July 2010
1 post
June 2010
4 posts
Strangers on a Train →
Mike Anton takes a ride on the Blue Line.
The Metro Blue Line cuts up the middle of Los Angeles County, from Long Beach to downtown, like a surgical incision, exposing an element of the metropolis many never see.
In a place dominated by freeways and the automobile’s numbing isolation, the 22-mile light-rail line—the oldest in L.A. County, marking 20 years of service this summer—is a...
“I do not advocate flip-flops.”
– Menswear designer Thom Browne
Chris Knight: Free MOCA →
When Jeffrey Deitch takes the helm Tuesday as MOCA’s fourth director in 30 years, he’ll face the problem [of declining attendance]. If I were him, I’d do two things fast: Change the museum’s operating hours and drop the general admission price, from $10 to zero.Second that.
May 2010
5 posts
The Bartender's Bartender →
Meet Doug Quinn, the man behind the bar at P.J. Clarke’s, in New York.
He remembered what my companion and I were drinking, even though we had ordered just one round so far, and there were at least 35 people clumped around the bar on this early May night, and he was dealing—alone—with all the tickets from all the servers in the adjacent dining rooms, and he wasn’t writing anything down,...
“Is this the Short Stop?”
– Girl at Little Joy last night
April 2010
5 posts
“I think I love restaurants more than I love food. Because restaurants have...”
– Alan Richman, restaurant critic
“We don’t know what Los Angeles is. We never have, except as a container for...”
– D.J. Waldie, “What Is a City?”
“You almost never see a person who self-identifies as a hipster; you are much...”
– Linda Holmes, “Hunting the Elusive Hipster”
March 2010
4 posts
5th & Grand to Be Named John Fante Square →
The intersection of Fifth Street and Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles will be christened John Fante Square on April 8. Fante is best known as the author of Ask the Dust.
“As far as the home of a living art is concerned, Hollywood has no importance. It...”
– Evelyn Waugh, “Why Hollywood Is a Term of Disparagement” (1947)
Freedom of the Press, v2.0 →
Self-publishing is no longer limited to books and magazines, thanks to Newspaper Club. (Via TMN)
I think I’m going to give this a spin. Please holler if you’re interested.
February 2010
9 posts
“I think for people who have heard the show, maybe they felt they could have a...”
– Ira Glass, host of “This American Life”
The Anatomy of Kobe Bryant →
J.R. Moehringer dissects Kobe Bryant in this month’s GQ in an attempt to figure out what makes him … well, Kobe.
With all its scars and aches, spasms and pulls, stingers and inflammations and hyperextensions, his body is a living record of his journey. From boy to man. From ball hog to team leader. From alleged narcissist to tormented perfectionist to apparent masochist. Every athlete knows...
Don’t Touch That Dial →
Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert are launching a five-week radio show called “Turn and Burn” starting Feb. 18. The show will air on Martha Stewart’s satellite radio channel. If their chemistry is as good as it was on that episode of No Reservations (2:30 in on this clip), this should be pretty entertaining.
Real Talk Episode 11: Don’t Talk About It;...
Is L.A. the Greatest Food City in the World? →
From the Department of Bold Claims: The J. Gold says it is.
Manhattan may boast the highest concentration of high-end restaurants in the world, and Singapore hawker centers may pack more joy into each square inch, but Los Angeles is the best place in the world to eat at the moment, a frieze of fine dining overlaying a huge patchwork of immigrant communities big enough and self-sustaining enough...
“You should hold your knife like the butt of a pistol, fingers wrapped tightly...”
– Butcher Tom Mylan, “How to Wield a Knife”
Expo Line to the Beach Approved →
Officials hope to begin work later this year on phase two of the Expo Line, a nearly seven-mile link from downtown Culver City to the corner of 4th Street and Colorado Avenue in Santa Monica’s main business district. Phase one of Expo Line is already under construction from downtown Los Angeles to Culver City.I think I can, I think I can …
January 2010
7 posts
“The rather ungainly result, set to open officially this morning, is not what...”
– L.A. Times architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne on the new W Hotel.
Adventures in Ramen →
Matt Gross, the NYT’s Frugal Traveler, explores a few of Tokyo’s 4,000-plus ramen shops. There’s also a video and a slide show.
Beyond Shaken and Stirred →
The San Francisco Chronicle outlines 10 techniques for mixing drinks worth drinking. Videos here.
NYT Going Metered in 2011 →
Starting in early 2011, visitors to NYTimes.com will get a certain number of articles free every month before being asked to pay a flat fee for unlimited access. Subscribers to the newspaper’s print edition will receive full access to the site without extra charge.This will be interesting. Good luck, Gray Lady.
“At Langer’s, it’s downtown people, suits and ties. At...”
– Salvador Lopez, one of the many waiters who work at both Langer’s and Canter’s.
Interview With the Style Guy →
A Continuous Lean chats with Glenn O’Brien, better known as GQ’s Style Guy.
December 2009
10 posts
Lakers Are SI’s Franchise of the Decade →
With four championships—more than any other NBA, NFL, MLB or NHL team in the same period—the Lakers have been named the sports franchise of the 2000s by Sports Illustrated. Via LAT.
Garcetti’s Guide to Boyle Heights →
A nice roundup from the hipster councilman himself. Somebody was really clever with the lede, which references the song “Walking in L.A.” How original.
“If you are a young entrepreneur in Los Angeles, it [downtown] is one of the...”
– L.A. Times architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne talks about downtown Los Angeles.
WatchHuell Howser checks out the Silver Lake and Ivanhoe reservoirs. (First aired in February 2008.) Remember: In Los Angeles, water is everything.
City Council Hipster Showdown: LaBonge vs....
USC’s Neon Tommy recently interviewed City Councilman Tom LaBonge and City Council President Eric Garcetti. Both are good reads. LaBonge, for example, shares his thoughts on fixed-gear bikes, and Garcetti explains what a good diner means to him.
My favorite part, though, is the discussion of who represents more hipsters. LaBonge’s Council District 4 covers swaths of Los Feliz,...
Frugal New York →
The NYT’s Frugal Traveler has compiled a long list of online resources for experiencing New York on a budget.
Previously: New York on the Cheap
“The Machine is here. I’m just not playing.”
– Sasha Vujacic says he’s ready to step up again.
Recent L.A. Links
Kevin Roderick’s five best walking streets in L.A.
Good Food checks out Echo Park’s Salinas Churros truck.
Los Angeles magazine’s annual food issue is online.
Remembering Esther Wong, the unlikely punk pioneer.
The DWP Holiday Light Festival begins this week.
November 2009
7 posts
WatchDavid Chang making kimchee on the Today show to promote the Momofuku cookbook.
Outlook Not So Good →
John McIntyre’s horoscope for editors:
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)—Your boss will beckon you into his office. Before you go, make sure that you have enough cartons at your desk to hold your personal effects.:-(
The Future Looks Gold →
L.A. Times architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne on the Gold Line Eastside Extension:
More transit means more pedestrians, more people who pay attention to the shape and design of the city up close. That, in turn, means a growing constituency for shared space in Los Angeles and new interest in our long-neglected streetscapes and public sphere.
To put it another way: Transit and the life of...
Eating East →
In honor of the Gold Line Eastside Extension, set to open Sunday, the L.A. Times rounds up the best food along the six-mile route from Little Tokyo to East L.A.