Visitors from Family

My sister Tonya brought my nephew Lucas to visit me yesterday and we had such a wonderful day walking around the infamous Santa Monica Pier and then onto the 3rd St. Promenade right by it. It was an absolutely beautiful LA day with amazing sunshine and a slight cool breeze. Meanwhile the rest of the US is suffering through yet another Snowpocalypse. Did I spell that right? Haha Whatever it is, I find myself more than thankful to be living here on the West Coast now.

Another thing that I'm constantly grateful for is that I do live so close to my family. They are my world and have the incredible ability to cheer me up and brighten my day. I know so many people that live far away from their adorable nephews and nieces and I honestly cannot imagine that. Living in Arizona for just under a year after my nephew was born was hard enough on me. I hope that we will always live close to each other. Ok, Tonya? No moving to the east coast anytime soon!!

Anyway, back to our fun day- Lucas seemed to really enjoy himself and we even got him to ride the renown Ferris Wheel at the end of the pier. We had a very yummy Mexican lunch complete with margaritas and me feeding Lucas rice off my own plate! Haha! It was too funny, he wouldn't accept food from Mom's plate, just from mine. So cute! : )

Sure, the Pier is a super touristy and kind of a cheesy thing to do here in LA but it's still fun and I always enjoy my time there. Next up, I really want to try the trapeze flying that is there! Have you ever done it? My sister did it last year and she loved it. I think I would too!

Hey, remember the cute YouTube video that Gina and I made about the Pier- Sarah Palin... Let's Go Fishing At the Santa Monica Pier!

Here are three great pictures from our day:

Silver Lake

Last night I ventured over to east LA to the very hipster and hilly neighborhood, Silver Lake. I had never been there before and was surprised to learn that it is one of the most artsy areas here in LA.

Silver Lake is located east of Hollywood and northwest of Downtown Los Angeles. According to my research, "it's known as an eclectic gathering of hipsters, the creative class and a significant LGBT community." As of the census of 2000, there were 30,972 people living in Silver Lake. It's one of the most socioeconomically and ethnically diverse neighborhoods in LA.

I just found this quote and it totally describes the area perfectly, "Silver Lake has a reputation for it's vibrant bohemian flair combined with a neighborhood atmosphere, and was especially popular in the 1990s for its dynamic community. It is truly a remarkable experience to walk down the main street of Silver Lake and meet the breadth of people and witness such a breathtaking palette of talent."

Here's a few interesting facts about Silver Lake:

• Silver Lake contains some of the most renown modernist architecture in the US. Well known architect Richard Neutra has designed many homes and various other buildings all over.
• In the 1930's, Walt Disney built his first large studio here. For this reason, Silver Lake is sometimes referred to as the birthplace of Mickey Mouse and the other characters in the Disney gang.
  
• Many popular films have been produced by Mack Sennett Studios which is located in Silver Lake.
  
• Since the 1990's, Silver Lake has become the center of the alternative and indie rock scene in LA. Two major street music festivals take place here every year, the Silver Lake Jubilee held in May and the Sunset Junction Street Fair held in August. Both attract top musicians.
  
• At the center of the district is the magnificent Silver Lake Reservoir. While it is beautiful, builders have been wanting to tear it down for years.
  

My Chateau Marmont Experience

Last night I had dinner at the renown Chateau Marmont. Built in 1927, it is one of the oldest establishments on the strip. Originally, it was an apartment building but high rents and the Depression kept people away so it was converted into a hotel. Numerous songs have been written in it and several films have been shot there making this hotel quite the historic landmark here in LA. The Chateau is located on the infamous Sunset Strip, up a little slope from it. Thankfully, I've driven past it enough to know exactly where it was.

There was a pretty intense scene just in front of the hotel! There's even a list to valet-you have to have a dinner reservation to even park there! There isn't a ton of parking around it so valeting is really the only logical thing to do. If I was smarter I think that I would have investigated the parking garages around the Strip and seen how far they were from it. Oh well.. next time. I know for sure that I definitely DO NOT want to ever pay $28 for valeting again! UGH!! I about choked when I got my car at the end of the night and the guy told me that! Gotta love my expensive city, right?

Unfortunately, my friends that I was meeting there for dinner were about an hour late and I was 30 minutes early. So how long did I wait? You do the math. Needless to say, several people who worked there asked me if I was ok a few times-kinda embarrassing! At least they were being attentive. This did give me plenty of time to think about future blog posts and of course lots of people watching.

When I googled the Chateau Marmont, a million celeb faces appeared. Apparently, the celebs love this spot. Ok, so you are all probably wondering if I happened to see anyone last night? Well, yes, we saw a few... While I was waiting (ahem!) I believe that I saw Courtney Love wandering around the lobby. I thought so at the time but didn't think she would be alone and so quiet so I put it out of my mind...but then hours later during dinner, I overheard a group of men talking about her as they walked into the restaurant. So, you tell me? : ) Next, at the end of the night as we were getting our cars, in the span of like 10 seconds, we saw Chris Noth aka Mr. Big from Sex and the City and then Michael Lohan, Lindsay Lohan's dad! Crazy, right? So, yeah, it's safe to say that celebs enjoy this hang out. : )

Alright, so I've told you about the celeb sightings and the pricey parking but I haven't even told you about the Chateau Marmont itself.

I found the following quote on the hotel website and I think it sums up the experience pretty well:

"Arriving at Chateau Marmont you surrender yourself to a grandi-loquent environment, an infamous hideaway and the perfect getaway in the center of one of the world's most exciting cities. Modeled after an infamous royal residence in France's Loire Valley, Chateau Marmont is a fantastical folly in the land of make believe. While in residence you become part of a highly discriminating, international clientele desiring an experience at once luxurious and unique. Chateau is the perfect co-conspirator; as Harry Cohn, founder of Columbia Pictures said in 1939, 'If you must get in trouble, do it at the Chateau Marmont.' You can be yourself or, better yet, be whomever you want to be; don't be surprised if your visit brings out your inner Howard Hughes, your Greta Garbo, your Jim Morrison. As public or private as you wish - there are those in residence who are desperate to be seen and others who choose to remain anonymous. The eccentric and highly personal history of the place, its luscious rich past, its tarnished patina are all part of the charm." -A. M Homes

Yes, it's a stylish and yet cozy hotel. Take the dining area for example, I felt like I was in someone's living room rather than a posh hotel.


The food? Well, a good friend who knows I love it recommended the gnoocchi so I had to get that and yes, it was great! I think that everyone else at dinner enjoyed their food too. Despite everything being very good at dinner, the service was pretty awful. I mean, if you are going to spend this much money on a night out, you'd expect the waiters to be super meticulous about your entire experience. This was not the case. If you remember in a previous post, I talked about my dinner at Mastro's Steakhouse and how amazing the dinner and the service were together. It was an expensive dinner but the food and the waiters were incredible. I'm totally willing to pay for a pricey meal here and there if it's deserved.

All in all, it was a lovely night and I am so happy that I got to see my dear friend Tracy who is in town for work with her sweet boss, who also joined us for dinner.

Here we are after the meal at a bar, The Den, which is just across from the Chateau Marmont.


So, have any of you been to the Chateau Marmont?

"Only in LA"

Only in LA (and NY too) will just about everyone at your dinner table not be working at a job that they actually want. It's pretty safe to say that most of them really want to be writers, actors, musicians, directors, producers, singers, comediennes or another profession in the entertainment world. I totally get it though, this is LA, this the hub of that business so who can blame these people for living here and pursuing their 'American Dream'. I don't know about you but I think it takes immense courage to leave wherever you are from and break into an entirely different career path in hopes of achieving your aspirations.

Tonight's dinner was a perfect example of this. Four out of the seven people at dinner wanted different jobs in the entertainment business. It got me thinking about this city and what we are all doing here. Why are we living in this crazy town full of awful traffic, way too many people, expensive gas prices among other pricey items. Well, there's the amazing weather pretty much year round, the incredible beaches, the cool and laid back vibe, the big homes, lots of interesting Hollywood and musical historical landmarks, awesome shopping and much much more that I've yet to discover.

So, what do you LOVE about your city?

Here are some awesome LA quotes that I've been collecting since I moved here:

"The difference between Los Angeles and yogurt is that yogurt comes with less fruit." - Rush Limbaugh

"You can have a laugh in Los Angeles, or you can weep in Los Angeles, depending on your attitude towards it." - Miranda Richardson

"I love Los Angeles. It reinvents itself every two days." - Billy Connolly

"Los Angeles is a constellation of plastic." - Norman Mailer

"Fall is my favorite season in Los Angeles, watching the birds change color and fall from the trees." - David Letterman

"Los Angeles is just New York lying down." - Quentin Crisp

"We live in Los Angeles, where you are expected to move every two to four years, so people can see how well your career is going." - Rita Rudner

"Los Angeles is seventy-two suburbs in search of a city." - Dorothy Parker

"The final story, the final chapter of western man, I believe, lies in Los Angeles." - Phil Ochs

"In Los Angeles, everyone is a star." - Denzel Washington

"Los Angeles makes the rest of California seem authentic." - Jonathan Culler

"In Los Angeles, it's like they jog for two hours a day and then they think they're morally right. That's when you want to choke people, you know?" - Liam Neeson

"Los Angeles is a microcosm of the United States. If L.A. falls, the country falls." - Ice T

"So, I live in Los Angeles, and it's kind of a goofy place. They have an airport named after John Wayne. That ought to explain it. It has a charming kind of superstitious innocence." - George Carlin

"In Los Angeles, by the time you're thirty-five, you're older than most of the buildings." - Delia Ephron

"When it's 100 degrees in New York, it's 72 in Los Angeles. When it's 30 degrees in New York, in Los Angeles it's still 72. However, there are 6-million interesting people in New York, and 72 in Los Angeles." - Neil Simon

Quick thought

Just a quick thought for the day:

Watching movies and shows that take place in LA are so neat now. I know this may make me sound like a big dork but I think it's fun to now watch them and know exactly what area the actors are in or talking about. It's even cooler now that I'm getting to know this city better.

A couple weekends ago, I met up with an old high school friend that I hadn't seen in 12 years and I drove her around West Hollywood, the Sunset Strip and into parts of Beverly Hills. The best part about it was that I didn't really use my navigation system at all. I was able to figure out where we were and where we going all on my own! Yay! Go me! And to think I thought I would never get the hang of this city back when I first moved here. Thank goodness that isn't the case anymore.

Movies & West Hollywood

I love going to the movies. It was always one of my family's favorite things to do during the summers. My mom and I would usually see like every movie out and then my dad would join us for the one or two that he wanted to see in the theater. We didn't even need to get candy or popcorn. We just enjoyed seeing a possibly good movie on the big screen. I have certainly continued the movie-watching tradition with my sister and of course with many friends.

So, today I saw Inception at the Grove with an old friend from college. I know this is definitely not a movie blog at all so I won't begin to discuss this movie at all but I will say that I really have fun at movies like this that actually make me think and even question my own reality a little bit. It was a bit complicated at times but for the most part, I felt like I was totally able to follow along.

After the movie, I took a little drive into West Hollywood. I was actually looking for a Whole Foods grocery store but then ended up taking the long route to get there. Let me just say that West Hollywood is such a cute area and I really would like to spend more time there.

Here are a few interesting facts I just learned about the area:

-In 1985, West Hollywood was the first city to create a same gender domestic partnership registration for its residents, as well as to offer same gender domestic partner benefits for all city employees. Woo hoo!

-City legislation bans the sale of handguns, prohibits smoking in public places, and restricts the city from doing business directly or indirectly (via vendors) with any country known to violate human rights.

-West Hollywood is one of 19 cities in California that has banned the use of gas-powered leaf-blowers.

-This area is the home of about 1,000 dogs per square mile. The city designed a law that pets are to be called "companions" and their owners "guardians" and was the first city in the country to outlaw the de-clawing of cats.

-Because of the large population of homosexuals and the large numbers of same-sex-oriented businesses, West Hollywood became prominently known as a "gay village". The section of Santa Monica Boulevard from La Cienega Blvd. to Robertson Blvd., known as "boys' town," is among the most popular gay neighborhoods in the world, with numerous well-known spots such as the nightclubs Micky's and Rage, and newer bars/restaurants such as Eleven and East|West Lounge.

-West Hollywood, with a homosexual population of about 41% of its total population, has been disproportionately affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic which has ravaged its male homosexual population since the early 1980s. This is very sad and is exactly why I am running my Half Marathon in September.

Hollywood Sign

So, even though my sister, Tonya is all the way in New Caledonia right now with her family, she still somehow manages to send me an idea for a topic to blog about! Wow! Gotta love that!

The Hollywood sign will forever hold a special place in my heart and I can’t help but feel a little excited every time I see it. Fortunately, I do not have to go too far to get a good view of it. It is certainly a top priority of things to see for visitors. I don’t know what it is exactly but that one sign holds so much promise and possibility for the future. I also find the general history of the sign very interesting.

The Hollywood Sign is truly one of the most famous landmarks and certainly is the renown in the Hollywood Hills area. It was created as an advertisement in 1923 to promote a new housing development in the hills. The sign was officially dedicated on July 13th, 1923. Originally, each letter of the sign was 30 feet wide and 50 feet high and was studded with about 4000 light bulbs. The sign also first read HOLLYWOODLAND. Sadly, not long after the dedication, in September 1932, Broadway actress Peg Entwisle committed suicide by jumping to her death from the letter H. How awful, right?!

After the rise of American cinema in LA, the sign became an internationally recognized symbol, and was left up. The sign became a frequent target of pranks and vandalism and underwent a lot of restoration, including a security system to deter vandalism. The sign is protected and promoted by the Hollywood Sign Trust, a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to physically maintain, repair and secure the sign, to educate the world about its historical and cultural importance, and to raise the funds necessary to accomplish these projects.

The sign makes frequent appearances in popular culture, particularly in establishing shots for films and television programs set in or around Hollywood. During the early 1940s, Albert Kothe (the sign's official caretaker) caused an accident that destroyed the letter H, as seen in many historical pictures. While Kothe was driving drunk, he lost control of his car and drove off the cliff behind the H, destroying it completely. In 1949 the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce began a contract with the City of Los Angeles Parks Department to repair and rebuild the sign. The contract stipulated that "LAND" be removed to spell "Hollywood" and reflect the district, not the "Hollywoodland" housing development. The Parks Department dictated that all subsequent illumination would be at the cost of the Chamber, so the Chamber opted not to replace the light bulbs. The 1949 effort gave it new life, but the sign's unprotected wood and sheet metal structure continued to deteriorate. Eventually the first O splintered and broke, resembling a lowercase u, and the third O fell down completely, leaving the severely dilapidated sign reading "HuLLYWO D".

In 1978, in large part because of the public campaign to restore the landmark by rocker Alice Cooper (who donated the missing O), the Chamber set out to replace the intensely deteriorated sign with a more permanent structure. Nine donors gave US$27,777 each (totaling US$250,000) to sponsor replacement letters made of steel, guaranteed to last for many years. The new letters were 45 feet (14 m) tall and ranged from 31 to 39 feet (9.4 to 12 m) wide. The new version of the sign was unveiled on Hollywood's 75th anniversary, 14 November 1978, before a live television audience of 60 million people. Refurbishment, donated by Bay Cal Commercial Painting, began again in November 2005, as workers stripped the letters back to their metal base and repainted them white. Also in 2005, the original 1923 sign was put up for sale on eBay by producer/entrepreneur Dan Bliss.

This brings us up to date to just this week’s new developments. Thanks to Hugh Hefner and many other donors who have contributed to keep the property that houses the iconic Hollywood sign out of developers' hands. Hefner donated $900,000 and brought the final tally to $12.5 million, enough to protect the 138 acres of land. "My childhood dreams and fantasies came from the movies, and the images created in Hollywood had a major influence on my life and Playboy," Hef says. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger adds: "It's a symbol of dreams and opportunity. The Hollywood sign will welcome dreamers, artists and Austrian bodybuilders for generations to come. I did what the Terminator was supposed to do, and that was to jump into action." I am glad that the Hollywood Sign will be around for many many more generations to enjoy.