[LA Life] An Immersive + Artistic Dining Experience This Summer at Monkey Town

May 9, 2016May 9, 2016Leave a comment

Source: Monkey Town Website

This June marks my eighth year in Los Angeles, in eight years I’ve been here – I’ve become ‘more or less‘ well rounded – or so I’d like to believe. Sure, I’ve finally visited another continent, and I’ve developed some new hobbies and honed in on a few skill sets; I’ve volunteered with animal shelters and around my neighborhood – but when it comes to entertainment, I can’t say that much has changed. I still rock half the music I listened to back then, because have you listened to Boys Noize, Tiesto, Spor, Bassnectar, NERO or Ferry Corsten pre-2010; it’s utterly fantastic, right?! Needless to say – I landed in Los Angeles as I was falling in love with a music scene and eight years later, I’m up to my neck in it – listening with my robot ears as I take bits of bytes, eating, breathing and even sleeping music.

Working in the entertainment industry for the last five years, I’ve always had my ear to the ground, itching to learn about fringe events, off the grid happenings and underground souls. For years, I’ve told my friends that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result, so here I am – ready to step out of my personally prescribed insanity and into something completely new. Thank goodness for serendipitous moments. This morning, a post floated through my feed about a pop up experience in Downtown LA called Monkey Town, and I had to stop and take a gander. A one of a kind intimate affair featuring immersive art, live entertainment and dining experience – Monkey Town is just what the doctor ordered, and it couldn’t come soon enough.

Photo: MonkeyTown NYC from Daniel Lober/Favoreat

Curated by Montgomery Knott in tandem with Lex Brown, Robert Crouch, Michael Smoller and Ricky Jonsson Jr and Kristen Brinshot og Ghosting.tv, Monkey Town has become a standing symbol of New York’s arts scene, spending a solid decade stimulating senses in the Big Apple before parting ways for Denver, Barcelona, and finally Austin earlier this year. This Summer, the reverie is stopping by The Reef in Downtown Los Angles for the seventh, and final, edition of Monkey Town. From June 1st to October 1st, revelers will dine and dream with a two hour multi channel video program featuring over a dozen artists, live entertainment that changes weekly, a four or five star meal from a internationally renowned chef – from inside a massive 27 foot, white cube with the images projected on every side. Oh yes, I said dinner and a show, with a delicious meal prepared by none other than Nick Montgomery, head chef at LA’s Osso with stints at New York’s Momufuku and Chicago’s Blackbird.

Monkey Town LA — Summer 2016
By Montgomery Knott on Vimeo.

I’m not one to sleep on an awesome experience, and I’d rather be one of those people that gets to experience it while it’s novel instead of waiting to read the reviews and scrounging for tickets last minute (cough*The Broad*cough*) – so, Danny and I are going to a showing on Sunday, 6/5 at 6:30; it promises to be an excellent evening, I dare you to put on your big kid pants and come play. Even better, for those that go in the first few weeks of June – you can save $20 a ticket, which at 45-65 a seat depending on the day is an absolute steal! Simply use the code EARLY20 to save, the offer is valid until Thursday, 5/12 at Midnight. If you’re in the mood for something new and on the prowl for something novel, jump the gun and by some tickets for the first two weeks; I mean, come on – have I ever steered you wrong? Not to pull your chain, but – Monkey Town is actually closing after this run – that’s right, Monkey Town will be no more. So don’t be a Monkey’s Uncle, do it right – and come be part of one of the best things to happen to the creative sphere.

Purchase Tickets Here

For more on Monkey Town and their three month pop up dining experience in Los Angeles, head to their website and socials.

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

[LA Life] Downtown Goes Dapper For A Night On Broadway

February 2, 2016February 4, 2016Leave a comment

Last weekend as the threat imminent downpour loomed over the quite literal horizon, we decided to throw caution to the wind as we got dolled up and dappered out for a ‘Night on Broadway.‘ A party with a purpose, the second annual event sprawled through the stunning cityscape of Downtown Los Angeles and into the historic Broadway District.

Commencing back in 2008 under the guidance of L.A. City Council member José Huizar, Bringing Back Broadway set its sights on reinvigorating the entire outlying area, from the preservation and display of the old school neon signs to re-opening doors to awe inspiring theaters, bringing back the fabled streetcar and even the relatively new facade lighting brought onto Broadway in 2013. A chip off of the ‘Bringing Back Broadway’ initiative block, the second annual ‘Night on Broadway‘ is designed to restore a variety old theaters in the fabled Broadway district and reinvigorate local interest in the art, music, culture and community of the area.

Revelers are encouraged join in the shenanigans surrounded by the amazing architecture and interior design of theaters from The Palace to The Los Angeles Theater, The Ace Hotel and The Globe. Festivites included a brains to brawns chess and boxing match, a wide variety of interactive street art, comedy from Reggie Watts, my personal highlight, Rebel Bingo, and last but most definitely not least live music and entertainment and even some of the local talent, like Skrillex from both the OWSLA and Mad Decent imprints, plus hourly performances from city’s very own electric and eclectic avant garde performance troupe Lucent Dossier Experience (which was a serendipitous treat in itself considering a friend of mine had landed himself DJ duties at the same stage for the night).

Don’t fret if you missed out on all the fun, because one of my favorite things about the city of angels is there’s simply always something stunning to do about town, and half of them are free! But, if you’re feeling the festive FOMO, make a calendar reminder and don’t forget to catch Night on Broadway next year in Downtown Los Angeles when it returns on Saturday, January 28th 2017. For more about the city’s famed ‘Night on Broadway’ event or Bringing Back Broadway initiative, head to their website or socials –

Night on Broadway: Website

Bringing Back Broadway: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

[LA Life] Squad Out for LA’s Free Museum Day on 1/30 + 1/31

December 28, 2015December 28, 2015Leave a comment

Though the holidays are considered one of the most magical times of the year, the end of January holds a special treat for anyone in the Southern California region. On the last Saturday in January, some of the best museums from around the county will be opening their doors and waiving the fees and I guarantee you’ll find a museum in each nook of the city that tickle’s your fancy, as well as your brain.

If you’re into Contemporary Art head over to the MOCA or the latest museum – The Broad in downtown Los Angeles, for photography – the Annenberg Space for Photography has you covered, get a close up with a dinosaur at the California Academy of Sciences or the La Brea Tar Pits, marvel over Greco-Roman art and architecture at the Getty Villa in Malibu or the beauty of botanicals at the Descanso Gardens in Pasadena.

Even with the eight years that I’ve lived in the city of angels, I haven’t had the opportunity to frequent the museums as much as I would like. So far, I can cross only a handful off of the list but believe me when I say these are all on my bucket list. As of now, I’ve visited each Getty location and was lucky enough to see Tim Burton’s exhibit at the LACMA a few years back, plus the California Science Museum, the Descanso Gardens and the Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits.

Available Day Adventures

The museums below are all available for free admission on January 30th – so round up the troops, call up the squad and get the gang together; this is one Winter treat you won’t want to miss out on!

Annenberg Space for Photography

Armory Center for the Arts

Autry Museum of the American West

The Broad

California African American Museum

California Science Center

Craft & Folk Art Museum

Descanso Gardens

Fowler Museum at UCLA

Getty Center

Getty Villa

Hammer Museum

Japanese American Museum

Laguna Art Museum

La Plaza de Cultura y Artes

Los Angeles County Museum of Art [LACMA]

The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles [MOCA]

Museum of Latin American Art

Natural History Museum

Orange County Museum of Art

The Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits

The Paley Center for Media

Pasadena Museum of California Art

Santa Barbara Museum of Art

Sunnylands

USC Pacific Asia Museum

William S. Hart Museum

The following museums are closed on Saturdays, but will be offering up a free Sunday to any still itching for an excursion on 1/31:

Museum of Tolerance

Skirball Cultural Center

Zimmer Children’s Museum

Now, be warned – all of Los Angeles is going to be out and about that weekend, and the museums are bound to get a little packed. So if you’re a stickler on a time crunch or a tad claustrophobic, never fear – there are plenty of museums and local gardens that offer up a free day a month!

The Arboretum – Free the 3rd Tuesday of Every Month

Descanso Gardens – Free the 3rd Tuesday of Every Month

The Huntington Botanical Gardens – The First Thursday of Every Month

Getty Villa – Admission is always free, Parking is on a Pay Basis

For a glance at the Free Museum and Garden days with more detail – the So Cal Museum’s website set up this handy grid:

For more details, visit the official website for So Cal’s Free Museum Day!

Which venue strikes your fancy? Let me know in the comments below! 🙂

[LA Life] CERB Brings Their Fall Plant Sale to Eagle Rock City Hall on 11/7

October 2, 2015October 1, 2015Leave a comment

Known throughout the community for their eco-friendly initiatives and local landscape beautification projects, the Collaborative Eagle Rock Beautiful (CERB) is delighted to host their annual Fall plant sale on Saturday November 7th, 2015 at Eagle Rock City Hall.

From 9AM to 4PM, CERB invites the community to an informative fair focused on drought resistant landscaping. With current drought restrictions, native plants and succulents can reduce residential water footprints by 60-90% while preserving resources such as soil, fertilizer and pesticides.

Featuring a wide assortment of California natives and succulents, many plants featured at the Fall Plant Sale are locally sourced and harvested in Eagle Rock by CERB volunteers, students at Occidental College and members of the community. A post-Halloween treat for the whole family, the plant fair features a Kids Zone full of children friendly activities as well as a variety of food trucks and other local entertainment. All proceeds of the Fall Plant Sale will go to Collaborative Eagle Rock Beautiful to assist their local efforts of neighborhood maintenance and support their annual projects.

Event Details:
Saturday, 11/7/15 from 9am to 4pm
Eagle Rock City Hall
2035 Colorado Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90041

Since 2001, CERB has cemented its status as a local resource while working towards lasting change throughout the neighborhood. Yearly events for CERB include neighborhood events such as A Taste of Eagle Rock, the maintenance of the Eagle Rock Canyon Hiking Trails and the promotion of drought resistant landscaping through active work on major street medians like Colorado and Eagle Rock Boulevard.

Join the Facebook event here and invite the neighbors.

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For more on CERB and their Fall Plant Sale, connect on social media:

Website | Facebook | Twitter

About Collaborative Eagle Rock Beautiful

The Collaborative Eagle Rock Beautiful was established in 2001 by longtime Eagle Rock residents John Stillion and Esther Monk. With almost two decades of service in the neighborhood, CERB has evolved into an esteemed non-profit organization fueled by local volunteers and resources for a homegrown effort in reducing fiscal dependence of city-funded maintenance programs. Curated within the community to discourage the removal of native trees, preserve local open space and inspire cohesive drought tolerant landscaping, CERB is devoted to leaving a lasting legacy through both action and awareness.

[Oh, Snap!] Street Art v20: Adventures Through Downtown LA

March 25, 20152 Comments

When I moved to Eagle Rock almost a year ago, I knew that I’d be leaving behind a few things – some of which I’d miss more than others. I definitely wasn’t going to miss the general lack of parking in the area or the amount of rush hour traffic you can get stuck in trying to drive three miles; but on the flip side, there was my proximity to West Hollywood, which brought with it a ridiculous amount of shopping and a menagerie of awesome restaurants, the amazing hipster watching at the Melrose Trading Post and last but certainly not least: the fact that my backyard was essentially the Melrose + Fairfax district, a mecca of the underground arts community that’s rarely spoken of. Sure, the area boasts a good amount of shopping – but in this case, aimed at ballers on a budget like myself and full of fresh street fashion, mirroring the often mind blowing and socially conscious graffiti that ebbed and flowed around their walls.

Once I was relieved of my bubble, I realized that though my area was overflowing with culture and art – so was every other area of LA! Now that I’ve lived here for almost seven years, and in several different parts of the city – I’ve experienced so many unique pockets of creativity that I’ve realized they must be hidden in every nook and cranny here. Out further West in Venice, Street Art runs rampant and it’s heavily strewn through Silver Lake and Echo Park all the way into the Arts District of downtown. The following pictures were collected over the last few months while gallivanting through downtown on urban safaris with my partner in crime; enjoy!

[Get Free] Los Angeles Museums Offer Up Free Admission On January 31st

January 7, 2015January 7, 2015Leave a comment

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I don’t know about the rest of you, but FREE is one of my favorite F words. Get free, be free, freedom…and then – there are the free things in life that make our already glorious lives that much sweeter. For the last few seasons, I’ve shared my assorted adventures gallivanting through some of the most gorgeous gardens, arboretums and parks on the West Coast. in search of the perfect picnic plot, a summertime reading nook or simply a splendid location for an afternoon stroll. From Southern California through Utah and Colorado, Northern California into Oregon, Washington and Canada – I’ve loved them all, and I’m still on the hunt for more. With the Getty, Getty Villa, Huntington Gardens and UC Berkeley’s Botanical Garden – though the main attraction truly is the astounding grounds they all reside on, the museums that each facility boasts is creme of the crop, top notch and has international acclaim.

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At the end of the month, some of the best museums in the Los Angeles area are pairing up the local Metro to celebrate a decade of free education at the “Museum Free-For-All”. On January 31st (and, for some, February 1st), assorted museums are slashing their admission prices so the general public can ogle for free. Any specialty ticketed exhibitions are except from the offer and regular parking does apply, but that’s a small fee to fork over for an amazing, mind opening day. Participating museums are as follows – and if the museum is offering a Sunday admission, it’s noted.

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Annenberg Space for Photography
Armory Center for the Arts
California African American Museum
California Science Center
Chinese American Museum
Craft Folk & Art Museum
Fowler Museum at UCLA
The Getty Center
The Getty Villa (Timed Tickets Required)
Hammer Museum
Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)
Los Angeles Fire Department Museum and Memorial
The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA)
Museum of Latin American Art
Museum of Tolerance (Sunday, Feb 1)
The Paley Center for Media
The Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits
Pasadena Museum of California Art
Santa Monica Museum of Art
Skirball Cultural Center
The Torrance Art Museum
USC Pacific Asia Museum
William S. Hart Museum
Zimmer Children’s Museum (Sunday, Feb 1)

Whether you’re a science nut, a nature nerd or an art afficianado – there’s absolutely something for everyone, and a perfect excuse to get your family, friends and favorites together for a wonderful weekend at the museum. After rummaging through the list, I realized that I’ve only been 20% of the museums – most likely, I’ll be running around between the California Museum of Sciences, the Annenberg Space for Photography and hopefully I’ll be able to squeeze in the Getty Villa one more time too. I love learning, I love expanding my center of knowledge and I love doing it with the people nearest and dearest to me. If you can’t make it out that weekend, don’t sweat it – there are loads of museums and gardens that offer spotted free admission once a month.

The Arboretum – Free the 3rd Tuesday of Every Month

Descanso Gardens – Free the 3rd Tuesday of Every Month

The Huntington Botanical Gardens – The First Thursday of Every Month

Getty Villa – Admission is always free, Parking is on a Pay Basis

What are your favorite museums? Do you have any tricks of the trade for free admission? Let everyone know in the comments below!

[Oh, Snap] A Holiday Stroll Through The Descanso Gardens

December 26, 2014February 22, 2016Leave a comment

As I’ve grown up over the years, the holidays have become less and less about the physical, tangible presents exchanged among family and friends, and in turn – more and more about the actual holiday presence of the same individuals. I mean, sure – who doesn’t love a gift every now and again; especially if it’s heartfelt and / or handmade. My parents are pros at both of those, but to this day I honestly still prefer long strolls and chatting them up to anything that money could actually buy. The other week, I was struck with an awkward work situation – I was going to be the big boss for a few days while my boss was out, but for the Friday and Monday after the holidays. My original feelings were a hodgepodge of frustration, anger and sadness that I wouldn’t be able to spend the days with my parents, but instead of getting into a bind about it – we did a quick about face; for the first time since moving down to LA, they were finally going to visit me for the holidays and enjoy a crisp, clear Christmas in the City of Angels.

The crazy thing about living in East Los Angeles is that I’ve gone from being surrounded by city streets, skyrises and bustling public transportation into an area that’s a much slower pace of life, and where nature is seemingly more abundant, though in truth – maybe I’m finding it more frequently, because I’m looking for it more. Over the last year, Danny and I’ve explored a plethora of parks and finally – we’re running out of Botanical Gardens to introduce ourselves to in the area; it’s a beautiful thing! After the local options are exhausted, we’re going to spend our weekends traveling – in search of the serenity that only nature can provide. After tackling Griffith Park, The Huntington and The Arboretum – it was time to conquer the Descanso Gardens and I was stoked to bring my parents along for the ride. Being a holiday, there were barely any people in the park which was nice – and for the record, the Descanso Gardens are only closed a few days of the year, Christmas Day being one of them.

After spending the early afternoon galavanting around and grabbing some quick and hunger quenching pizza at Blaze in Pasadena, we were off to Descanso – located right about where the 2 and the 210 meet in La Canada / Flintridge. Unlike the other gardens we’ve visited which were much more in the heart of the city and centrally located, Descanso is a little further out of range of the city and has the stunning landscape to prove it. We started in the Japanese Garden and wound around to the Live Oaks Forest, the Camelias, a California Native Plant Garden and last but certainly not least, the wonderful Rose Garden. But, that’s not to say we always stayed on the beaten path – we definitely jumped off a few times, hiked through the hills and stole a stunning view of the city. Though there wasn’t as much color or variety as the other gardens we’ve been to (which, truthfully, could just be due to the time of year) – I really enjoyed strolling through and enjoying the forested areas. The Descanso Gardens are perfect for a mid-week walk, artistic inspiration or a little reading on a beautiful day.

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