Skip to Content
Urban Wilderness

Smiley’s Lookout ~ Westchester

6:46 AM PDT on October 19, 2006

Arizona Circle ~ Westchester

Hiking up this hill with my two wheeling iron horse, I paused to ponder a scenic barbed wire gate- the kind of gate that seems to say, "Why climb over my barbed wire, when you can climb around it!" Alas, the gate was unlocked and no "Beware of Chucky" or restricted access signs to note. Where did the path on the other side lead? Nowhere- but to a most beautiful green nowhere.

Closing the gate behind me, I wondered if this terrace irrigation trail could lead me around the entire Westchester bluffs overlooking the swath of devastation wrecked by "Playa Vista project" developers on the Ballona Wetlands. The ride was puntuated by mounds of rubble where the irrigation channels dropped down hill. The path dead ends, practically, on someone's front lawn overlooking the steep hillside. A brief, yet spectacular excursion. Lush greenery, perfect lookout spot, and diverse flora evidently tended by the residents. Markings dating from 1991 and earlier indicate this is Smiley's spot.

Westchester ~ CA

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More Stories

The East L.A. Artist Behind ‘Homeboy Beautiful’ Magazine Has Championed Queer Chicano Liberation Since the 70s

You can catch artist Joey Terrill's pioneering work at a handful of active and upcoming exhibitions around L.A.

August 19, 2026

You See His Murals Across L.A. and at Your Favorite Restaurants. Now Meet the Painter

From Warsaw to the Inland Empire and now to Los Angeles, the artist’s fingerprints are figuratively and literally all over some of Downtown's most storied buildings. But the craziest part is that even "taggers don't hate on it," Mikołaj Wyszynski says.

August 18, 2026

The Ten Most Shocking Movie Scenes Ever Shot in L.A., Ranked

Spoilers ahead! From Malibu to Boyle Heights, from the Valley to San Pedro, here's our guide to the locations from ten shocking movie scenes filmed in L.A.

August 18, 2026

Sunday Taquitos #31: “For Sale: Basketball Team, Never Won” (Plus Bonus Taquitos!)

Sunday Taquitos! Art by Pulitzer Prize Finalist Ivan Ehlers.

August 16, 2026

Update: Adelanto Detainees Sign Letter Demanding Authorities Investigate Processing Center’s Water Quality Issues

Detainees at Adelanto claim that staff have provided them with water from an unknown source that is routinely contaminated, despite a federal judge’s orders to provide detainees with clean, potable water. A video L.A. TACO received backs this up.

This Case Has the Power to Stop L.A.’s ICE Raids. Here’s What Happened This Week

Everybody should be following the Noem v. Vasquez Perdomo case like it was the O.J. Simpson trial and ICE was the runaway white Bronco.

August 14, 2026