March 31--Hikers, joggers, people watchers, dog walkers -- take note: One of L.A.'s most-loved spots for all of the above is closing on Friday.
Runyon Canyon Park, especially popular because dogs are allowed to roam off leash, will be off limits to all until August while the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power replaces about a mile of aging, 6-inch pipe that snakes below the surface of its trails.
The DWP says the pipe replacement will improve the area's fire protection and water quality and reduce the risk of future pipe breaks.
But while many Runyon Canyon regulars said Thursday they understand the need for repairs, they bemoaned the length of the closure -- and the fact that all the trails will be closed, even those where there will be no construction.
"I mean it's unfortunate that they can't keep half the park open," said William Moore, 36, who works in real estate and came out for a last hike with his rescue dog, Bella.
Moore was one of many who came to the park Thursday. The trails were busy well into the morning -- full of actors and models and writers and others not bound by 9-to-5 schedules. Many took time to gaze at the views of the Hollywood sign and the downtown skyline. Some took selfies in front of the signs announcing the park closure.
"I'm very, very upset," said Lady Victoria Hervey, a British aristocrat, socialite and writer who climbed a trail in denim shorts studded with leather, a leather jacket wrapped around her waist. By her side was D'Artagnan, a Norfolk terrier she described as "a big star in England."
Hervey, 36, said she and D'Artagnan usually come to Runyon Canyon five days a week. Luckily, she said, she planned to be in Monaco for much of the closure.
"I mean, I noticed in the summer that there were always leaks," Hervey said. "There was a water shortage in L.A., but there was this river running down Runyon."
"It's just so peaceful," Hervey said of the park. "It's just kind of like my sanity.
Follow Nita Lelyveld on Twitter and Facebook.
nita.lelyveld@latimes.com
