I had the day off from work on Monday for President’s Day – and if I had any sense, I would have asked for the next week and a half off too. Unfortunately, we have auditors coming in next week so the request would have been denied. In any case, I thought I’d share what’s going on in my office’s neighborhood for the next several days, just so you might give me a little sympathy.
(As it turns out, I’m home from work sick on Tuesday, so I’ll be spared from this particular headache for another day.)
Via LAist, there’s a link to details on all Academy-Awards-related street closures. Here’s what folks in the area can look forward to this week:
7 Days Prior to Show (Sunday, February 17, 2008):
1. Close south sidewalk of Hollywood Boulevard from Orange Drive to Highland Avenue from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Tuesday, February 26, 2008, except 8-foot pedestrian access.
2. Close Hollywood Boulevard from the southeast corner of Orange Drive to Highland Avenue, from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday, February 18, 2008.
3. Close balance of north sidewalk of Hollywood Boulevard from Highland Avenue to Orange Drive allowing 8-foot pedestrian access from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday, February 25, 2008.
4. Close the pedestrian crosswalk, mid-block on Hollywood Boulevard between Orange Drive and Highland Avenue, from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. on Tuesday, February 26, 2008.
5. Close north and south curb lanes of Hawthorn Avenue from Highland Avenue to Orange Drive from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday, February 25, 2008. MTA to re-route bus traffic. School buses exempt through the end of the school day on Friday, February 22, 2008.
6. Close Hawthorn Alley behind El Capitan Theatre from 300 feet east of Orange Drive east to the “T” alley from 10 p.m.. to 6 a.m. on Tuesday, February 26, 2008. The remainder of Hawthorn Alley to remain open from the “T” east to Highland Avenue.
6 Days Prior to Show (Monday, February 18, 2008):
1. Close all lanes of Hollywood Boulevard from the southeast corner of Orange Drive to Highland Avenue from 10 p.m. 6 a.m. to Tuesday, February 26, 2008.
2. Close Hawthorn Alley on the east side of the El Capitan Theatre from Hollywood Boulevard south 210 feet to “T” of east/west alley from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Tuesday, February 26, 2008.
3. Close north sidewalk of Hollywood Boulevard in front of the Kodak Theatre portal from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Tuesday, February 26, 2008. This is a complete sidewalk closure in front of the entrance to Awards Walk. Pedestrian traffic re-routed and emergency access available.
2 Days Prior to Show (Friday, February 22, 2008):
1. Close Hawthorn Avenue from Highland Avenue to Orange Drive from 12:01 a.m. to 6 a.m. Monday, February 25, 2008. School busses allowed on Friday only.
Here’s what it’s going to look like by Saturday – when I won’t be in the neighborhood, thank goodness:
(My workplace is just to the northwest of the area on the map, on Franklin Avenue, which is where most of the traffic that’s not allowed on Hollywood Blvd. gets detoured…so now you see the problem.)
It’s great for the local economy that the writers’ strike is over in time for the Oscars to go on as scheduled. It’s nice that my guy Jon Stewart will be coming to town after all, even though I did have to promise not to stalk the Kodak Theater….
I love movies, and I even enjoy the awards shows. I just don’t enjoy when the first half hour of my commute home after work involves going four blocks. But that’s the glamorous life in Hollywood, I suppose.
OMG — You should just get a room at the Renaissance and walk to work (and that way, you may run into Jon without the stalking).
Oscars and rain are a bad combination in Hollywood.
Donna – Thanks, I knew a SoCal Mom would understand.
If I didn’t work for a nonprofit, it might be worth making a pitch for that idea, but I think my husband might miss me.
Triple ugh! Such a headache. I need to go back and read the things you love list again . . .
If it makes you feel any better, Florinda, I found out this week that my house may be taken by the city under a declaration of eminent domain. The details are still fuzzy and with the state budget as it is, I’m not sure it will happen as soon as the city would like it to, but still. And here I’ve always been worried about fire and an earthquake. 🙂 I’m not sure why I just told you this. Probably because I needed to vent.
Anyhow, I hope the drive to work wasn’t as bad as you expected, although I somehow doubt it’s possible. I would have let you stay home for a week and a half.
I do hope you are feeling better!
Literary Feline – I’m feeling better, thanks. Zicam rocks.
The drive actually hasn’t been quite as bad as I expected – maybe because I braced for the worst. 🙂
Wendy, I really hate to hear that about your house! And for me, it would almost be worse not knowing for sure if/when it would happen, because that makes it hard to plan. I really hope things work out OK.