Linda Rubin, columnist, on Thursdays
"When I finally aced my Final Cut Pro Apple certification exam after three straight trimesters of classes at North Hollywood Polytechnic Community Adult School, I declared if I never saw North Hollywood again it would be too soon. I’d been attending five schools at once for more than a year after my layoff from the TV newsroom and my commute to the Valley from the West side always occurred at rush hour. The trip took 90 minutes on a good day. Once it lasted for two and a half hours. I spent more time in the valley in 2010 than I had in the preceding 20 years combined.
Wouldn’t you know, I was out of school three weeks when emailed to ask me to work with him on Studio City Patch. Soon my bailiwick extended to North Hollywood and Sherman Oaks with the occasional foray into Sun Valley and Van Nuys. The commute never got any shorter and soon I was coming and going three or four times a week, always thankful that I’d traded in my broken down old Lexus for a not-as-old Prius that year.
As soon as I heard about the 405 closure I knew I’d be staying on my own side of the Santa Monica mountains for the weekend. Maybe I’ll finally complete my business expenses spreadsheet or take a dip in the condo pool. I can finally attend a performance this year of LA Theatre Works at the Skirball Center. Oh nooo. The theater is dark this weekend!"
We're asking local notables to help spread the word about alternative things to do when the from July 15-17, so read our . We’ll have locals offer tips about what they think you should do in this potential traffic snarl. Click on the green column link above to find more stories and advice.
