UNDERRATED / OVERRATED

ECHO PARK LAKE PADDLE BOATS

Available year-round on weekends, these human-powered watercraft are an ideal way to soak up the park (751 Echo Park Ave.) ambience while burning a few extra calories. A tradition since the mid-’70s, the boats rent for $10 per hour, or $7 per half-hour.

THE MUSIC BOX @ THE FONDA

Polite security guards. Decent sightlines. Swanky architecture. And best of all, a rooftop patio where the concert is simulcast on a wall. If only all rock clubs were as civilized, we’d see a lot more shows (6126 Hollywood Blvd.).

THE GUIDE

Since we overrated ourselves in our first issue last year, we figured we’d “underrate” the Guide here in our final stand-alone issue. Well-rounded, deftly curated, geographically diverse, concise and yet packed with information and events you won’t find anywhere else, The Guide was a place you could find the unexpected, and then take it with you to the beach. Highlights of The Guide will continue in daily Calendar, but chances are you’ll miss us.

--

AVCO THEATER IN WESTWOOD

It’s hard to believe that this theater (10840 Wilshire Blvd.) was once the height of technical sophistication, boasting the first THX sound system in L.A. These days, they’ve awkwardly subdivided the screens, seem to barely know how to operate a projector and bombard you with relentless pre-movie ads. And theater owners wonder why we prefer our TiVos?

ARTHUR MAGAZINE

Maybe we’re just a little bitter, but supporting a great little free arts and culture mag (www.arthur mag.com) only to have it pick up stakes and leave L.A. for Brooklyn will do that. Hey, Arthur, thanks for proving you’re not so original after all.

NEWSPRINT

OK, so we’re a little melancholy about not having our own section in the paper anymore, but in all honesty, the Web is the place to be. Luckily for us, we’re already there (theguide.latimes .com). And we’re only getting better. Expect more online stories, more photos, more videos. It’s a new world -- and we’ll be your Guide.