Through the support of Los Angeles Walks, I’ve been helping to organize a 4-walk series in which we’re making our way around the original border of the City of Los Angeles. This past weekend, about 50 people joined the trek down the eastern border which I co-lead with the amazing urban planner James Rojas. Continue reading
Before I fully dive into the new year, I always reflect on the last one, listing accomplishments, milestones, challenges, disappointments, etc. While these reflections remain private, I did want to document here some of the historic and/or notable places I moved through this year. This is definitely not an exhaustive list but just a few highlights to remind myself how I spent my 2018.
Built in 1875, Rapp Saloon was the first brick structure in Santa Monica and was designated a historic landmark 100 years after it was built. More info via the Santa Monica Conservancy: http://www.smconservancy.org/property/rapp-saloon/
Sharing this post I crafted for the Arboretum Library’s Instagram:
On March 10, 1841, poet Ina Coolbrith was born. In 1915, she was crowned California’s first poet laureate which is the same year Luther Burbank named his Crimson Eschscholtzia for her Continue reading
Elysian Park Plaque along Portola Trail
On August 2, 1769, Gaspar de Portola’s expedition camped alongside the LA River and named it in honor of the feast day “Our Lady of the Angels of Porciuncula.” On this day, 245 years later, I stepped deep into the Los Angeles river for the first time, kayaking down the river in the Sepulveda Basin. While the river has lost much of its original beauty, this stretch makes one forget all the concrete further down and imagine how it must’ve looked when Portola first laid eyes on it. Continue reading
When I approached 
the Police Academy’s Revolver Café (drenched from the pouring rain), I wondered, “What strange lighting they have…” And by strange, I meant “what very very dark lighting they have.” Disoriented, I wandered into the darkness, as a couple of male voices yelled “Welcome to the party!” Continue reading
One highlight of Valentine’s Day in Los Angeles was speed dating along Metro’s Red Line. I’m not much for speed dating but couldn’t resist experiencing our transit system’s attempt at playing cupid. Kudos to Metro for its innovative thinking around the role of transit in a city. Continue reading
A belated but heartfelt wish for the new year. Thank you Grand Park (and the LA County powers that be) for hosting a public celebration that didn’t require a $30 cover charge that was easily accessible by public transportation. Sure there were some hiccups which hopefully will be improved upon December 31, 2014… but it really was a pleasure to ring in the New Year with 20,000 of my closest friends.
So, dear Grand Park, considering I’ve celebrated your grand opening, your first birthday, Dia De Los Muertos, I look forward to more Grand Park celebrations in 2014!!
I not only indulge in the amazing feast spread out over 
Thanksgiving but I relish in the family stories shared over a long weekend with the family. Stories shared over Thanksgiving have more time to soak, marinating over multiple nights so that the next day’s conversation is richer (…almost as rich as the soft warm cinnamon rolls my aunt made for breakfast :). StoryCorps has dubbed the day after Thanksgiving a “National Day of Listening.” I’m glad StoryCorps has given a name to this unspoken holiday tradition in my family. This year’s Turkey Day shed light on my great aunt Jan, my grandmother’s sister. Frankly, it’s hard to imagine anyone bossier than my grandmother, but her younger sister just might qualify. Continue reading
I finally finally walked all around Echo Park Lake today! I live on the lake and was heartbroken when I broke my foot a week before the lake reopened in June. All summer, I’ve watched from my window everyone paddle along the new cleaned-up lake…feeling like a kid sequestered in summer school while friends frolic away their summer vacations. Continue reading
