Meet Richard Israel

Today we’d like to introduce you to Richard Israel.

Richard, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Having lived in L.A. for over 30 years, I’m one of those Angelenos who has never fully taken advantage of the amazing diversity in my own neighborhood. I am a full-time theatre director, so the current shutdown of theatre has provided a huge amount of time for exploration.

My particular L.A. adventure took place during the months of June and July, when I took on the challenge of walking every major street in the city, from Los Feliz in the north; Main Street in the east; Jefferson in the south; and the beach in the west. Each day I took on a different street, or street segment, walking 2-3 hours per day.

It was so gratifying to experience up-close the countless small components that make up our huge city. We see so much of L.A. from our cars, and we have no idea that this city is full of incredibly diverse neighborhoods and architectural gems. We get a bad rap for tearing down our history, but there are architectural wonders all over the city – one just needs to look for them. Getting an intimate sense of Sunset Boulevard – from Olvera Street to Brentwood – has given me a new appreciation for the city I call home.

Has it been a smooth road?
This was a challenge that I created for myself, so there weren’t really any obstacles to achieving it.

What else should our readers know?
I am a freelance theatre director based in Los Angeles and New York City.

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