Growing up in the heart of Los Angeles, I was exposed to the enticing charm and charisma of the LA culture that we Southern Californians have grown to love and respect throughout the past few decades. Although much of the city has faced recent years of unfortunate reconstruction and gentrification, the LA culture that we once admired continues to exist today. It must be noted that when I speak of the notorious culture of Los Angeles, I don’t speak of the social media influencer diaspora and over-glamorization of Hollywood–and its partner cities–that exist today.
Image via Discover Los Angeles
Most of my childhood revolved around the Downtown LA area. From taking Metro and Dash buses every day down to the center of the city to taking afternoon strolls down Alvarado street and enjoying the fresh fruit from the vendors along the street, these were just some of the few things I did as a local Angeleno. Los Angeles is the city where you’ll never run out of things to do and despite its many attractions, perhaps none will be as entertaining and alluring as attending a live Dodger game.
Image via Dodger Blue
The smell of the dodger dogs and peanuts in the air, the freshly made micheladas on a hot summer day, the screaming and dancing from fans trying to make it on the jumbo screen, the free souvenirs and firework shows after every Friday game; these are all just a few of the things that make Dodger games one of the most entertaining forms of LA fun. Dodger fans have a reputation for being passionate, so you might even find yourself engaging with the crowd, starting “the wave” and swaying/ singing alongside strangers to “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” during the seventh inning stretch. Baseball has always possessed a negative stigma of it being a boring and long sport, and although the games do tend to run for quite some time, the intensity and the energy of the game is completely dependent on the fans themselves. Needless to say, Dodger fans are one of the few franchise fans to create and sustain a magnitude of excitement and passion throughout all their games, therefore this stigma is nothing to worry about when you’re enjoying a game at the Chavez Ravine (Dodger) Stadium.