CicLAvia lends big L.A. a ‘small-town feel’

Closing down a large section of Venice Boulevard for CicLAvia was a welcome reprieve for some seeking a little solace from big city life.

“They should do his every weekend,” said Celina Fowler, 61, who lives near the intersection of Venice and La Cienega boulevards.

Her neighbor Elizabeth Wang, 41, agreed. She said the event made the neighborhood feel smaller, and gave her 2-year-old son Marcus a chance to experience what she had growing up in pedestrian-friendly Boston.

“The event is good for the small town feel,” Wang said. “For Marcus to be able to have that as part of his childhood is great.”

Marcus set up a lemonade stand, with all proceeds going toward a new scooter or skateboard, Wang said.

“He’s eyeing everyone’s wheels,” she laughed.

Wang said she has family in Boston and wasn’t concerned about something happening in L.A. because she considered the bombings in Massachusetts last week an isolated event.

Bryan Ida, 50, took a break from working in his art studio to watch for interesting bikes passing along Venice Boulevard. His small dog, Lola, barked at passersby.

Ida said he participated in last year’s event and loved the chance to take photos of some downtown buildings he wouldn’t have been able to get with regular street traffic.

Ida said he hoped to see some unusual cyclists and their bikes, though most of the people participating in Sunday’s event seemed pretty normal. But that’s not bad either, he said.

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samantha.schaefer@latimes.com