Modern Vespa

Hello Friends,

My daughter moved to Hollywood last year and we haven't seen her since July. We are flying out for L.A. this weekend and will be there for a week. Feb 28th through March 7th

I've been to the L.A. area before and done most of the touristy stuff. I'm sure my daughter will have some cool thing lined up, but I was hoping some locals could clue me into some cool not-so-touristy things to do or see.

We've got a week to kill so road trips are not a problem at all.

Our primary interests are:

Scooters - Local shops to visit.
Good Food - various ethnic foods, seafood
Art - Museums or Galleries
Museums - General Subjects
Music - Live bands, Cool record stores, etc.
Mid-Century Modern architecture - neighborhoods, or historical homes. (not interested in tours of movies stars homes)

Stuff like that. Any kinds of festivals or happenings that may be occurring this weekend (Feb 28, March 1). Anything out of the ordinary, that might be of interest.

I'm open to any and all suggestions and appreciate your input.

Thanks
Stephen

If you can head up to Santa Barbara for a bit, the Vespa shop up there is great. It isn't huge, but boy there's a lot of neat stuff there. The owner and everyone there really know their stuff. Plus that area there is just nice in general. Try to take 150 through Ojai if you get the chance. Gorgeous scenery, and neat twistie roads (even if you aren't on a scooter).

Closer to where you'll be, NoHo Scooters (North Hollywood) is always worth checking out. I don't know how it might have changed since I lived over there, but I remember seeing a lot of cool vintage scoots and plenty of accessories (great new Kymcos, too).

If you haven't already, visit the Los Angeles County County Museum of Art (LACMA) and the Peterson Automotive Museum, both at the corner of Wilshire and Fairfax. LACMA has a brilliant exhibit on the "Two Germanies" after WWII in the new Braud Contemporary Art Building, as well a variety of art in the permanent collections. The Peterson is great fun and a great historical collection beautifully displayed.

I know these might be "touristy", but it's amazing how many visitors head right for the Getty and miss the much better collection (IMHO) at LACMA.

The other scooter shop is Sherman Oaks Vespa, a boutique, at Ventura Blvd. and Woodman. Modern Vespas, Piaggios, and Aprilias. You can say hi to Drew Teague, an MV regular.

Here's a short list. enjoy!

Music:

Hotel Cafe, Hollywood, Live music- singer songwriter vibe.
And of course Sunset strip (house of blues, viper room, the whisky)- Music row and all the posh hotel/bar joints along there.

Scooter:

vespa sherman oaks, thousand oaks, and marina del ray.

Food:

Ethnic Food- Korea Town (Wilshire and Western area)--google it.
China Town - Downtown
Westwood- Persian Food.

Shopping down at 3rd street promenade and then Venice Board walk is a stone throw away for people watching.

more to come...

+1 on LACMA. Did you see the Dali exhibit last year? Amazing!

Another "touristy" thing would be the Getty Museum. Best part of that one is that it's FREE! (You may have to pay for parking, I don't remember.)

You must eat here: Messob Ethiopian Restaurant

The food is ridiculously tasty. It's my stomach's church.

As for mid-century home architecture, there isn't a concentration of it in L.A. that I'm aware of. You can pretty much find a random Neutra or Eames here and there across L.A. The Neutra Case Study House #20 (The Bass House) is a couple blocks up from my house in Altadena, for example.

There is an Eichler tracht in the city of Orange down in Orange County. If you're hardcore, you may want to check that out. Here's a Google Maps link.

This place caters more to the Rocker crowd but since you will be in Hollywierd any way...

Glory Sales & Service
4659 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(1/2 block East of Vermont Ave., on North side of street)

www.glorysales.com

Museums- LACMA, Norton Simon in Pasadena, Gamble House in Pasadena (best example of craftsman architecture ever)
Mid-Century Architecture- (Frank Lloyd Wright's Hollyhock House and Ennis Brown House, both in Hollywood and are open for tours) You might want to pick up a copy of Robert Winter's Guide to Los Angeles Architecture which has maps, pictures and summaries of archictecturally significant buildings and homes across Los Angeles. here is a link: http://www.amazon.com/Architectural-Guidebook-Los-Angeles/dp/1586853082 I know that they sell this book in the gift shop of the Gamble House, you might also find it in LACMA's gift shop.

Record stores- Amoeba in Hollywood, Poo Bah in Pasadena
Scooter shops- Noho Scooters in N. Hollywood - not a vespa dealer, but has great accessories in addition to Sym, Buddy and Kymco lines.
Music- You said not touristy so I do not suggest House of Blues, unless you want to spend $100 for a crappy show in a Disney Land like environment. I would pick up an LA Weekly which has full listings of jazz, rock and classical offerings

Food: Tommy's, Phililppe's Home of the French Dip (downtown), Pink's Hot Dogs in Hollywood, In-n-out burger, any taco truck


Hope this helps...have fun!

Well ... it's a bit of a trek but the drive is beautiful. I couldn't visit LA without taking a trip through Big Sur and on to Monterey Bay to see the Aquarium. It is the single most spectacular exhibit I have seen in my life ... bar none! But then again, I am a bit of a water/ocean freak. http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/

I mean, I loved the Louvre, the Rodan museum and many many places all over Europe ... but nothing has ever really compared to the Monterey Bay Aquaurium in my opinion.

Monterey would make a great long weekend trip for you and the seafood restaurants are both glorious and abundant! Stop in at Pismo Beach for lunch on your way up. Some great little spots there. You could also do Hearst Castle on your way as well. http://www.hearstcastle.org/

The other thing I highly recommend is the San Diego Zoo. http://sandiegozoo.org/

Hope you have fun!

If you are interested in an aquarium or zoo, LA has a world class aquarium and a good zoo. The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach is breathtaking and excluding Monterey's giant ocean exhibit, is every bit as good as the Monterey Bay Aquarium. LB Aqaurium also has a much broader variety of animals focusing on the entire pacific as opposed to just central california. LB has sea otters too. Although the San Diego Zoo is labeled as World Famous it is a bit overrated in my mind and probably not worth the drive. The LA Zoo has some great exhibits and is a bit underrated. SD Zoo holds nothing compared to the Bronx Zoo in NY which is without a doubt the best in the country.

And stop by my new store in Silverlake, Intelligentsia Coffee!! I have scooters out front all the time!

WOW! Thanks for all the great suggestions. I knew there were some So Cal folks out there who could help. That's what I was wanting to see.

I had a feeling Robotribe would chime in with some mid-century stuff. love to try Ethiopian, can't wait. Had a chance in New York and missed it.

This is a lot of good stuff. Thanks EVERYONE for the hot tips.

Any more? Keep them coming. I appreciate it.

I'm a little partial to Merkato on the same block (Little Ethiopia - Fairfax Ave. south of Olympic). The whole fried trout is amazing, as is the vegetarian plate. And it's remarkably CHEAP! And the atmosphere is authentic.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/merkato-ethiopian-restaurant-and-market-los-angeles for some reviews.

Also +1 to all the recommendations so far. I've always felt that L.A. is an amazing city - you just have to know where to find it.

But then I've I've only lived here for sixty years.

bring your helmet...

we'll go for a ride.

best,
-greasy

My impressions as an east coast tourist in LA on a scooter:

Go to any In-N-Out Burger. Get a double double animal style. It wont be on the menu but they know it.

I though Abbot Kinney Blvd in Venice was cool, a few blocks from the beach and canals. They have pharmacies that look nothing like what we have in the east. I thought Silverlake was overrated.

If you can get your hands on a scooter ride up Mulholland Drive (visit NoHo Scooters over the hill) or around Rancho Palos Verdes down near Long Beach, or out to Malibu and then cut up north to Thousand Oaks.

I miss in-n-out so much 2x4 for me please.

Vespa Sherman Oaks, stop by and say hey to Drew.
Amoeba Records on Sunset
Yamashiros,Hollywood for the view at night and Japanease food.
Barneys Beanery, Hollywood good food & drink. Past hang out for the stars
Ports O Call, San Pedro
Venice Beach boardwalk

architecture :
El Capitain theater, Hollywood
Pantages theater, Hollywood
The Observatory, new redone
Down Town LA
Alvera Street, LA.
Grand Central Train Station, LA
Holly Hock House, Hollywood


Museums:
La Brea Tar Pits, walking distance from two Art museums
Queen Mary, Long Beach
Long Beach Aquarium
Maritime Museum San Pedro,
Lane Victory WWII Victory ship, San Pedro
Fort McAurthar Museum, San Pedro, great view of LA Harbor
Natural History & Science & Industry Museums, Close to USC

Farmers Market on Farfax for a variety of Food Stalls

http://kogibbq.com/

I have not got into the Taco truck thing yet. I love Taco stands. The tacos are good not great but I love the way the taco stands stand out against the darkness of the night. But I will try the kogi taco truck.

This is awesome! Thanks everyone.

I can't believe I forgot one important thing.

COMIC BOOK SHOPS!!!

Any nerds out there?

If you tell me you're into playing be-bop jazz, I might have to give you a hug:

Meltdown Comics

Golden Apple

I think theres one on Melrose a couple blocks east of Fairfax.

Universal City Walk has a Comic Book store, Dark Horse I think.

I don't play it, but I listen to it.
Baker,Brubeck,Coltrane,Davis,Gillespie,Mingus,Monk,Mulligan,Parker,Powell,Roach Roach,Tristano to name a few.

Any comic book-readin' scooter-riding Bud Powell fan is A-OK in my book!

(I'm more expert listener and marginal player, really)

I clicked on this thread EXPLICITLY to recommend this place...but robo beat me to it.

Good authentic Ethiopian eats...with thine hands!

scooters, food, mid-century modern, hmmmm....

Check out the Eames House in Pacific Palisades + the Case Study houses.

Brazilian Cafe in Mar Vista or I think they still have the cafe on Venice Blvd too.

Swing by Coco's Variety in Silverlake. That is Mr. Japlopy's place.

THO, Beware Brother Beware. Riding with Greasy you can join the Danger Club whether you like it or not!

\osc

Definitely have breakfast at the Griddle on Sunset! I'm fortunate enough to be within walking distance of this place, and it is incredible!! Also, stop by Vespa Sherman Oaks and say hi.. If you manage to get a scoot while you're out, we should ride! There is some ridiculously sweet riding out here..

No offense, but NOHO scooters is kinda lame. All Chinese and Taiwanese
CRAP. no need to visit a shop like that if you only in LA for a short visit.
If you want to see a great collection of REAL scooters go to Bar Italia in
Van Nuys, Ca. Its close to Sherman Oaks Vespa.

Maybe you can go home with a real vintage vespa to add to your collection.
(or for your daughter)

Either way, enjoy your stay here.

stephen, there is some really great jazz in LA;

'catalina's' on sunset in hollywood (near amoeba records, which is a MUST if you are passionate about music).

'the jazz bakery' in culver city. this is a non-profit run by a kind lady named ruth in the old helm's bakery building. top-class musicians from all over the world play here.

'harvels' in santa monica. more of a blues venue, but has amazing live music every night. (by the way, the '3rd street promenade' in santa monica is just a short walk away. and, a killer eatery 'the border grill' is right across the street from harvels.) harvel's first opened in the 1930's.

'the lighthouse' in hermosa beach...many of the musicians you listed played at this little beach club back in the day. unfortunately jazz is now only played on sunday afternoons. still, i say you can still feel the vibe of miles, coltrane, brubeck, anita o'day, and so many of the legends of jazz that all performed at the lighthouse.

finally, i'm born and raised in LA and i think my fellow angelenos have given you some excellent advice on what to see and do.

somebody mentioned 'olvera street' in dowtown. on your first day, i suggest you start there. this is where LA started. then take sunset blvd ALL the way to the beach (malibu). downtown LA, hollywood, beverly hills, santa monica are all on this famous street. pm me if you want specific stops. your choices have a range from extremely upscale to extremely 'salt-of-the-earth' experiences.

oh yeah, don't miss the walt disney concert hall (gehry, LA resident!). still one of the 'hottest' buildings in the world.

have fun!

john

Hello Friends
I'm on my daughters iPhone so I'll be brief

I've never had this much fun in california before. Thanks for all the tips.

Family time has overridden scooter related activity, but I'm wearin' 'em down.

Messob for lunch today.

Cheers,
Stephen

I'm seriously jealous.

If it's not too late to chime in:

I like the Museum of Contemporary Art, and I'll second Amoeba Music on Sunset in Hollywood--great record store! Also, Cantor's on Fairfax is a great Jewish deli.

Don't be. We got held up. Trying again today.

Um, excuse me Mister I have a P200. I was riding P200s back when they were considered too modern. I have forgotten more about vintage scooters than you will ever know. I have owned more vintage scooters than you have owned pairs of underwear. I have put more long distance miles on vintage scooters than you probally have traveled in a car. I even rode a 1968 SS180 to Alaska. We stopped doing vintage when Bar Italia opened and sent them all of our customers. This was to provide better service to our customers with modern scooters that need their bikes to get to work everyday. It was a hard choice to make, but it really helped our service department. Many shop owners in other towns have told me that they wish a vintage shop would open to help relieve them of the service of old bikes.

Did you know I have a private collection of classic scooters and motorcycles that I often show to out of town guests?

Have you ever seen a 1964 Honda Juno scooter, well we have one of only two that were imported by American Honda back there. A Suzuki Cutlass scooter, got two of those. If you prefer Italian brands, we got some Vespas and Lambrettas back there too.

We also have part of my collection of vintage arcade and pinball machines on display in the showroom, and set on free play.

As for Bar Italia. Gary & Kristian are my friends whom I have known for years. Kristian even worked at NoHo for a short time. I reccomend checking out their shop.

NoHo Scooters only carries Taiwanese brands of scooters (Kymco, Genuine, and SYM), which I feel are some of the highest quality scooters sold in the United States. The only Chinese scooter model we carry is the Kymco Super 8, which is a million times better than generic Chinese scooters.

Chiming in a little late here, but there are a lot midcentury houses to see in the area. There's an Eichler tract in Grenada Hills (Balboa), Ain tract in Mar Vista. A couple other Case Study houses are in the immediate area (21 & 22 are Koenig houses). There's a Frank Lloyd Wright, a Lloyd Wright and a Neutra in the Los Feliz area, and a few Schindlers.

This site has locations for several, with maps for all of them: http://www.GreatBuildings.com/places/los_angeles.html

Also: http://eichlernetwork.com/em_laconservancy.html

I've actually thought about trying to arrange some kind of modern on scooters architecture tour. May have to revisit that...

Should have good weather the rest of your stay!

[EDITED TO ADD: ]
Oh yeah, and how could I forget the Eames house?!
http://www.eamesfoundation.org/visit_house.html

What is this "animal style" you speak of? After my first In-n-Out about 15 years ago, I have never stepped inside any other of the well-known burger fast-food chains. This is the first I've heard of "animal style". Tell me (us) more.

Steven,

Just go order it and get back to us with a full report.

SDG

[quote="ericalm"I've actually thought about trying to arrange some kind of modern on scooters architecture tour. May have to revisit that... [/quote]

Please do!

double cheese, double sauce. yummy! You can also order fries animals style...cheese and sauce. A bit much for me though.