People want to stop the proposed Dodger Stadium gondola (LA Aerial Rapid Transit) primarily due to concerns over its environmental impact, the disruption of neighborhoods, lack of transparency, and doubts about its efficacy as a transportation solution. Opponents, including community residents and local activists, often label the project a "vanity project" for former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt rather than a necessary public transit improvement.
The gondola project, initially proposed in 2018 by Frank McCourt, former Dodgers owner and part-time owner of the Dodger Stadium parking lot, has been criticized by some residents and business owners in the affected area, as opponents say the project would harm the community and take away public land.
Angelenos have different priorities than a gondola. We want safe and affordable public transportation, more affordable housing, and a solution to the homeless crisis. Our public officials should focus on those issues instead of wasting public resources on a gondola nobody wants.
For centuries, the gondola was a major means of transportation and the most common watercraft within Venice. In modern times, the boats still do have a role in public transport in the city, serving as traghetti (small ferries) over the Grand Canal operated by two oarsmen.
The Los Angeles Housing Authority, funded by the National Housing Act of 1949, voted Chavez Ravine “under-utilized.” They decided to buy-out the homeowners using eminent domain to secure the land for low-income housing. Despite protests, plans to remove the population by 1960 succeeded.
Most of Chavez Ravine remains in Elysian Park, where the Chavez Ravine Arboretum still stands. The arboretum was founded in 1893 by the Los Angeles Horticultural Society where trees were added to through to the 1920s.
List of living Brooklyn Dodgers players[edit] Koufax is the only living member of the 1955 World Series-winning club. The 1956 pennant-winning club is now represented by Aspromonte and Koufax.
She can spend up to 15 hours on the boat fighting the wind, rain and heat – but Venice's only female gondolier, Giorgia Boscolo, wouldn't change a thing.
Due to its flat-bottomed hull, a gondola can be manoeuvred sideways when needed, but contrary to popular belief, it is never poled like a punt – the canals of Venice are too deep.
An experienced gondolier can earn up to $150,000 a year. In recent years, there has been a bit of a dropoff, a generational thing, in the number of young people willing to pursue this profession.
They're always painted black (six coats) — the result of a 17th-century law a doge enacted to eliminate competition between nobles for the fanciest rig. But each has unique upholstery, trim, and detailing, such as the squiggly-shaped, carved-wood oarlock (fórcula) and metal "hood ornament" (ferro).
This uniform style was inspired by sailors' uniforms across Europe and became standardized to create a recognizable and cohesive look for gondoliers. The striped shirts, along with black pants and straw hats, help gondoliers stand out and maintain a professional appearance.
Fun fact: Venetian gondoliers shout “Oooee!” to avoid canal traffic—basically the original car horn, but fancier. 🚤 At Gondola Getaway, we'll do the yelling while you sip your wine & live la dolce vita. 🍷✨ Who knew 11th-century traffic control pairs so well with pizza?
Today, becoming a gondolier is open to anyone over 18 years old. Prospective gondoliers must attend a specialized school and pass a competitive entry exam held every few years.
A 30-minute gondola ride in Venice costs around €80-€90 during the day (until 7 PM) and €100-€110 at night (after 7 PM), with these official rates being per gondola (up to 5 people), not per person, though you can sometimes negotiate lower prices, especially in the off-season or by finding a gondolier directly. Expect to pay more for extra services like singing or music.
The Forcella Sassolungo - nicknamed the “Coffin Gondola” or “the scariest gondola in the world” is a tiny two person (standing room only) gondola that lifts you 493m (1,600ft) into the air to the famous Passo Sella in the Italian Dolomites.
Only 440 gondoliers remain in Venice today—a fraction of the 10,000 who once crowded the city's waterways. Each gondolier buys, maintains, and personalizes their own boat, mastering a craft that takes years of training, skill, and intimate knowledge of Venice itself.
Of course, the individual wires eventually break because of age, because they are bent during use. But as long we inspect them regularly, we can predict very exactly when the rope is coming to the end of its natural life." This predictability is crucial for safety, he says.
The Pirates have just four living players from that 1960 World Series team, including pitchers in Pirates Hall of Famer Vern Law (1950-51, 1954-67) and Roy Face (1953, 1955-68), outfielder Bob Skinner (1954, 1956-63) and Mazeroski (1956-72).
Martin Luther King Jr., we reflect on a pivotal moment in both baseball and civil rights history — one that sparked a lasting friendship between Dr. King and Jackie Robinson: the breaking of Major League Baseball's color barrier in 1947.
Gonsolin underwent surgery in August to revise his 2023 Tommy John surgery and apply an internal brace in his right elbow, as well as repair his flexor tendon. He was expected to miss most, if not all, of 2026.
