Being at the Hollywood Bowl to see a show is a magical experience. Get there? Not so much, thanks to streets that become so congested with traffic that it sometimes seems like each of the 17,000 people packing the historic site to capacity is behind the wheel of their own car inching down Highland Avenue.
Years ago, in an effort to make sure we got to the Bowl on time (reliably, every time) with a minimal amount of stress, my wife and I abandoned the idea of driving ourselves and parking on site (a logistical nightmare) or take one of the several shuttle buses from afar (an extra step that some swear by but requires the patience of a saint), instead of taking a rideshare, build in an extra hour, and wear comfortable shoes.
Once the traffic inching along Highland Boulevard toward the Bowl slowed from slow to almost a complete stop, which always happened with at least a quarter mile to go, we would disembark and make our way the rest of the way. foot. On the way back, we would try to avoid the congestion and demand by walking to Hollywood Boulevard before asking for a ride home. Neither of us particularly enjoyed adding a mile-long walk to the end of the night, but the trade-off was avoiding the worst of the inevitable carpool chaos.
However, the last time we went things were different. Instead of heading up Highland and straight into the inevitable sea of Bowl-bound traffic, our driver took a circuitous route through the hills, exited onto Cahuenga Boulevard, and headed south. Sensing what seemed like an epic mistake that would lead us straight into the jaws of vehicular misadventure, we exchanged nervous glances in the back seat and checked our watches. Then he did something totally unexpected. Instead of continuing straight south toward the Bowl, he crossed the Hollywood Freeway (via the Pilgrimage Bridge), so He headed south and took the graceful right turn arch onto Odin Street. A few minutes later, we found ourselves on a triangular piece of land on the other side of Highland from the Bowl entrance, which we could easily access via a pedestrian underpass.
After the show (James Taylor is still killing it in concert, by the way), instead of walking a mile up Highland to hail a car, we simply retraced our steps through the pedestrian tunnel to the magic triangle where Ubers floated recently acclaimed, Lyfts and the occasional Alto arrived, also on Odin Street, and were placed in numbered lines to make it easier to locate the driver once they arrive. In about 15 minutes (the speed of light in Bowl terms), we were on board, waved into a southbound lane of Highland, and headed for home. It was a game-changing rideshare experience that cut our transit time by a good two hours and a 1.25 mile walk.
That triangular space used to be the Bowl's Lot C, and its conversion into a streamlined ride-sharing center was quietly announced on the venue's website in mid-March, along with plans to dedicate part of Lot B (the adjacent stacked lot to the Hollywood Bowl) to public transportation. According to a representative from the LA Phil, which manages the Bowl, the venue averages about 1,000 rideshare cars per night.
The new ride-sharing setup, which went into effect when the season began on April 11 (with the “Keep the Party Going” Jimmy Buffett tribute concert), resulted in 350 of the 1,700 available parking spaces being cut at the place.
The new Hollywood Bowl rideshare center Lot C is bounded by Highland Avenue, Highway 101 and Odin Street.
(Courtesy of LA Phil)
While that was certainly bad news for anyone trying to snag one of those remaining 1,350 spots, I can tell you from firsthand experience that for the rideshare crowd, it's game-changing good news.
He Hollywood Bowl Rideshare Center Lot C is located at 6655 Odin St. Information about additional transportation options, including shuttle buses and on–site parking, can be found at hollywoodbowl.com.
