Author: Caroline Olsen-Van Stone and Chad Wyszynski
L.A. is Star Maps, traffic, scenesters, palm trees, “The Industry,” status-obsessed, a city of immigrants. L.A. is misunderstood. L.A. mystifies even some Angelinos. L.A. is not like other cities. There is no center. The downtown area is as desolate as the desert it once was. That being said, this city offers an overwhelming number of things to do. It’s impossible for anyone to know everything that’s going on any given day.
Writer Dorothy Parker once said, “Los Angeles is 72 suburbs in search of a city.” Los Angeles is organized by neighborhood. Oxy is in Eagle Rock, right on the border of Highland Park, which is in the northeast of the city of L.A. It’s between Pasadena and Glendale, and a short ride from Downtown L.A. If you really want to get to know L.A., check out a map of the districts, like the one on Wikipedia’s L.A. city page. When searching for things to do, everything will be listed by neighborhood.
Navigating countless entertainment guides, such as the 160-page L.A. Weekly, could take a week. Discovering yesterday’s event is always a pleasant surprise. To make L.A.’s scene manageable, here’s a list of our favorite guides.
LA Weekly (www.laweekly.com)
Yeah, we picked on the magazine. Its wealth of information is much more accessible online. Check out their “Go L.A.’s Essential Calendar” on the home page with events arranged by day. You can also organize the list by neighborhood or event type, such as dining, art and clubs. This is great for last minute planning and those, “So, what should we do this weekend?” moments. There are about 300 things to do today. For Friday, Sept. 12, L.A. Weekly suggests music by Blane Campbell and Vice Versa at Mr. T’s Bowl at 5621 ½ N. Figueroa Ave. Highland Park 90042, (323) 256-7561.
LA Times (http://theguide.latimes.com)
L.A.’s biggest paper offers an efficient guide. The home page shows “Today’s Top Events” and each section gives the day’s “Best Bets.” There’s also a useful neighborhood section to see all sorts of places in or around Eagle Rock. The Guide recommends “Sit n’ Spin,” a “part theater, part 12-step meeting,” free every other Thursday (starting Sept. 18), at 6538 Santa Monica Blvd, Hollywood 90038, (323) 950-5519.
LA Magazine (www.lamag.com)
This is mostly for the posh at heart, but the frugal are welcome too. No dives here; check out this magazine when you’re about to splurge. Commonly featured locations are restaurants with fusion food or French chefs and boutiques with one-of-a-kind items. More to our interests, they’ve got killer “best of” lists. Thanks to them, you’ll be able to find the best accordionist in the city. You can (literally) check out a copy of the gorgeous magazine at our library. To track down that accordionist, go to Marla’s Restaurant at 39 W. Main St. Alhambra, (626) 282-9300.
Experience L.A. (www.experiencela.com)
Many L.A. museums have free days. This site has a nearly comprehensive list of them. Go to the bottom of the “Spotlight” section to find it. Free for students everyday (make sure to bring your student ID): Norton Simon, California Science Center, and UCLA’s Hammer Gallery.
Los Angeles MTA (www.metro.net)
L.A. public transit reaches farther than most would expect. The site has the ultra-helpful trip planner. So, no car, no fear. Just make sure to be back on the bus/metro by 11 p.m., as that is usually when the last bus runs.
Beyond these sites, stay tuned to this column for the highlights of different L.A. neighborhoods. If you have any suggestions from recent adventures through L.A., we’d love to hear them.
Any suggestions or requests for L.A. area profiles or stories, can be sent to Caroline Olsen Van-Stone and Chad Wyszynski at: cstone@oxy.edu and cwyszynski@oxy.edu respectively.
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