MacArthur Park

I like the outdoors. Mac Arthur park is a beautiful spot outside of the reality of Los Angeles. The homeless population is increasingly using phentenol and exacerbating an already toxic living environment. Mac Arthur Park is still a beautiful place to visit, with family, and alone.

Full of homeless everywhere! If that park was named after me I would be ashamed! California residents should be ashamed of themselves for allowing this

most amazing experience it's a must see. come explore see the sights I guarantee you will definitely not be disappointed it's the greatest thing in all of Los Angeles load up the kids bring them on down there are plenty of syringes and crack pipes laying around to entertain them for hours. bring minimal money with you because the imminent robbery you'll experience need not wipe you out but to lose a few bucks to experience a real life mugging it's not to be missed.

Wow free lunch for kids from 11am to 1130am. Park doing good. Looks a bit dirty, maybe it has to do with the homeless. Park looks amazing if they just can keep up with cleaning up. Maybe a wash every 2 weeks. The Park looks have gates for no reason. It looks like it need a face lift. Some part of the parks looks like they are out dated and no need of them. LEAN.

The playground is nice and very unique. The games they have are different than ur traditional just swings and junglegym. The bathrooms are not clean at all. If you can use it elsewhere, i would do so. I take my dog there at night times and let her off her leash and she has a blast running around.

It's a very interesting place to visit... We were sitting at the traffic light at the street that splits the park & this dude comes to the curb kinda panicked asking me to call an ambulance bcuz his friend had just been stabbed!?! I looked over & sure enough his buddy is laying over on the concrete bench holding his neck & bleeding not more than 20ft from us!?? So I called 911 & they got there pretty quickly & took care him & there was a very unexpected event of the day.

It could be a nice park but is so dirty and not well taken care off. It needs renovation and maintenance to keep the green areas and the public places clean, now is full of people and trash.

Half of the park is "under renovation", which seems to be it's status for over 1 year now, at the time of this posting. In the daylight it's a very pretty and unique public park and at night they've lit it up so it's not as doom filled as it's reputation once had it, it seems to be more community-oriented and the soccer field is active as ever. Great space for killing time and soon it will be a great space to actually plan an outing at.

MacArthur Park is a historic park in Westlake with a rich history. The city is currently renovating it, so please pardon the dust. This grassy park is the size of several city blocks and has numerous old trees with lots of shade. The lake is full of ducks and geese, and many families can be seen hosting birthday parties on the west side of the park. There is also an amphitheater, public restrooms, a children's play area, workout equipment, and multiple taco trucks parked near by. The Red Line's Westlake station is right across the street near the street vendors. Inside the station, visitors can see tile murals by Sonia Romero which depict classic scenes from the area. One of the murals is dedicated to the chess players who famously frequented the park back before the chess tables were removed by the city. The local residents have been putting forth a lion's effort to revitalize this park. Do them justice by visiting and supporting this park and taking part in creating the vibrancy and life that it dearly deserves.

very horrible place lots of homeless and smells really bad needles on the floor here they had said they would clean it up because of course it's a tourist attraction but heel to the no!!!' its really sad have a nice play area for children but who would want their children playing with so much danger around so sad city of los angeles is becoming a very sad place to tell people to come and visit

This park has potential to be nice and an actual functioning family park. Unfortunately there are so many homeless people that flood the park. There is plenty of grassy areas that could host some activities for kids or some picnics but every few feet you find a person laying on the ground passed out either high or drunk. There are alot of street vendors around here and thats one of the only reasons i even come here when im craving some fresh cut fruit or an elote. But if it wasnt for that i really wouldnt come here.

Famous park in the Westlake neighborhood named after a famous general. It used to be a very nice one. MacArthur Park still can be a good place to sit and relax at times. A lot of garbage and other stuff is piled up on and around it. The pond and the athletic facilities are the best things for the most part. A pretty big park located in a not great area. It's named after General Douglas MacArthur, after first being named Westlake Park. This is bisected by Wilshire Boulevard, and located close to a Metro station. Makes it convenient to get to without a car. The south side of the park has a lake. Apparently this is the nicer side of it. On the north side are athletic facilities like basketball courts and things. It used to be much cleaner. This seems to be a homeless hangout. Lots of people are sleeping on benches. There's also lots of trash all over. Good place to walk and play hoops. It's not as nice as it used to be but it's still mostly okay. This may get pretty scary when it gets dark though.

Famous Park in all of part of Downtown Los Angeles in the Westlake District area. I used to come down here with friends and coworkers back in the days when I worked in Downtown Los Angeles. Wed have lunch here sometimes for about a half an hour to 45 minutes talking about politics. Nice place to bring family and pets too. Locals jog and workout here with their pets. The neighborhood is becoming a little safer now in the the 10 years. Crime has dropped somewhat with violent crimes. They have cleaned up the park in trying to keep the homeless away from bothering tourist and local people. Lake is beautiful and nice to enjoy at daytime and night time. So its still a good park to go to, just be aware of your surroundings.

It's beautiful park walking around just the only thing that's bad is that there's a lot of birds and duck that drop a lot of poop

One of my favorite parks to fly my drone within the city limits. Everyone is friendly and welcoming to drones. There isn't a lot of people out there doing it, which is a plus. Be careful not to fly into the ducks. If you crash land into to water bye-bye drone as seen in this video . The Park is pretty dirty and lots of homeless people. The lake is nasty as well - don't bring a swimsuit. However, is it's an iconic Los Angeles park created in the 1880s and renamed after General Douglas MacArthur in 1940. For that reason, I give it a 5Stars rating. Enjoy Piece Love Be A Proud American

It's sad to me that this once pretty park is now a place for homeless people to set up camp. Not that they're allowed to, but they just do it. Don't even get me started on how the people in power need to clean up this city and build or create more shelters for homeless people. It's really disgusting that more isn't being done about this. Anyway, this park is across the street from Langer's Deli, which was my reason for being in this part of town. Can't go to Langer's without seeing MacArthur Park, but it wasn't my park of choice to eat our sandwiches at..... it's just a crappy part of town to me, so.... no thanks. Maybe there's hope for it in the future... but not now. I'm guessing it's not really safe there, either. It honestly wasn't crowded AT ALL. So sad.

"MacArthur Park is melting in the dark All the sweet, green icing flowing down Someone left the cake out in the rain I don't think that I can take it Cause it took so long to bake it And I'll never have that recipe again" Okay, so now that we have that out of the way, let's get to the good stuff. Yes, while there are some sketchy parts (what park in LA doesn't have those?), there are some fantastic bits as well! There's a nice lake in the middle of LA that you can rest and reflect upon. There's Langer's right across the way! You can have some great pupusas nearby! You can also grab some great Salvadorean and Korean food within steps of your location. All in all, not a bad place to be! I love LA!

Surrounded by a deteriorating city, filled with an increasing homeless population, this plot of land with a man-made lake is depressing and sad. The park smells of urine everywhere. The cement walkways and the lake are covered in bird feces and trash. The grassy knolls are littered with trash and crazy people. The lake is a cesspool. You can't see the bottom, it smells and there's tons of trash floating in it. I saw a red eared slider turtle sitting on a piece of garbage in the water and my heart sank. There is a bathroom on the property but there's no way I'd even go near it. And I believe a saw a playground of some sort across the street where the park continues. But my walk to the water was about all I could take of this place. I'm a native Angelino and I love my city. I'm not naive to the bad that surrounds us, and I try to see the good in all the parts of our city... But even here is going to take a lot of effort to clean up.

There is so much potential to this place. From a distance it looks really nice, almost like an oasis in the middle of the concrete jungle. As you get closer, you notice more of its flaws, such as the stench, birds pooping everywhere, and the living quarters of the homeless population. I thought it would be a good idea to grab some Langer's pastrami and enjoy my day at the park. It was a bad idea. I stepped on so much bird poop. I literally left after a quick minute. The only good thing is it's great for pictures if you can photoshop out the nasty parts. Besides that, the city needs to clean it up and beautify this location.

It's such a beautifully laid out park and neighborhood staple but it's a shame the city of LA has neglected AND practically abandoned its maintenance and it's overrun with homeless population on the perimeter...still was worth a quick stop with the kids.

It is really sad that MacArthur Park is such a dump, but it is. Stay away unless there is a music festival or something you just must see. It was a total mess 10 years ago and the City is trying to clean it up, but it is taking a long time, too long. It can be dangerous. I would never go there at night. It has a lake which has been cleaned. There are little boats that you can rent for the small lake. You can bring lunch and picnic under a tree. It all sounds so lovely. While you are there you can also get meth, coke, crack, fake IDs, stolen property, mugged, harassed by the locals that hang out there because they have no where else to go. There are people there that sadly belong in a care facility, but we have little here in Los Angeles, so you get a mix of the mentally ill and junkies. I have lived here all my life. Trust me. Stay away. I will let you know when it is safe. I have been there for a festival or two and when there is a lot of police presence it is okay, but then you are not too happy seeing the homeless picked on by the police. It is a very hard situation, but your visit will help nothing. Stepping on a dirty needle and getting a disease is not my idea of a fun vacation.

It was a nice clear day after a few days of rain, I thought the park would be clean after everything dried out. But I was wrong, a lot of bird droppings all over the place and homeless camped out in tents on the grass at the entrance. Metered parking on a side street was available.

Love spending time here it's been forever ever ever ago since I been here it's a work in progress but nevertheless, it's the hood park. It's a special place in my heart as to others there are a lot of ducks and geese and I believe I saw some gooses and swans. It's a hang out and a work out for those with endurance, you can hear the music with elder guys gents with the old boom box. Ducks quacking people chatting, jogging, walking alongside the lake with themselves or partners and kids. Recommend it will be back for sure with my fiance had a great time.

From a tourist's point of view... Hey - gimme a break! I'm from Hawaii where we have the Aloha Spirit! When I see something interesting, I'm gonna stop and take a picture! Even if it's not a "good part of town". I don't know where I am. Isn't this LALA land?? When I checked into MacArthur Park, my LA Yelp friends were like, "What are you doing there? Getting a fake ID?" I was all confused - because it sure looked like there was some kinda sale going on. So many people, milling around! My Yelp friends kept messaging, "Get out of that place!" Wow - I was feeling so much love! They really cared about me! But I was here because of the name - it's like that Donna Summer song that I like! "No", they said, "Get in your car and leave right now!" Okay, okay! I took a quick photo of the nice fountain and lake and went on my way... NOTE: I just read about the history of this park, named after General Douglas MacArthur. Its original name was Westlake Park in the 1880s. A former swamp and now an artificial lake, this park was renamed several times and survived gangs, murders, shootings, the May Day Melee in 2007. The lake was drained twice and at the bottom lay abandoned firearms. It more recently has undergone revitalization and was known for having the most reduced crime rate in the US in 2005.

I came here for the first time to see the Spheres of MacArthur Park art project: Portraits of Hope. KTLA news had shown an art project special on tv. So I made the drive out to MacArthur Park and it was worth it, so beautiful. The spheres are giant beach balls that have been painted by the children of CHLA, various LA schools and hospitals. You can support their cause at: http://www.portraitsofhope.org/projects/spheres/donation.php They need volunteers to help place and maintain the balloons through Sept 22, 2015. If you come at 11 AM they will be happy to put you to work, weighing down balloons and placing them in the water. The art director of the project chose MacArthur Park in order to help revitalize the neighborhood and bring attention to the poor condition of the area. When I went on a Monday evening there were several families out enjoying the park, sitting on the grass, watching the beautiful spheres float in the lake. The park itself is large and has a nice layout, but there were several homeless people and all of the parking spots around the park smelled strongly of urine. (It doesn't rain in LA) I can see how this park would not be very pleasant if it wasn't for the current art project.

I drive by here every day. Looks a lot worse when you actually walk by it. Pretty ghetto looking. A lot of people just sleeping on the park grass. The fountain is pretty cool. I liked the rusty art. I felt pretty sketch walking on the sidewalk, I really wanted to run so I could get out of here.

There is a lot of people From Central America here, homeless and street market vendors. I never expected the park to have so many Tents with homeless people. I am glad I decided to visit the park during the day because I assume it is a dodgy area at night. I was in this particular area for 2hrs. As I sat on a bench I saw a Spanish man and woman getting into a huge argument. The man then physically attacked her and threw punches at the lady. While about 5 or 6 people casually watched.. including me, and 5 minutes later they were just sat next to each other in awkward silence... I decided to leave macarthur park shortly after that incident but it made me realize it wasn't as peaceful and quiet as I expected it to be. I give it 3 stars for the ducks and the lake (even though the water needs to be cleaned) but I didnt like how dirty the area seemed to be.

This was the closest park we found to California Donuts so we stopped here to eat our doughnuts and hear some live music. I thought the place was pretty nice with the exception to trash here and there that needs to be picked up. The playground was wonderful for our kids to run around and enjoy and there was even a field for many different recreational sports. The parking spots are around the other side of the park so don't park on the street, just keep going until you see parking spots on the side of the park, across from a hotel. It was cute to see some youth group being active, ice cream man selling ice cream, balloon guy selling balloons and families enjoying themselves at the playground. Nice little stop!

Ducks, ducks, ducks, and more ducks. Ducks all day errrrday! This is a really nice park, but rather somewhat dirty. But to me I judge a park by the amount of DUCKS there are. This park surely has enough to deserve 4 stars. There are a lot of metered parking available and it is a nice park to just stroll around. PS. DO NOT FEED DUCKS BREAD OR CHIPS, IT IS NOT GOOD FOR THEM. DON'T DO IT!! FEED THEM FRUIT PLEASE!

I was at the park years ago for volunteer work held by LACloud9. Good charity groups of people. Perfect place chosen to help locals. The park needs maintenance though.

Aaaww MacArthur Park, you break my heart!! Giving you 3 stars when I wanted to give more. The homelessness, the denial, the lore and so much more. I go for a run in this park now and then. Everything you have heard about it is true. Much drugs, prostitution, gambling, arrests and CRAZY amounts of litter! And I must also mention the birds. They are everywhere!! This is not really a violent area. I have never feared for my safety or anything here. I have been to all kinds of neighborhoods in L.A. and am not easily disturbed though. The park itself is beautiful. The reservoir, although the water is disgusting as you might expect. I also like the way you walk down into the park. The floor of the park is much lower than the surrounding streets. They have a pretty cool soccer field here that gets a lot of use. Every now and then I will come here and it will be neat and litter free. Come back the next day and it is completely trashed. I know they are trying to gentrify the area. Not sure how that happens. Welcome to the jungle baby!

7:00 AM in the morning, the air is crisp and clean. The rain cleared the air from the night before. People walking and talking, running, and I see volunteers setting up the line to serve hot Thanksgiving Day brunch of turkey, stuffing, mash potatoes, green beans, rice, pasta, salad, cranberry sauce, etc. the line is getting longer and the crowd growing. What a great way to start Thanksgiving Day.

This park has a lot of potential and available parking. There are numerous grassy areas and sidewalk around the lake for walking. However, this park is very dirty. There is bird poop everywhere, trash, the lake smells like sewage throughout certain areas, and overall the park smells like urine. I was not impressed and will not be back.

I think it was my second time going to this park and this time around it was for a car show with some Korean Music type Festival going on. It was more towards the street area nearer to the side where there was a stage, playground, and a lot cleaner and safer than the other side where the lake is and the numerous amount of birds. Forgot what type they were, but the water was disgusting and there is a bunch of homeless and shady people around if you know what I mean when it comes to this park. It was pretty hot outside so we stayed underneath the shade of the trees when listening to three different singers. There was a lot of booths specifically related to cars as well as food booths and of course they had the one street lined up with people showing of their modified cats. Definitely like the park for events, but wouldn't go there for just a stroll in the park.

Covid, it seems, has not been kind to this venue. The eastern side is truly filled with homeless encampments. The rest of the park was crowded, dirty with litter, chaotic, and the southern edge was lined with patrol cars. There were more masks in the gutter than on peoples faces. I'm willing to agree to go again in a few weeks to see if that was a single bad day or if it's just the current status.

I wouldn't go here at night. Walked around the park for about 10 minutes and saw three piles of human feces. What I thought were puddles were an off yellow/orange so you put that together. Saw several people urinating on walls and the homeless were everywhere. What a sad area, the city really let down this community.

This review is primarily for the "Sphere's at MacArthur Park." I grew up in Koreatown not far away from this park. I visited it frequently as a kid playing anything from soccer to basketball. Over time, the park started to fall into the hands of gangs and drugs which left me looking for another place to play. I was visiting my mother the other day who still lives in Koreatown and passed by MacArthur Park. Huge brightly painted spheres floating in the lake caught both my eye and curiosity. Their presence in the water was so striking that it prompted me to take a closer look. I haven't stepped foot in this park since I was roughly 13. When I started to walk closer to the lake, flashbacks of a better time started to come to mind. There was a time when this park was safe and clean. Looking around today I noticed a lot of the things that pushed me away many years ago still exists. Cops on almost every corner looking for a drug deal or some other kind of illegal activity. The park is also flooded with the homeless, some of them mentally ill while others are just down on their luck. Many of the homeless located here happen to be children that belong to homeless mothers, too young to realize the realities of the world around them. In the middle of this grim picture is now a beautiful display of artistic expression called the "Sphere's of MacArthur Park," brought to us by artist Ed Massey. Massey hopes to bring back a positive spotlight on this park which once had a beautiful presence in the City of Angels. A total of 3,000 painted spheres will be placed in the lake all with the help of volunteers. This project is apart of Massey's nonprofit organization "Portraits of Hope" which creates public art displays that are seen as therapeutic by children coping with serious illnesses such as cancer or even head or burn trauma. Massey is quoted by the LA Times for saying "this is a chance for them to shine beyond their hospital walls." Having had a relationship with this park, Massey's art display and mission to bring people together of diverse backgrounds while helping children in need is truly moving to me. This park has had an ugly cloud over it for years, and now a rainbow of color has shined down into its lake. The display is up now and will run for 4 weeks. After the 4 weeks, the spheres will be donated to local schools, hospitals and social service organizations. Come out and see the beauty in the rough! Cheers!!

Nice park during the daytime but night time I would not recommend it the area is not great or safe. In any other area this would be a good park for the children sorry this is just not the area to bring the family especially night time.

Honestly, I don't know why anyone comes here. I recently came here since there were colorful vinyl balls released into MacArthur Park's lake which makes up for a great photo. However, the park is dirty, rundown, full of homeless people and smells like urine. Seriously, I just took a pic and bounced as fast as I could.

I can't fathom how it gets 3stars, It is one of the nasties parks I've ever seen. It stinks horribly in many areas, duck and geese shit all around the pon and all over the benches, trash everywhere, a lot of undesirables (I don't blame them, they also have a right to be there), all the installations are in disrepair. Sorry to say its a total shithole. .... But with HUGE potential that could be a crowning jewel. I walked through it at about 7:am and didn't feel safe, I would NEVER consider hanging out, picnicking or laying out to catch some rays. I should have taken pictures to support the finer points of my disdain...

Full of litter and strange people - once my little sister got screamed at by some strange lady for admiring a crowd of ducks. "What are you looking at? Get away from those ducks! Leave!". That said, there are far more strange men than strange ladies - the park is 90% filled with men over 40 standing or sitting still, eyes darting all over the place. And the lake is filthy. I don't even like running through here, it's depressing.

Guess it is legal to live here in a tent on the grass and on surrouding streets. Very scary even in the daytime. Filth everwhere, seems like the water is an open sewer. Unlicensed vendors everwhere selling food. Very SAD. Called the councilman's office and was fed a line about not enough money. No one cares. Talk talk talk and no action. Poster child for sanctuary city and homelessness.

I remember vividly as a youngster coming to this park with my family and see nothing but ducks. It would come to a point where we would bring bread to feed them. Boy how times have changed since but not the ducks that roam the park! MacArthur Park is located right in the heart of the Westlake area of Los Angeles. Not too far from this area lies Downtown Los Angeles. The sight of the buildings located in the DT can be seen right in this park. They do have a playground for the kids as well as a walking lane for those looking to take their jogs. Homeless are a common sight here, as well as those who are looking to sell you "citizenship papers and ID's!" The best sight of this park ha to be the lake which is always filled with ducks. Once in a while, they do have live performances, usually either cultural or live free outdoor shows. Due to the area, most people will try to avoid coming around this side of town, especially after sunset. I remember growing up only 2 miles from this site and how it really has not changed since. A gentrified neighborhood with an ever growing population of Central Americans, this place has flourished in such a beauty over time. Driving down some of the streets here, you will notice that the park and its beauty.

Its just so easy to hate on MacArthur Park isn't it?? a park in downtown La on both sides Wilshire blvd approaching Alvarado. Ill start off by saying that everything any and everybody has said about this park is true.I cant come on here and make this park comparable to any nice park in Pasadena.Its not that type of area. I'm here on the regular, not so much daily like i was but still fairly on a regular basis. I view this park differently than alot of people only because Ive actually spent time over their on the regular. No this isn't a review on my personal opinion of is this park the greatest in all of L.A.Most are well aware of the fact that Mp ranks probably last in the city as far as wonderful beautiful scenic parks.. This isn't a park to go to to meet lots of new friends..the ones you already have should be good enough even if they aren't worth a shit! Drugs are everywhere and so are the police.. stay out in the park long enough and you'll see it all.There wont be any need for TV cop show dramas after you spend afew days in this park! Selling of fake id's is the norm.,,Ive been asked and have contemplated changing my identity but out of fear decided not, besides i don't know anyone as fabulous as me even if I'm dull and boring! Prostitution cant count how many times Ive been propositioned to make some money thorough having sex with someone..you have a lot of lonely Paisas that have nothing better to do with their time then have sex and pay top dollar for it ladies!! That's is just a sample of the bad, theres a whole lot more but who has time to write such damning harmful words.I could save this for one of the talk thread! The positives.. NICE PLACE TO RELAX.. despite the fact that its a haven for drugs and loose morals ,Mp has always been kind to me as far as me wanting to get away from others.You might need to cuss people out to get them to leave you alone but after a while they'll start to understand what's up! The street vendors..ive seen the same people out there for years since Ive been living on and off in Los Angeles.Im pretty sure they don't have papers but that's besides the point.They aren't breaking into your house to steal from your family because they don't have a reliable source of income.They are choosing the more positive approach as far as employment! THE OLD KOREAN LADIES THAT PASS OUT ALL THOSE RELIGIOUS TRACTS..this isn't just for show, they actually invite you to come fellowship with them,Imagine that?Thats quite Christian of them..lol THE OTHER CHRISTIAN PEOPLE THAT GET ON THE BULLHORN AND GIVE OUT SERMONS FOR ABOUT 2 HOURS OR SO .. their just trying to reach the people and not in a bad way either.That part could use a whole lot of praying and that's no lie! THE DUCKS AND BIRDS.. they have so many birds and ducks that people are more than glad to feed on a regular basis...I believe these birds eat a lot better than most of the people in that area..Just an observation. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST..THE GOOD PEOPLE!! With a park that has as much shit going on in it as Mp does its always a given that you would forget about the decent family types that go there daily after work or stay at home moms with their kids. The amount of time spent bad talking this park is crazy.I don't believe anyone has the amount of time as i do with this park..From all outside appearances this park may look like a shit hole and Yes you're 100% right. But take some time to get to know the inside of the park.Ya know the things you cant see visible from the naked eye when you only come through once every 3 to 5 years.. I stand up for the good people that have been underrepresented in this park.There really are more of us then that of the others,if this wasnt the case this park would have went to shit more so than what it already is. I'll just let that marinate in your head for a minute or two.I know this isnt what anyone expected to hear..lol

dignity: the quality of being worthy of esteem or respect. Alternative definition: 6th & Alvarado in Los Angeles is a sea of people, a public transportation hub; total chaos. I'm here in my roadster with the top down hunting for flowers on the cheap for a party where only buckets of roses will suffice. Through the ocean of pedestrian traffic I spy a man dragging his torso on the ground. This guy is going to get hurt! I do what any red blooded grassroots girl would do, double park, jump out and try to save him right? "Dude!" You are totally gonna get hurt man!" Let's get you a wheel chair." I pause for an answer and pull my flower money out as proof that I mean business. He is a looker ladies, I'm not gonna lie, blue eyes, black hair and he says with a smile "I don't want a wheel chair, but thanks." Explains to me how he lost his legs at the hip in a war and It hurts. Not wanting to take pain meds, the doctor advised exercise so he's been "pulling his own weight" and it stopped hurting. He gives compliments. He says that he hasn't had a pretty girl look him in the eyes in a long time." I gave him my number and told him to call me if he never needed anything. Anything at all. He hasn't called yet. Maybe you've seen him? I've seen him at 6th and Alvarado, MacArthur Park, the place I learned these two words: Pride and dignity.

Me: "Hon, I want to go see something pretty this morning." The hubby: "Okay, where? MacArthur Park? Are you *&#%ing kidding me? Alright, let's go." Gotta love the hubby, he always indulges my whims! Didn't tell him what it was I wanted to see because I wanted to surprise him. An art project! Colorful floating spheres! 1000s of them! http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/macarthur-park-los-angeles?select=94egeOAxTWZ0CGttUypa0w http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/macarthur-park-los-angeles?select=AEgDdrr1WFGyL1M3KIzgCg http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/macarthur-park-los-angeles?select=tVJ8YpOWboF-0RKLXc4V1w The Portraits of Hope organization is gifting LA with a public art project to beautify the lake at MacArthur Park. The community was welcome to participate in this project which will be finished by Tuesday, August 25. http://www.portraitsofhope.org/projects/spheres/ Hopefully, we'll be able to come back next weekend to see the finished project. As for the park itself....I normally wouldn't want to come here. The smell of pee was overwhelming. Good thing I carry scented hand sanitizer to dab under my nose.

The first time I ever heard of "Macarthur Park" was from the Fresh Prince episode "72 Hrs" which in case you forgot Will Smith dares Cousin Carlton to survive in the "Hood" for 72 hrs. However, to Will's surprise Carlton transforms to "C-Note" and plans on selling Gucci Bags at Macarthur park cause it's a SALES BONANZA. Funny I know..... With that being said, the 2 star review says it all and my strong recommendation is to not come here at night for your safety... That's real talk. JY

The park looks nice and peaceful early in the morning. I say it looks like any park in the middle of a big city except.... I wouldn't really hang out there or sit on the grass or anywhere for that matter. I've heard funny stories about the people around the area so I'd rather not risk hanging out here. As the day progress, you see more and more of the homeless people hanging around the area. There is a volunteer group who comes every Sunday (?) to help feed the homeless. If you have extra clothes or food, you could donate it to them. They're there around 9:30 AM on Sundays. Sometimes, they close down part of Alvarado or 6th street when they have events in the park. It's mostly geared towards the Latino demographic since the area is predominantly Hispanic. Lots of restaurants in the area: Langer's, Pollo Campero, and a few other places I haven't really tried. Don't think I will, anyway. The correct spelling of the place is MacArthur Park, named after General Douglas MacArthur and designated City of Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument #100. Be aware of your surroundings and don't be flashing any bling blings unless if you're ready to fight for it. Or that's what they tell me. I'm never sure if they're joking or not. Better be safe than sorry.

If you're feeling sleeeeepeee and need a nap, MacArthur Park is where it's at. Sleep on the ponds south side http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/p1arluomupXmFHSDHyExqQ?select=b67L7RrUtftAeE_F3WIqkA and pick up your smack on the other side. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/p1arluomupXmFHSDHyExqQ?select=QVEwNNF-wYXQoFYV-s3zVQ If you want to shoot photos take a pass Or someone might put a cap in your ass. I do like the Razzle Candy thing though http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/p1arluomupXmFHSDHyExqQ?select=59gNQMMEXM49eDdJC4bIlw Yeah...my rhyme sucks like this park!

The Spheres of MacArthur Park = 5 stars. I LOVE PUBLIC ART INSTALLATIONS! They can quite possibly be my favorite thing in existence. So I was so excited to see this in real life. I love how the Spheres of MacArthur Park is for a good cause. Art and humanity just makes the world a better place. I've never been to MacArthur Park (only drove past it), but sitting and viewing the balls with the backdrop of the DTLA skyline was magical. I also love how diverse the community is. From old people, to families, to gentrified hipsters(ehhhh), and to people of all different ethnic backgrounds meshing together in the park is nice to see. It's what LA and America is all about... But I digress of the cultural symbolism. I would have given this 5 stars, but my friend and I got catcalled multiple times in the span of an hour by creepy men in the park. Ewwwww.

This great urban park has a lake fed by natural springs! That surprised me. What didn't surprise me is that it is also fed by natural drug dealers and the homeless. But I'm told it's not as dangerous as it once was. I don't care. I'll be there if for no other reason than that I need to walk off the #19 from Langer's Deli.

I was visiting la and looking for a smoke spot it was all good until we saw rats it was funny tho

I don't know how to feel about this beautiful park. Beautiful!!!! But people are trashing it. It's covered in litter!

I've never been catfished by a park before today, but today was the day. Very dirty and idk about you but I'm afraid of birds and there was TONS

I worked across the street for several months. Yeah, it's a little ghetto but it's safe. I would warn that you should be here only at day time and did I mention that it's very easy to get there by Metro (station is across the street). Places close by: Langers Notable events: Jon Stewart's Rally to Restore Sanity satellite location

I just wanted an opportunity to share the photo of the fantastic art balls that were floating in the lake last summer. Stunningly beautiful & a welcomed enhancement to an otherwise ugly place. Yep, on normal days, it's ugly there. The homeless encampments are numerous and heartbreaking. Forget about a day at the park with the family, and God forbid a picnic. It's a trash dump. I attended many festivals there as a kid, and thought the lake in the middle of the city was an oasis. Those days are loooong gone....

MacArthur Park seems to be a sad Tale of something that could have been amazing but just isn't. It's more of a one or two Star Park but I gave it three stars for the sheer potential that it holds. The park is on two sides of the street that are connected by two underground tunnels. It's littered with homeless, graffiti and an unusual amount of duck poop around the lake. That said, it does have a large lake with lots of ducks on one side and on the other side and has a soccer field playground a hangout area and a large Auditorium. Unfortunately the auditorium looks run down and has homeless all over. It looks like it used to be an amazing place to go watch a show. Very sad.