Showing posts with label Los Angeles Highlights. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Los Angeles Highlights. Show all posts

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Los Angeles Highlights Part 4 - Amoeba Music

I don't know why I haven't thought to write a highlights about probably my favorite place to spend money at in Los Angeles, which has to be the beautiful, the magical, the awesome store known as Amoeba.

PART 4 - AMOEBA MUSIC
"amoeba music (sprocket rocket)" by veejaye on Flickr
Amoeba Music - Hollywood
6400 Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA
90028
(323) 245-6400
Store Hours: Mon-Sat 10:30am - 11pm, Sun 11am - 9pm
Trade Counter Hours: Mon-Sat 10:30am - 9pm, Sun 11am - 8pm

                                                  Amoeba Music - San Francisco                     Amoeba Music - Berkeley
                                                               1855 Haight St.                                     2455 Telegraph Ave.
                                                           San Francisco, CA                                             Berkely, CA
                                                                     94117                                                           94704      


The first Amoeba opened up in Berkeley in 1990, then the San Francisco store in 1997, and finally the Hollywood branch on November 17, 2001. I can easily tell you from years of experience that Amoeba in Hollywood is one amazing store for music lovers, filled to the brim with CDs, vinyl records, posters, DVDs, blu-rays, VHS (lolz!), t-shirts, record players, music and movie memorabilia, record players, books, zines, magazines, etc. etc. 
The very first time I went to Amoeba I remember just being completely floored by how huge (and tall!) the whole store is. There are tons of people carrying records in baskets or by their plastic cases's long ends, wandering around looking at the walls covered from floor to ceiling with posters, listening to hard to find vinyls, and scourging the rows and rows of music for the best price or finest copy. 
I've taken a few people for their first trips to Amoeba and I love the way their faces look when they first walk in. The store is a huge maze of stuff and to find what you are looking for might take a while, but you'll find other great things along the way. 
Take your old CDs or movies to Amoeba and they'll give you an estimate of a cash return for them or pure store credit (which is what I always opt for) and browse to your heart's content! Amoeba is a true place for hardcore music lovers, be warned! I was once asked by a fellow customer about what type of record player I owned and what program I used to convert the vinyl music into MP3s for my computer, to which I blanked on completely and looked like a complete idiot mumbling about how my record player was awesome but I couldn't remember the brand name of it. 
Amoeba has lots of live shows plus signings for movies, soundtracks, records, and books as well as selling the best music in town.
My advice for visiting Amoeba for the first time is: park downstairs in their garage parking (sometimes it says it's full, but it's not, believe me, just wait in line for someone to leave, I've never had to wait more than 3 or 4 minutes), and head up their record and graffiti filled stairwell to the store, giving you the full Amoeba-effect! Head in the back room for blues music, more posters, and t-shirts, the bottom floor for general rock CDs and vinyls, plus world music, show posters, odds and ends, discounted DVDs, the exchange counter, and the top floor to get a good view of the walls covered with posters and rare vinyls, and a room full of DVDs and blu-rays. I also advise to be sufficiently supplied with cash or card, because you will always find something you cannot live without. 

"Amoeba Hollywood" by John Megliorino on Flickr
"Amoeba music." by ancient history on Flickr
"Amoeba Music Hollywood" by Mulling it Over on Flickr
"Amoeba Music Hollywood" by Mulling it Over on Flickr
"Amoeba Music, Hollywood" by jleverett (john) on Flickr
"Amoeba Music Hollywood" by Mulling it Over on Flickr
"Amoeba, Hollywood, LA" by amyjanet66 on Flickr
"Amoeba Music | Hollywood, Ca" by beaucolburn on Flickr - click for larger size!
"amoeba recrods hollywood ca" by dianajonesss on Flickr
"Amoeba Records" by louisecostello on Flickr
"November 11th, 2010 | Autograph Signing at Amoeba Music - Hollywood, LA" by Edgar Wright on Flickr
"November 11th, 2010 | Autograph Signing at Amoeba Music - Hollywood, LA" by Edgar Wright on Flickr
"Shonen Knife @ Amoeba Hollywood 9. 14. 10" by cinaferoholbeck on Flickr
"The Bird and the Bee's backup singers" by SOS-Photography.net
"Band of Horses at Amoeba" by freeloosedirt on Flickr
"Shingai Sings" by plance need watering
(Read my post about Shingai here)
"Amoeba Records" by rom_anthonis on Flickr

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Los Angeles Highlights Part 3 - Brite Spot


Yesterday I met up with my grandparents for a little lunch at this place in Echo Park. I told them to meet me there without them have ever eaten there and they both said they really enjoyed the food, so it got me thinking, I really enjoy the food there as well and if even my grandparents (who are normally very picky about food), like it, then I think others will as well. So I want to show you some great images I found and suggest to my readers out there, that the next time you are in the L.A. area and are a bit hungry, you should definitely check this place out. 

PART THREE - BRITE SPOT

"20090607175843" by Googiesque
 Brite Spot
1918 W. Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA
90026
(213) 484-9800

Now, after doing some research online about Brite Spot I've read some good reviews and some bad. I've had friends in the past say that they don't like this place and I've had friends who I go with every so often because they like the place, so I would say this place is really up for grabs when it comes to opinions. I can easily say that every time I've gone there, the people have been nice and the food has been good. I particularly like this place because they offer vegetarian friendly foods as well as a meat lovers paradise (my grandfather can vouch for how good he thinks their hamburgers are). Their diner style (plus lots more) menu is broad and chances are you can find something that sounds yummy to you when there.
Another thing about this restaurant that I like is that they have always played good music when I was there and the decoration inside the place is very interesting and fun to look at. They have chalk boards along the walls that always have great chalk art with special menus incorporated into the art. 
At the end of the day it's your own experience with the place and it's food that determines if you like it or not, but I suggest you give Brite Spot a try. 

"Brite Spot" by Angelica Robles
"Full Moon" by Castro142
"chilaquiles" by 7-how-7
"Brite Spot - breakfast quesadilla" by bionicdog
"Brite Spot - burger" by bionicdog
"Red Velvet Cupcake" by Ms Holloway
"brite spot stop" by neptuneyear
"hot sauce" by '|'||'| '|'{}||{
"Brite Spot - Echo Park by Ms Holloway
"breakfast" by poppely
"britespot2" by dealinhoz
"Andy J. Scott" by laurenlemon
 More pictures of Brite Spot on Flickr can be found here.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Los Angeles Highlights Part 2 - Wacko's Soap Plant / La Luz De Jesus Gallery


Like in my first LA highlights post, there is no better town for me to share knowledge about than my hometown Los Angeles, CA (maybe Florence, Italy and some surrounding cities in Italy, but that's another series all together, possibly...), so I thought my second edition of Los Angeles Highlights would be about one of my favorite shops in LA, a shop that I always take people to if they're from out of town or have never heard of it, so hence this post.

PART TWO - WACKO'S SOAP PLANT / LA LUZ DE JESUS GALLERY
Via: soapplant.com
"Wacko" by hburrussiii on Flickr
4633 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90027

Wacko's is unlike any other store I've ever entered before. Sure there are shops out there that sell knick-knacks and what-nots, but I think Wacko's is in a different gene pool because of the sheer size and the overwhelming amount of things everywhere. Every square inch of this place is packed with tons of interesting items from rows and rows of books, to posters of obscure movies (some pornos), felted skulls, incense, lighters, postcards, vinyl records, candy, t-shirts, toys, figurines, bags, bones, reptile skins, dolls, clocks, soaps, etc. etc. All in all Wacko's is your one stop shop of odds and ends and everything in between. 
Another wonderful thing about Wacko's is that it isn't just a store, but a gallery of local artists as well. The gallery is constantly having openings and have a back row of previous artists work always available for purchase. Their blog tells more. 
What Wacko's is really about and it's true history is something I'm unsure about, but what I am sure about is the fact that no matter what kind of person you are I assure you out of the millions of things they sell at this huge store, you are bound to find something that sparks you're interest. 

"WAKO - SOAP PLANT" by wilbura59 on Flickr
"SOAP PLANT - WAKO" by wilbura59 on Flickr
"Wacko" by mimmyg on Flickr
"Wacko/Soap Plant" by Patrick - msigarmy.com on Flickr
"Wacko" by dogwelder on Flickr
"Bibus "Cat Head Under Glass 2010"" by Snap Spontaneo on Flickr
"Sarina Brewer "Franken-Pussy"" by Snap Spontaneo on Flickr
"Sarina Brewer "Pimped Peep"" by Snap Spontaneo on Flickr
There are a lot more photos on Flickr that I found, but the owner did not allow downloading rights, so check them out for yourself here.
Next door to Wacko's is Ozzie Dots, an awesome costume/clothing store that also has odds and ends for one and all. 
Also, their website has a small shop section that has some stuff available for purchase, but nothing near as much as they have in stock in the shop. 

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Los Angeles Highlights Part 1 - Venice Beach Boardwalk

If there's one place in the world that I know the most, it's obviously my hometown of Los Angeles, California. After being asked by my boyfriend's parents about different places to visit / eat / see in L.A. I thought maybe I should share my knowledge with first time travelers to Los Angeles. Even though I now live in San Diego, I will forever feel more at home in L.A. So I've decided to start a little review of places / shops / eateries in L.A. that I love, and maybe some of you will love whenever you're able to visit the second most populated city (#1 belongs to NYC) in the United States. 

PART ONE - VENICE BEACH BOARDWALK 
"Venice Beach Boardwalk" by lapie on Flickr
Chances are if you've ever had a discussion about Los Angeles, the subject of the beaches, and Venice specifically have come up. Venice beach is a famous beach, known for it's great surfing and of course the boardwalk. Aaron and I, this past weekend, took a short drive while visiting my parents in Los Angeles to the boardwalk, specifically, as Aaron and I put it, "to see the crazies." The Boardwalk is known for it's many eclectic characters, one most famous and well known is this guy.
"Venice Boardwalk" by rickjames330 on Flickr
According to my parents, this guy has been there for years, skating back and forth down the promenade, playing his electric guitar with a portable small amp. He's always got a smile on his face and my guess is that whenever you visit the boardwalk, he will most likely be there. 
"Venice Boardwalk" by thestrangely on Flickr
There are tons and tons of people selling art, jewelry, sugar skulls, paintings, hand crafted things (anything really), "Advice" (only $1), palm readings, fortune telling, skateboarding, rollerblading, Henna tattoos, street dancing, playing music, and plenty of people asking for change. The shop buildings on the other side are full of t-shirts, jewelry, lots and lots of medical marijuana dispensaries (with people all shouting that "the doctor is in!" ready to give you a medical marijuana license), headshops, tattoo parlors, cafes, frozen yogurt stands, restaurants, and anything and everything else you can think of.   
Via Tripadvisor
The boardwalk is also known for Muscle Beach, a very famous outdoor gym that has seen many famous bodybuilders like Larry Scott and Arnold Schwarzenegger. It's also seen the famous faces of Stanley Tookie Williams, the co-founder of the Crips, the famous LA gang, and Hulk Hogan in the filming for an episode of Baywatch
There are a million different kinds of attractions on the Venice boardwalk, but there is no way to describe them all. It's a place that defiantly have to be experienced to be understood. 
"Zoltar! Venice boardwalk." by Little Words Lost on Flickr
"Venice Beach Freakshow (2009)" by Patchouli Soup on Flickr
"THREE KINDS OF BOARDS, VENICE BOARDWALK, CALIFORNIA" by lkunarsky on Flickr
"sand art at the venice beach boardwalk" by sleepeating on Flickr
"Venice Beach" by Conquering_Lion_17 on Flickr
"STREET SMART, Venice Boardwalk, Venice, California" by lkurnarsky on Flickr
"Venice Beach Pothead" by Floyd's Noise on Flickr
"2010106 Venice Beach the Path to Heaven?" by 1904 Photography™ on Flickr 
"fun under the sun" by HErnanALvarado photography on Flickr
"Illegal Aliens - Venice Beach, CA" by tossmeanote on Flickr
"Charly Temmel Ice Cream" by ~db~ on Flickr
"Venice Beach 09052011-166.jpg" by MARQ LINDEN on Flickr
"Christian Evans & Terrence Rutledge 3" by KCET DOT ORG on Flickr
When Aaron and I went over the weekend the only photo I remember to take was this one of totally awesome Predator iron artwork. Loved it so much. (Check out all the little ones too! Alien is in there, along with R2 and more!)

Go here for an up close photo of Predator.
For more great photos of Venice boardwalk, check out the Flickr search for it, here.
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