There are few more grumble-worthy subjects among SoCalers than parking -- okay, traffic is up there, too -- and there are few places, and activities, that have not yet gone the valet route, as a matter of course, when it comes to people finding a sought-after spot for their car.
Hiking springs to mind as a major exception here, if only, in large part, our wilder places tend to be slightly outside of urban-style congestion.
That's about to change, at least for a weekend, on Saturday, Nov. 22 and Sunday, Nov. 23, when CurbStand, a recently launched app that helps people locate valets (and pay and tip them as well), shows up at Runyon Canyon to park hikers' cars.
So is Runyon Canyon in the middle of congestion or not? That might be up for some debate -- and many a debate goes down, or up, as hikers take to the much-traversed path -- but Runyon is a rustic spot just a short walk from Hollywood's bustling heart.
CurbStand's aiming to give Los Angeles a "concierge-valet style experience," and, yep, there's a hashtag to go with the promotion: #soLAvalet.
KPCC's Kristen Lepore pondered if it was a hoax. It's a very solid question, given Angelenos' propensity for splashy happenings, but it is not: The CurbStand stand shall be at Fuller and Hillside Avenues from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both Nov. 22 and 23. The price? Five bucks, but the company'll shave off a dollar if you do some hashtagging and tweeting about your experience.
And, truly, this should surprise no one, what with our frequent, and frequently offbeat, valet-related happenings. We are a metropolis that has hosted a number of events featuring bike valets, and The Luxe Hotel Sunset Boulevard bestowed gratis valet parking for voters who cast their ballot at the posh location on Nov. 4.
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Plus? There's a PowerBar in it for every person dropping their keys off at Fuller and Hillside. Does this mean that the Runyon Canyon power conversations, hiker-based gossip sessions that famously center around the entertainment industry, will now be about matters of cars, parking, and energy bars?
For the weekend ahead of Thanksgiving, a certain Tinseltown trail will be about wheels as much as workouts.
