Different perspectives
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
One of my readers wrote a fabulous response to my post about Bordello Bar and Downtown LA.
She (I'm assuming it's a she because of her info on a place to go salsa dancing with girlfriends) loves Downtown and has a slew of places that she seems to frequent.
It's interesting to get the perspective of others. This reader doesn't seem to be turned off by the drive (although she lives closer than I do) and says that the abandoned streets are only that way because all of the people are inside the bars partying. She is certain that in a few years, it will be hard to find parking to get to these places.
I am hoping that my reader won't mind if I post her suggestions as she seems extremely knowledgeable about an area that admittedly, I know little about. And for those of you that don't mind the drive, then you will surely benefit from my reader's thoughts.
But I guess my whole thing IS the drive. I don't want to drive twenty minutes for a night out. I know, I know. This is par for the course all over the country...and maybe I'm just really, really lazy, but I want my evenings out to be simple. And in New York, it always was. A hop on the subway or into a cab --and I was anywhere in 10 minutes. I didn't have to worry about parking and I didn't have to deal with traffic or drunk drivers or $8 valet. Some may say it makes me lazy...but I say, it makes me a New Yorker.
On that note, for those of you who don't mind a little drive for an evening out, here are my suggestions from "J" - a different and refreshing perspective:
I like your blog (I am bi-costal from the west village) but do have to say that you were likely in the wrong part of downtown. As a former west sider who now lives in the east hills (Silverlake, Los Feliz) I have to say that downtown is my favorite part of LA. It sometimes feels like a secret club that anybody east of La Cienega does not know about.
Recently, however, more and more people are showing up and I suspect that in a few years time, it will be hard to find parking.
It is amazing how NYC it can feel when you go into a seemingly "deserted area" and walk into the bar to find it absolutely filled with people. I am almost sad that downtown is getting so popular as it is no longer the cool kids playground.
If you ever feel the urge to brave it again, I suggest these fun places:
1. Redwood Bar and Grille (pirate themed hipster bar)- Just threw my bf's birthday party there- got to love the "plank shots"
2. Golden Gopher- The first bar I ever went to downtown which caused me to fall in love with the idea. You will feel like you are in a classy NY bar here.
3. The Library Bar
4. Broadway Bar- very cool place
5. Rooftop Bar at The Standard (obvious)
6. Ciudad- Great mojitos and live jazz
7. The Mayan- Great place to go with your girlfriends Salsa dancing. They have a live Salsa band every Saturday. They also have an upper level that is club, hip hop.
8. The Edison- Looks cool but every time I go there is a line wrapped around the corner. "Hollywooders" fill this place.
In other words, there are a lot of bars downtown, but like NYC, you have to be in-the-know to find several of them. This of course makes them all the better.
-J
Posted byMeesh-elle my Belle at 2:53 PM
Labels: food and drink, neighborhoods
