Not quite. The Four Level is the interchange between the Hollywood (101, Pasdena (110) and Harbor (110) Freeways intersect. The Santa Monica (10) and Golden State (5) Freeways connect at the East Los Angeles Interchange.
Our deserts come in two varieties, High and Low.
That reminds me of “The Orange Crush”, or just “The Crush” on many traffic reports, where the 5, 57, and 22 freeways meet in what looks to be the City of Orange (it’s right next to the shopping center The Block of Orange, anyway.)
fetus are you sure about the 5 being the San Diego Freeway? I’ve never heard it called that. In my experience the San Diego Freeway refers to the 405. Even though it makes absolutely no sense.
scout, back in the 1960s/70s after the El Toro “Y” the 5 was referred to as The San Diego Freeway.
Not so common these days, though.
The 405 is the San Diego Freeway. The 5 is the Golden State Freeway. Native Southern Californian, never heard the 5 being called the San Diego Freeway.
Quite right. I didn’t really think that through before I typed it. I’m just accustomed to being able to get to any of the four freeways (as well as the 60) from that area since I work in downtown.
I have decided to take your statement literally as though there wasn’t the slightest hint of sarcasm in it, because everyone knows San Dimas IS so much better! Incidentally, what is the Fly Capital of our great state?
And as for the comments on local pronunciation, I’m always amused when a new news anchor arrives from out of town. What always clues me in right away is when I hear them pronounce the first “t” in “Huntington Beach.” Of course, anyone that lives here knows it’s “Hunnington.” 
I used to work with a girl (ironically of Mexican descent) who lived in San Pedro. Woe betide anyone who pronounced it ‘San Peh-dro’ when she was in the conversation.
I heard an Englishman refer to ‘sepple-veeda’ and ‘pass-ADD-in-a’. Growing up in San Diego I was amused by out-of-towners pronouncing La Jolla.
Caheunga and Port Hueneme have their moments as well.
And continues on to the Santa Ana Freeway.
Actually the San Diego Freeway becomes the 5 way down between Lake Forest and San Juan Capistrano. I didn’t know that either until I looked at my Rand-Mcnally Road Atlas.
I had to read that four times before I realized you were comparing ‘San Peh-dro’ to ‘San Pee-dro.’ I always use the “eh” sound when saying that, but I realize a lot of folks don’t.
Similarly, one of the nearest major streets to my house is Badillo. My wife and I always say “Ba-dee-yo” even though neither of us is actually fluent in Spanish. But everyone else in my community that I encounter says “Ba-dill-oh.” I don’t know why I’m so anal about that one, but not using the Spanish pronunciation on that is like nails on a chalkboard for me, and I refuse to give in.
And just to add to your examples of ‘sepple-veeda’ and ‘pass-ADD-in-a’, I often get tourists in downtown asking me to point them in the direction of Wilshire (“Will-shy-er” instead of “Will-shur”) Blvd.
My sister used to place an occasional call to Port Hueneme just so she could hear the operator in Cherokee, IA pronounce it.
For you unlucky non-Californians it’s sort of between Wayneemee and Yneemee.
Someone I know told me that they always thought of the sad declaration, “Why knee me?” in order to help them remember.
Not to mention the out-of-staters asking about the LA-Canada freeway.
Whatever you do, stay away from Paso Robles and Lompoc.
A guy I used to work with was stopped for directions to ‘stah-tah co-yeh-heh’. It took him a minute to realise the guy was looking for State College Blvd.
“Baby doncha go doncha go to La Jolla
Baby doncha go now doncha go”
I remember awhile back a thread on all the weird ways you people pronounce place names. It was strangely intriguing, since basically everywhere I’ve been everything is pronounced as it looks.
Of course, I haven’t exactly lived in Illinois either.
I actually got married just across the 46 from Pah-sew Row-blez, and I’ve always pronounced the latter as Lawm-poke. What am I missing?
You are the ONLY person I know who calls that street “Ba-dee-yo.” Absolutely everyone else says “Bah-dillow.” You’re right, though.
My mom’s father used to call La Puente “La Pyoo-en-tee.”
When an Anglo gives a town a Spanish name they should check it out first. “Puente” is masculine (it means bridge, like over a river) so it’s el puente, thank you.
Oddly enough, it appears to have first been named by a Spaniard [cite], but I still haven’t found any information on why “la” was used instead of “el.” The only hint I could find was from the Wikipedia article that mentions the name comes from “old Spanish.” Perhaps the gender for the word was different then?
I suppose that’s possible. The equivalent French is “le pont.” Both are doubtless from Latin pons. Is the word masculine or feminine in Latin?