Adventures in the World of Mobile Knowledge Workers

A Wi-Fi Find in West Hollywood?

I discovered this place on my way back from checking out an Angels vs. Yankees playoff game in Anaheim last week. It was one of those days when my calendar was jam-packed. I had a meeting later in the day. I couldn't rely on the quixotic nature of Orange County to LA freeway traffic. So I took public transportation on the way back. It was a brilliant scheme. And as you'll see from this story, the moral is that there are unexpected benefits to being green.

I walked through the Angel Stadium parking lot for literally three minutes to get to the train station. I took the train to Union Station. I then walked one minute (still inside the train station) to get to the subway, got off after a few stops, walked across the street and took the bus from there. The whole trip took about an hour. And for those who remember the bad old days of public transportation in LA, I can report that this bus was clean and that the riders seemed to be regular working people.

I reached the nadir of the expedition, however, when I got off of the bus. I was thirsty and, as a result, felt travel weary. Although I had tried to ration my teeny bought-at-the-ballpark bottle of water, it didn't last the journey. My misplaced skepticism about the train running on time didn't help me either. I sat in full sun for 15 minutes (at least) at the train station. In retrospect, this was a completely ridiculous strategy, although it was pleasant to sit outside. My thinking was, 'What if the train comes early?' The rational answer would have been 'It will wait until its scheduled departure.' But as I could not afford to miss this train, I erred on the side of irrational thought.

'What to do?' I asked myself, tired and trudging up the hill. Then hope appeared.

Jones Coffee Roasters - Raymond Ave. in Pasadena

I seem to be destined to make my excursions on the hottest days of the year. And so it was that, on the first day of autumn, I found myself driving out to Pasadena. Sadly, although my car looks cool, it does not have air-conditioning. 

Jones Coffee Roasters is in a kind of mini-strip mall/mini-industrial park space. I turned in to park. Don't waste your time: there are only two spots reserved for Jones customers. I was annoyed by this turn of events, especially as I had a heavy bag, completely jam-packed with books and laptop. (Note to Self: get a good-looking backpack soon -- your shoulders will thank you.)

But my friend Tom had recommended the place to me, and I was all the way out in Pasadena. So I persevered. I parked on Bellevue (one of the cross streets) and would recommend that you do the same.

I felt a little better as I walked on Bellevue past a two-story industrial building where workers wearing white lab coats smoked outside. 'Interesting,' I thought to myself.  My crabbiness started to fade as I walked past the Royal Laundry building and saw the really cool blue (or was it green?) and white tiled entrance. It made me think of India. Passing by another building, I noticed that there were thousands of Little Mermaid and Cinderella figurines on the desks.

Yami Daily Products: Good Luck Epilogue

I dosed myself with good luck by eating one piece of good luck candy the day after my visit to Yami Daily Products store (see previous post).The packaging was red (which I know is good luck) with gold characters. I had the candy as a late afternoon, pre-gym pep-up. It was a milky, fruity, delectable taste sensation.  'Yum,' I said to myself, 'good fortune does taste good.'

Wonderful things happened the following day. First, I got a phone call with unexpected good news. And the hits kept coming: I got a cappuccino for the price of a red eye at a cafe. I found money (a few dollars, but still) that I didn't know that I had. I found earrings that I thought had been lost forever.

My boyfriend tried to convince me to buy a lottery ticket. "I don't want to waste my luck on a lottery ticket," I said,  "I'm not a gambler."

"It's not about gambling. It's about buying a lottery ticket and winning a million dollars."

I didn't buy a lottery ticket. Maybe this good luck is the kind that just comes to you, but won't work if you're proactive about it.

I still have one candy left. Stay tuned...

LA and Chicago: An Essential Difference, Part 2

As you know from my previous post on this topic, I have decided to educate myself in the ways of good picture taking. You also know that this is not something that the average Midwestern girl learns at her mother's knee.

One of my LA girlfriends is now my Photo Guru. For the last several weeks, I have welcomed all photo ops. Practice does make perfect, after all.

We were out the other night at a "Taste of Chicago" party at J's, featuring house music (which, despite what some might say, originated in Chicago). The dj was  Steve "Silk" Hurley. Click here to hear some of his mixes. Especially check out "Remember the Time." The music was fantastic, and the crowd was great. One thing I can say about Chicagoans is that we are friendly and we know how to have a good time. Here I could insert a story about Chicago friends rolling up the rug and cranking up the stereo at a party in an apartment on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, as the New Yorkers looked on with bemusement, but that's for another time.

To proceed: it's an outstanding party. Whether black, white or rainbow pink (as my father would say), people were there to dance.  During a dancing break, we took pictures. I was thrilled to realize how much progress I had made. In taking pictures with a guy friend, for example, I looked at a few of them and said "No, it's not good. Take another one." Photo Guru agreed with me (she was taking the pictures). We took a few more pictures and she said "No good. I think it's the camera. Let's try mine." "What's wrong with it?" our guy friend asked."You'll see." Photo Guru said.

City College Cafe - Heliotrope & Melrose

I happened to be in the neighborhood, saw this place and decided to check it out. The first thing I noticed when I walked in was a warm baked-goods smell. This is both wonderful and inexplicable, because they don' t seem to bake anything on the premises.

The vibe is surprisingly good, although a little on the tranquil/restrained side. There's a gorgeous gleaming espresso machine, rows of lovely cups and packages of Lavazza coffee behind the counter. Jazz music plays. Good black and white photos of street scenes decorate the walls. A color photo series is scattered about the room: various people pose with coffee cups and spoons as decoration. In one photo, a woman is surrounded by water, reminding me of a modern Venus de Milo. Spoons serve as her armlets and as a bikini covering. In another photo, a man wears a collar (one of those Zulu warrior ones) of spoons. Coffee cups are on his shoulders. Although this isn't my taste, I appreciate the effort to say something that is tied in to the coffee theme.

Solar de Cahuenga - Cahuenga & Franklin in Hollywood

Unfortunately I started eating right away. I was hungry. So this picture of shakshuka is minus many items that started out in the pan (poached eggs, red and green peppers, onions) when it was placed on my table. But it was very good. And as you can see, even halfway or so into the meal, it still looks quite attractive. I also hit the plate of grilled bread pretty hard. My impression of the food here is one of fresh abundance, but not excess. And they brought plenty of napkins, which is great for someone like me who has a tendency to spill (especially on clothes that are dry-clean only). 

You feel as though you're in someone's living room. There are leather couches and dark wooden tables. Nothing matches, although everything goes together. The ambiance is warm and Mediterranean. Many patrons have laptops out, while others appear to be in meetings; the energy is buzzing. The crowd seems to be young creative but, happily not annoying. Music is good indie rock.

My eye was caught by three guys siting at a table. All are cute, all are wearing dark wool caps pulled to the backs of their heads (a modified 7 Dwarfs look) and all are wearing dark Clark Kent sunglasses. It was a visually outstanding portrait. 

Wurstkuche - 3rd & Traction

This place is totally my aesthetic. Fresh and modern looking. A combo of wood and metal that conveys warmth yet is industrial and spare. Clean bathrooms. Fresh air. Real people working at the register. And friendly: a Somali Deep Funk dj also waiting in line to order suggests a beer for me to try, so I do. More about him later. But to proceed: I order a Houblan Chouffe (an Indian pale ale the menu says), a bratwurst with onions and sweet peppers, double-dipped fries and chipotle aioli.

I take my number and proceed down the hall to the dining area. The industrial but warm look continues. One wall is exposed brick and the others are wood paneled. Long trestle tables are covered in brown paper. Metal cafe tables dot the room. It has that German everything-works-and-is-clean look. Staff constantly circle (okay not constantly, but frequently) to clean and tidy. The music is great. I guess it could be categorized as eclectic alternative -- stuff you might hear on an Anne Litt or Chris Douridas show on KCRW. For non-Angelenos, click here to hear what that means. But whatever it was, I really liked it.

I sit down and take the first sip of my beer: heavenly. Refreshing, flavorful and yummy. I'm joined by the Somali Deep Funk dj, who is also a 45s collector.

Welcome to My Home: Pasquale's Cafe @San Vicente and Hauser

I've been here twice, most recently yesterday. Each time it feels as though I've entered the Land that Time Forgot -- in a very,very good way. 

The first thing to say is that I like the space. The colors are warm: a brick red wall, wood-beamed ceilings, creamy gauzy cafe curtains at the windows. Crisp white paper covers the wooden tables.The walls are decorated with a mix of paintings, vintage posters and photos (from a panorama of the  Bay of Naples to very stylized Marilyn Monroe portraits). The whole thing works. 

The set-up is a little unusual, but I like unusual. The cafe is on one side and an upscale shoe repair (owned by the same people) on the other side.

LA and Chicago: An Essential Difference

I went out with girlfriends lately, to the Edison. Great drinks and atmosphere. 

This outing gave me the chance to experience one of the differences between WestCoasters and Midwesterners. It's all about the Photo. It was a hilarious, but instructive experience. Thanks to the wonders of digital photography, we could see the results immediately. 

The first four times pictures were taken of me, my eyes were closed and my mouth was wide open. One of the LA friends said, kindly, "Well, you do look joyful."  This brought up a topic: why do I (and my compatriots) take such shitty pictures? As one of the Chicagoans explained, "I learned how to take pictures in lower school, and stopped there." 

Sabor y Cultura

It's on the eastern outskirts of Hollywood. The place has a Latin American feel -- one wall is eggplant purple, one umber, one burnt orange, and yet another is a deep mustard yellow. The art on the walls is good -- interesting, not fake-me-out-let's-put-some-crap-up. It has a point of view and makes me think of the Aztecs.

The chairs don't match, which I like. There's a feeling of order and cleanliness, which I love. I think it's harder to work when the environment is in a disarray.