Where do the Valley area’s 200 most influential people really like to go? The answer is a little surprising: It’s our region’s parks, especially the abundant hiking trails. In fact, they prefer parks over anything else by a wide margin. The query was put to the Valley area’s most influential folks as part of our annual Valley 200 publication, which is in this issue. The actual question asked of them, which is edited down for publication, was this: In our Valley area, what’s your favorite place to visit (that’s not your home or office)? I expected to hear that most people like to go to, say, a favorite re staurant or specific place, such as the Village shopping center or maybe the Reagan Library. There were plenty of those answers, sure, but nothing like the number of people who like to hike or play in a park. But as soon as I started reading the answers, the draw of parks became clear: “It’s relaxing and peaceful,” said Dale Surowitz of Providence Tarzana Medical Center, who said he liked hiking in the mountains. Dan Kahn of Kahn Media explained that he has a high-pressure gig, and “the Valley is surrounded by stunning trails that are great for blowing off steam.” A few minutes in nature is some succor for the soul – which is particularly important for harried executives. And a little exercise probably doesn’t hurt. I counted more than 50 people who mentioned parks and trails as their favorite place to visit. That’s far more than any other answer. What’s more, several more people said they like to drive up the mountain roads just to take in the scenery, which is kind of like visiting a park. I need to improve my perception. I always thought of our parks and many mountain trails as a pleasant perk. I now need to think of them as important refuges, as recharging stations, if you will, for high-performing people. Interestingly, the second-most cited favorite place to visit: The Soraya, or what is officially named the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts at California State University – Northridge. That got eight mentions. Said David Honda of the Soraya: “A beautiful 1,700-seat venue with majestic architectural details. Great acoustics, and American Idol was filmed there.” And the third kind of surprised me because it’s a little obscure: the Japanese Garden (another park). It got seven mentions. It was cited as a touch of Zen in midst of the bustling Valley. “Tranquil and relaxing, they allow for me to mentally reset after a strenuous week,” wrote Payman Roshan of Kaiser Permanente Panorama City Medical Center. Assemblywoman Laura Friedman said she most likes the Japanese Garden (and adjoining water reclamation plant) but for a distinct reason: It’s been used as the setting for several Star Trek shows. She explained: “I’m a Trekkie.” Among other places that got multiple mentions from our Valley 200 people: Ventura Boulevard with its active shops and restaurants; the Village shopping center; Brent’s Deli; the Reagan Library, and the Americana at Brand shopping center. Perhaps the funniest answer came from Ross Pendergraft of the Leavitt Group. “Based on where I spend a lot of time – it has to be Costco.” Another question we asked the 200 most influential was how they view the outlook for the economy. Their outlook? Broadly, they are optimistic. About 50 project the economy in one year will be higher than it is now. About 30 think it will be down. And 55 believe it will be about the same – which is good since the economy is performing well. However, many answers were nuanced and heavy with contingencies. On the one hand, economic fundamentals are fine now, and few see signs currently of a slowdown. But the trade deal with China is weighing on a lot of folks and the very long expansion has many assuming a recession is due. As a result, a fair number of answers were difficult to categorize. If you count the responses, you may well get different numbers than I did. One good answer came from Gustavo Valdespino of Valley Presbyterian Hospital: “I have given up trying to predict our economy. Way too many moving parts.”
