[LA Life] A Gloomy June Afternoon In Ernest E Debs Park

June 16, 2016June 16, 2016Leave a comment

This past weekend the all too timely June Gloom hit Southern California, but that didn’t stop Danny and I from adventuring off into the great outdoors and exploring a nearby park that’s been on our bucket list. As it turns out, there are actually upwards of 200 beautiful landscapes, parks and hiking trails scattered throughout the previously presumed concrete jungle of Los Angeles. The parks themselves cover nearly 24,000 acres of land and are the perfect destination for those looking to romp, roam, rock and roll their souls all over the city. Over the last few months, we’ve done some due diligence in the great outdoors, exploring the nooks and crannies of diversely delicious landscapes around the city from Cahuenga Peak and Point Dume to Lincoln Park and Griffith Park, so this time – we thought we’d keep it local and see what we could discover in our backyard.

For the last few weeks, Danny’s been raving about this wonderful outlook where you’re served a stunning 360 view of the city – including the skyscrapers of downtown (when it’s a clear day, that is) – and when I heard there was a little lake on top of the hill, I was sold; it was off, off and away on a Sun-date adventure to Ernest E Debs Regional Park in the heart of East Los Angeles. Open every day from dawn through dusk, the park is never staffed and boasts a bevvy of picnic tables and BBQ fits perfect for parties and public use, and yeah – a gorgeous lake with lots of little fish for those inclined to take their gear for a spin – and it’s smack dab middle of the city!

As it turns out – that “little walk” up the hill to the lake has a pretty impressive incline, it’s short, sweet and way worth it…but don’t say you weren’t warned. On our way up, as we stopped to catch our breath, we noticed a few black and white snails – and then a few more….and all of a sudden, we realized that there were literally hundreds of them swarming the plants. I’ve never seen so many snails in one place! If they could move quickly, I might have been a little nervous about the whole ordeal but I mean an infestation of snails is one of the least aggressive infestations I’ve personally ever heard of (or, seen, for that matter).

For more information on Ernest P Debs Park, head to their website or socials – or if you’re local to the Los Angeles area, just drop what you’re doing and pay the park a visit; I mean, when was the last time you took a real lunchbreak outside? If you’re curious how your local parks stack up to the rest, take a gander at ParkScore. A sucker for my city’s walkability, Park Score gives you a metric based, analytical overview of your favorite public spaces. Give it a whirl!

Website | LA Parks | Yelp | Facebook

[Oh, Snap] Eagle Rockin’ and Eagle Walkin’ V10

May 23, 2016Leave a comment

Spring has most certainly sprung in Los Angeles and though the weather can seem a bit finicky at times, the neighborhood mornings have been beyond lovely and have given me ample inspiration to restart my “workout routine”; whatever that means. But, between a three months of unlimited membership at One Down Dog, the local yoga studio to Eagle Rock, and the LA Fitness in Pasadena – something has to give….eventually…maybe. Until then, I’ll enjoy my morning frolics outside, breathing in the fresh(ish) air of the city and filling my soul with the hearty buzz of the city. The flowers are blooming, the sun’s up early – not to mention, I’m up with the sun. I smell some big things brewing for the rest of the year and I’m excited for what’s to come.

Is that a painting? Nope! We found a mirror on our morning jaunt and it made for some fun photos of the town.

These last few pics aren’t necessarily of Eagle Rock, but they’re a few of my favorites that I’ve taken lately and they go to show just how beautiful it really is right now in each and every corner of the city.

Santa Monica

[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] Morning Bliss in Lincoln Park

May 3, 2016May 3, 2016Leave a comment

A picture might be worth a thousand words, but what they often won’t tell you are calamity, chaos and all around entropy surrounding those perceived moments of serenity.

Just minutes before I found my mental zen at East Los Angeles’ Lincoln Park, I was frustrated to my boiling point with the DMV – infuriated that we’d wasted over two hours of the morning and I’d had essentially had it up to my ears with any semblance of ‘humanity‘ before the clock had even struck noon. There are few tribulations that we can all share here in this world, and dealing with the Department of Motor Vehicles is definitely one of them. As we were gallivanting throughout the city’s side streets on the way to the DMV, I noticed glimpses of pastel and primary colors in delicious dichotomy with the multitudes of green in a park across the street. against the multitude of greens. And now that the morning had manifested in its own auspicious way, it felt like the only remedy was to delve back into whatever nature I had found as soon as I could.

The second we parked, I couldn’t get out of the car fast enough – I took a breath of Spring air as I gingerly skipped from the parking lot pavement to the grassy landscape encroaching the tranquil lake. Technicolor buildings reflected against the lake in a kaleidoscopic fashion as we slowly made our way around in a giant pseudo-circle. Strolling in synchronicity, we shared a bakers dozen of laughs – enjoying what little time was actually left of the morning hours, blissfully aware that under any other circumstance we would have been tethered to our work lives and inundated with tasks that would require us to stay in doors.

Like treasures tucked away in uncharted territory, there are a plethora of small city parks located around the city of LA simply waiting for you to discover them. I’ve loved Echo Park Lake for a long time, but Lincoln Park is almost a miniature version and a whole lot less populated. Founded all the way back in 1881, Lincoln Park was originally named East Los Angeles park, only to be renamed ‘Eastlake Park‘ in 1901; you wouldn’t know from looking at it now, but the park used to house a full zoo, cactus garden and a private alligator farm. Renamed Lincoln Park in 1917 after the local high school, this portion of paradise has been a staple of Los Angeles’ beautiful cross section of counter culture humanity and the arts.

The park itself comes equipped with a menagerie of of activities for all ages, lush lands to picnic on, a playground that has adult swings (yeah, you heard right), a skate park designed by a professional, BBQ pits, fishing in the lake and last but most certainly not least – the wonderful Plaza de la Raza Cultural Center for the Arts + Education, a prominent meeting spot for the community and the only multidisciplinary building of its kind in the city. Not to mention, my favorite touch, sprinkles of large scale art around the edges of the park.

For more on Los Angeles’ Lincoln Park, head to their social media pages – or better yet, just drop on by and pay it a visit.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Yelp

What are your favorite local parks?

Let me know in the comments below!

Florence Nightingale; The park’s second sculpture, commissioned as part of the New Deal in 1937

[LA Life] Trekking Cahuenga Peak To The Hollywood Sign

April 4, 2016April 4, 2016Leave a comment

Now that Spring has officially sprung, it’s been a personal mission of mine to get out and enjoy every ounce of sunshine I possibly can. Depending on your perspective of Los Angeles, it’s easy to flounder under the incorrect assumption that the city is a concrete jungle – but quite the contrary: in the midst of the hustle and bustle of our go-go-go lifestyle are a plethora of green spaces waiting to be explored. From The Huntington Gardens to Pasadena’s Arboretum, Griffith Park and Runyon Canyon – there are a lot of amazing nature hikes to offer, and you don’t even have to go far to get it in.

When we first set out for our hike, we only had one thing on our mind – it’s a beautiful day to get some exercise in. We packed a little pack of water, snacks and goodies and were off, off and away on a Saturday adventure. Not gonna lie on this one, the struggle was definitely real; we haphazardly decided to ascend the Tree of Life Trail to Cahuenga Peak so we could get as close as possible to the Hollywood Sign. Depending on your source, the tree in question is equally referred to as ‘The Wishing Tree’, ‘The Wisdom Tree’ ‘The Giving Tree’ and ‘The Magic Tree’, but whatever you choose to call it – it’s a beautiful hike up a ridiculous incline; meaning you’re going to want some badass shoes to accompany you. As a fair warning, this hike is not for novices or beginners – and I only say this, because I consider myself both, especially when it comes to this trail.

If you’ve been following my adventures over the last few years, I’ve evolved into a nature nymph of sorts and I absolute adore it. There’s nothing like the brisk air and fresh breeze of the great outdoors, but man – was I a sweaty, panting mess by the end of it. This hike is one puppy that you want to pack some supplies for – some snacks with sugar to keep up your blood sugar, sunblock to prevent heat stroke, tons of water to rehydrate yourself and some quick to eat protein like nuts or beef jerkey. Overall, I would say it took us about two hours to get to the top with a few pit stops along the way to stretch our muscles and take in the view. It was only later that we discovered a simpler way to the view, where you can park on city streets and take a paved, lazy river of an incline to the top. Definitely not as gratifying but thank goodness we could take that route out of the park!

Overall, the view from the Tree of Life Trail is breathtaking, and the aerial 360 of the city is as stunning as it sound. This is one hike that I not only recommend, but will be doing far more frequently – after all, we didn’t actually make it over to the Tree of Life – we caught ourselves a stellar view of the city instead – so that’ll have to be a day-venture for another time.

[The Audiofiles] Insomniac Returns to Their Rave Roots for LA Warehouse Series This Summer

March 17, 2016March 23, 2016Leave a comment

As the dance music circuit bubbles over with large scale events where you can lose yourself within a welcomed sensory overload of sound, color and personalities, it’s about time that a production company come and turn the scene on its head again.

Literally just the other week, I was craving a Los Angeles warehouse party – you know, one of those parties where you have an address but not the address, are ushered away in a hush hush manner to a dimly lit, intimate and industrially inspired location to dance the night away as music echos around you. So, it’s no surprise to me that others share the same sentiment.

Last Thursday, Insomniac Events company founder and tastemaker Pasquale Rotella took to his Facebook page for an extra special announcement that has the city of Los Angeles roaring to go:

“Going back to our roots with a special series of warehouse parties this summer…More info coming soon.”

Let’s be honest, the Kandi Kid inside me is bouncing up and down with joy. I spent a good three years in my eight year stint bouncing between warehouse parties in downtown Los Angeles, hoping each wouldn’t be swarmed by cops who were thwarting our efforts to have an unabashed, good ol’ time. I remember one night when the cops came right when my friends were setting up at 10pm, they gingerly urged us to vacate the property – throwing a fit over how we knew about the event. “You have friends…?” He asked a group of us, “Well, so do we…” alluding to a secret network of false social media profiles. We took a deep breath and packed up while they exited the venue, only to hear the production team giggle: “..and this is why we booked four venues for the night! The party must go on!”

And go on it will – now, with a reinvigoration that only Insomniac can provide.Details on Insomniac’s highly anticipated upcoming party series are still under wraps, until I know more – it’s best to keep your eyes on Insomniac’s website and socials for more information.

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

[Oh, Snap] An Adventure Down The Gabba Gallery’s Animal Alley

March 14, 2016March 14, 2016Leave a comment

Hints of them are creeping around corners, lurking between alleyways while beautifying the backside of buildings, casually creating a sensation while transforming the world. Some adorn the sides of old train cars or the underside of bridges, and others are more purposely placed, adding character to the communities around them with technicolor trickery and awe inspiring art work.

At this point, I have a pretty long list of my favorite things about Los Angeles – but the art here is definitely one of them. This city is literally swimming in a sea of immensely talented artists that use a multitude of mediums, from lights to sculpture, mixed media, dance, theater and more but I’ve realized in the last five years that by in large when it comes to the types of art I truly enjoy – I have hearts for eyes for architecture and Graffiti. The creativity within the community bubbles over effervescently, adorning buildings in a similar tone to the hieroglyphs to ancient Egyptians, with a menagerie of talented artists with unique styles, focusing on spirituality, humanism, perspective and mountains of wisdom.

Back when I lived over in the Miracle Mile and Fairfax District, I was what I’d consider artistically spoiled: the alleyways behind the sorted shops all along Melrose and the Fame Yard sponsored by SportieLA boasted a bevvy of newly commissioned artwork, and I loved the juxtaposition of high end retail (well, let’s be honest…Melrose is pretty much every type of Retail) against a rich cacophony of freshly painted art. The art scene was so big over there that you would see paintings that honestly looked like those huge plastered billboards on the wall across from Fairfax High School (/ and the Melrose Trading Post); but once you got up close and incredibly personal with the wall, you’d see the intricate details in their labor of love and realize how much raw talent went into it’s creation.

This past weekend with Daylight Savings Time rearing it’s incredibly stupid head, Danny and I took it upon ourselves to get into the mood by diving into one of my favorite seasonal rituals, Spring Cleaning. We went through each and every nook and crany of our apartment, and ended up donated or throwing away roughly 30% of what was in our closets! On our way back from a quick jaunt to Koreatown, we realized we were right by The Gabba Gallery, which has been this proverbial, mythical creature of an art gallery to me.

Curated in tandem by gallery owner Jason Ostro and gallery manager Elena Jacobson, The Gabba Gallery plays host to talented local, national and internationally respected contemporary artists, honing in on the modernization of art through photography, sculpture, collage, mixed media, fine art, street art and design. You never know what you’re going to find at The Gabba Gallery, especially when you don’t even know it’s hours. Right. As it turns out, the venue opens for showings but doesn’t keep normal “9-5” hours every day of the week. After a bit of research, it looks like the Gallery is open either by appointment or by exhibit opening; so, there’s that. The good news, is that right around the corner was an awe inspiring amount of art to explore in the freshly painted offshoot of The Gabba Gallery – Animal Alley!

Adorning the alleyways in Echo Park between Beverly, N Vendome and N Dillon St, Animal Alley is a collaborative public art installation that contains upwards of 80 murals by over 50 different artists. The project has been underway since April of 2015 and finally came to completion this past December, featuring a wide variety of animal inspired artwork around each and every corner.