Larchmont
Sunday, January 6, 2008
It's been a while since I've talked about the places in LA that I actually DO like and I figured I could use a little attitude shift. Sometimes when you spend a lot of time someplace, you forget how special it is. It becomes your norm and so you fail to notice how much you love it. This can be true of a place, a person, a thing...
Larchmont village (it's more of a 1 block street but hey, I'll take what I can get) is one of my favorite places in LA. For one entire block there are sidewalk cafes, a proper NYC sidewalk news stand, adorable stores, yoga studios and most importantly, a feeling of community. When I'm walking down Larchmont, I can almost forget that I'm in LA for a few moments (save the 17 year olds drinking their sugar-free Coffee Bean blendeds in short shorts and Uggs.) I go to Larchmont 3 or 4 times a week to practice yoga but today I realized that it's been a while since I've truly soaked it in.
It helps when you get to see something through fresh eyes. I met my friend Stephanie for a yoga class this morning and though she's lived in LA for about 6 or 7 years, she's never been to Larchmont. She was so excited by her new find and it reminded me that it truly is just that - a find.
Let's start with the food. This New Yorker can close her eyes and almost pretend that I'm eating a slice in Soho when I swing by Village Pizzeria. I love a good old slice of cheese - and yes, you can indeed get a slice with perfectly thin crust and that NYC blend of cheese. Try brunch at Cafe du Village - fantastic huevos rancheros and a great little garden in the back. Not a place to go out of your way for necessarily, but a perfect stop for a great salad if you're doing some shopping. And do NOT pass up the opportunity to have a sandwich from Larchmont Wine and Cheese. A great wine store (although definitely on the pricier side so more for the oenophile) filled with knowledgeable and helpful employees, the true delight lies in the deli counter. The manchego and serrano sandwich could literally transport you to Barcelona. Not to be missed. Seriously. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Le Petit Greek and of course, the new Pinkberry.
There are enough coffee places for everyone that you're with to grab their fave - Starbucks, Coffee Bean and Peet's plus all the other places where you can grab a cup of joe. And if you're looking for something a little healthier, grab an all fruit smoothie at Jamba Juice.
There's shopping for everyone in the family. It's a rare day when I don't pop into Pickett Fences to see if there are new Kooba bags or Kors shoes on sale and they've opened Petticoats at the other end of the street for adorable intimates. Sonya Ooten gem bar has exactly that - gorgeous jewels to make you sparkle. Swing by Kicks to get some new ones for your boyfriend or yourself. Spirituali always has an amaaaaazing selection of Bernardo sandals along with great fashions that are little more out of the ordinary that what you find at CO-OP. They carry a small selection of baby stuff as well.
But if you really want fantastic stuff for your new niece or nephew, Flicka and The Little Seed are not to be missed. Flicka has the most fantastic garb from old school concert t's for your one year old to perfect little pink sweaters and jeans for your colleague's aspiring fashionista daughter. Across the street at the newly opened Little Seed, you'll find everything you could want to start your baby off on an eco-friendly foot. Bring your little one with you while you shop - there's a fantastic play area for them while you peruse everything from cribs crafted from sustainable materials to organic cotton onesies to eco-friendly bottles to fantastic jewelry for mom.
Of course my favorite place on Larchmont (besides the NYC style news stand and Yogaworks) is Larchmont beauty. This little store stocks literally everything your heart and your skin could possible desire. From Mario Badescu to Kinerase to Dr. Haushka for your skin and Bumble and Bumble or Mop for your tresses to Votivo candles to Mistral soaps and soaks to Nars makeup. You'll walk out of this place with everything you need to feel as gorg as you are.
I haven't even touched on the adorable book store, the fantasticly convenient hardware store and the Landis General store with their vast selection of stationery and invitations. It's easy to spend an afternoon on this buzzing street, especially on Sundays when they have the fabulous farmers market from 9 AM- 1 PM. It's my favorite way to spend Sunday morning.
I think what I love most about Larchmont is the energy. It's one of the few places in Los Angeles where the sidewalks are always packed with people. You have the opportunity to run into an old friend, to people watch, to hear kids laughing and friends having coffee. There's constant energy flowing. There's never a time when I'm there that I don't feel completely alive.
My only complaint? It's only 1 block long.
Posted byMeesh-elle my Belle at 8:53 PM 0 comments
Labels: neighborhoods
Innocence Lost
Thursday, December 6, 2007
At approximately 9:30 last night, I took Thursday out for her last walk of the evening. She jaunted down the street and I deeply inhaled the cool night air. While I'm generally fairly tired by the time we perform this evening ritual, I've learned to enjoy this time of night - sort of a final farewell to that day. A chance to go over that day's events and emotions before I put the day to rest.
We took our normal evening route - down one side of our street, across the street, and up the other side. I was lost in my own thought, enjoying the feel of the cool night air. About 1/4 of the way up the other side of the street, Thursday started barking. I looked and saw nothing there. But then I looked down. There, in the gateway to one of our neighbors homes, was a pair of shoes. Upon closer examination, I found that these shoes were on feet that were attached to a body that was lying limply across the pathway to this home. I couldn't see a face and I was so taken aback that I couldn't possibly imagine what it was that I was supposed to do in that moment. It was dark out on a very quiet street. We live in a perfectly nice neighborhood but it's not with out it's share of homeless people that visit now and again. And I was on this street at 9:30 at night all by myself...this was not a New York block where I would have generally been in the company of at least 3 or 4 other people at any given time (although I must admit, that upon examination, I can't say that I would have been any less taken aback/sort of scared if I'd been in New York).
Thursday and I quickly crossed the street and cut the walk short to tell my husband what had just occurred.
"What do I do? I feel like an awful person. I wanted to see if they were ok, to ask if they needed help...but it's dark and I was by myself and what if they were crazy or it was a scam?"
He quickly assured me that I'd done the right thing and that we should call the police. They would come and either way, they would take care of the situation.
And that's exactly what happened. He called the police and within a matter of minutes, an ambulance pulled up in front of the house. From what we could glean from watching from up the block and across the street, the person was awoken by the EMT's and was able to stand up with some assistance from them. They spoke for some time and then it looked as though said person was escorted into the home. So we gathered that this person had been walking into their home and had passed out or had some sort of episode or something and had been lying unconscious in front of their house.
I have been thinking about this non-stop since last night. Because I hate that I didn't just bend down and ask this person if they were ok. That seems like the natural and human thing to do. It seems like it should have been my first instinct. But my first instinct was to get scared. I felt upset last night because the man, though a stranger, was in genuine need of help. My husband reminded me that's exactly what we did. We helped. Without putting ourselves in a direct line of danger. But I still feel sad for the fact that I live in a world where I have to think twice before I help someone lying on the ground in my own neighborhood. It just doesn't seem right.
It gets me thinking a lot of things about the "world" we live in. And then I feel like I've gotten so old that I'm now the one thinking about these things. It's a beautiful world but it's also a scary world at times. How do you find a balance? How do you take the knowledge that we all have about the world and the many different kinds of people in it and still be the kind stranger?
And so last night my evening walk was not about closure. It was not a chance to put the days events to rest. Instead it was the opportunity to question the way I look at the world and to try to understand it in a new way.
Posted byMeesh-elle my Belle at 3:19 PM 3 comments
Labels: musings on life, neighborhoods
Brentwood
Monday, November 19, 2007
If I stay in LA, I've decided this is where I want to live. I'm totally in love with Brentwood. It's walkable and full of great little shops and restaurants...it feels neighborhoody. It feels urbanly suburban. Brentwood feels good. The air feels a little fresher. The houses are lovely. I'm feeling really into Brentwood.
I started the morning with a walk with an old friend. We walked through quiet streets by great houses all different in their architecture. Cactuses on some lawns and gorgeous flowers on others. I could sit and look at houses all day. I like to make up stories about who's inside and how it's decorated. I wish sometimes that I could go in because they rarely look the way you imagine. It's alway interesting when there's some kind of statue or sculpture that's totally out of place with what the rest of the house looks like.
Eventually we made our way to Starbucks. If both of us weren't on shopping diets (a term I sadly can't take credit for...all credit goes to Amy for that one) we could have stopped in every store along the way and we managed to drool over a few windows as it was. We enjoyed piping hot peppermint mochas (my favorite thing about this time of year. Yes. I'm serious) and wound through the farmer's market until we ended up back at her house. The best part of the whole thing was, of course, the company. Being with someone who knows exactly what to say, who can sympathize and empathize and understands you so completely - and similarly, feels that I can do the same for her...that was the best part. But I couldn't help but be enthralled with my surroundings as well.
It was just a fluke that as I got in my car to leave, I got a phone call from my husband saying that he was also in Brentwood. I think that as long as I have lived in LA, I have been to Brentwood with my husband a handful of times and all of them were at the home of the friend that I walked with. But here he was, on this Sunday afternoon, sitting with some friends in Brentwood at NY Bagel. (I can't review NY Bagel because I didn't eat, but I promise I'll go back and let you know if it lives up to it's name.) So I shot over to NY Bagel and spent an hour outside laughing with friends.
Next, we were off to the dog park where the aforementioned Thursday played with her best friend, puggle Sophie, and they both made a new friend in adorable 6 month-old Brody. If I were a better blogger, I would have had my camera - but alas, I am not. LOVED the Brentwood dog park - it was our first time there and now that it's a 20 minute drive from our house to the Laurel Canyon dog park, Brentwood's not that much further. I highly recommend for those of you that are dog owners.
I think I could spend more time in Brentwood. A lot more time. And I'm not making any grand statements, but when it's next time for us to move, I think perhaps we may start looking a little bit west. (Unless of course we look reaaaaaaaaaally far east...to a neighborhood called the West Village. A girl can dream...can't she?)
Posted byMeesh-elle my Belle at 3:30 PM 0 comments
Labels: neighborhoods
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 0 comments
Labels: food and drink, neighborhoods
13.3 miles
Monday, September 10, 2007
This past weekend our friend Stephanie suggested that we head to
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As you can see, it’s a whopping 13.3 miles. That’s only 1/10th of a mile shorter than the entire length of the
You would think, from my reaction, that
My parents live 45 minutes outside of
Meanwhile, my husband, who, like me, generally has a similar distaste for driving, said to me, “Let’s go! Fun to do something different.” And suddenly, with my excuse un-excused, I was unenthusiastically looking at an evening in
My stint in
So while I can't say that I see myself making this trek all that often, I might not be so quick to turn up my nose the next time someone suggests Venice or Santa Monica. Because as I knew during my early days in NYC, sometimes you travel for a good thing.
Posted byMeesh-elle my Belle at 5:01 PM 1 comments
Labels: driving, neighborhoods
