*apologies in advance about the formatting. I tried manually resetting the columns, so that formats it correctly. But no go. I'll try to fix it later. Maybe it's just an error tonight. Or maybe Blogspot doesn't remember me or think that I'll notice due to my lack of posting! Enjoy!
I have now lived in Los Angeles for one year, though sometimes it feels like forever and other days it seems like I just moved here.
I was talking with my friend Luke, who had signed up to be a peer mentor and one of the reasons he said that he chose to do this is
because he says, it takes a year to learn your way around L.A. And it's true.
One of the reasons that I love L.A. is the incredible diversity it possesses. West LA is NOTHING like East LA. West LA is a mix of Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Century City, Westwood, Culver City, Brentwood, Palms, Venice, Jefferson Park, Park La Brea, West Hollywood, etc., Some of the names non-L.A.'ers may recognize as very tony places such as Westwood (home to UCLA) and Brentwood, as well as Venice. I have no idea what's in Cheviot HIlls, Palms, or Jefferson Park. But I am conducting a very successful one-sided love affair with Culver City, which I find to be a small nestled in a big city. Off of the downtown Culver there is an adorable elementary school surrounded by houses. In DT Culver there is a movie theater, a historic hotel, bank, shops, eateries- a new urbanist's dream!
East LA is technically unincorporated. And it shows. Dominately Mexican and other Latino countries in culture and composition it suffers from lack of political attention. Unfortunately, it is economically disadvantaged, as well as weather-wise. The East side is always at least ten degrees hotter than the West side and at least fifteen degrees hotter than Santa Monica, where the ocean meets the shore. However, you can find some super tasty food in East LA and people are more connected there due to stronger social ties. Unfortunately, we can't do anything about the weather. :p
People say that L.A. doesn't have a center. And while we have a downtown, like many cities' downtowns, it is mainly for business and does shut down in certain areas at night. Though we have some really great bars like the whisky (or whiskey) bar, SevenGrand (at 7th and Grand), the Golden Gopher (on 8th between Hill and Olive), the Broadway Bar (830 S. Broadway between 8th and 9th), the gorgeous Edison Downtown (technically 108 W. 2nd, but it's on Harlem Place, wedged between 2nd and 3rd, Spring and Main) and the low-slung Library (at 6th and Hope). Dress code is pretty strictly enforced, especially at the Edison. But the bartenders are competent and it's always lively. And as my transpo professor, Dr. Genivieve Giuliano observed today, L.A. has a crescent of a center- starting from downtown, going through Hollywood and ending in Santa Monica.
I have had so many fun adventures in just one year in L.A. I live right by school, which is also within very reasonable walking distance to Exposition Park, which is home to the Natural History Museum, which is free for USC students! The Cal Science Center is also there and a beautiful rose garden that is huge! Also, one of the buildings is used as the Jeffersonian Institute for one of my favorite TV shows, Bones and another building was used in one of my favorite movies, Monkeybone. I think my brother and I are the only two people, besides those who attended the premiere, who have seen that movie. No matter. I love it.
Back to L.A. In L.A. I've seen movies in cemeteries- Hollywood Forever, and the classic Arsenic and Old Lace, on the grounds where wooly mammoths and dinosaurs once tread, ie the grounds of the La Brea Tar Pit, where I saw Encino Man! I've seen celebrities in historic theaters, Lea Thompson and Gene Kelly's widow, at the Egyptian (one and a half blocks east of Hollywood and Highland). My best friend and I accidentally (!) almost ran over Chris Pine, aka Captain Kirk, in our quest to get gelato at Pazzo Gelato at Sunset and Hyperion- kitty-korner from the famed Sunset Junction. That night we also parked right next to Russell Brand' (and friend) and we were leaving at the same time. I looked over as the other party was getting into their car and I wanted to make sure that they did not scratch Jeannette's car and I look up at the passenger and see that it is the author of My Booky Wook!
Not to give you the impression that I'm only interested in movies, I've also seen priceless works of art at the LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) and scuffed at some of the more modern pieces- some stuff I can categorically say is NOT art.
I'm obsessed with great food and sometimes the best bites aren't always the priciest. My friends and I sometimes hightail it up to Burbank where one of the last remaining Big Boys is in business. It is also an example of "Googie" architecture I am informed by my friend. At first I thought that he was pulling my leg, but there is a legit style of architecture called "Googie." Good to know. If you love good Mexican food, obviously there are may fine places to sample all over L.A., but across from the historic Union Station it's hard to beat the eats on Olvero Street. I've also eaten soooo well in Little Tokyo, or LT, to those in the know. Hama Sushi is dee-licious! As is the place with the yellow awning that has amazing ramen- this is nothing like the freeze-dried packets from college! I also love Panini Gardens in Santa Monica, on Main Street, but that technically is not L.A. And anything from the farmers' markets that are scattered throughout L.A. are awesome! But I am especially partial to a place at the farmers' market on Thursday at City Hall that advertise crepes, but make a deelish tandoori chicken. I get it every Thursday!
I also love free stuff such as going to the Griffith Observatory, especially at night and seeing all of L.A. stretch out before you, glittering below the night sky, hightailing it up to Forest Lawn in Glendale, which Jeannette and I discovered totally by accident- we noticed something that looked like a castle on a hill and drove to it to investigate- it's actually a cathedral, going to Art Walk in downtown L.A. every second Thursday of the month, window shopping on the Third Street Promenade (Santa Monica), walking around Silverlake, or West Adams and gawking at all of the gorgeous architecture, some of which is in disrepair, perusing the cute bookstore at Weller Court in Little Tokyo, or enjoying the perks of being a USC student and going to First Fridays at the Natural History Museum for free and trying not to snicker at the hipsters who are trying not to geek out over the dinosaurs that are mere feet from them.
And some experiences in L.A. defy description. Driving down the 110 at night, seeing all the massive skyscrapers suddenly loom over you, feeling the ocean air on your skin as you lie on the beach in Santa Monica (again, not L.A.-L.A. but whatever), smelling the roses in Expo Park, people watching at the farmers market ( and admittedly "boy-scouting") just being alive and feeling the pulse of the city even though we don't have a defined center.
Yes, it takes you a while to find your footing, figure out the major streets, discover new favorites, but that's true of moving anywhere.
But hang in there, tough it out, or find someone who loves it as much as I do, and you won't be disappointed!
The title is a paraphrase from an old song Bertie Wooster sings in the opening sequence of episode 3 "The Purity of the Turf" of my one of all-time favorite shows, Jeeves and Wooster (lyrics below) I've also enclosed a link to the posting on YouTube- it's right after the initial credits. Enjoy!
Link to "Good night Vienna"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXQ3qLr6eQI
from- http://lyricsplayground.com/alpha/songs/g/goodnightvienna.shtml
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