone ought to have the right to loiter and to throw down a quilt, and that river revitalization shouldn't become yet more municipal code that makes poverty itself illegal, but rather should address the needs of all who play (and live) the river. Quilting bee, anyone?
--Cathy Gudis

 Not too soft, not too hard; this route is just right. In fact, I've used this circuit many times to take Angelenos on their maiden voyage along the Los Angeles River. Last summer, I met a professional puppeteer who lives at the corner of Rowena and Glendale in Silver Lake. Much to my surprise, the active young man had never taken the time to trot down the hill to the banks of the L.A. River -- a story that I've come to realize is actually quite common among many Angelenos. I took him on a walk from Sunnynook to Yoga. I like to explore this part of the River by walking, jogging, or even skipping north along the bike path on the west bank from Sunnynook Park, across the footbridge to the east bank, north along the maintenance road through the Yoga Course, west along Los Feliz to the bicycle bridge, and back south to where I began. The walk is a snapshot of the L.A. River; it's perfect if you're on your first visit or as a repeatable route to start each day with.
--Kat Superfisky

 I love biking in L.A.! I particularly love biking along the L.A. River bike path through the Glendale Narrows. Often times as I'm riding by Sunnynook Park, I'll take a little break. I like this stretch of the river because it is quiet. There aren't usually many people using the park, so I feel as if I have the place all to myself. I'll sit down on one of the benches and listen to the bugs and the birds. Last time I saw two species of butterflies fluttering overhead, shorebirds wading in the river, and even a dragonfly soaring by. Although the freeway was directly behind me and a few people whizzed by on their bikes, I was able to escape all that for a moment. I was content to let the river and its wild inhabitants wash over me. I call it restorative play. The fact that I live in the heart of one of the largest cities in the world, and can come down to the river to escape it all, makes me inordinately happy.
--Lila Higgins

How do you play the L.A. River, from Sunnynook to Yoga? Tell us by leaving a comment here.