It is 1:30 p.m. under a blue, early-spring sky. I am in front of Kerckhoff Hall, ready to embark on a journey to Holmby Park with camera in hand.
Holmby Park is one of Los Angeles’ 181 public parks, located just a bit past the Luskin School of Public Affairs. Rumor has it that the neighborhood park is a popular spot for families, but what better time to check than now, when the weather and plants prepare for a warm spring?
And so our trip begins.
Kerckhoff Hall is quiet Sunday afternoon. Photographed by Julia Gu/BruinLife.
The commute
My first stop is Dodd Hall and the buildings to its east. I don’t venture into the very northeast reaches of campus often, but it is that time of year again, when the School of Law is covered with leafy ivy foliage dotted with red trumpet flowers.
The path from Dodd Hall and the UCLA School of Law is green and leafy in the spring. Photographed by Julia Gu/BruinLife.
As I take a turn left to the Strathmore-Hilgard intersection, all that separates me from Holmby Park is a scenic 20-minute walk down Strathmore Drive and Wyton Drive. These streets are drives for good reason – a peaceful suburbia.
A Georgian brick house stands on a corner as its trees show their first leaves of the year. Photographed by Julia Gu/BruinLife.
The arrival
A hilly but idyllic walk later, blue street signs announce my arrival at the Wyton-Comstock-South Beverly Glen intersection. The time is 2 p.m. It is a busy meeting of roads, to be sure – a very different atmosphere than the quiet streets. But amid the swoosh of passing cars is the sound of children playing. The source of the shouts appears to be a tall, accented playground across the street.
A sun-dappled path leads forward along Comstock Avenue. Photographed by Julia Gu/BruinLife.
Looking closer, children big and small are swinging on swings and sliding down slides. Reflecting back, it is hard to remember the last time I was at a park with so many toddlers and infants. It brings back memories of evenings at the public parks at home.
A toddler observes the play structure in front of him. Photographed by Julia Gu/BruinLife.
The photos
Crossing the street, I have reached Holmby Park at last.
It turned out to be quite a lively afternoon – picnics, dogs of all shapes and sizes, roller-skating, Frisbee, hammocking, martial arts practice, balloons and a lemonade and cookie stand to top it all off.
A mother and son picnic on the grass by a mature tree. Photographed by Julia Gu/BruinLife.
A family enjoys the greenery – the parents visually, the child physically. Photographed by Julia Gu/BruinLife.
A girl poses on a tree by the five-way intersection neighboring Holmby Park. Photographed by Julia Gu/BruinLife.
A group gathers for a special occasion as picnickers lounge nearby. Photographed by Julia Gu/BruinLife.
A small dog dashes across the grass with a ball in its mouth. Photographed by Julia Gu/BruinLife.
Holmby Park has no shortage of shade in the spring. Photographed by Julia Gu/BruinLife.
A trio circles the park on wheels. Photographed by Julia Gu/BruinLife.
Attentive students copy the movements of their martial arts instructor. Photographed by Julia Gu/BruinLife.
In addition to being a park, Holmby Park is a pony golf course, with holes scattered throughout. Photographed by Julia Gu/BruinLife.
A vine-covered pergola borders the playground. Photographed by Julia Gu/BruinLife.
Picnickers enjoy a long chat in the sunshine and open air. Photographed by Julia Gu/BruinLife.
A forward-planning young boy (third from the left) runs a lemonade and cookie stand to – as per his father (left) – save up for Legos and college. Photographed by Julia Gu/BruinLife.
A handmade sign advertises lemonade and cookies for $1 each. Photographed by Julia Gu/BruinLife.
My only regret was missing a kid who streaked past in a tricycle. Boy, was he going fast! Of course, his parents may not be quite as thrilled by his disregard of pedestrian speed limits as he was.
Final thoughts
After two hours of photos, Holmby Park does not seem to be a bad place to be. The park boasts open space for Frisbee and football, paved paths for rollerblading, picnic tables for journaling and pony golf circles for putt practice between friends. A great place to meet dogs – and people, of course: people from all walks of life.
Holmby Park still exists thanks to 1981 donations from Hugh Hefner and Armand Hammer. Photographed by Julia Gu/BruinLife.
The late afternoon sun illuminates one of Holmby Park's many trees. Photographed by Julia Gu/BruinLife.
For a deeper dive into the park’s history, see here.
