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Grand Hope Park
Categories: Local Flavor Active Life Parks Local Flavor, Parks [Edit]
W 9th Street and HopeLos Angeles, CA 90017
Neighborhood: Downtown
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
20 reviews for Grand Hope Park
20 reviews in English
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Review from Kislev A.
8/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
What an oasis... a sanctuary in the middle of the urban desert that is downtown Los Angeles.
It's not that big but it is clean, well-maintained and has several play equipment for the kids. It further diminishes any protests of living in DTLA.
It is gated and the gates are ornamental. You don't get the feeling of prison or reverse prison.
Located in a nice part of Los Angeles, feel free to stop by. Or buy your lunch in Chinatown and eat it here. -
Review from Frank S.
Rowland Heights, CA
2/3/2012 1 photo
This was the only grassy park in the whole area according to the map. It's pretty tiny, but I thought it was pretty cool that a park even exists amongst all these downtown buildings.
I even worked out my pecs at the workout machines. -
Review from Tracey A.
San Anselmo, CA
12/2/2011
What's this clean, pretty park doing in the middle of L.A.?
Lots of green grass, lots of playful animal sculptures, a water feature...
If I worked in the area I'd probably brown-bag it and enjoy my lunch here every day. Or take my dog here. Or take my kid here. Lovely park! -
Review from Andrew C.
Santa Clarita, CA
1/20/2012
Can I rent a space in the park for a food truck rehearsal dinner?
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Review from Richard B.
San Gabriel, CA
7/9/2010
It's a great little park. I thought it was FIDM's front lawn....
It's well kept and very clean.... the way a park is suppose to be. =) -
Review from Anna S.
8/5/2010
I actually went to FIDM for a free exhibition of Alice in Wonderland. We managed to sit at the park before heading back. We noticed an event being set up. A few weeks later, we went to the Outdoor Cinema Food Fest. It was an intimate set-up and plenty of space for people to watch the movie.
I know this isn't pertaining to the park but the organizers had:
-way too few porta-potties
-no lights on the speaker introducing the movie
-better enforcements. I saw people bringing outside food and a dog! I thought the park didn't allow dogs. Otherwise, I would've brought my own dog to the park.
Overall it was a good time minus the unexpected FREEZING weather. -
Review from ellyn g.
Los Angeles, CA
6/18/2009 1 photo
This is literally my favourite park in the entire city. I work at the FIDM and spend many of my lunch hours lying on the grass or reading under the Jacaranda trees. It has lots of security, and unlike Pershing (which I live across the street from) there are no residentially challenged individuals making comments about how I look that morning while I try to eat. It's not that I'm anti-homeless people; it just gets exhausting after a while.
Anyway! This park is more family-friendly ... on Saturday afternoons I see old woman in tai-chi classes, families playing catch on the grass, students chain smoking at the benches. There's also lots of events here (most of them are for the school).
The best part about the park is how lush all the greenery is. Unlike Pershing Square, which can hardly be called a park since it's mostly made of concrete these days, this place has small rolling hills with the natural curve of the earth still intact and hanging vines over gazebos. The design is really beautiful. I think the park owners were smart to keep a fence around it (park hours are later during the summer: they close around 8. In the winter, it's about 6) -- it preserves the environment much more than other local parks.
And as for not having dogs, I don't blame them. I'd love to take my pup there -- I'm sure he'd have a lot of fun, but then this park would smell like dog piss just like Pershing does. Literally, when you walk onto the grass there, you feel the urine saturation. It has nothing to do with responsibility -- it's just that dogs come to grass to urinate/defecate, hence why there are so many yellow spots all over Pershing Square.
I take my pup to bunker hill. The bums love him, and there's plenty of space to roam. -
Review from Cheri. A G.
Los Angeles, CA
1/12/2010
It's a nice little park by FIDM. A lot of people complain they don't let dogs in the park but there are WAY to many dogs in the neighborhood and that cute little park where people chill would turn into a big dog park.
There really needs to be a dog park in the area but I don't think this park is it.
[no hating...I love your pooches :)]Listed in: The Great Move From The South…
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Review from Anna Y.
Los Angeles, CA
If you're like me, someone who thinks of a park as a huge green grassy area with ducks and a running track then don't get too excited.
This MINI park is located right on the campus of the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. (A Fashion school for those who's never heard of FIDM.) Or.. . FIDM is located on the park. I think some of my teachers said that it use to be a large park until FIDM was built or the other way around. Not sure, I should get my facts straight before I write huh? Anyways, I'll update once I do confirm :)
It's a tiny park with cute wooden benches, a mini play area for kids with sand, and a walk way. I think the most people that spend time at this park are FIDM students in general. I can't imagine anyone coming here if they really wanted a nice area to sit to read or write in their journal. This park is plain creepy to me, why? Yes, there are scary bleached blondes with fake tans who look like they want to eat you but along with these fake airheads, there are HOBOS. Yes, DowntownLA hobos who sleep and troll around this park.
Anyways, I wouldn't recommend anyone who's not a FIDM student or living near by with a dog who just wants a nice walk to come to this park. (They don't allow dogs at this park, btw.) -
Review from Shannon V.
Los Angeles, CA
3/22/2008 1 photo
Living across the street I wish they allowed dogs! They have dog statues! They are in a dog friendly neighborhood, but the security guys say, "the owner doesn't want dogs". We've had a few special stolen moments, but I wish they would change their policy. The park is really lush and green and very clean. There are always kids in the little play area and we even took my nieces when they were visiting. My sister and I both went to FIDM, but old school, before this was built. I wish this was here when I went to school, I wouldn't have had to hang out at Carl's jr.!
The security guys are nice about it and they lock it up at night like jimmy p. said. I love the sidewalk outside the park on the hope side. It is canopy-d with these gorgeous shade trees. I love walking up to Ralphs under the trees, you literally have to duck your head or get leaves in your hair! I've even witnessed soccer games being played in the park on weekends. There is a fountain, birds, students, I've even seen this "old guy" who I think lives in the Renaissance apartments, with his chaise lounge laying out in the sun! Downtown is GREAT! Gotta love it! Let's get our doggies in now! -
Review from Ariela I.
Boston, MA
1/7/2009
This is a great park and I am in full support of more green space in Downtown LA, hence the 3 stars. But they fall way short in my opinion by not allowing dogs. I guess it's privately owned and not owned by the city but in any case, the reality is that there are many, many more residents who call Downtown home and lots of them want to have a fun place for their 4 legged friends to romp and play. I'm a responsible dog owners and know that most of my neighbors are as well so it saddens me to see the restrictions on this place. I still take my doggie here...on the down low.
Other that that, there is a decent playground and lots of shade. Beware of the pigeon poop, though. This seems to be a haven for them. -
Review from Rasien I.
Small park in the heart of downtown Los Angeles. Its located right next to FIDM. I went on a Saturday Afternoon and there were not too many homeless people. This park is actually very clean and has plenty of seating.
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Review from Fred C.
Los Angeles, CA
1/14/2007 11 photos
Grand Hope Park is 2.5 acres of tranquil greenspace in a place where the majority of "parks" are "parking lots".
This small but special park is located behind the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) in the Downtown neighborhood of South Park. Its existence is truly an enigma, and while I'd hope that the residential influx into Downtown will bring more parks of its type, I remain skeptical... so Grand Hope Park remains our one hope for public neighborhood greenspace in the area.
The LA Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) opened Grand Hope Park in 1994 and was the first public park to open in Downtown since 1870 when Central Park (now the cement nightmare known as Pershing Square) opened. Grand Hope Park is surrounded by a wrought iron fence (which apparently caused a bit of controversy) and gates that close at the end of the day which seem to help it from becoming a breeding ground of bad things like Pershing Square. Who needs to be in a park after dark anyways unless you're up to no good? The sidewalks outside the fence surrounding the park are wide and tree-lined, another very un-LA aspect of the park area. The entrance on the corner of 9th and Hope features a lovely mosaic adorned clock tower designed by the park's designer Lawrence Halprin and apparently used to have some very lovely composed chimes which no longer work. Hopefully they will be brought back in the near future, as there's nothing more lovely than a clock's chime.
Lush vines and flowering plants grow up the many pergolas, providing shade zones for the ample benches and other seating options. In the center of the park, right behind the FIDM building there's a large grassy lawn, with bronze sculptures of coyotes adding the the visual splendor of the space. On the Grand Avenue side you'll find the "Celestial Source Fountain", a lovely pond and art piece that evokes the feeling of arctic ice, with angled chunks of cement making a path in the water. It's probably my favorite part of the park. Another fountain, the Mirage Fountain, lies adjacent to a lovely playground for children. The equipment looks good, and I believe it may be the only public play area in Downtown Los Angeles.
Grand Hope Park is a visual treat and a welcome retreat from all things Downtown and all things Los Angeles. Sadly, it's a unique and rare find in this city, but because of that I encourage everyone to visit and make use of this anti-parking lot. Of course, because of its location in Downtown, it's highly transit accessible.
Transit access: Metro Red/Purple and Blue lines, Metro Rapid lines 714, 720, 740 and 745, all local lines with numbers 1-99 and their limited-stop counterparts, and all express lines numbered 400-499; all LADOT DASH lines downtown except D and all Commuter Express lines numbered 400-499 and 534; Antelope Valley Transit Authority Line 785; all Foothill Transit 400-series busway express lines, though only 480 runs outside of rush hours; Montebello Municipal Bus Lines 40, 50 and 341/342/343, Orange County Transportation Authority lines 701 and 721; Santa Clarita Transit Line 799; Santa Monica Big Blue Bus Line 10; and Torrance Transit lines 1 and 2.Listed in: Things will be great when…
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Review from Calvin Y.
8/1/2010
Surprisingly this is a great park adjacent to FIDM, surrounded by a Ralphs supermarket, a Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, and public parking lots, making this neighborhood quiet and 'safer' even in the midst of downtown LA. We were here for the Outdoor Cinema Food Festival last night (food trucks + giant 40 foot projected movie screen = night picnic), watching a movie with the lighted skyscrapers in the backdrop makes you feel almost like in Central Park New York and not in LA anymore. Sweet!
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Review from Oshi Y.
Los Angeles, CA
8/11/2010 15 Check-ins Here
Nice place, very pretty near the staples center lots of food places nearby and a lot of sitting area. Has a playpen.
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Review from Ron S.
Los Angeles, CA
10/1/2008
This is a public park.
It was built in order to revitalize downtown. Now that the neighborhood has finally become a residential hub, it's time to open up the park to dogs on leashes. There are thousands of dogs in downtown and virtually no grass.
How dare the owners of FIDM keep us out! This is not private property.
If you feel it's time for a change, call or write the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency and your representative on the City Council. This is Council District 9. -
Review from Blu M.
Los Angeles, CA
6/2/2009
It's right across the street from Ralph's. This park is small and very green. There were kids playing soccer on the grass and people just sitting on the grass enjoying the evening. There are tons of benches and picnic tables to eat on. This is a really nice small park with both sunshine and shade.
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Review from Michael s.
Long Beach, CA
7/1/2009
I've never really hung out there, but what a great place to stroll through during my lunch hour. Especially in between FIDM classes, very easy on the eyes - the landscaping that is! Seriously, I always feel a bit sheepish dressed in my corporate casual, black and grey or not, when passing by all the cutting edge beauty of the FIDM students. The Park itself? Oh yeah, really nice, tiny sloping hills of irrigated grass, nice palm trees, a tiny playground, modern industrial fountains, like a nicer, smaller version of that weird stuff they have in Pershing square. One of the nicest places to have a moment in downtown.
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Review from T P.
Culver City, CA
6/17/2009
As a new dowtown resident and dog owner, i totally agree with all the sentiments expressed below.
We're desperate for GREEN downtown for our DOGS !
Is there anyway we can partner with the owner of this park to allow dogs -even if it's for a small amount of time or just on the weekends? Has anyone tried contacting the owner or manager of the park?
Certainly the park was created for the public to enjoy...and that includes us dog owners.
If not, let's all try to unite to mobliize and work with the downtown BID to create more green space for our doggies!
thoughts?
Tracy -
Review from Paul B.
Los Angeles, CA
4/2/2010
Great park. I'm here with my kids almost every day. I have two dogs and I'm glad they aren't allowed in here, although we desperately need a patch of public grass around here for dogs to piss on.
