Los Angeles

File under: Bad restaurant names

I live a short walk from downtown Culver City. I like this. There’s some good restaurants, a large Trader Joe’s, a weekly farmer’s market, a few movie theaters, a couple of theaters, SportEve (my GU supplier and host of a Tuesday evening running group), an affordable place to get massages (Massage Garage) and a few bars. Soon Metro will open up the Venice/Robertson station for the Expo line and I’ll be able to get to downtown LA by rail. Pretty neat.

When I first moved to Palms in 2000, I hardly ever ventured to Culver City. There wasn’t much to do. But with development and gentrification, it’s attracted my dollars and interest in more recent years. I’m in downtown Culver City about once a week. As my friend Will once said, “gentrification worked for me!” (He’s from Chicago’s Logan Square.)

Anyway, I noticed a new restaurant opened up recently when Sean and I had gone out to see Super 8 (we both liked it). I giggled at the sign the same way I did when I saw “loco moco” listed on a Hawaiian restaurant menu. After friends explained to me that the dish did not include any boogers, I ordered it for the novelty. This may have been how I came to be known as Crazy Booger senior year in college.

I’m not interested in visiting MoKo, which I found out is short for Modern Korean. I get what they’re doing, but I’m still not drawn in. I’ll stick to S&W Country Diner for those weekend mornings when I want an indulgent breakfast.

Los Angeles, Música

Cheap dates

Every summer I check out the schedule for my favorite concert series and pick out the shows I’d like to attend. Invariably, I don’t make it to half those shows. I get lazy, and don’t feel like packing snacks, chairs or blankets, driving across town, finding free parking, etc. When I don’t let work or other obligations get in the way, I get out and enjoy some free entertainment and a cheap date.

If you need to save your pennies, but don’t want to stay home, you’re in luck, I’ve compiled a list of [mostly] free concert series at local parks and museums. It’s not exhaustive, so feel free to add others in the comments. Check back in a few weeks, some these schedules are not online yet!

Enjoy!

En La Noche Summer Series
Museum of Latin American Art, Long Beach
The En La Noche series features local DJs. It’s free for museum or KCRW members. If not, it’s $10 admission.

Grand Performances
California Plaza, Downtown LA
The GP series features music, dance, film and shows in the evening as well as noon on Fridays.

Hammer Presents
Westwood
The Hammer features the Also I Like to Rock and Jazzpop concert series along with speakers and films. Parking at the museum is $3 after 6 pm.

Latin Sounds by LACMA
Hancock Park
I’ve never checked this out because the series is on Saturday and I’m usually busy those days. Maybe this year I’ll get out to Hancock Park.

Levitt Pavilion, MacArthur Park
The Levitt Pavilion series at MacArthur Park and in Pasadena feature concerts Thursday through Sunday. Each night is a different theme (e.g., family/kids night, roots, Latin). There’s really something for everyone.

Levitt Pavilion, Pasadena
I’ve never been out to Levitt Pavilion in Pasadena. It’s far enough (with traffic) that going on a weeknight can be more trouble than it’s worth. However, I don’t want to miss Girl In A Coma on Thursday (June 30th) and Ximena Sariñana with Carla Morrison (July 21st).

Pershing Square Downtown Stage
Downtown LA
[Edit] The schedule was just posted today. 10,000 Maniacs will headline on July 30th. You can also catch some other throwback bands (Flock of Seagulls!).

Saturdays off the 405
The Getty Museum
Getting to the Getty may be a hassle this summer with construction on the 405. However, entrance at the museum is free as are the shows. You just have to pay for parking. It’s still a cheap date.

Summer Sunset Concerts
UCLA Fowler Museum
For the folks on the Westside!

Sunset Concerts
Skirball Center
The Sunset Concert series features music from around the world. I’ve never been to the Skirball Center despite it’s proximity. The Skirball is right off the 405, so make sure to check construction updates on the I-405 twitter page.

Twilight Dance Series
Santa Monica Pier
The Twilight series schedule isn’t online yet, but they usually have a variety of music each Thursday night. Even if you’re not too interested in the music, an evening on the beach with friends, food and drink (hidden, of course) is still a good time.

Los Angeles

Los Angeles seasons

Hector Tobar wrote up a guide last week on how to be a true Angeleno. I don’t think there’s a checklist or even a “true” anything. (Yay, postmodernism). Anyway, his list is pretty spot on, especially #8.

8. Don’t ever say: “L.A. doesn’t have any seasons.” Our seasons just don’t look like New England seasons. Instead, we have a season when the jacarandas bloom (right now) and a season when ash falls from the sky. We have a season of gloomy mornings (which isn’t in winter) and a season of Technicolor sunsets. We have a season when Mt. Baldy is covered in snow — and a season when you can’t see Mt. Baldy at all.

It bugs me to no end when I hear “LA doesn’t have seasons” or a “real” winter. Yes we do. Our climate is different than your region. And thus, our seasonal changes are less dramatic.

The first item on Tobar’s list is about fawning over celebrities. It reminded me about our trips to and from Toronto. Early Sunday morning as we waited to board our flight, my friends (1 LA native, 2 transplants) spotted Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez ahead of them at Starbucks. They kept it cool and snapped surreptitious pictures. One of my friends has two young daughters who are big Justin Bieber fans. On the way back, Lucy noticed an actress (whose name we can’t remember) at the gate at Pearson International in Toronto. When Lucy passed her on the way to our seats in the plane, she simply said, “I love your work.” The actress smiled and said thank you. I didn’t say anything when I passed.

As for those seasons, I love June gloom. It’s perfect running weather. On the other hand, fire season sucks.

Deportes, Los Angeles

Survey: is Dodger Stadium safe?

I’ve been reading a lot about the beating of Bryan Stow after opening day at Dodger Stadium (March 31).

Stow, a 42-year-old Santa Clara paramedic and father of two who traveled to Dodger Stadium on March 31 in Giants regalia. Walking through the parking lot after the game, Stow was accosted by two men, who taunted him, punched him and kicked him as he lay injured. [Source]

His injuries were serious enough to put him in a medically induced coma. He is still in critical condition.

Like many fans, I’m horrified, disgusted and deeply saddened that some pendejos would do this. I pray for Stow’s full recovery and hope such violence never occurs again at Dodger Stadium (or any other sporting event).

Other fans have expressed outrage online or called in to talk radio shows. Many shared their own concerns about going to Dodger Stadium and some brought up the race element before sketches of the suspects were released. The suspects look like your average pelón gang-banger. The comments section of the LA Times were filled with racist and anti-immigrant remarks. I started reading “thug” as a code word for young Latino male. Honestly, I wasn’t surprised by the racism.

However, I am surprised by the number of levelheaded people I know who no longer go to games, worry for their safety and think the atmosphere is not family friendly. My personal experience is much different and I go to lots of games (even if I grumble about how much I hate contributing to the McCourts’ profits).

What do you think? I’ve written a survey about the atmosphere in the stadium, in the parking lot and the surrounding area. Fill it out and share it with others who go to lots of games or just a few every couple of seasons. I hope to share some of the responses next week.

Dodger Stadium atmosphere survey

Edit: The survey is now closed. You can chime in on the responses when I post about the survey results.

Disclaimer: I’m just a fan. I have no affiliation with the Dodger organization, LAPD or city hall. Thus, the survey is focused on experiences and opinions rather than suggestions for improvement.

Corriendo, Los Angeles

CicLAvia (on foot)

For the first time in a few weeks, my weekend running didn’t include a race (running or cheering). That didn’t stop me from making in to an event thanks to the second CicLAvia.

I headed out to Boyle Heights to run the route east to west. The not-a-race event is mainly marketed to cyclists. I don’t own a bike, but that didn’t matter to me. The 7+ mile route of LA streets were closed to automobile traffic and open to cyclists, skateboarders, kids on scooters, pedestrians and runners. I missed the first CicLAvia when I was in New York last October and didn’t want to miss another free opportunity to run car-less LA streets (free!).

I had a lazy morning and didn’t get out to Boyle Heights until 1:30. Sean dropped me off by the Shakey’s at Cesar Chavez and State. He was too bummed about his broken MacBook to join me on foot or his bike so he went home to troubleshoot. From Cesar Chavez and State, I ran South past White Memorial to 4th Street where I joined a swarm cyclists heading west on the 4th Street bridge (traffic was going in both directions).

Since I’d read El Chavo’s post on the first CicLAvia I knew I’d be way outnumbered by cyclists. And I was. I didn’t feel too safe in the street with cyclists weaving in and out (mainly the kids who weren’t really paying attention and don’t know how to drive), taking pictures and texting. Most were riding at a leisurely pace, but occasionally some guy would come speeding by. I stuck to the “gutter lane,” as El Chavo called it, or jumped up on to the sidewalk where I’m accustomed to running. The sidewalks through Little Tokyo and most the Historic Core of Downtown LA were too crowded, so I had to go on the street. I kept the sound on my iPod Shuffle low, but I probably would’ve been safer turning it off.

The streets weren’t completely shut down to automobile traffic. There were several points along the route where cyclists and pedestrians were required to stop at crossing points for cars. Traffic officers directed motorists, pedestrians and cyclists. It all went pretty smooth. I think we stopped at every intersection through downtown, which was a nice breather. It was a pretty warm day (high 60s and sunny) so the rest helped me get through my first long-ish run since the marathon. I didn’t stop at any of the rest stops at Hollenbeck Park, City Hall, MacArthur Park or the Bicycle District. I did stop for a few minutes when I ran in to Pachuco3000 (above) and bought some lemonade from some kids at a lemonade stand in East Hollywood at the end of the route (below). When I finished I called Sean and we arranged a pickup spot for me a few miles south in Koreatown.

Even if it was a little lonely for a runner, I’m glad I got out. I did 10 pretty flat miles through areas of LA I never run through and don’t visit often enough. I saw a friend, had some great lemonade and got a nice tan from my racerback tank and capri running pants. Fun times.

All photos by srd515 and used under Creative Commons license.

Lotería Chicana

Category Archives: Los Angeles