4th of July Barbecue in Los Angeles

June 26, 2007 12:09 PM

Good park for a 4th of July barbecue in Los Angeles?

I'm looking for a park with picnic tables, barbecues, and a nice amount of shade.

I live in the Westside, so I'd like something close to there. Hollywood area is okay too. I don't want to send people to the valley unless I have to.

Finally, if that's not enough, I'm looking for a place where the picnic tables are not grouped *super* close together, so that even if it's crowded (as I'm sure it will be), I won't be covered with people.

Any recommendations?

posted by kingjoeshmoe to sports, hobbies, & recreation (6 comments total)

On the Westside -- mmm, dunno.

If you were willing to head out Pasadena way, though -- there are pocket parks all along the Arroyo Seco (through which runs the Pasadena Freeway) that are very shady and nice -- and usually empty, despite the easy parking. At some, you can reserve a picnic area. Some have playgrounds, some lead into hikable semi-wilderness areas. Under the Colorado Street Bridge!
posted by Methylviolet at 12:57 PM on June 26, 2007

Thanks Methyl. The pictures look very nice. Do you know which ones have a picnic area? And how you'd go about reserving them?
posted by kingjoeshmoe at 1:00 PM on June 26, 2007

Little-known Pan Pacific Park is right across the street from the Grove and the Farmer's Market on Third Street in the mid-Wilshire area. I don't think you can reserve anything there, so just show up early, but lots and lots of families with kids and grills and pick-up soccer games and illegal fireworks have a grand old time there every year. You may want to bring a blanket to sit on, though, because there aren't that many picnic tables, but there is plenty of shade.

(And you can use the nice bathrooms in the Grove, not the park's scuzzy ones, if you need to.)
posted by Asparagirl at 1:51 PM on June 26, 2007

This one does, and if you call them they could probably give you more info.
posted by Methylviolet at 1:56 PM on June 26, 2007

I like Clover Park in Santa Monica. It doesn't get a lot of use, and the BBQs are spread out nicely.

More info is here.

Cheviot Hills Park near Century City might be worth a look.

Roxbury Park in Beverly Hills and Fox Hills in Culver City could work as well. Culver city has a lot of nice parks and I think you can get permits/reservations for a lot of them.
posted by Mozzie at 3:54 PM on June 26, 2007

Lake Balboa near the 101 - 405 interchange is great. Plenty of space between tables, but it's also usually crowded.
posted by pmbuko at 6:02 PM on June 26, 2007