Category: feature

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Out & About: Places to Give Back This Holiday Season

Family time, presents, bright lights, and plenty of delicious food to go around the table are what we know as the holidays. However, many people are not so fortunate, especially here in Los Angeles where the homelessness crisis has continued to worsen over the last year. From cooking meals to spending time with terminally ill children, to donating baby supplies to parents in need. Your helping hands and most importantly your time and smile are needed to brighten up the holiday season for someone this year!

Midnight Mission

Downtown’s midnight mission offers counseling education, and job placement to the city’s homeless population, as well as food, shelter, personal hygiene, and medical care. For the holidays, the Mission holds special events in addition to regular meal services and food donation drives. Note: Midnight Mission asks that female volunteers come with a companion since this is an all-male facility.

Union Station Homeless Services

San Gabriel Valley’s largest social services agency, offers year-round community meal programs and other services for the area’s homeless population: including emergency shelter, children’s education and recreational activity and adult classes in parenting, nutrition, and money management. Union Station Homeless Services has also hosted Dinner in the Park for over four decades, named the biggest potluck in the nation by the Los Angeles Times: This organization helps give warm holiday meals to more than 7,000 homeless, low income, and senior citizens.

Fred Jordan Mission

The Fred Jordan Mission has provided clothing, blankets, and food to the homeless for more than 50 years. For the holidays, volunteers hand out food bags, toys and blankets, and sing carols!

Food on Foot

Donating gently used clothing, shoes, blankets as well as food! You can sign up to volunteer anytime, and it usually costs $25 (which serves as funds to feed about five people per day).

L.A. Regional Food Bank

Come help distribute food this holiday season with L.A. Regional Food Bank. Volunteers are needed for special events, food sorting, and food drives: including the organization’s yearly Operation Gobble, where volunteers will help inspect, sort and repackage food for delivery during the holiday.

Holidays From the Heart (CHLA)

This program aims to lighten up the holidays for chronically ill children and their families. There are a number of ways you can help, including sponsoring a family or providing bulk gift items (clothing, diapers, making a monetary donation, or serving as a volunteer (shopping for gifts, distributing gifts).

Baby2Baby

This organization works year-round to ensure that no child is without the basic necessities of childhood; accepting donations all year long for items that will benefit children (infants to age 12) including but not limited to car seats, clothing (children’s and maternity), hygiene items (toothpaste, soap, sunscreen), coats, and more.

Crayon Collection

Upcycle gently used crayons, providing children with crayons and saving our landfills. Being a part of Crayon Collection allows families with children of all ages an easy way to volunteer and make a difference.

Brighten the Holidays (Salvation Army)

This program helps families who are experiencing hard times due to unemployment, medical issues, homelessness or other challenges. From generously providing family dinners to donating toys to put under the tree, help the Salvation Army lend a hand with holiday events to those who need it most.

 

 

 

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Tech News: Streaming Wars… What To Watch And What Is The Price?

The next few years will be marked as “revolutionary” for anything in regards to entertainment and television. Almost every big television platform is going to launch their own streaming service to compete with the three largest tech giants: Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu. Here’s what you need to know about the new and existing players in a game of the television Streaming Wars!

 

Netflix

Price: $8.99 for its basic plan, $12.99 for standard, and $15.99 for premium

What it offers: Netflix is arguably the streaming king of them all thanks to an expanding archive of content and global subscriber base that is 150 million strong. Netflix’s library includes its original series such as “Stranger Things,” “The Witcher” and “The Umbrella Academy,” plus original films like “Always Be My Maybe” and the Oscar-winning “Roma.” It also has comedy specials from the likes of Dave Chappelle, Netflix Originals like Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis, upcoming films from Martin Scorsese and Michael Bay and series from Shonda Rhimes and Ryan Murphy — two of television’s most successful producers. Netflix is losing beloved classics like “Friends” and “The Office” to competitors, but it’s now the exclusive global streaming home to “Seinfeld” starting in 2021. So, yes, Netflix may have competition waiting at the gates, but it’s still synonymous with streaming.

 

Apple TV+

Price: $4.99 a month or a free year when you purchase a new iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Mac or Apple TV.

What it offers: Apple TV+ may be short on content, but it undercuts many of its streaming competitors in price with its $4.99 monthly fee (and you get a year free when you buy a new Apple product from Apple or licensed retailers). Apple TV+ also includes content from some heavy-hitters in Hollywood. There’s “The Morning Show,” a series about the news industry starring Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon and Steve Carrell (CNN’s Brian Stelter is a consultant on the project, for which his book was used as background). Apple also struck a multiyear deal with Oprah Winfrey in June of 2018 to create documentaries and a book club.

 

Disney+

Price: $6.99 or $12.99 when bundled with ESPN+ and commercial-supported Hulu

What it offers: Disney+ is the exclusive home for some of the most popular franchises in Hollywood for a low price. While Apple is promoting names like Oprah, Disney+ has brand names like Star Wars and Marvel. There are multiple series from Marvel, a few original Star Wars series including “The Mandalorian,” Pixar films and shorts, Disney animated classics, and documentaries from National Geographic. The service is also the exclusive home to all 30 seasons of “The Simpsons” — TV’s longest running primetime scripted series. Much of Disney+ caters to children, but that’s still a lot of content for $6.99 – about half of what Netflix charges for its standard plan.

 

HBO Max

Price: $14.99 a month

When does it launch?: May 2020

What it offers: HBO Max’s best selling point is it’s variety. The upcoming service from WarnerMedia, which also owns CNN, has content for all ages — Looney Tunes, Hanna-Barbera, Cartoon Network and “Sesame Street” for the young and HBO series, TNT and TBS for adults. All 23 seasons of “South Park” will also be exclusive to the service. For cinephiles, HBO Max offers Warner Brothers’ deep film library, The Criterion Collection and Turner Classic Movies. The service will also have television favorites such as “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” and “The Big Bang Theory.” The iconic “Friends,” which Warner Bros. had licensed to Netflix, is coming home to WarnerMedia and will live exclusively on HBO Max for five years starting in 2020.

HBO Max has also successfully courted J.J. Abrams in a wide-ranging production deal with WarnerMedia, as well as Greg Berlanti and Reese Witherspoon, who will produce original films for the service.

 

Hulu

Price: $11.99 without ads, $5.99 with ads

What it offers: Hulu has the Emmy Award winning “The Handmaid’s Tale,” current television episodes available on-demand (the day after they air), and is now fully controlled by Disney. The service, which has 28 million subscribers, has greenlit a bunch of new series including “The Dropout,” a limited series about rise and fall of Theranos CEO, Elizabeth Holmes, that stars Kate McKinnon as Holmes, as well as two new live-action Marvel series, “Ghost Rider” and “Helstrom.” Hulu is a big part of Disney’s streaming strategy along with ESPN+, which the company plans to bundle together.

 

Peacock

Price: TBD

When does it launch?: April 2020

What it offers: Do you like to laugh? Well, NBCUniversal has the streaming service for you. Peacock will offer a full lineup of comedy hits including “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation” (both of which will be exclusive to the service) “30 Rock,” “Cheers,” “Frasier” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” Every season of “SNL” will be available on Peacock and there will be reboots of classic series like “Saved by the Bell” and “Battlestar Galactica.” Peacock will have blockbusters from Universal Pictures such as the “Fast & Furious” series and classics like “Jaws” and “Back to the Future.” Universal, Focus Features and DreamWorks Animation will also create original films for the service, and Alec Baldwin and Demi Moore will star in original series as well.

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LA Eats: Los Angeles Farmers Markets Edition

Fresh fruits, homemade soaps, local sweet honey, eggs straight from the farm to crisp vegetables! Los Angeles has farmers’ markets all over the metropolitan area for your shopping convenience! Check out this list we put together by area for you!

Valley

Calabasas

When: Saturdays from 8 am to 1 pm

Where: 23504 Calabasas Road, Calabasas, CA 91302

Encino

When: Sundays from 8 am to 1 pm

Where: 17400 Victory Blvd, Van Nuys, CA 91406

Northridge

When: Wednesdays 5 pm to 9 pm

Where: 9301 Tampa Ave, Northridge, CA 91324

Sherman Oaks

When: Tuesdays 3pm to 8 pm

Where: 14006 Riverside Dr. Sherman Oaks, CA 91423

Burbank

When: Saturdays from 8 am to 12:30 pm

Where: 101 N Glenoaks Blvd. Burbank, CA 91502

Westside

Melrose Place

When: Sundays from 10 am to 2 pm

Where: 8248 Melrose Pl. Los Angeles, CA 90046

 

Beverly Hills 

When: Sundays from 9 am to 1pm

Where: 9300 Civil Center Dr. Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Century City

When: Thursdays from 10 am to 2 pm

Where: 10100 Santa Monica Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90067

 

Hollywood

When: Sundays from 8 am to 1 pm

Where: 1600 Ivar Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90028

Santa Monica

When: Sundays from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm

Where: 2640 Main St. Los Angeles, CA 90405

Marina Del Rey

When: Wednesdays from 11 am to 3 pm

Where: Vía Marina &, Panay Way, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292

Los Angeles 

Historic Downtown

When: Sundays from 9 am to 2 pm

Where: 209 W 5th St. Los Angeles, CA 90013

 

Pershing Square

When: Wednesdays 10 am to 2 pm

Where: 532 S. Olive St

 

Crenshaw

When: Saturdays from 10 am to 3 pm

Where: 350 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd

Central Avenue

When: Thursdays from 10 am to 3 pm

Where: 4301 S Central Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90011

 

Echo Park

When: Fridays from 3 pm to 7:30 pm

Where: 1146 Logan St. Los Angeles, CA 90026

 

 

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Out and About: DTLA Edition

Los Angeles is full of bold history and unparalleled attractions. The home of Tinseltown. A pinnacle point of the Gilded Age. All synonymous with Downtown Los Angeles – a creative mix of the times, both new and old. Take an Angels Flight on LA’s only Funicular. Hear masterpieces at Disney’s Concert Hall. Spend a day in DTLA and enjoy a true piece of quintessential California. Keeping in mind the many areas of DTLA to explore, we will focus on the highlight reel of day to night activities in this Out and About: DTLA Edition.

Breakfast in the morning…

Start your morning off the Parisian way with a trip to DTLA’s beloved Bottega Louie.

Before Laduree was kind enough to make it’s long overdue west-coast appearance, Bottega Louie was the only place one could get a luxury Macaron collection whilst enjoying a french style brasserie. While there are more than a few shops that offer that perfect Parisian treat in Los Angeles, Bottega Louie will always hold a special place in our Angeleno hearts. Try the delectable Beignets served with Raspberry compote or the Tuscan Farro and Eggs tossed in Rainbow Carrots, Fresh Kale, and Mushrooms.

ART to see…

After you finish your trip down french cuisine lane, your not too far to have your pick of art on display at The Broad or MOCA.

While both museums offer their own range of Modern Contemporary Art, each will provide you a unique experience and proper dose of culture.

Needing a literary fix? The Los Angeles Central Library boasts stunning architecture and rare books.

Satisfy your inner book worm then head over to the Grammy Museum for a different collection of art with one of a kind pieces to gander at from musics biggest legends.

structural wonders to see…

For those who have an admiration for the great architecture of LA, the Los Angeles Conservancy Walking Tours is here to assist. As they guide you through and by DTLA’s iconic facades, you’ll have your choice of style. Choose between tours of modern skyscrapers or the Historic Core, Art Deco icons or Victorian mansions. A true display of LA’s most beautiful building.

On the chance you opt out of the walking tour, you should at least add the Bradbury Building and Spring Arcade Building to your list of sites to see.

The two are unlike one another as the Bradbury is DTLA’s oldest commercial building established in 1893. While much of the space is utilized for private office use,  movie buffs may recognize its iconic iron staircases from the climax of Bladerunner.

After this historical stop, save sometime to venture to the next one, if not only to at least pick up a mid morning reprieve. The Spring Arcade building still brims with the beauty of its 1924 structure.

Enter the terra cotta archway as you walk through a glass-roofed alleyway of dining options.  Stop by the Green Grotto Juice Bar and pick up a tasty beverage to go before your afternoon begins!

Up Noon…

By this point your thinking, “I’ve done enough walking today”. Well venture over to Grand Park, not for the cardio but to take in the bright urban oasis.

Refurbished in 2012, the park has 12 acres of sprawling space to lounge and people watch other than the performances and gatherings it plays host to throughout the year.

If your starving Grand Central Market is the only ideal destination to appease your midday cravings.

A downtown landmark since 1917, the food hall boasts over 30 different vendors ranging in international cuisine.

Once you’ve chosen and chased away those hunger pains, Angels Flight-the worlds shortest railway is mere steps away.

Thanks to the success of the Hollywood hit film Lalaland in which it was featured and enough community demand, the once stalled hillside attraction was reopened in 2017.

SHOPPING ESSENTIALS…

We are sure by now your wondering when you will get to splurge a little. Figat7th is the next destination which offers all of your favorite fashion finds like Zara and Mac(for unique pieces the Art District does not disappoint).

After you’ve picked up the items you’ll quote as “necessary” brace yourself for unparalleled views at our next stop.

Taking the day to new heights…

Que Skyspace, locate din the US Bank building is a high-rise experience to be had for all.

Glide your way down on the 45ft glass Skyslide suspended 1000 feet in the air  to their observation deck for unobstructed views of the city of stars. A site seeing experience like no other.

Taking it to Old town…

The oldest section of the city, El Pueblo and Olvera Street were established in 1781 as a farming community.

Brimming with authentic Spanish style, the area boast 11 historical structures and a range of independent street vendors.

Once you’ve explored enough here make your last afternoon stop Union Station(pun intended).

The last of the great American rail stations is just as handsome as the day it opened, with its mission style exterior and grand art deco interior touches.

When night falls…

As the evening sets in there are a few options to keep your DTLA outing going well into the night. Stop by LA Live to catch a game at the Staples Center or experience the only 4D entertainment in LA at Regal Cinemas.

Seeking a bit more of a stage based experience? Both the Music Center and Disney Concert Hall boost world-renowned performing arts engagements.

Set the stage…

At the Music Center much of the shows put on are courtesy of the Centre Theatre Group.

At the north end, the Ahmanson Theatre presents pre- or post-Broadway fare, while the smaller Mark Taper Forum stages a wide range of new plays. Also part of the Music Center, the grand Dorothy Chandler Pavilion is the home base for LA Opera, as well as occasional concerts and dance events.

The Disney Concert Hall is not only a marvel of modern architecture but home to LA’s award-winning Philharmonic.

Hosting a plethora of concerts and shows throughout the year, it is an experience not to be missed.

Dinner time…

If you want a bit more high-flying views along with your evening feast, 71 Above is literal in its name of providing you just that.

Set 950 feet from the ground level, 71 Above offers elevated modern American Cuisine with elevated views.

If you didn’t make it to the Arts District for your shopping spree, it is worthy of ending your night there. Providing some of the most unique restaurants and bars in the city of Los Angeles, the Arts District is a culinary and cultural haven.

If you know anything LA’s iconic dining scene, you’ll Bestia falls right to the top of the list. We recommend the the Spaghetti Rustichella—a small pyramid of noodles under Dungeness crab.

Italian not quite your flavor? No fret! For savory steak frites try Church & State  a marvel of french cuisine. After dinner finish your night Everson Royce Bar-a hidden neighborhood gem.

The end… We hope you enjoyed OUR GUIDE TO A day in DTLA!
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Weekend Events: December 13 – December 15

Enjoy the weekend before the hustle and bustle of the holidays with these fun-filled events! Help Mickey look for clues in his search for Tinker Bell on ice or have a snowball fight with the kids in Los Angeles’ very own Winter Wonderland. From live performances to holiday markets and parades, we’ve got it all covered for you.

 

Friday December 13, 2019

Disney on Ice: Mickey’s Search Party Los Angeles
Location: STAPLES Center
When: 7:30 pm

 

Join Mickey Mouse and his friends at this brand-new adventure filled with world-class skating, high-flying acrobatics, and unexpected stunts! Help them follow Captain Hook’s treasure map and look for clues in the search for Tinker Bell! Make precious memories with your whole family during Aladdin,  Toy Story, and Little Mermaid as the search party becomes an all-out magical celebration on the ice, in the air, and all around!

Los Angeles Philharmonic
Location: Walt Disney Concert Hall
111 South Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012
When: 11 am

 

LA Phil features Michael Tilson Thomas as the conductor and Daniil Trifonov as the pianist. Trifonov has the reputation of taking a beloved classic like Tchaikovsky’s popular Piano Concerto and imbuing it with fresh new life. L.A. favorite Michael Tilson Thomas also leads Copland’s Third Symphony, built on the composer’s stirring Fanfare for the Common Man.

Taco Tour
Location: 1001 N. Alameda St. Los Angeles, CA
When: 10:30 am

 

During this bicycle tour, you will be taken to what we consider are some of LA’s best taco spots. You will experience a taco tour of Los Angeles that takes your body and taste buds on an unforgettable ride to some of LA’s hidden gems. This tour rides through different neighborhoods, historic sites, and they’ll stop at various taco stands and trucks so you can experience one of LA’s most popular on the go foods.

Saturday December 14, 2019

 

Winter Wonderland
Location: Baldwin Hills Crenshaw
3650 West Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 9008
When: 3 pm- 7 pm

 

Winter Wonderland is an opportunity for families across City Council District 8 to meet each other and celebrate the holidays with some fun in the snow! Councilmember Marqeece Harris-Dawson and Baldwin Hills Crenshaw invite you to join a day of holiday celebrations including music, food, and a toy giveaway. Performances begin at 4:30 pm, Grammy-nominated soul singer and songwriter Marsha Ambrosius will headline the free holiday concert. You won’t want to miss out on this!

Moonlight Forest Lantern Art Festival
Location: Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden
301 North Baldwin Avenue Arcadia, CA 91007
When: 5:30-10pm

 

The 2019 festival will be more spectacular than ever with dazzling new lanterns and interactive experiences. Children will find bright circular swings and other interactive delights in Children’s World. Visit your family, friends, and holiday guests for a highly memorable evening.

 

Marina Del Rey Holiday Boat Parade
 Location: 13650 Mindanao Way, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292
When: 5:30 – 7:00 pm

 

Arrive early to grab a spot on the lawn at Chace photo or a good photo spot at Fisherman’s Village, two of the most popular viewing places. The 2019 parade theme is “Kids Make Holidays Bright”. A brief firework show at 5:55 pm announces the start of the parade, which lasts until about 8 pm.

Sunday December 15, 2019

The Nutcracker
Location: Royce Hall-UCLA
10745 Dickson Court Los Angeles, CA 90095
Time: 12 pm

 

Los Angeles Ballet continually brings exciting ballet productions in Los Angeles, and their annual Nutcracker is no exception. In this production, LAB has stayed true to their classical roots with a little spin: the show is set in LA in 1912. This LAB performs The Nutcracker at five different venues throughout the Southland, so there’s plenty of opportunities to catch a performance without having to sit in too much traffic.

 

 

Unique LA Holiday Market
Location: Santa Monica Pier, Downtown Santa Monica

The annual holiday market features clothes, accessories, and art pieces from a number of quality handmade brands. Check out local products and rub elbows with the different designers and artists showcasing their work.

Frozen
Location: Pantages Theatre, Hollywood
6233 Hollywood Boulevard
Time: 1pm and 6:30 pm

 

Do you want to build a…rainy day fund to save up for tickets to a smash hit Disney-inspired Broadway musical? Good, because Frozen is coming to L.A. The Broadway musical based on the 2013 animated Disney film, will kick off a national tour with strong fall 2019 performances at Hollywood’s Pantages Theatre.

 

 

 

 

 

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LA Eats: Best Coffee Bars in Los Angeles

With the days getting colder you’re probably in the mood to curl up with a good book, and a cup of the best coffee in town in hand. Whether you’re located in downtown Los Angeles, out west in Santa Monica, or in the suburbs of Studio City. We’ve got all the right places for you to sit down and enjoy your cup of joe to warm up on these chilly winter days!

The Daily Dose
Location: 1820 Industrial St., Los Angeles, CA 90021

This little coffee shop, hidden down a brick-lined alley of Industrial Street, serves a variety of coffee and tea beverages, as well as a seasonal food menu with whimsically-named dishes made from locally sourced ingredients. Don’t forget to try “The Farmer” one of L.A.’s best sandwiches, described “vegetarian behemoth that weighs a full pound and packs a rainbow’s worth of ingredients between slices of Kalamata olive bread from nearby Bread Lounge”.

Zinc Cafe & Market
Location: 580 Mateo St., Los Angeles, CA 90013

Here you’ll find favorites like avocado breakfast toast (smashed avocado, butter, radish salad, chives, lemon zest, various egg dishes, and omelets.  Locals will stop by throughout the day, whether it’s an alfresco lunch of wood-fired pizza beneath olive trees or an after-work cocktail at Bar Mateo.

Stumptown Coffee Roasters
Location: 806 South Santa Fe Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90021

Located just steps from Bestia and Bread Lounge, Stumptown features a retail bar, roastery, training lab, and warehouse. Espresso shots are pulled from in the front bar from a custom La Marzocco Strada MP. Stumptown has been ahead of the game with the latest coffee trend, nitro cold-brew coffee, which is served on tap or available in cans. What’s more? The free coffee tastings at noon on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

Groundwork Coffee Arts District
Location: 811 Traction Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90013

Groundwork Coffee is the latest outpost of L.A.’s homegrown coffee and tea destination, originally founded at Venice Beach in 1990. In addition to its signature organic coffees, Groundwork offers an expanded food menu featuring house-made baked goods, salads, sandwiches and more.

La Colombe
Location: Multiple

The Silver Lake location has a bold, Instagram-friendly mural on the side of the building and many LA-only offerings. In addition to the regular coffeehouse offerings, mango rooibos chili iced tisane and hemp “mylk” for vegan drinks.

Bluestone Lane
Location: 12186 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, CA 91604

Bluestone Lane originated in New York City, where it’s been on the scene since 2013, with other locations around Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and San Francisco. The cute little location just started brewing in Studio City with a flagship expected in West Hollywood soon. With their sights set on taking over Los Angeles, the brand hopes to have six locations soon!

Dinosaur Coffee
Location: 4334 W. Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90029

Laptop lingerers and chatty post-yoga meetups, if these sound enticing then head over to dinosaur coffee, of the best coffee spots in Silver Lake. The sleek space is heightened by a wood sculpture hanging from the ceiling that resembles a skeleton, and you may or may not see origami dinosaurs around the shop.

Bar Nine
Location: 3515 Helms Ave, Culver City, CA 90232

This space in the Hayden Tract area of Culver City is hidden, minimalist by design with low-slung counters and Modbar espresso systems. The daily coffee (out of three roasted every season) and the latte with house-made hazelnut milk is a must-try! Grab delicious cookies and/or pastries while you’re here!

Civil Coffee
Location: 5629 N. Figueroa St.  Los Angeles, CA 90042

At their stylish Highland Park coffee shop with high ceilings, beautiful Mexican tiled floors, and a walnut-topped bar they feature single-origin beans from Coava, Heart, and others. Try the “The Figueroa” made with espresso, condensed milk and cinnamon the menu also features everything from toasts with myriad toppings, salads, sandwiches, and sweets.

Blue Bottle
Location: Multiple

In 2014, the Oakland-based shop set its sights on Los Angeles and it’s now grown to 12 hyper-chic locations across town, including Venice, Beverly Grove, Culver City, Echo Park, Los Feliz and beyond. All serve blue bottle coffee and espresso drinks made with a rotating selection of blends and single-origin beans. Try the sweet, unique New Orleans-inspired cold brew with chicory, milk, and sugar!

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Weekend Events: November 22- November 24

From museums to the grove, to quaint coffee shops and the hustle and bustle of the tourist-packed Hollywood and Vine, the heart of Los Angeles has endless options for you to fill up your weekend.

 

“Julie Mehretu” until May 17, 2020

Los Angeles County Museum of Art – 5905 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles 90036

A co-presentation with New York’s Whitney Museum of American Art, LACMA takes a first-ever mid-career look at the Ethiopian-American artist’s striking large-scale abstractions, with 35 paintings and 40 works on paper. Active since the mid-’90s, Mehretu uses ink and paint to create captivating and chaotic scenes that capture the – often unforgiving – march of geopolitics and displacement through abstraction, architecture, landscape, movement, and figuration.

 

 

Second Home Serpentine Pavilion by SelgasCano until November 24, 2019

La Brea Tar Pits Museum – 5801 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles 90036

Each summer, a different world-renowned architect constructs a short-lived immersive pavilion in London’s Kensington Gardens. Now, for the first time, one of those fleeting structures is headed stateside: SelgasCano’s crisscross of airy rainbow tunnels will welcome visitors who are looking for colorful photo ops and free performances, hosted by coworking space Second Home and the Natural History Museum. You can swing by daily from 11 am to 7 pm (and until 9 pm on Fridays), though timed express entry tickets will be released. While you want to visit when there’s ample sunlight to make the iridescent exterior and its colorful shadows more vibrant, do note that it can get pretty toasty inside under the midday sun.

 

 

Los Angeles Auto Show from November 22, 2019 – December 1, 2019

Los Angeles Convention Center – 1201 S Figueroa St, Los Angeles 90015

Drift into the Convention Center for the 10-day LA Auto Show with cars that would even make Bond drool. If you’re a car nerd, get behind the wheel to test drive one of the cherry rides, while celebrities meet and greet at the manufacturer exhibits. With the world and North American debuts from BMW, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and more, rev up for the machines of the future.

 

The Great Los Angeles Walk, November 23, 2019

Various locations in LA

Every year on Saturday before Thanksgiving, the Great Los Angeles Walk debunks all of those clichés about walking in LA. Hundreds of walkers start the free urban hike on one side of the city and nine hours and 18 miles later end up at the other. You can hop on or off the walk whenever you’d like, and though no reservations are required, RSVP’s are appreciated. This year’s route starts in Arcadia and makes its way through Pasadena, down along Arroyo and into Downtown LA.

 

 

Artists & Fleas Venice, November 23 – December 21, 2019

Abbot Kinney Blvd, Los Angeles 90291

The newest flea market on the block, the Venice outpost of this artisan/craft-focused flea market mini-empire is bringing records, vintage and vintage-inspired clothing, cosmetics, jewelry and more to the Westminister Avenue Elementary School. A handful of small-batch confectioners provide sweet treats to snack on or take home, while food trucks and nearby restaurants provide heartier bites. Though relatively small in size, owing perhaps to its prime location bookending the neighborhood’s famed Abbot Kinney stretch, vendors hawk a diverse range of hand-made and expertly curated wares that seems to simultaneously fit in and stand out in one of the nation’s most unusual neighborhoods.

 

 

A History of Disneyland & Walt Disney World, November 19 – December 6, 2019

Van Eaton Galleries – 13613 Ventura Blvd, Los Angeles 91423

Somehow each Disneyland-inspired auction at Sherman Oaks’ Van Eaton Galleries is seemingly bigger than the last. While that may not be true in terms of floor space this time around – the massive, museum-like That’s From Disneyland! filled a big box in the store in the Valley last year – it certainly is in terms of inventory.

 

Dogs! A Science Tail until January 5, 2020

Exposition Park – 700 Exposition Park Dr, Los Angeles 90037

Learn about the unique bond between dogs and humans at this exhibition, which explores how pups see, hear and smell the world. “Dogs! A Science Tail” takes a colorful, hands-on approach to its subject and mainly targets kids. Be sure to catch daily live demonstrations of dogs’ rescue, agility, sensory and service skills. The exhibition also includes a selection of dog-featuring works of art, mostly Norman Rockwell paintings and Charles Schulz Peanuts strips, on loan from the upcoming Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.

 

 

Neil Simon’s ‘Musical Fools’ until December 1, 2019

Atwater Village Theatre – 3269 Casitas Ave, Los Angeles 90039

In the 1890s, a young tutor arrives in a cursed village where everyone is “as dumb as a bag of rocks.” This world-premiere musical adapts the Neil Simon play Fools, with book and lyrics by Simon, music and lyrics by Phil Swann and Ron West.

 

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Home Tips: 10 DIY Thanksgiving Wreaths

The very first thing you’ll do this Thanksgiving as a host is greeting your family, friends, and guests as they arrive at your front door. With fall foliage in the air and dried florals abounding the countryside, harnessing the natural materials of the season is the first step towards creating a memorable Thanksgiving wreath. These handcrafted decorations can be displayed right on your front door, above your Thanksgiving spread in the dining room, or directly over a crackling fire on your mantel.

Ombre Fall Wreath

Parts farmhouse tradition and ombre obsession, this whirl of wreath ripples from rust to beige to gold to blond. Wire small single-color bundles onto a circular metal form, working from bottom to top (light to dark). For an abundant, untamed look, tuck in longer straws and fronds and finish with a thin velvet ribbon.

Wheat Wreath with Wooden Beads

Dried wreath embraces a wildly elegant motif that hinges on natural materials found in your locale. Building on a standard straw base, add wheat stalks laced with wooden beads and sculptural seedpods to add a dimensional flair to your entryway.

Nut Wreath

Fall’s abundance by creating a unique wreath made of hard-shelled nuts, including almonds, pecans, hazelnuts, and walnuts. You can mix the nuts in with acorns from your backyard to fill out your wreath form; you’ll need a pound of each kind of nuts you choose to use.

Asymmetrical Foliage Wreath

Au natural wreath isn’t rigid whatsoever; it embraces the loose nature of autumnal leaves, pinecones, and other dried florals. Feel free to add leaves and other elements collected outside your home on a natural wreath frame fashioned from supple branches and twigs.

Dyed-Cornhusk Wreath

Corn husks take a decorative turn when dyed a rich burgundy shade and looped around a wreath frame. The resulting display makes a radiant Thanksgiving welcome.

Gold Wreath

Gold satin sheen perfectly accentuates sparkling gold fir and boxwood leaves. Begin by cutting your faux gold leaves and branches into 4-to 6-inch long pieces. Make bundles using one of each type, then bind them with 26-gauge gold wire. Attach one end of the wire to the wreath form. Add another below the first, overlapping them, and bind them. Repeat this process until the entire form is covered.

Sweetgum-Fruit Wreath

Simple wreath, this idea doesn’t require perfect symmetry or bending of boughs. Rely on spray paint, a hot-glue gun, and floral wire. The gentle coating of white conjures the season’s first snow. Begin by cutting floral wire into 2- to 3-inch-long pieces. For each sweetgum fruit, remove stem, dab hot glue into its opening and insert a length of wire; let dry. Push the wire end of each fruit completely into a wreath and attach ribbon to the top with floral pins for hanging.

Gold-Leaf-Accent Pine Cone Wreath

Nut-and-pinecone wreath was made more special with an application of acorns and seed pods painted white, as well as gold and copper leaves. Begin by zigzagging floral wire between the rails of the form to stabilize pinecones when attaching them. Then, cut a 12-inch piece of wire and loop it around a pinecone. Press both ends of the wire together, creating one thick tail. Wrap this tail around wreath form to connect pinecone to wreath. Repeat with more pinecones until the wreath is mostly covered, placing smaller ones were needed to fill in the gaps.

Apple Wreath

Taking advantage of the fall’s vivid palette of reds and golds for as long as they remain ripe for picking by using natural fall elements. This wreath may seem elaborate, but all it requires is some patient repetition of a simple technique.

Gold Leaf-Sticker Wreath

The smaller wreath is adorned with gold leaf-stickers and is made specifically to adorn the surface of a mirror, as shown here. Begin by painting your wreath form in gold, and letting it dry completely; then, apply your leaves to the wreath in the desired pattern. Once you have the placement you like, use a glue gun to further secure leaves. For more dimension, gently bend up edges of the leaves on the form. Finally, tie a ribbon around the top of the wreath to hang it later.

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LA Eats: Best Asian Restaurants

If you’re in the mood for something seriously flavorful, you can’t go wrong with Asian food! Whether it’s Chinese sweet and sour orange chicken, Indian spicy creamy chicken tikka masala or Japanese salty-sweet teriyaki chicken; we’ve got every corner of Asia covered in our list of top 10 Asian restaurants in Los Angeles!

Tasty Noodle House
Location: 8054 W 3rd St. Los Angeles, CA 90048

The San Gabriel Valley’s Tasty Noodle House has been making a big push westward from West Third on to Lomita. There may be no better place on the westside for the restaurant’s signature made-to-order Shanghai pork bao!

Yang Chow Restaurant
Location: 819 N Broadway Los Angeles, CA 90012

Chinatown classic Yang Chow is a hit with the tourists and anyone needing a nostalgia kick! This place does classic Chinese- American dishes with swift, friendly service—including the iconic and addictive slippery shrimp

Bombay Palace
Location: 8690 Wilshire Blvd Beverly Hills, CA 90211

With dishes like tandoori prawns, deeply flavored curries (including the fiery chicken vindaloo and a wonderful plate of bhindi dopiaza)  and fresh okra with onions and tomatoes pack some serious star power. Another star attraction at Bombay Palace is the clay tandoor oven that chef Harman Singh has been using to expertly prepare meats and seafood since day 1!

Avara Thai Cuisine
Location: 6245 W 87th St. Los Angeles, CA 90045

The extensive menu is plenty solid, and its faithful Westchester clientele appreciates an experienced kitchen that’s quick to accommodate various dietary requests. Who can’t love the Thai Iced Tea? We love this drink from the bottom of our hearts, and at only $2 you’ll be asking for seconds and thirds!

Soban Restaurant
Location: 4001 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90019

Soban has an amazing array of banchan to start the meal. The menu features raw crab in one of two forms: a garlicky soy sauce or thick spicy red pepper sauce. This restaurant excels in all things seafood! Ask for the special squid tossed with julienne vegetables if they’re available.

Jun Won Restaurant
Location: 414 S Western Ave Los Angeles, CA 90020

The classic restaurant serving a wide range of Korean food is in a bright new location along Western Avenue. The menu is essentially the same, with possibly the best bossam and spicy braised black cod in town to go along with stellar banchan.

All India Cafe
Location: 316 N Brand Blvd Glendale, CA 91203

After a decade of serving Pasadena residents, All India Café relocated to Brand Boulevard in 2018 and is still serving its tried and true menu of masala dosas, samosas, chapati and tandoori dishes.

Lal Mirch
Location: 11138 Ventura Blvd Studio City, CA 91604

This restaurant’s friendly owners and attentive staff bring out flavorful plates of Southern Indian food including naan, korma, biryani, sag paneer, and masala! If the timing is right, freshly made chai tea might be on the menu! If you can’t find at the Studio City restaurant you’re not out of luck because Lal Mirch is also located in Agoura Hills.

Chateau Hanare
Location: 8097 Selma Ave Los Angeles, CA 90046

Traditional Japanese modern, sustainable California flavor at this intimate bungalow on the edge of Chateau Marmont. Restaurateur Reika Alexander shaped her Sunset Strip restaurant into a whimsical, low-lit hideaway. Here you can choose a la carte items such as delicate sashimi, A5 wagyu, and Japanese fried chicken; build your own bento box with items like truffled tofu and miso black cod.

Inn Ann
Location: 6801 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028

Take the elevator all the way up to the top floor of the Hollywood & Highland shopping center just off the Walk of Fame and, wedged into a front corner, you’ll find Inn Ann. The restaurant perches over Hollywood’s sprawl, with long, spanning windows that peer out onto the twinkling lights of Los Angeles.

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Top 10 Apps & Software for Realtors

Cold calls, listing appointments, inspections, meetings, escrow, holiday cards, social media. Oh my! As a realtor, you are running your own business and if you’re just starting out, you’re building your brand. This career can quickly become overwhelming. But have no fear, PropTech is here! We created a medley of apps and software for all your gadgets to make your job run more smoothly! Check them out!

Freshchat

Freshchat is an advanced chat software that you can easily plug into your website. If gives your visitors exactly what they want: instant gratification! Get a notification on your phone whenever someone has a question, or better yet, easily program a chatbot to engage them until they’re ready to talk to you!

Focus Booster

Instead of giving yourself a few hours (or even worse) an unlimited amount of time to work, Pomodoro makes you limit your work in just 25 minutes. After that 25 minutes, no matter what you have cooking you will take a five-minute break. When you complete 4 Pomodoro cycles of 25 minutes of work split by 5-minute breaks, you take a real, 10-20-minute break to eat lunch, chat with coworkers, or head out for coffee.

HouseCanary

HouseCanary’s home valuations are based on dozens of data points both public and private and instead of going back a year or two, actually, consider trends from the past few decades when coming up with their valuations. While HouseCanary’s valuations are the most accurate many in the industry have seen, they’re not out to replace agents anytime soon. In fact, they offer affordable valuations that you can use to supplement your own hard work.

Feedly

Since you don’t have to read the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Real Deal, and your local paper every morning, Feedly can help! Enter in a few websites or news categories you want to follow and Feedly sends you a nice curated list of the top stories every day.

Avochato

Avochato gives agents, ISAs, or other team members a fully-featured desktop dashboard to text with many leads and clients at once. You can access easy-to-use message templates, send texts one-to-many, and of course click-to-dial for hot leads or clients that need extra help. They can also give you ten unique phone numbers so you can easily segment leads from online sources, signage, open houses, etc.

 

NodalView

NodalView lets agents use their own smartphone, and a few smart odds and ends like a wide-angle lens attachment to create their own 3d tours to give the other 3D tour companies a run for their money. For a few hundred bucks and a plan starting at $59 per month, you can start making as many 3D tours as you want. With a team plan, you can use up to five devices at once, effectively making 3D tours for large apartment complexes to massive multimillion-dollar mansions!

Expensify

Expensify automatically scans and tags your receipts, so you don’t have to. Ditch the shoebox, manila folder, or whatever you use to keep your receipts! This app will make your life a lot easier!

Trello

This app lets you create and keep track of long-term projects and to-dos with your entire team. It’s also super easy and intuitive to use.

Redx + Storm Dialer

If you’re trying to cold call (you should in this market) without using an autodialer like Storm Dialer, you’re leaving money on the table. First, there is just no way you’re going to keep up with the volume of numbers you need to dial, not to mention with voicemails, hang-ups, or wrong numbers. In addition, stopping to dial your phone every 30 seconds will slow you down to a crawl and kill your momentum. Set yourself up REDx + Storm Dialer.

Buffer

If you’ve already dipped a toe into social media only to get turned off by the constant demand to post, then Buffer is for you. Do you want to reach your Instagram followers at 7:30 am even on days you sleep in? Buffer lets you figure out what times and types of content your leads on each platform respond to, then helps you create a posting calendar loaded with content.

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