Being in sunny Southern California we don’t get the sort of holidays they celebrate in the movies or Christmas songs. “Sleigh Ride, huh?” “White Christmas, what?” So it’s very exciting stuff to find out that someone put an ice skating rink in the middle of Downtown L.A. Just think, it evokes images of Rockefeller Center’s…
Category Archives: Los Angeles
Bollywood Nights: Sad, Little Happy Hour at Nirvana
When I think “Bollywood” I think fabulous colors and huge musical productions. So I was really disappointed when I walked into Nirvana for its “Bollywood Nights” happy hour to find a low-lit zen sanctuary. There was no one else in the place except me, my friend and the Nirvana staff. It was a beautiful setting,…
Soundtrack for L.A. Living: Getting It On
What: “Whole Lotta Love” by Led Zeppelin Who: Two very randy consenting adults. When: After a night of drinking when you’re feeling all revved up. Where: Since it grossed out my brother when I specifically named places around L.A., I’ll just say, “Anywhere–bedroom, dark alley, backseat of a ’69 Chevy Chevelle SS.” Why: That guitar…
Wind Down After the Wiltern Aboard the HMS Bounty
Twas after a concert at the Wiltern and my friend and I were still revved up to go out. I honestly couldn’t think of anywhere I wanted to go between the Wiltern and West L.A., but then I remembered the HMS Bounty. I had gone years before when I still worked at a bookstore and…
And Now 4 Online Stores for That Completely Different Xmas Gift
Do malls during the holidays scare you? The following online stores are ones I keep at my fingertips just in case I need ideas for gifts that are cheap, fun, uncommon and even “thoughtful” since many of the sites even categorize the giftee: him, her, kid, host, party girl, etc. for your convenience. If you…
Hunky Santa, Hurry Down the Chimney Tonight!
CitySearch listed its roundup for the best Santas in the city and it included Beverly Center’s “Hunky Santa,” the Santa who clocks in after 7pm when the kiddies have gone beddie-bye. And you’d think, “Beverly Center” and “West Hollywood,” this has got to be one hunky Santa since there certainly isn’t a shortage of “hunks”…
LACMA Chalk-In: An Artistic Kiss-Off for a Doomed Building
A great way to have your work displayed at LACMA. Like building sand castles before the tide comes in, the LACMA Chalk-In presents you with an urban version: chalk-in your pastel “Birth of Venus” on the roof of a parking lot that’s scheduled to be demolished in days, with your community as well as artists…
King Kong Tickets on Sale Today at Arclight
I’m so excited about this movie. At first I was turned off by its blockbuster proportions but then I remembered the King Kong of 1933 (totally forgot about the horrible 1976 Kong) and how it became the stuff of my childhood nightmares: the battle between King Kong and the T. Rex, King Kong vs. the…
Soundtrack for L.A. Living: Driving in a Convertible
I think this will be my new weekly thing: songs inspired in and around L.A. moments. What: “Ooh La La” by Goldfrapp (Windows Media Player or Real Player) Who: For optimum experience, you have to be a girl in a Pontiac Solstice or a Mazda Miata, maybe even a convertible Mini Cooper. But it can’t…
Ode to a Pumpkin Pie
Nothing says autumn like the warm spices of a pumpkin pie, and then after Thanksgiving we make way for cold, sharp pepperminty things. So for the quick week we have left, I offer up some pumpkin pie alternatives for those who just can’t get enough. Cold Stone Creamery’s Pumpkin Pie in the Sky creation: Pumpkin…
