Having lived in the foothills of the Hollywood Hills back in the mid-80’s… the Hollywood sign was a Friday night destination on more than a few occasions… used to drink beer and listen to music up there in some of the very locations referenced in the following story, along Mulholland, Griffith Park over on Mount Hollywood… but it was in a simpler time before GPS was even a blip on anyone’s radar… apparently now, satellite technology for the masses has provided everyone and their brother a means to navigate the route up the complicated hillside to the premier vistas and is causing big problems… huge problems for local residents…
It can take me 40 minutes to get out of my driveway. What if I had an emergency with my child?” sputtered a local production designer who bought his house 12 years ago. It’s like being in Times Square.
In this article for MSNBC by Christina Hoag, illumination of the current problem in the Hollywood Hills is provided along with some interesting facts and history on the Hollywood sign itself… Glad to say I was actually able to hike up to the sign and touch it back during my time there, before the man with the megaphone…
The sign, which has appeared in countless TV shows and movies, draws sightseers from Iowa to Iceland. Many are disappointed they cannot walk to the letters, which are protected from vandals and the curious with a 24-hour surveillance camera and fence. If they try to climb the hill, a guard yells at them through a megaphone, another annoyance for local residents, along with low-flying helicopter tours and microphone-narrating tour guides.
If you’re in the mood to explore… here’s the Google Map keyed in to the location. Happy trails…
