That one of L.A.’s most prominent landmarks is perhaps most prominent because of a movie says a lot about L.A.  Way before I had ever been to Los Angeles, heard the term “Art Deco,” or knew the significance of the Griffith Observatory, it was embedded in my consciousness due to the 1955 film “Rebel Without a Cause.”  The Griffith is one of the movie’s “stars,” from the famous knife fight involving James Dean outside and planetarium-watching inside early on, to Sal Mineo‘s death scene at the end.

But after moving here, I discovered that the Griffith Observatory is the Swiss Army Knife of Los Angeles landmarks.  It has numerous uses, and appeals to people for different reasons beyond its starring role in “Rebel” (and its lesser role in “The Terminator“):

1.  The Architecture

In a city full of art deco designs, the Griffith is perhaps the standout.  That may be because the gleaming three-domed concrete building literally stands out, maybe more than any structure in Los Angeles save for the Hollywood sign.  It has been called “the hood ornament of Los Angeles,” an apt term for our car-obsessed city.  The Griffith, constructed during the Great Depression and formally opened to the public in 1935, can be approached and explored from many angles.  As often happens with art deco structures, I discover some new detail — a nook, carving, door, or viewing perspective — every time I go.  Last time I was there, after our fabulous Donut Summit, I hiked on the trails around the Griffith and enjoyed seeing it from a distance as well.

2.  The Planetarium and Telescope

The Griffith is, after all, an observatory, and many schoolchildren are taken there primarily for this purpose.  The Observatory was closed for renovations, including an underground expansion, in 2002 and reopened in early November 2006, coincidentally, just a few days before I arrived here.  Now it is as popular as ever, with its renamed Samuel Oschin Planetarium redone with state-of-the-art projectors and equipment.  A nifty, industrial-design cafe was added during the redo, subtly sunken below grade on the side, with a long terrace outside.  I happen to think the cafe is a tasteful and tasty addition to the Observatory.

3.  The View

It is perfectly rational to come to the Griffith and not set foot inside.  In addition to the architecture, the views from the Griffith are captivating.  I didn’t realize that L.A. had several separated clusters of tall buildings (downtown, Century City, Wilshire Corridor) until I viewed them from the Griffith.  But then turn in another direction, and you’ll see modern and classic Spanish style homes, Jacaranda trees (depending on the time of year), and usually arid hills that dominate this part of the city.  And of course, the Hollywood sign.  Turn a few degrees more, and, on a clear day, you’ll see the ocean.

I would also be remiss in not mentioning that the Griffith Observatory is nestled near the edge of the fabulous, 3,000 acre Griffith Park.  From picnicking (and Donut Summiteering) to the Greek Theater to the hiking trails, one can easily branch out from the Observatory to enjoy its surroundings.

4.  The Democracy

As befits an important city landmark, admission to the Griffith and surrounding park is free.  Parking is free.  Telescope viewing at night is free.  The planetarium will set you back, but not very much.  On any given day, you’re likely to find a mixture of locals, tourists, schoolchildren on field trips, and a tv actor walking his Great Dane (although you’ll have to be there with someone else, as I was, who has the radar to spot these stars under their baseball caps).  Folks I know enjoy the place at twilight, for hiking or picnics and drinks under the emerging stars.

Ultimately, then, what is so appealing to me about the Griffith Observatory is its versatility.  Angelenos and tourists alike can go to this magical-looking place, named after the fantastically named Griffith Griffith and located on top of the appropriately named Mount Hollywood, to pursue their own wishes, from architectural exploration to hiking to viewing the city from above to star-gazing, both celestial and celluloid.  What could be more L.A. than that?

(See the rest of the “L.A.’s Greatest Landmarks” series here)

The Footprints. Everyone knows about the famous Footprints. Black and white memories of smiling stars in tuxedos signing their names in concrete after ruining a pair of shoes worth a weeks wages to most people.

Those footprints are part of some people’s Hollywood Dream.

The first time I was lucky enough to see a movie at Grauman’s, it was for a 20th Anniversary showing of the original theatrical release of Star Wars. This was before those dreadful Prequels, and some months, even, before the release of the newer re-edited versions.

While there were several showings, my friends and I were only able to procure tickets for a showing at around 7:30AM, all others were sold out. I pointed out that 20 years earlier, when we were all in Grade school, if we could have convinced our parents to take us to see Star Wars at 7:30 in the morning, we certainly would have.

It remains one of my favorite places to see a film.

The third of failed gold prospector Sid Grauman’s famous L.A. theatres, it’s success dwarfed even that of The Egyptian, which was a phenomenom at the time. Between the two, many think Grauman is at least partially responsible for bringing L.A.’s entertainment district to Hollywood from Downtown in the mid ’20′s.

The theatres were certainly cornerstones in the revitalization of Hollywood later, in the first part of the new Millennium, as I can personally attest. I first moved to the middle of Hollywood in the late nineties, and it was, how shall I put this delicately, a shithole. Tourists would show up looking for bright lights and find abject squalor. When the decision was made to revitalize Hollywood, they began with Grauman’s two most famed venues.

First the Egyptian, which had fallen into disrepair, was sold by the city for the nominal fee of one dollar to The American Cinematheque, under the condition that they restore it to its former glory and open it as a theatre once again. As their whole gig is the preservation and display of film, that worked out pretty well.

Shortly thereafter, work began on the Hollywood and Highland mall, which was not only to include a theatre for the express purpose of hosting the Oscars, (The Kodak) but to envelop and restore The Chinese theatre. The mall has since, in a remarkably short time, become a legitimate landmark in its own right. (A fact, as my fellow bloggers may later point out, I was somewhat reluctant to admit. I have, however, been proven wrong, and I’m not above admitting so. HiHo’s a Landmark. I’m at peace with that.)

But that’s a story for another time…

One last thing:
My favorite set of footprints? Humphrey Bogart.
Next to his prints he wrote, “Sid, may you live forever, until I kill you.”
Gotta love Bogart.

Among the awesomest things Canada has produced are our own Alexandra, Janna, and Tara (the latter whom we’ve loaned to Paris for the nonce) and, yes, Tokyo Police Club. I admit I’m a sucker for edgy pop music in the vein of The Strokes, but seriously, what’s not to like here? Tokyo Police Club‘s music is relentlessly catchy sing-in-the-car-on-the-way-to-work stuff played by adorable boys all of whom are under 25. I like ‘em. And apparently, you do too because Thursday’s show with Freelance Whales and Arkells at the El Rey is sold out. Fear not, though because we can hook you up. Oh yes, I’ve got a pair for some lucky (randomly selected) Blogging LA reader. Just leave a comment below beseaching me and I’ll pick one of y’all randomly because you know it’s been too long since you’ve been to a show chock-a-block full of scruffy tattooed boys in skinny jeans.

Just look at these guys. How Canadian! How cute!

I’ve mentioned numerous times that my favorite non-profit in Los Angeles is 826LA. They do great work there, but as I’ve discussed it previously, I’ll let you research all the good stuff they do on your own. Suffice to say, I think you should support them and get involved with helping, too.

Toward that end, I’d like to tell you about your opportunity to support, get involved, and have a good deal of fun while you’re doing it. Get in on the action at A Spelling Bee For Cheaters.

For participants, A Spelling Bee For Cheaters is exactly what it purports to be. Teams raise money for 826LA. The more they raise, the more “cheats” they can earn for use in the bee. If you’re looking for a lower level of involvement, you can donate to a team that has already been established and purchase a spectator ticket to see the bee live. This year’s featured cheaters will include (among others): Dave Eggers, Spike Jonze, Jimmy Kimmel, Laraine Newman, and Dianna Agron.

What: 826LA’s A Spelling Bee For Cheaters.
When: Saturday, August 14, 2010. 2:00pm.
Where: Lincoln Middle School, 1501 California Ave., Santa Monica.
Why: It’s a ton of fun, and supports a great cause.

If you’re a word nerd (like me,) a good cheater (like me,) or just looking for a fun, unusual way to spend your Saturday afternoon (like me,) get your tickets now for 826LA’s A Spelling Bee For Cheaters.

Sunset Boulevard…. The day I landed in Hollywood, just seeing the sign on the street sparked visions of entertainment, glamor and  fame. I was a very impressionable 20 year old filmmaker and I was  absolutely in love with this city.  Sunset Boulevard was smack dab in the middle of where I wanted to be.

It had it all:  Fame, celebrity, wild nights where anything could happen, gritty rock n’ roll… yes and sex, drugs and and and….yet there was also a dignity about it’s winding streets that led to the ocean.  It could be a lady and get dirty too.  I liked that.

So I rented a charming bungalow  just off the Strip in West Hollywood so that maybe, just maybe, some of all’ that’ could rub off on me.

And some of it did.  But like all fascinating women, (and Sunset Boulevard seems to me to be female in form) beneath the facade and glitzy make-up, lies her true depth and meaning..  Meandering 24 miles throughout a good part of Los Angeles, Sunset Boulevard is much more than the strip!

Put the top down, or at least open your windows for this part of the ride….

It all starts at the Pacific Ocean, giving you a taste of the wildness, of nature… and of the newly redone Gladstone’s Fish.  The boulevard winds up from the sand through the Pacific Palisades, past Will Rogers State Park, which by the way, was where Will Rogers lived in the 30′s.  He pretty much owned all of Pacific Palisades.  Eucualyptus sways in the breeze, and if it’s a Sunday between April and October, you can picnic in the park and watch the Polo players stampede around on their horses.

As we glide through Bel-Air, Century City and into Beverly Hills, Sunset Boulevard gets slightly more urbane.  We’re in the city now, granted a ritzy part of it, but we’ve arrived.  The Beverly Hills Hotel sits off it like an icon.  The pool and the Polo lounge a hot bed of industry activity back in the day and it’s not so shabby now, either.  Perfect martini’s.  And the Coffee Shop is not so bad either!  The “Hotel” as it’s called by locals, was the album cover and muse for the Eagles, “Hotel California”.

Meandering east on this winding road, we hit West Hollywood.  this mile and a half strip is home to the infamous Roxy, Whiskey A-Go-Go (now just the Whiskey) and the Viper Room. Best experienced at night, the lights beckon with promise of music.  The club legacy of this area goes way back, first to underground speakeasy’s in the 20′s then in the 30′s it was home to The Trocadero and Ciro’s, watering holes of Hollywood’s finest.  By the sixties she had gotten a bit down on her heels, but that suited the defiant rock and rollers just fine.  The Doors, Joni Mitchell, Van Halen… all played at the Whiskey.  It got it’s name when a DJ danced behind some bars and the patrons thought it was part of the act…. sexy go-go dancers were born and the rest is history!  Sunset Boulevard reflected the hippies of that era… and the boulevard seems to do that over and over.  Capturing what is happening on the street, defining a moment.

Sunset Boulevard then weaves into Hollywood proper, where the traffic usually gets a little more congested.  As a street, if you hit it just right, Sunset is wonderful.  You can sometimes whizz across town in a heartbeat.  Just not in rush hour traffic.

Sunset and Vine is the famous street corner, and with all the new clubs, restaurants, condos and boutiques now in Hollywood, it’s hot.  The Arclight is on one corner, the ONLY place to see a movie in my opinion and right across the street is “The Hungry Cat”.  One of the consistently best spots for a fabulous drink and some perfect eats.  Always a winner.  If you love music, Amoeba records is right there… and DJ’s beware, you can definitely get lost in there!

As the boulevard moves on, Silverlake appears, hot, hungry and forever cutting edge.  Sunset Junction is where Sunset and Santa Monica join together, and the corner houses Intelligentsia, (okay as much as I wanted to hate them… they DO have the best coffee in LA)  one of the best flower shops in LA, a great cheese store and a french restaurant.

As you wind east, Sunset now officially ends downtown at Figueroa.  It used to extend all the way to Alameda, near Union Station, but was renamed Cesar Chavez Boulevard around ten years ago.

All in all, Sunset Boulevard is a grande old dame.  An icon of Tinseltown, a wonderful working street, it passes through every type of neighborhood giving you a perfect snapshot of LA, now and then.

Every time I drive home from Hollywood through Laurel Canyon, I pass this billboard on Ventura Boulevard that proclaims “AWESOMETOWN: New homes from $200,000.” with pictures of happy running children, a tract home, and a sterile building. And every time I think “Really? Are you serious?” I mean, I understand that “ALL YOU CAN AFFORDTOWN” isn’t a great ad campaign, but AWESOMETOWN?  Forgive me Valencians, but you can’t actually believe this about where you live. What I wonder is this: have the ad people have ever actually been to Valencia? And further: do they believe that Valencia is “awesome” or are they attempting to perpetrate a fraud on the rest of us?

I’ll grant Valencia is home to Cal Arts and Magic Mountain, but apart from those two draws, relative to oh, just about anywhere else in LA County, I’d hardly characterize it as “awesome,” I mean, unless white people, malls, and a town frighteningly evocative of the Truman Show is “awesome” in your book. I’ve always felt like one of the joys of Los Angeles is its messy unplanned nature. The freeway system, viewed from above, looks like a tangle of string or pasta. In any given strip mall you can buy pinatas, shop for Armenian groceries, get a pedicure and have a doughnut, and never have to utter a word of English. LA is random, untidy, and by turns charming and ridiculous. Valencia, on the other hand, is sanitized and sterile. It always makes me feel like I’m in biosphere or Logan’s Run. If I’m there for any period of time, I have to double check my palm to make sure that I don’t have a stone turning black set in the middle of it. I know “I CAN’T WAIT TO GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERETOWN” doesn’t scan very well, but who are you trying to sell houses to by billing yourself this way, Valencia? Twelve year-olds?

As Frazgo so helpfully posted, federal district Chief Justice Vaughn Walker ruled on Wednesday that Proposition 8 was unconstitutional — the first time that such a law was struck down on federal (as opposed to state) grounds.  Briefs were submitted yesterday on the issue of whether California gay couples can get out their tuxes and dresses and party like it was pre-Prop. 8 2008, or if we must wait until all appeals have been exhausted (it may be a year from now before the appeal is even heard) (awesomely, both the state Attorney General and the Governator filed briefs requesting that the state be permitted to marry gay couples (to each other)).  Judge Walker’s opinion is lengthy — all 136 pages of it can be read here — but you don’t need to be a lawyer to get through it and understand how he came to is conclusion.  I pulled a few of the choicest quotes that track his thinking, which I hope makes the decision easier to understand.

FYI – to you lawyer nerds, I’ve omitted all citations and am citing to his opinion non-Bluebook style.  Take that, law journal.

The Basics

The state is interested in … “A state’s interest in an enactment must of course be secular in nature.  The state does not have an interest in enforcing private moral or religious beliefs without an accompanying secular purpose.”  (at 8)

ˈmarij: “Marriage is the state recognition and approval of a couple’s choice to live with each other, to remain committed to one another and to form a household based on their own feelings about one another and to join in an economic partnership and support one another and any dependents.”  (at 67)

Judge Walker’s Findings of Fact (based extensively on the evidence presented at trial)

Why California even cares about ‘marij. “The state has many purposes in licensing and fostering marriage.”  Purposes include: “Facilitating governance and public order by organizing individuals into cohesive family units”; “Developing a realm of liberty, intimacy and free decision-making by spouses”; “Creating stable households”; and “Legitimating children.” (at 67-68).

Why we even care about ‘marij. “States and the federal government channel benefits, rights and responsibilities through marital status.  Marital status affects immigration and citizenship, tax policy, property and inheritance rules and social benefit programs[.]“  (at 68)

Gay people have been here since the beginning of time, so all of you who say being queer is “unnatural” are a little behind in their World Studies class.  We’re on page 2010.  “Same-sex love and intimacy are well-documented in human history.  The concept of an identity based on object desire;that is, whether an individual desires a relationship with someone of the opposite sex (heterosexual), same sex (homosexual) or either sex (bisexual), developed in the late nineteenth century.”  (at 71)

… and gays are here to stay. “Individuals do not generally choose their sexual orientation. No credible evidence supports a finding that an individual may, through conscious decision, therapeutic intervention or any other method, change his or her sexual orientation.”  (at 74)

Gays are just like straights!  I know, this is why many straight people are scared of the gays.  Fear of the self is very confusing.

“Same-sex couples are identical to opposite-sex couples in the characteristics relevant to the ability to form successful marital unions.  Like opposite-sex couples, same-sex couples have happy, satisfying relationships and form deep emotional bonds and strong commitments to their partners.  Standardized measures of relationship satisfaction, relationship adjustment and love do not differ depending on whether a couple is same-sex or opposite-sex.” (at 79)

[^^ I guess that had to be said, officially and judiciously.]

Separate.  Not equal.

“Proposition 8 places the force of law behind stigmas against gays and lesbians, including: gays and lesbians do not have intimate relationships similar to heterosexual couples; gays and lesbians are not as good as heterosexuals; and gay and lesbian relationships do not deserve the full recognition of society.”  (at 85)

The campaign against Prop. 8 failed, but the campaign to support it failed even more. “The Proposition 8 campaign relied on fears that children exposed to the concept of same-sex marriage may become gay or lesbian.  The reason children need to be protected from same-sex marriage was never articulated in official campaign advertisements.  Nevertheless, the advertisements insinuated that learning about same-sex marriage could make a child gay or lesbian and that parents should dread having a gay or lesbian child.”  (at 105)

Judge Walker’s Conclusions of Law

Due Process. “Due process protects individuals against arbitrary governmental intrusion into life, liberty or property.” (at 109)

[Background: Under a long line of Supreme Court cases, the individual freedom to marry is considered a fundamental right protected by the Due Process clause of the U.S. Constitution.  The Due Process issue in the Prop. 8 case was whether gay couples who wished to get married were seeking to exercise their individual (and fundamental) rights to marry (which then would be protected under the Due Process clause), or whether they were seeking to create a new right (which would not necessarily be protected under the clause).]

Anyway you slice it, you’re comparing apples to apples. “To characterize plaintiffs’ objective as ‘the right to same-sex marriage’ would suggest that plaintiffs seek something different from what opposite-sex couples across the state enjoy —— namely, marriage.  Rather, plaintiffs ask California to recognize their relationships for what they are: marriages.” (at 114)

“California has created two separate and parallel institutions to provide couples with essentially the same rights and obligations. … domestic partnerships are distinct from marriage and do not provide the same social meaning as marriage.  [D]omestic partnerships were created specifically so that California could offer same-sex couples rights and benefits while explicitly withholding marriage from same-sex couples. …   The record reflects that marriage is a culturally superior [social] status compared to a domestic partnership.  California does not meet its due process obligation to allow plaintiffs to marry by offering them a substitute and inferior institution that denies marriage to same-sex couples.“  (at 116) (emphasis added)

Tyranny of the majority sucks.

You also have a right to equal protection of the laws

[Background: Under the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, no state can deny its citizen equal protection of its laws.  However, laws often do create certain classes of people and treat the classes differently -  for example, for purposes of being able to buy alcohol, the law distinguishes between those under 21 and those 21 and over.  If the law's classification scheme calls out individuals in a "suspect class" -  a group of people historically discriminated against - the state's interest in enacting the law must be "compelling."  The court will take a narrow reading of the law to balance the state's interest with the constitutional rights of the suspect class members.  The court engages in the same type of "strict scrutiny" analysis if the law affects a "fundamental right" like the right to marry (see above).

On the other hand, if the law does not affect a suspect class or a fundamental right, it will be upheld so long as it is rationally related to some legitimate state interest.  Judge Walker, having determined that the fundamental right to marry was on the line, could have - but did not - analyze Prop. 8 using the strict scrutiny analysis.  Instead, the bulk of his opinion here is that Prop. 8 violates the Equal Protection clause because it does not even survive the considerably more lenient rational basis test.]

On the argument that Prop. 8 is rationally tied to the state’s interest in “reserving” marriage as a union between a man and a woman:  No.  You make reservations at a restaurant, not at the altar. “The evidence shows that the tradition of restricting an individual’s choice of spouse based on gender does not rationally further a state interest despite its ‘ancient lineage.’ Instead, the evidence shows that the tradition of gender restrictions arose when spouses were legally required to adhere to specific gender roles. … Proposition 8 thus enshrines in the California Constitution a gender restriction that the evidence shows to be nothing more than an artifact of a foregone notion that men and women fulfill different roles in civic life.”  (at 124)

On the argument that Prop. 8 is rationally tied to the state’s interest in promoting opposite-sex parenting over same-sex parenting:  No.  Regardless of whether the parents are gay or straight, their children likely will have issues that will have to be worked out in future therapy sessions. “Indeed, the evidence shows beyond any doubt that parents’ genders are irrelevant to children’s developmental outcomes.  Moreover, Proposition 8 has nothing to do with children, as Proposition 8 simply prevents same-sex couples from marrying.”  (at 127)

“Proponents argue Proposition 8 advances a state interest in encouraging the formation of stable households.  Instead, the evidence shows that Proposition 8 undermines that state interest, because same-sex households have become less stable by the passage of Proposition 8.  The inability to marry denies same-sex couples the benefits, including stability, attendant to marriage.”  (at 128)

On the argument that Prop. 8 was rationally tied to the state’s interest in protecting the rights of those who oppose same sex marriage: No. Hey, I don’t approve of straight marriage, but you don’t see me trying to pass  a law against it.    “To the extent proponents argue that one of the rights of those morally opposed to same-sex unions is the right to prevent same-sex couples from marrying, [...] those individuals’ moral views are an insufficient basis upon which to enact a legislative classification.”  (at 130)

Fine, hate us, but stop projecting already. “In the absence of a rational basis, what remains of proponents’ case is an inference, amply supported by evidence in the record, that Proposition 8 was premised on the belief that same-sex couples simply are not as good as opposite-sex couples.  Whether that belief is based on moral disapproval of homosexuality, animus towards gays and lesbians or simply a belief that a relationship between a man and a woman is inherently better than a relationship between two men or two women, this belief is not a proper basis on which to legislate.  See Palmore v Sidoti, 466 US 429, 433(1984) (“[T]he Constitution cannot control [private biases] but neither can it tolerate them.”)” (at 132)

Huzzah!!

“Because California has no interest in discriminating against gay men and lesbians, and because Proposition 8 prevents California from fulfilling its constitutional obligation to provide marriages on an equal basis,the court concludes that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.” (at 135)

(watch the video that this parodies here)

Every city has its landmarks. Some are well-known, others hidden. They can be awe-inspiring or, in some cases, a downright embarrassment to the residents. Los Angeles is no exception and is home to countless buildings, monuments, signs, parks, streets, etc. that define the landscape.

Starting next Monday, August 9th, the authors of blogging.la will begin exploring L.A.’s great, unique landmarks. As with our previous series Songs About Los Angeles and L.A. Plays Itself In The Movies, we will give a personal perspective on the meaning and greatness of the landmarks we’ve chosen.

You very well may disagree with something we include being deemed “great” or even a landmark. And yes, there are many, many, many fantastic and iconic L.A. landmarks that won’t be included in this round of posts. We encourage you to let us know what you think we missed and are looking forward to your input!

Links to posts in this series:

Sunset Boulevard (Tammara)

Grauman’s Chinese Theatre (RobNoxious)

Griffith Observatory (Matt Mason)

The Rose Bowl (Frazgo)

Randy’s Donuts (Alexandra Apolloni)

Olvera Street (Kevin Ott)

Hollywood and Highland (Travis Koplow)

Bob’s Big Boy (Jodi Kurland)

Union Station (Julia Frey)

Walt Disney Concert Hall (Joz)

Venice Beach (Matt Mason)

The Hollywood Walk of Fame (Queequeg)

Angels Flight (Janna Smith)

Farmer’s Market (Kevin Ott)

The Capitol Records Building (Alexandra Apolloni)

The La Brea Tar Pits (RobNoxious)

Watts Towers (Travis Koplow)

Colorado Street Bridge (Frazgo)

Rodeo Drive (Janna Smith)

The Hollywood Bowl (Burns!)

Flashback Edition: Angelyne (Julia Frey)

Chateau Marmont (Tammara)

The Hollywood Sign (RobNoxious)

The votes are trickling in and currently The Smokehouse is in the lead by far!

Classic Eats #12 is on August 21. The poll will stay open until Monday August 16.

Click here to get to the poll.

The three awesome options are:

Burbank Bonanza: The Smokehouse

The Smokehouse has been nestled in Burbank since 1946, serving the likes of  Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Errol Flynn, Judy Garland, Milton Berle, and Jack Parr. Located right across the street from Warner Bros. Studios, you never know who you might see there. Captain and Tenille were discovered there — need I say more?? The Smokehouse is also famous for their garlic bread – okay twist my arm, I’ll orders some. BONUS: On Saturdays from 4-6pm you get 25% off any item on their regular dinner menu. I don’t have a second location for this event, so if anyone can chime in for a follow up spot, local to Burbank and in any way Classic, I’m in!

The Smokehouse
4420 West Lakeside Drive
Burbank 91505

LAX Adjacent: Pann’s and The Buggy Whip

If you’ve raced to catch a plane, speeding along La Tijera from mid-city, you’ve seen both Pann’s and The Buggy Whip. Maybe you’ve promised yourself “One of these days I’ll leave enough time to stop in.” Now’s your chance! Pann’s has been a Googie landmark and family owned since 1958. They’ve got excellent, classic diner food, served in an excellent, classic diner. It’s so classic that movies shoot there often. You may recall Pulp Fiction’s diner scene…?? That was Pann’s. Just look at all that Googie Goodness! The Buggy Whip is a classic red velvet booth, live piano player, bar/lounge/restaurant/banquet room all in one. It’s been named one of the best steak places in LA and is a bit pricey to prove it. I thought it best to start at Pann’s then mosey over to the ‘Whip for a post dinner cocktail or dessert in the lounge. I’m hoping there is a giant brandy snifter on the piano for tips…

Pann’s
6710 La Tijera Blvd
LA 90045
323-776-3770

The Buggy Whip
7420 La Tijera Blvd.
LA 90045
(310) 645-7131

Off The Hook: Bahooka

This might be a trek for some of you, but hey, it’s going to be so worth it! This place is INSANE! Born in 1967, full of fish tanks and fish of every color and type and size, wacky giant sized tikis and even crazier flaming drinks. I’d never heard about it until recently, but dang, it looks worth the trip! I can’t do it justice. Click that link!

Bahooka
4501 N. Rosemead Blvd.
Rosemead, CA 91770
(626) 285-1241 -or- (626) 285-7514

This weekend: new mall openings; food (of course); and Tetris.  Don’t get too excited now.

Today: If you weren’t one of the first 500 people who received free gift cards and/or Mickey Mouse ears at Santa Monica Place this morning, don’t fret: the festivities celebrating the outdoor mall’s grand opening continues all weekend long, including Jason Bentley’s DJ set from 5-7pm on the rooftop Dining Deck.

If you’re not on the Westside in the evening, head to the Zoo.  Yes, the Zoo.  You see, while the Natural History Museum has music-infused First Fridays in its hall of dead animals, the Zoo does the museum one better and has an indie rock music set amongst live animals in cages.  Music in the Zoo runs from 6 to 9pm and will feature one of my favorite bands, Voxhaul Broadcast, as well as The Happy Hollows.  Tickets are $12.50-$16.50 depending on whether you are a Zoo member.

Saturday: The LA Street Food Fest just two weeks ago, so surely you’ve had enough time to recuperate for Saturday’s Second Annual Korean BBQ Cook-Off on the rooftop of the 3600 Wilshire Building in Koreatown from noon to 8pm.  A number of Korean BBQ restaurants and joints, including my favorite, Park’s BBQ, will be on hand to grill up some bulgogi and kalbi and other delicious Korean BBQ.  By way of entertainment, you can watch Jonathan Gold, Ludo Lefebvre, and Sandra Oh judge the pitmasters during the 5pm cook-off.  Entrance is free; plates of food are $5 each, not to mention the requisite food trucks that also will be in attendance.

You probably will need something sweet after all that BBQ, so hit up SusieCakes – one of the best bakeries we have – to celebrate its fourth year. The first 100 customers between 1 and 4 will receive a free box of four mini cupcakes; there will be temporary tattoos (of course); and – best part – retro pricing.  We’re talking 40 cent cookies, people.  SusieCakes has six locations between SoCal and NorCal; the closest one to you probably is Brentwood or Manhattan Beach.

If Louisiana crawfish is more your style, check out Long Beach’s 17th Annual (17!!) Crawfish Festival. It starts Saturday and runs through Sunday; tickets are $13-$35 depending on whether you just want to watch people eat, or whether you want to actually attack 2 or 3 pounds of seafood.  Don’t be shellfish, people, share your buckets!!

Sunday:  Two words.  Tetris.  Championship. “Former Nintendo World Champion and Tetris expert Robin Mihara” brings together the best of the best Tetris players and will pit the gamers against each other before a live audience at the Downtown Independent Theater on Main Street.  Because the only thing worse than the pit in your stomach as you realize the pieces are coming faster than you can handle – it’s like a metaphor for life – is watching the same thing happen to other people.  Admission is $10, which includes a shot at qualifying for the competition.  Qualifying rounds start at noon sharp, semi-finals at 3pm, and finals at 5pm.  No word on whether there will be a post-competition contest to see how fast you can pack a U-Haul.

Two super awesome Los Angeles establishments, CoCo’s Variety Store and Machine Project are teaming up to bring you an afternoon of bicycle repair science dropping. On Tuesday, August 10th, swing by Coco’s Variety (2427 Riverside Drive, LA 90039) with your bike that needs some fixing and the friendly folks there will be on hand to help you get things back into shape. They will have some basic parts (like chains and tubes) if you need them, a pile of junk bikes that parts can be harvested from as well as some fixer-upper bikes you can buy if you want to start from scratch. All class fees will go to Machine Project. This is an awesome way to wrap your head around the mechanics of bikedom. Go, you won’t regret it!

Discovering a small neighborhood park tucked away down quiet side streets is such a joy. It’s like finding hidden treasure. The green grass, the open space, maybe a few courts with people playing and having fun. Picnickers, dogs, families, the occasional tortoise = joy.

Glen Alla Park in Marina Del Rey is just such a park.

Located at Glencoe Avenue and Alla Road (natch), the park takes up a good city block and is within walking distance to the mall nearby. There is plenty of parking on both Glencoe and Alla. Plenty of photos of the park and the facilities follow the map. (Click the map to go to the actual google map page.) (Apologies that the day I was there it was overcast.)

First and foremost, there are bathrooms. I didn’t go in, but they looked tidy and well ventilated.

Just across from the bathrooms was the jungle gym playground area. I love that big happy dolphin!

This playground area was surrounded by fencing though. A sign indicated that it would soon be under construction starting in two weeks. Turns out they are going to put in a Shane’s Inspiration, all accessible playground. This is fantastic!

The mission of Shane’s Inspiration is to create Universally Accessible Playgrounds and programs that integrate children of all abilities socially, physically and emotionally, fostering acceptance, friendship and understanding.

Read about all Shane’s Inspiration here.

Click here to find the many many Shane’s Inspration parks around LA.

If you have or you know kids with disabilities but haven’t heard of Shane’s Inspiration parks, why not go find one this weekend?

Back to Glen Alla….There is a wide grassy area with tons of room for frisbee throwing, baseball catching, picnicking, and lawn darts.

There were many dogs and their owners running around, despite the “dogs must be on a leash” signs scattered about. Everyone looked pretty mellow and under control.

Along one side of the park were the courts — Basketball:

And next to that, two tennis courts:

Then there was a stretch of space with picnic tables (under those trees to the right of the tennis courst), but it also looked like it was becoming the staging area for building supplies with two large shipping containers. But then past THAT, were three, count them three, paddle tennis courts! Both the Paddle Tennis and regular tennis courts have brand spanking new nets.

There were a couple of excellent trees for climbing.

But alas, no golf. Just don’t do it!

All in all it is a lovely, well kept park in the Marina, slightly off the beaten path, away from any hustle and bustle. I know if I lived nearby, I’d mosey down there a lot to play tennis and paddle tennis.

Stay tuned for more posts about pocket parks. If you have a small park you love and want to share, please do so in the comments.

Remember Santa Monica Place?  Up until now, it was an ’80s-era indoor mall used in various films (most notably in Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Terminator 2 (where the Governator and John Doggett get into the first of many fisticuffs)) but overlooked by almost everyone else in favor of Third Street Promenade and its merry band of street performers.  It shut down in early 2008 for a massive renovation to, you know, catch up with this decade.  This Friday, the mall sheds the shoulder pads and other relics of the Decade of Excess, takes a page or two from the outdoor Century City Mall and The Grove, and adopts an open-air policy.  To celebrate its grand opening, the first 500 people in line at 3rd and Broadway, waiting eagerly for the (out)doors to open, will receive gift cards ranging from $5 to $100. The cards will be handed out between 7:30am (!) and 9:30am.  Not to be outdone, the Disney Store also will be giving out its own version of happiness: Mickey ears to the first 500 guests.  If you have the time and the inclination, free gift card money and Mickey ears are awfully hard to turn down.  The full list of stores to spend your winnings can be found here.

I’m actually not much of a shopper, so quite possibly the best part for me is The Market, which is intended to rival the artisan marketplace at The Ferry Building in San Francisco.  But, unfortunately, The Market doesn’t open until later this year (or even early next year!  Womp womp).  For now, I am more than happy to settle with the Second Best Part: every Friday between 5 and 7pm from now through September, KCRW DJs will provide a little background beat on the mall’s rooftop dining patio (the Dining Deck).  Several of the six main restaurants anchoring the Deck will provide appropriate happy hour nosh and libations.  I’m hoping that Bay Area import Pizza Antica will have some great pizza-and-beer specials.  On Deck for the first SunSets series is the station’s Music Director and Morning Becomes Eclectic host Jason Bentley.

Have we gone from the Decade of Excess to the Decade of Recession But At Least We’re Outside?  Maybe – but at least we got rid of those shoulder pads.

“Santa Monica Place, a work in progress” photo courtesy LA Wad via the Blogging LA Flickr pool.

The LA Times is reporting that Judge Walker has ruled that Prop 8 which sought to remove the right to marry same sex couples was unconstitutional.  In his words regarding the trial “…Proposition 8 ‘fails to advance any rational basis in singling out gay men and lesbians for denial of a marriage license.Indeed, the evidence shows Proposition 8 does nothing more than enshrine in the California Constitution the notion that opposite-sex couples are superior to same-sex couples…’”

Appeals are anticipated but it is interesting to note that the pro-8 folks felt the ruling would be against their interests and filed a motion to prevent the contents of the ruling from being released.  They lost that motion and now the judges ruling will be used as a basis in coming appeals that may end in the Federal Supreme Court.

Rallies are planned tonight across the metro area and country for that matter.  Our local ones:

You remember that pesky proposition that took away the right for gay and lesbian couples to marry?  Well the courts are about to release their decision on the first of many challenges.  Judge Vaughn Walker is going to be handing down his verdict on whether or not Prop. 8 is legal.  His decision is expected to be revealed sometime this morning.  Rallies are planned around the state and country regardless of the outcome.  I ask that it be a common sense verdict with the rights restored, but realize this verdict is just one step in the legal process with appeals surely to be filed.