Culver City by bike (Los Angeles: 2015, cinema, live)

[animator42]

Hello all!

I'm going to be moving to Culver City in a few weeks, but I won't have a car and will do most of my travel by bicycle. I'm wondering if anyone has experience with the immediate area and can suggest fun places to go on the evenings and weekends. I stayed in Culver City near Cheviot Hills last summer, so I know a little about the downtown area and a few places here and there, but I'd love to hear more suggestions for bars, coffee shops, any local places with good food or a good social vibe. How is the area for bikes in general? Any safety issues outside the norm?

Also, I remember seeing a large group of cyclists at night every once in a while. Anyone know anything about a group like that in the area?

Thanks for your thoughts!

[BRinSM]

there's a bike path on venice blvd that goes all the way to the beach and there's also the ballona creek bike path that will take you to the beach. bike riding is generally pretty safe as long as you stay in the bike lanes, i wouldn't be too concerned. there may be a slight learning curve, so just take it easy the first few days. also, LA is mostly flat, so that will be to your benefit.

as for things to do, besides downtown and the mall that was just redone, there's not a whole lot in culver city to be honest and the neighboring areas are mostly residential and dull. your best bet is to ride towards the beach to find any type of action.

[970diego]

I just moved to Culver City as well. I'm just wondering a few things.

In the streets that don't have a bike lane, is it ok to ride on the sidewalk? Also, I've only seen about 2 or 3 bike racks from Culver all the way to the beach, but I've seen bikes tied to stop signs, parking meters, etc. Where is it legal to park your bike?

[BRinSM]

contrary to popular belief, riding on sidewalks is actually more dangerous than the street as you have to deal with pedestrians and you're less visible to cars (especially when crossing drive ways). i don't think you'll have any legal issues as long as you don't plan on leaving your bike on a stop sign for multiple days. even then, i'd be worried more about your seat and wheels being stolen over the police impounding your bike.

[Bruin5]

As far as things to do in Culver City, one of my favorite cafes is on Washington Blvd. and Madison Ave. The Conservatory for Coffee has some of the best coffee in the city as far as I'm concerned. Bars, it depends what you want: I prefer the Mandrake (La Cienega Blvd.) and Cinema Bar (Sepulveda Blvd.). You also have Father's Office located in the old Helm's Bakery building. There's Rush Street in the heart of downtown Culver, not really my scene- more of a trendy, high priced place. If wine bars are your thing there's Bottlerock and Ugo wine bar also located in downtown Culver.

[drunk on kool aid]

You can take your bike on the Metro rail lines and many (all?) buses have flip-down racks on their noses so you can go almost anywhere and take your bike with you--no need to restrict yourself to Culver City.

I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to ride on the sidewalk but I've done it if the street traffic is too busy or there is little space between traffic and parked cars. I've never done it on busy sidewalks however, and I always slow down to a crawl when I approach pedestrians and say, "excuse me" as I pass. So far, no problems.

I have no personal experience with this group but it popped up near the top during a search:

The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC)

There are buttons for events/calendar and links which might help you find what you want.

[michael_ames]

I just moved here myself a few weeks ago and am eager to explore by bike.
I moved from a VERY bike-friendly city (Montréal) and I know it won't be the same here, but so far I've been very comforted by the fact that I've seen many cyclists around, from the hard-core spandex-ed racers to families and commuters. They ride on the busier streets, too (Culver/Washington/Venice) which suggests it isn't as dangerous as I might have thought.

The bike path network isn't extensive or seamless (though I've never lived anywhere where they are perfect) but drivers actually seem to go pretty slowly here and the speed bumps and all-way stop signs in residential areas make it very safe to bike. Braddock is currently a good choice as it parallels the major throughways (and is the future site of a more robust bike lane, expected by 2015). The Ballona Creek path is a great, fully separated all-bike highway, basically, that is great for getting to the beach but not really useful for intra or inter-nabe errands.

The Culver City Bicycle Coalition is the local chapter of the county version (Culver City Bicycle Coalition | A local chapter of the LACBC.) and seems active and very friendly.

So far I've actually found it easier and more pleasant to be a cyclist in CC than a pedestrian.

Let me know how it goes!