Walk This Way

Take an inspired journey through Studio City

When knee problems forced TV producer Paul Haddad to give up running, he discovered a love of walking.

“Around the same time, I got a pedometer. I began to obsess over getting in my 10,000 steps a day—not so much to get in shape, but to stay in shape.” And thus was born the idea for his new book, 10,000 Steps a Day in L.A.

Included in the book’s 52 walks is Paul’s favorite Valley walk: “Shades of Mayfield,” a loop of Studio City.

“I spent much of my youth along the Boulevard in Studio City and can chart decades of change. One thing I like about it now is that this section of the Valley is still clinging on to older landmarks while still managing to modernize—the best of both worlds,” says Paul.

“I also like this walk because it’s a loop (as opposed to an up-and-back) and it has shortcuts for walkers in case they don’t want to do the entire 10,000 steps. And it has a few ‘Easter egg’ type surprises for people who may not realize there are lesser-known aspects to Studio City like the walk of fame plaques outside CBS Radford … or the rattlesnake sculpture by the LA River.”

Paul’s “Shades of Mayfield” Walk

Park near the intersection of Coldwater Canyon Avenue and Moorpark Street, next to the Little Brown Church in the Valley.

1 Little Brown Church in
the Valley

Where Ronald Reagan married Nancy Davis in 1952. Doors are open 24/7.

2 Weddington Golf and Tennis

A six decade-old driving range and par 3 nine-hole. Swill a milkshake in the café.

3 CBS Studio Center

Built in 1928 by a silent movie producer, it is the inspiration for the name Studio City. Sidewalk plaques memorialize famous productions.

4 Du-Par’s Restaurant & Bakery

One of the few remaining places where you can still get an all-rhubarb pie.

5 “Prospector to Director”
Mural

Charts LA history in four different vignettes. One of dozens that painter Millard Sheets created in the mid-20th century.

6 Carney’s

A hot dog and hamburger joint housed in an old yellow Union Pacific passenger train.

7 The Sportsmen’s Lodge

It began as a trout-filled fishing hole in the 1880s, but during Hollywood’s Golden Age emerged as a celebrity sanctuary.

8 Valleyheart Greenway

Enjoy whimsical works by local artists at this park along the LA River. The riverbank has been landscaped with native plants and trees, restoring it to its pre-urbanization state.