Exploring the people, places & culture of greater LA
Throughout the year Laguna Beach art galleries and lodging establishments, along with the city itself, team up to host the First Thursdays Art Walk, which takes place, not surprisingly, on the first Thursday of every month. The self-guided tour is free to the public and a great way to spend a summer evening exploring Laguna’s thriving art scene.
Today marks the start of the Los Angeles Design Festival (LADF), which celebrates the greater LA region’s status as a global design capital. The LADF’s events, featuring local and international design talent, are located all over Los Angeles in venues that range from the Los Angeles Convention Center to small design showrooms.
On Wednesday night I attended a screening of Captain Blood, the classic Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland film released in 1935 by Warner Bros. and directed by Michael Curtiz. This was the third of six motion pictures that make up the Los Angeles Conservancy’s annual program called Last Remaining Seats. Now in its 25th year, this unique event celebrates classic films and live entertainment in LA’s historic theaters.
In March my wife and I ventured out in one of those rare southern California downpours to participate in the Old Pasadena Food Tasting Tour run by Melting Pot Tours. Despite the rain, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and looked forward to participating in another tour hosted by the same company. Little did I know an opportunity would present itself so soon.
Tour companies that take you to conventional, well known LA area destinations such as Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Rodeo Drive, 3rd Street Promenade and Universal City, just to name a few, are a dime a dozen. While there is nothing wrong with any of those attractions and I enjoy visiting them myself, there is so much more to greater Los Angeles than those popular sites. You just have to know where to look and who to spend some time with to gain a more nuanced appreciation for the city and its environs.
With Los Angeles expecting mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the upper sixties tomorrow, what better way to spend your Sunday than getting outdoors, connecting with the greater LA community and taking a break from the traffic related stress that so many of us experience everyday. You can do just that with thousands of other Angelenos by participating in CicLAvia, an event that “opens LA streets to pedestrians and bicyclists, creating a temporary web of public space on which residents of Los Angeles can walk, bike, socialize, celebrate and learn more about their own city.”
If you missed the last de LaB event, which was held at LACE in Hollywood, now is your chance to head south (but still east of La Brea) and join the group for another special event. This weekend, they’ve planned a visit with (fer) studio, the architects behind Father’s Office in Culver City and Zen Zoo in Hollywood. (fer) studio is currently working on a revitalization plan for Inglewood’s underutilized Market Street. The master plan centers on a proposed MTA stop and explores the possibility of an urban agriculture zone, adaptive re-use zoning, and a green belt and water reservoir.
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