One of the great surprises of Los Angeles is that there are several local places to escape and find a bit of nature. I really dig the hiking trails in Elysian Park, where you can enjoy tremendous views of the bustling city below, including Dodger Stadium, while only hearing the sound of your own footsteps and the rustling of bushes as lizards and small mammals go about their daily routines. Below the trails, there's also a traditional green-grass park setting, where you'll find everything from children's birthday party's with pony's, mariachi bands, over-exuberant uncles, and shit-tons of unleashed dogs, to man-whore's cruising for sex, cracked-out hobos, and gangsters of every flag. Griffith Park is obviously world-renowned for its observatory, but it's also home to the abandoned site of the old L.A. Zoo! It's not necessarily undiscovered country, as there are picnic tables and typically a healthy dose of fresh graffiti scrawled over the man-made enclosures, but it is a mildly creepy spot, with a bit of signage explaining its roots. Pack a lunch and climb through the old animal exhibits -- just watch out for puddles of human feces, and the more than occasional Urban Outfitters catalog photo shoot.

The Hollywood reservoir is hidden in between the Hollywood hills- it’s never busy and the 3 mile loop is always peaceful and great for self reflection meditation. 

I grew up a few blocks from the "New Bev", the oldest revival house in Los Angeles. I was there every week in High School and watched everything from Deep End to Wings of Desire. It's no wonder I departed from mainstream cinema, early on. One night towards the end of High School, I went to see a film and wound up talking to this loud and wacky man who told me he had a film coming out called "Reservoir Dogs". Now he now is part owner. These days I go to the New Beverly for their Midnight movies and even had the chance to screen my own film there which was one of the greatest feelings in the world.

For books.

Riverside Cliff is a place discovered last week. Its basically a huge mountain where people go dirt bike riding and hike, but I love going there to shoot. Its breathtaking when the sunset starts to hit.