(PIcture 1)Yesterday I experienced my first ride on the Metro Gold Line to Los Angeles Union Station from the Sierra Madre Villa station in Pasadena, CA. Even though I’ve traveled the world, I still find myself anxious when using new modes of transportation. I had expressed my fears to my friends Mimi and Kandy, and they offered to accompany me on my first Metro Gold Line journey.
Getting into the Sierra Madre Villa Parking Structure
Our first test was getting into the station parking structure. It never occurred to us that coming south from Foothill Boulevard on Sierra Madre Villa would be a problem. Wrong. A center divider kept us from turning left into the station, initiating the need to make a u-turn on Colorado Boulevard.
The station’s parking structure has five floors. The pedestrian bridge across the freeway to the Gold Line is on the fourth floor. There are 950 free on-site parking spaces and 60 Paid Reserved On-Site parking spaces at the Sierra Madre Villa station. The Reserved spaces are marked with a yellow sign hat state “Paid Permit Only.” Free parking is on the 4th and 5thfloors of the parking structure.
Using the Ticket Machine
I snapped a picture of the Sierra Madre Villa station that is snuggled between opposing lanes on the 210 freeway, and then Mimi led me to a purchase-your-ticket machine. (PIcture 2) Then after watching Mimi buy her ticket, I knew to first push the button for paper ticket, senior/disabled ticket, and one-way ticket in that order. I was amazed when the machine revealed that my senior Metro Gold Line ticket price was 25 cents! I’d pay 65 cents during rush hour traffic. I dropped my quarter in the slot and then retrieved my ticket from the machine’s bottom slot.
Finding Seats on the Metro Gold Line
(PIcture 3) After walking over the pedestrian bridge we chose to walk down two floors of steps instead of taking the elevator to the Metro Gold Line tracks. The train arrived shortly and we quickly entered the sliding-open door. I was surprised to see that the seats were arranged with some facing forwards and others face-to-face. Passengers are allowed to bring bikes, baby carriages, and suitcases onto the Metro Gold Line. A sign pointed to the car reserved for people with those items.
Arriving at the Fabulous Union Station
(PIcture 4)Of course we talked non-stop during the 30-minute trip to the Los Angeles Union Station. We disembarked and walked down the steps into Union Station, the hub of transportation in downtown LA. Large, lit-up signs used pointing arrows to direct people to Amtrak Ticketing, the Metro Red Line, Amtrak Thruway Buses, the Baggage Claim, the Waiting Room, and the Restrooms. We were especially happy to see that last sign. With the addition of Starbucks, Subway, Famina!! Convenience Store, See’s Candy, and the Traxx Restaurant, it seemed that all our needs could be met without ever leaving the station.
Enjoying Olvera Street
(PIcture 5) We opted to walk outside Union Station and visit Olvera Street, a delightful place with open-fronted shops full of traditional Mexican items and restaurants serving delicious Mexican food. We ate lunch at the La Golondrina Café, which was established in 1924 and is located within the walls of the Pelanconi House-Los Angeles’ first brick building (circa 1855-57). I’d highly recommend it.
After lunch we meandered slowly down Olvera Street and enjoyed a visit to the Avila Adobe, the oldest existing house in Los Angeles, built about 1818 by Don Francisco Avila. We enjoyed the huge nativity scene in the plaza, and staring into the windows of the old Pico House hotel and old firehouse nearby before heading back to Union Station for a cup of Starbucks.
Had a pleasant trip back to Sierra Madre Villa, where we decided to make the trip again on the Gold Line to Union Station. We advise everyone to do the same.
More about the Metro Gold Line
In December, 2011 there were 20 stations on the Metro Gold Line. The Gold Line Map and Station Locations website lists the stations addresses; tells how many free on-site parking spaces are available at each station; tells how many paid, reserved, on-site parking spaces are at each station; gives amount of bike rack spaces and/or bike rack lockers at each station. Here’s the link: http://www.metro.net/around/rail/gold-line/
Here’s the link to Gold Line Timetable: http://www.metro.net/riding_metro/bus_overview/images/804.pdf