On Friday, with the sun already peeking through my window, I decided to go to Koreatown to get some good Kimchi, check out the sights, take some pictures, and do a little shopping.

There is certainly no shortage of good food, interesting people, architecture, appealing shopping malls, and scenes to enjoy and to take note of in Los Angeles, so I hopped on the Metro Rapid 728 which goes straight down Olympic Boulevard through the heart of Koreatown.

What is Metro Rapid?

Instead of me telling you, I’ll let the officials over at Metro explain:

Key Metro Rapid Attributes

• Simple route layout: Makes it easy to find, use and remember
• Frequent service: Buses arrive as often as every 3-10 minutes during peak commuting times
• Fewer stops: Stops spaced about a ¾ mile apart, like rail lines, at most major transfer points
• Level boarding/alighting: Low-floor buses speed-up dwell times
• Bus priority at traffic signals: New technology reduces traffic delay at intersections by extending the green light or shortening the red light.
• Color-coded buses and stops: Metro Rapid’s distinctive red color scheme makes it easy to identify Metro Rapid stops and buses
• Enhanced stations: Metro Rapid stations provide information, lighting, canopies and “Next Bus” displays
• Headway-based schedules rather than time-point-based schedules

Now, that you have a great understanding of Los Angeles’ Metro Rapid system, here’s my visit of Koreatown via the Metro 728 by way of Olympic Boulevard.

Here I stopped to shoot a picture looking East toward Downtown. As you can see, Koreatown is an combination of commerce, culture, cuisine, and cars.

Home to a population of 340,000 and covering just under a 5-square-mile radius, Koreatown has the highest population density of all neighborhoods in Los Angeles. According to Forbes, Koreatown is ranked the 2^nd Most Fuel-Efficient Neighborhood for 2008 and is considered one of the top walkable neighborhoods in the nation.

Even though Korean Americans are the largest ethnic group populating Koreatown, a large Hispanic population is also represented, with many of the Korean businesses hiring its Hispanic residents. This multiculturalism has caused a growth in Koreans who speak Spanish, and an increase in Hispanics who have learned Korean.

Before I headed home, I had to stop and have some amazing and delicious Korean food. This teaser picture is a precursor to an upcoming post about a fabulous local eatery I encountered there. So, hurry and subscribe to Travelin’ Local’s RSS feed to keep up-to-date to the latest Los Angeles and Southern California cool and unique happenings.

While Travelin’ Local here in Los Angeles, just hopping on the Metro, can take you, literally into another world.

And that’s what life’s all about.