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Korean Friendship Bell
Rating Details »
Category: Local Flavor [Edit]
3601 South Gaffey St.Angels Gate Park
San Pedro, CA 90731
(310) 548-7705
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
43 reviews for Korean Friendship Bell
I didn't know I could yelp about this kind of 'place'...
It has beautiful Pacific view, always windy. If you're a photographer you definitely should come out here and shoot a few.
Always pretty empty, playground is not crowded.
I was there last week, was impressed about the fact that somebody was cleaning the area thoroughly, a woman was cutting old leaves from roses, etc. It's clean and beautiful.
One of the best places I've ever been to. It's just one of those parks that make you feel peaceful and happy - it's a nice feeling.
Parking isn't an issue - there are a lot of spots open. Make sure you have a jacket handy because once you step out of the car, you get shot with a strong, cool wind. It's so windy that you can hear it - you hear it whizzing past your ears and you can barely hear anything around you except for that wind. It's pretty great, actually.
They have a playground and a really nice basketball court too. Their basketball hoops look elegant - I can't really describe it though; you should go there to see for yourself.
It's so mellow - there are people sitting down, flying kites, looking at the view of the ocean. The view is beautiful and it makes you want to never leave. It's the perfect spot to watch the sunset. The bell itself is huge and beautiful. Thank you, Korea.
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i have been going here since i was a kid.
now i live 400 miles from it and only see it every couple of years.
saw it yesterday. it was just as i remembered it. maybe more amazing.
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For all your hormone infused teens...I have two words for you: MAKEOUT MOUNTAIN!
If its Friday Night and the mood is right.. **wink wink***
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Cute and quaint little spot to view the lovely Korean Friendship bell, stand tall atop the grassy hill and take a deep breath of the fresh air. A small "museum" with free admission is adjacent to the parking lot. Take a gander inside and look at Korean artifacts, read up on interesting tidbits of the country and history.
If you really wanna go K-style, bring a tray of kimbap, miso soup packets, a thermos of hot water, and have a little picnic. Don't forget the kimchi!
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When I was younger, I regularly had dreams that I could fly. It wasn't a Superman sort of flight, but a flight in which I would have to run down the sidewalk and leap into the air to catch a current that would pull me up so I could swim through the clouds. It was flying that required a lot of effort, but it was always worth it. I don't have those dreams anymore and I suppose I'm the worse off for it.
However, some places that I visit make me feel like I can fly: Niagara Falls, the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, the mountains at Carrizo Plain and, now, the promenade at the Korean Friendship Bell. Even if you are in the foulest of moods, you can't help but feel as light as a feather when you are here. This is a popular kite flying area and as I see those large spots of color overhead attached to the almost endless strings, I get tempted to run down the long stretch of pavement that leads to the Bell and leap into the air to see if I can really fly.
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When I get the opportunity to come here, I always leave feeling so grateful that I live in southern California! It is the view I dreamed of all those days, bored of the Texas snow (yes it snows in Texas!), longing for something more meaningful in my life other than underage sex, drinking,and making babies...
Looking out at the ocean from here makes me feel very at ease with the world. Definitely a great place to meditate, or just sit and be.
The only part I do not like is that they close the park at like 6?? Not cool when you are about to reach nirvana...or when you are wanting to watch a sunset in the summer.
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This is my favorite park in the world. On a clear day, you can look out onto the glossy Pacific ocean, past the kites and the folks flying radio-controlled planes, past the tiny white triangles of faraway sailboats, to the double-hump of Catalina Island. Windy, sunny, fresh. Bring sunglasses and a sweatshirt, and a basketball if you feel so inclined.
I have so many good memories of this place. The last time we were here, the groundskeeper had released a crazy swarm of ladybugs and they were everywhere, munching away on aphids. We lay on the grass and had ladybugs everywhere.
I'm a teacher, and I brought an eighth-grade class here after visiting the nearby marine mammal rescue center. They flew kites and played basketball and actually looked like they had a good time (!).
A friend of mine and I took a nap here one afternoon and as she is the deepest sleeper I have ever known, I watched her snore away as (1) a wedding took place at the bell with microphones and music and everyting (2) a Korean tour bus stopped by and swarms of tourists came out, chattering and taking pictures and (3) a Civil-War reenactment took place on the hill to the north of the park, with cannons and guns and everything. Christy slept through it all. Hilarious.
But I digress. Just wait for a sunny day and come up to the park with your friends and your family. Even the little ones will enjoy it, since there is a wee playground for wee people.
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Angel Park has one of the most breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean I've ever seen. The bell is intricate and beautiful. You get a calming vibe while you're there. Its definetly a place you'd come to feel peace and/or show an out of town guest.
The bell was presented by the Republic of Korea to the American people to celebrate the bicentennial of the United States, to honor American veterans of the Korean War, and to symbolize friendship between the two nations in 1976.
The bell was featured in the movies "Usual Suspects" & "Ace Ventura". I absolutely love San Pedro.
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The Friendship Bell in San Pedro...
Is a treasure to visit in San Pedro. The Friendship Bell sits on a hill top and park that over looks the ocean. With the green grass in the foreground and the blue ocean in the distance, the park offers a breathtaking view that inspires, relaxes and invites you to sit and enjoy the tranquility of the grounds. You can't help but to admire the symbolism and majesty of the bell. It's a very special shrine and place. I always think, this is such a wonderful spot to have a wedding or even a picnic.
I once witnessed the coolest wedding here. Four motorcyclist pulled in with a pastor, the motorcycle party had an impromptu wedding on the fly, where the bride wore a white suit and the groom wore a black leather jacket with helmet, the couple kissed and road off as husband and wife. How cool is that?
The friendship bell was also the scene for the movie "Usual Suspects" with Kevin Spacey and Gabriel Brynes. I personally think the bell was the star of that flix. The Friendship Bell and it's grounds is a magnificent place to visit. It's also a great park to fly a kite.
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This place is magical. I got goosebumps being here. I carefully read all the signs and was on my way to see the bell when I was told by security that they were closing. *sigh*
But before I left, I was able to take a few pictures of this beautiful scenery. The view below was just breathtaking. I could stay here forever...if it weren't for the security guard kicking me out.
San Pedro isn't just sailors and gangstas! Haha.. well I love Sandy Pedro! the bell is one of the prettiest places around the Long Beach / South Bay area. Old WWII bunker and anti aircraft tracks, Seals, kites, basketball, and wind! make this spot very unique! Its near sunken city also!
Its a large, beautiful ornate bell sitting on top of a picturesque hillside overlooking the Point Fermin and the Pacific Ocean. The Korean Friendship Bell is a great reward for making the trek all the way to San Pedro and best of all its free to the public. What more could you ask for?
The drive to San Pedro can be a bit intimidating, but this place is really easy to get to. Go all the way down tot he end of the 110 freeway. Exit on Gaffey Street. Keep on driving down Gaffey and you'll eventually reach Angels Gate Park and the Korean Bell will be to your right side. You can't miss it.
The bell was given to the USA as a gift from South Korea in 1976. The bell is rung 5 times a year: New Year's Eve, Children's day, Independence Day, Korean Independence Day and Constitution Day Celebration. Because the park is located on Fort Mac Arthur with portions now run by the City of LA, every 4th of July they will line up several combat vehicles including tanks near the bell. You'll also notice a couple of cement circles. those used to be the places they would mount giant guns that would shoot giant sized bullets a deterrent against possible Japanese fleet invasion back in WWII. Amusingly enough, at least one of the circles is now being used for a picnic area.
The area around the Korean bell is probably the best place to fly a kite in all of LA County. This area is very windy and it was nice seeing families fly large and colorful kites - a rarity in this day and age.
The bell is composed of several metals including gold and copper. My bf and I chuckled that some drug dealers would probably try to target the bell to resell as scrap metal to feed their habits. Its a good thing the bell weighs several tons to deter such thieves. My only complaint with the bell was the pigeon droppings. They need to place those metal spikes that deter birds from roosting on the structure because all that doodoo mars the beauty of the bell and structure. It also makes it a bit unsanitary.
Nearby is a mini museum dedicated to Korean culture. It won't take more than 20 minutes to examine the museum. I wouldn't call it a must see on your to do list, but hey its free to enter. If you want to experience a sunset while visiting the place, then I highly recommend to visit during the winter when the days are short. That's because the park closes its gates at 5 PM.
The landscaping around the immediate area of the bell is well maintained with flowering plants appropriate for the windswept area. When we visited over the summer, there were two rows of bright, cheery marigolds that lined the main pathway to the bell. The entire area isn't fully landscaped though. There's still a section on the west side of the park that's still brown and weedy. They need to spruce it up with drought tolerant plants.
Overall, its a really nice place to visit, especially if you add other local sites to your itinerary like Point Fermin Lighthouse. Sometimes the best places to visit in LA are free, and the Korean Friendship Bell live sup to that billing.
Parking is free and plentiful.
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What a beautiful sight of the infamous bell and the the Pacific Ocean. A gorgeous day in San Pedro led me here along with a visit to my good friend.
The Korean Friendship bell is located on a big hill and there is plenty of parking for visitors. The walk to the bell is lined with flowers along the walk way making it even better than it is. The bell itself is huge and adorned with art and Korean writing.
The view of the ocean and the parks below are amazing. I was so ready to start my day and enjoy it to the fullest. There are benches scattered around and it seems like a perfect lunch spot. If you're in the area you must visit. It's so rad.
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I have a lot of good memories visiting the Friendship Bell. My family used to visit San Pedro on Sundays and this would be one of the stops.
There's some crazy wind there, so it's good for kite flying. They have a playground for the kiddies. And if you walk around past the bell... there's an area that has remnants of cannon tracts that were used during WW2 (Back then the Friendship Bell hill was used as a lookout for incoming warships).
There's a naval museum near there and you can go inside the fort and use the communication tubes to yell at someone passing by at the other end of the fort.
They also have a basketball court here and a youth hostel next door. I think they still hold native american pow-wows at a rec center nearby.
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We were driving around San Pedro and I saw this thing in the distance which looked like the roof of a pagoda. It looked Asian and I wanted to stop there to have a look, not knowing that it was the Korean Friendship Bell -- not that I knew what the Friendship Bell even was.
It was super windy out there, but I loved it because the weather reminded of Bay Area weather.... crisp, windy but sunny. We parked our car and walked into the Information Center where a bunch of cultural writings were on the walls and some cultural artifacts were on display. It was very interesting seeing dated items to something as new as Pucca.
We then walked out towards the bell. It was quite exciting to see how large that thing actually is. The view was spectacular and you could see the marina clearly. People were taking photos and just strolling around enjoying the views.
Another great place to visit and it doesn't cost you a dime!
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It's 11:30 on a Sunday afternoon, do you know where your kite is?
If it's not flying above the Korean friendship bell then you're doing something wrong. This grassy hill doesn't over see any book deposit so it certainly will not be providing any sort of evil. In fact, the level of friendship found here has to be off the scale.
I don't think I've ever been here on any day other than Sunday. But I guess a Saturday may as well be just as good. On a clear day and even on those not so clear days you can see all Catalina Island off in the distance and it's really something of a magical view.
Another feature of the Korean Bell is that it's around a really nice grass field to just lounge around.One of my favorite trips had me and my Korean Bell companion playing a game of scrabble next to some metal door. A little back story to this is that the Korean Bell is located on top of what was once a look out bunker during the war. The doors are bolted down pretty well, but if you are the urban explorer type, there is a way to get into that area. You'll just have to be crafty..
Before coming to the Korean Friendship Bell, you should stop by the parking spots about a half block above it to get a great view of the San Pedro/Long Beach bridge and seeing the port of Long Beach shipping yard bring in all those lead based toys from China is sure a sight to see.
Little known fact that San Pedro contains the most concentrate of Italian Americans in Los Angeles. So it may not be little Italy, but it's the closets you will get to it. So while you're being all friendly with the Korean Bell, you can stop by and get yourself a cannoli.
Oh yeah, back to the original point. There's a lot of kites flown here. Watch out you don't walk into someone's string and accidentally hang yourself with a gust of wind. Ghost Busters rules apply... So do not cross the streams.
Enjoy the view and you might as well go visit the sunken city while you're in the area.
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I just discovered this place and it is awesome. I came here on a clear day and the view was amazing. Not very crowded, free parking, and just a nice breezy place to relax and enjoy the views of Catalina. Probably too windy to be able to read a book or do work, but they do have a couple of picnic tables down the hill from the bell.
The place is easy to find, but they don't really have any huge signs pointing to the driveway entrance. Just look for the entrance on your right side (assuming you are coming from the 110 freeway) just past the crest of the hill.
I just want to know whats up with the two wooden caricatures they have to the left of the main walkway. Anyone know what's up with that?
Hilltop park in long beach is nice and all, but this is the kind of view i'd been seeking ever since moving here. for those who live in long beach, and are tired of looking at our sad beaches, the friendship bell is a nice little escape. i think it only took us 30 min to get there.
I have to admit, the winds were fierce... but not strong enough to blow our sandwiches away. according to a fellow park-goer, one can purchase "nice kites" at the 99 cents store down the street. cool, thanks man.
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I love the friendship bell. Plus, you can go to the Marine Wildlife Rehab, the bunkers, and the bird rehab while you're there.
The view is amazing. I used to fly kites here when I was a kid.
I remember being bored when I was growing up in Pedro. But, I miss it soooooooooooooooooooooo much now. San Diego is cool, but Pedro is my home.
it' beautiful here. The only downside was when a swarm of bikers trashed the park below and the K.B. was closed for clean up. Other than that it's downright beautiful and I think it's gives San Pedro some culture... or something. It's practically the only other Asian presence in the city, aside from myself.
I always bring visiting friends here and they love it.
this is such a great spot.
I like the wind and the view is, of course, breathtaking.
the bell is impressive and the whole area makes me feel nice and serene.
it's a good escape from the day just to take a moment and be quiet and walk.
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For as long as I have been in southern California, for school, fun, family etc, I have never visited this spot.
Luckily, I stopped by for a quick visit before seeing my wonderful relatives in PV and it is pretty gorgeous.
Parking is free which is a big plus, if the lot is packed theres plenty of parking on the residential streets.
Not much to do but it's pretty stunning. Beautiful views. It also happens to be in that scene in the Usual Suspects. It can get pretty windy, like howling strong winds, make sure you secure your glasses and hat on tight. If you plan on having a picnic, make sure you to eat heavy foods.
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This is a very special place for me. This is where I proposed to my wife 7 years ago. We were sitting on the side of the hill facing the ocean at sunset when I popped the question. It was a perfect spot for that. The views are incredible from there. It gets a little breezy at times, so bring a sweatshirt or jacket with you.
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I remember going here when I was a kid, my grandma used to bring me here to fly kites. Man the memories, this place was even the site of a basketball commercial.
Get a Busy Bee sandwich and stop on by the Korean Bell, great VIEWS and if you got a sandwich on your way GREAT eats. - Cheers
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It is a big bronze bell in a pretty painted pagoda overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It was donated by Korea in honor of our bicentennial, so I think of it as "The Korean Statue of Liberty"
Not the most exciting place on Earth, but certainly a nice stop for a photo op on your SoCal Sightseeing Tour . . . if the bell doesn't impress you, the pagoda might, and if that doesn't float your boat, you might have a nice coastal view. There's also an IYHF hostel next door, which might make a nice place to stay. The surrounding lawns could make for a pleasant picnic.
The site is really exposed, so if the weather is windy, you might find the your visit extremely windy, as Linn and I did.
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So I try to work into conversation the words, 'Korean Friendship Bell' as much as possible. OK maybe just the week after I had first visited the bell... but it was super funny (probably only to me) at the time. I am sure my co-workers are happy I am over that stage.... until I go visit the bell again! HA
I randomly took a drive over to San Pedro, as I thought there MUST be somethin' over there on that hill?!?! Well, was kind of right and wrong. I thought I might stumble upon a neighborhood like Belmont Shore??? And find a new hang out spot / bar / restaurant that I cannot live without. Well, I did find this big *ss bell. And its Korean to boot! So of course you have to take pictures w/ the bell, me looking like I am holding the bell, and walk all around that darn bell.
It is a great view, and was actually a nice surprise to find all during a random Sunday drive that would have been boring w/o it.
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Whenever life gets a little too hectic, it's comforting to know that there is an amazing park with a huge ass bell that makes everything seem okay. Nothing makes me happier than sitting and journaling on the grassy hill slopes that overlook the entirety of the Port of Los Angeles and the crystal blue waters below. Like others have said, watch out for the wind--it's super intense!
If you need a romantic spot, a chance to reflect, or a quiet place just to get re-centered, the Korean Friendship Bell is THE spot.
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So freakin' windy!!!!! But what a gorgeous view!
You can almost get a 270 degree view of the Pacific ocean from here. Bring a sweater even if it's sunny. The coastal winds will bring goosebumps. If it's not too windy, kite flying is great too!
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its the place from Usual Suspects. i believe the basketball court is famous from some video game and commercials too.
i just want to mark this down as a place I've come to many times to show my out of town guests a great view of the ocean. (then take them along a drive of PCH).
lots of green grass to picnic or fly a kite on. on the downside, it can be a bit too gusty.
i find it somewhat interesting that this site used to be a fortress and had heavy artillery to guard the port of LA in time of war.
i stopped by one rainy day and no one was around. so i drove my car up and took a quick pic. :)
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word of advice for the young at heart:
never be esoteric when trying to break up with your current partner. case in point.
*phone rings*
partner #2: hello?
partner #1: you want to go to the korean friendship bell?
partner #2: sure! sounds like fun!
*2 weeks later*
*phone rings*
partner #1: hello?
partner #2: are you mad at me?
partner #1: what?
partner #2: you haven't called in two weeks!
partner #1: but you said you wanted to go to the friendship bell with me. i thought you knew.
nice walk and a beautifully crafted bell. excellent photo ops too for weddings, birthdays, and special occasions.
dismal tool for breaking up.
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This place is amazingly beautiful. The bell, the view of the ocean, the old military (I'm assuming) buildings that are now a hostel, the playground, and the old gun installations all add up to a restful, beautiful, stopping place.
We took in the view, walked around to check out the abandoned infrastructure, and take turns on the swings. A great photo opportunity, and a real gift to the community.
Thanks, Korea!
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You might recognize this giant bell from "The Usual Suspects". Once you're there, you'll also recognize how darn beautiful the view is.
The weather was gorgeous when we drove down there, and the views were great. As a bonus, there was a wedding taking pictures, and the bride was wearing the most heinous dress I've ever seen. Think Belle, from Disney's "Beauty and the Beast", and then imagine it on a real live person.
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Best place for a picnic with a view. Especially sweet at sunset.
I might go back to hear it rung on New Year's....
I bet that bell rings pretty damn loud.. too bad it's all roped off and that's not possible. I think the view up here is quite possibly the best in all of southern California. It's very windy so bring some protection.. like a jacket, geeeeez.
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South Korea + U.S. = BFFs! :)
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Its beautiful here, My aunt got married here... only thing is if you plan to get married at this location... just know that it is windy as hell out there. Beautiful view and surroundings... but super windy. all we had for the wedding march was this CD player, and it was on full blast. You couldn't here the music, and I was holding it up like John Cusack in Say anything...
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High on a cliff overlooking the ocean & the entrance to the Port of Los Angeles, known as Angels Gate, sits the huge Bell, under a pagoda-style belfry. The Korean Bell was given as a bicentennial gift from the South Korean Government in 1976. It is the same size as the largest extant bell in East Asia (such a huge bell has not been cast in Korea since the 8th century). The Bell is rung 4 times a year. The rumble can be heard and felt for five minutes over a wide area. Remarkable.
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what a friendly place! so many kids running around and people running with their kites with hysterical laughter makes me feel safe. i love how it's on a hill and it overlooks the ocean. it's a beautiful sight and you could definitely picnic here.
