What to Know
- CicLAmini: Watts presented by Metro
- Sunday, May 21 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- The new "mini" events will spotlight routes that run one to two miles (rather than the traditional CicLAvia routes, which can measure six or seven miles)
If you've lived in Southern California for a year, or even a few months, you soon find out what many locals know: Connecting with the city isn't something that can happen by moving through great chunks of the region in a fast fashion or by observing busy freeway blurs.
Rather, you'll want to become familiar with LA's gorgeous gifts by getting to know a single neighborhood block, a particular shop, or that one eatery that always smells so delicious.
A megalopolis seen in a microcosm is, for many people who adore our area, the ideal approach to understanding it in an authentic way.
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Enter CicLAvia, the open streets spectacular that first pedaled into view in 2010. The routes, which typically run around six or seven miles, can give participants time and room to get to know particular blocks or short stretches of streets.
But what if a stretch was even shorter, the sort of length that automatically invites a deeper connection to a place?
The CicLAvia team pondered such questions and dreamt up a delightful idea: The CicLAmini.
It's the same idea as its larger sibling — a major street is shuttered to motorized traffic — but the route runs a mile or two.
It's a great idea, and one Southern Californians will get to experience when the first CicLAmini rolls our way on Sunday, May 21.
Watts is the star of the sunny spokes-and-sneakers celebration. As for the just-released map?
It was unveiled on March 7, giving cyclists, pedestrians, and everyone seeking a breezy community meet-up an early peek at what to expect.
Two thoroughfares will be featured, with Central Avenue and 103rd Street in the spotlight. There are two hubs, one for each street, where information booths will be placed, as well as other helpful offerings for participants.
But it isn't all about moving along the route by bike or foot. "Expect activities like street games, local business engagements, and art and cultural activities for all ages," vows the CicLAvia team.
Talk about connecting with a place in an easygoing and unrushed way.
If CicLAvia is about covering the larger swaths of a city, town, or neighborhood, the CicLAmini is set on soaking in a cozier corner of our region over the course of a few playful, memory-making hours.
For more on the "compact neighborhood routes" on the CicLAvia schedule, including the May 21 ride through Watts, twirl your pedals in the direction of this site now.
Oh yes: And a month or so before Watts there is a more traditional four-miler to enjoy, on April 16, when the Mid City Meets Pico Union.
