Skating Around

Christmas might be over, but it feels like winter's finally kicking in. I can finally appreciate my steaming cup of tea for the way it warms my stiff, carpal tunnel syndrome pending fingers!! Call me a Southern Californian anomaly, but I love it... the biting cold, bright pink cheeks, and having all the more reason to burrow under my jacket like a cozy mole.

Last week, I took the Gold Line to the Memorial Park stop and ventured over to Pasadena's Paseo Colorado, an outdoor shopping and entertainment "center" that spans three city blocks and boasts a 14-screen movie theater, a gourmet supermarket, retail stores, restaurants, and even luxury apartments. Southern California's especially great at providing "centers" like this (the Grove, Third Street Promenade, Hollywood & Highland, etc.)... and while the idea of driving to a designated space just to walk around and be entertained can feel a little too contrived at times, it's nice to have places where people can congregate and feel a little more connected. It's a good thing, because frankly, we can all be a little too isolated in our individual cars...

After grabbing some dinner with my friends at the packed Yard House, we headed over to the Pasadena Ice Skating Center, ready to make a fool of ourselves in an attempt to hobble among the little kids whizzing past us all. Christmas music blaring over the speakers while skating around in worn out rented skates, ankles burning from using muscles in areas we never knew we had, and some crepes and hot coffee at IHOP to warm ourselves up in the aftermath... I hope that I'll never get too old for moments like those.

*On a related note, for some outdoor skating, check out Pershing Square's Downtown on Ice, open seven days a week until January 21st. And the 119th Rose Parade (which runs along Colorado Boulevard) also passes in front of Paseo Colorado. Last year's Rose Parade featured George Lucas and Star Wars characters!

-Sarah Koo, ExperienceLA Arts/Cultural Marketing Assistant

Tea Tasting in LA's Chinatown

Tucked in-between the golden dragon archways on Broadway and Chinatown Metro Gold Line station with its green, yellow, and red curved roof is Far East Plaza. At the entrance to this plaza is Wing Hop Fung Ginseng and China Products Center. But don't let the name fool you. There's more to this place than aromatic herbs and beautiful hues of porcelain dishes and figurines (though it does have a good many to please). Pass by the first floor of ginseng and herbs behind glass countertops and the large selection of dark and light wine bottles lining the shelves. Then head up the escalator and next to the assortment of imported food goods in bright plastic packages (ranging from yellow rice crackers to sweet and salty plum candy), a tea fan might find a surprising treat...

...at the top floor of Wing Hop Fung are large glass cylinders and glass countertops filled with tea leaves. Recently, I had a lovely tea tasting experience with fellow ExperienceLA blogger and ExperienceLA founder Curt Gibbs, when meeting with George Yu of the Los Angeles Chinatown Business Council and Bibiana Yung of the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles.

In addition to letting us smell the intense and fresh aroma of tea leaves, the woman in this area of the store provided us with a sample of Fujian Fresh Flavor Oolong Tea, which retails for $68.99, and plum tea, cold and slightly sweet. One surprising aspect of the selection of teas is the price range, from expected prices one might find in a general store to a high-end selection worthy of Rodeo Drive. Curt purchased a sample of an extremely fragrant $150 tea aptly named "Lion Hill Supreme of Green Tea."


In addition to invigorating the sense of taste and smell, tea tasting at Wing Hop Fung is a truly visual experience. Tea can come in all shapes and sizes, more than just small leaves, they can be beautiful bulbs and round kernals. Most people are likely to visualize tea in its Lipton sachets of crushed leaves - sometimes the dark, dry mixture has hints of colors from other leaves and dried flowers, visible only through the gauze of a tea bag. But aside from pre-packaged paper boxes of this and loose leaf tin canisters of the standard fair of Jasmine, Oolong, and Green, few can likely attest to seeing tea unparceled, unready for just quick placement in a porcelain tea pot or mug of hot water.

If you want an experience to invigorate your senses, have a taste of tea at Wing Hop Fung in Chinatown.

-Charity Tran, ExperienceLA Web Coordinator

Farmers Markets in Los Angeles

One of the best things about ExperienceLA.com is the extensive Los Angeles Farmers Markets listings! Fresh fruits, vegetables, cheeses, and other delicious delectables are often alongside tables full of handmade arts and crafts while live musical entertainment plays. Some even have events for the kids! Metro recently added some great info on a recent press release on some suggested places to go and how to 'Go Metro' to get there.


Markets Along the Metro Gold Line:

• Old L.A.'s Farmers Market, Tuesdays, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., Avenue 57 and Marmion Way, Highland Park station
• South Pasadena Farmers' Market, Thursdays, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., Meridian Avenue and Mission Street, Mission station
• L.A. Chinatown Farmers' Market, Thursdays, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., 727 N. Hill between Alpine and Ord, Chinatown station
• Pasadena Victory Park Certified Farmers' Market (access from Metro Gold Line with connecting Pasadena ARTS shuttle bus service), Saturdays, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., North Sierra Madre Boulevard and Paloma Street, Sierra Madre Villa station
• Pasadena Villa Park Certified Farmers' Market (access from Metro Gold Line with connecting Pasadena ARTS shuttle bus service), Tuesdays, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., East Villa Street and North Garfield Avenue, either Lake Avenue station or Memorial Park station

Markets Along the Metro Red Line:

• L.A. Seventh and Figueroa Farmers' Market, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 7th and Figueroa streets, 7th Street/Metro Center station (also accessible from Metro Blue Line)
• Hollywood Farmers' Market, Sundays, 8 a.m. to 1 pm., Ivar and Selma Avenue, Hollywood/Vine station

Markets Along the Metro Blue Line:

• L.A. Seventh and Figueroa Farmers' Market, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 7th and Figueroa streets, 7th Street/Metro Center station (also accessible from Metro Red Line)
• Long Beach Downtown Certified Farmers' Market, Fridays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 5th Street and the Promenade, 5th Street station

For more information on these and other LA Farmers Markets and to use our Metro Trip Planner to get there, visit ExperienceLA.com Farmers Markets.

-Charity Tran, ExperienceLA Web Coordinator

LA Cultural Week/end: Classical Music, 80's Clubbing, Mash-ups, and Late-Night Dining

I had a jam-packed week and weekend of evening events - from eclectic music events to a variety of late night dining to Hollywood clubbing options - it's been quite the whirlwind. It reminds me why I love living in - and experiencing - LA. There always something to do.

Tuesday: At the Viper Room in Hollywood, I went out with my friends Matt, Elaine, and Frank to see one of my favorite bands play - Hello Stranger (formerly Vagenius). Frank managed to snag us a pair of drumsticks for souvenirs! Prior to the show, we ate at the Red Rock Bar & Eatery and after the show we went shopping randomly at a shop near the Viper Room.

Thursday: My friend Bill invited me to join him and our friends Jay, Nick, and Kevin for dinner and a LA Phil event in downtown. We had a delicious meal at the Taipan restaurant in the Wells Fargo Tower. After dinner we headed off to nearby Walt Disney Concert Hall with a classical concert by the LA Philharmonic featuring Sir Neville Marriner conducting Mozart & Mendelssohn and violin soloist Martin Chalifour.

Friday: I had fun with 80's clubbing in Hollywood at the Ruby (which hosts Clockwork Orange on Friday nights among other great clubbing events!) with friends Jay, Jon, Jessie, Diana, and Jen. We mostly stayed in the main room of the Ruby which played 80's pop/rock, but we did spend time in its two other rooms: one which hosted hip-hop/trance/modern pop and the other which held some indie rock. The night out was followed by late night dining at one of my favorite 24-hour eateries in LA: Canter's on Fairfax.

Saturday: The day was spent at the Westminster Dog Park in Venice with Jay and his pet pug Ezri. The monthly pug meet-up was occuring on that day and we spent a couple of hours watching pugs of all shapes, ages, and sizes run around the small dog area. To our amusement, Ezri even found herself a boyfriend named Monty. We followed the dog park adventure in Venice with roaming around the Beverly Center (having lunch at CPK, shopping at H&M).

Later in the evening, Matt and Elaine invited me to a mash-up club called Bootie LA at the Echo night club every 1st Saturday of the month. I had never been to a mash up club before and I had a fabulous time listening to all the great mash-up mixes. My favorite mash-up (which I did get to hear) is Jay-Z's 99 problems vs. Nena's 99 Red Balloons. For those going "what's a mash up?" Here's the Bootie LA definition in brief: Also known as "bastard pop," a bootleg is a song that's "mashed-up." Usually, this means the vocal track of one song is mixed over the instrumentation of another.

After dancing at Bootie LA, we went to the 4100 Bar in the Silver Lake area, which is a lounge and bar with a great ambiance, long couch cushions, and an Asian-influenced interior design. We followed 4100 Bar with some late night eating at nearby Brite Spot Diner which features late-night eating in a cozy, casual diner style restaurant.

Sunday: After such a whirlwind few days, Sunday was thankfully a little bit quiet, but still filled with LA culture and outings. On Sunday morning I attended services at the historic First Congregational Church of Los Angeles. The church is home to the the world's largest church pipe organ and is the oldest Protestant church of continuous operation in the city of Los Angeles. Founded in 1867, the current gothic cathedral on 6th/Commonwealth was built in 1932 and modeled after the great cathedrals of Europe.

The evening was spent with dinner at Mel's Drive-in West Hollywood with Nick, Sarah, and Bill. I love the Mel's Drive-in diners (there's also a Mel's Drive-in Hollywood near Highland) for its classic diner feel and food.

Perhaps, needless to say, I close this entry with: whew!

-Charity Tran, ExperienceLA Web Coordinator

Gift Store Hopping in Downtown LA

I made up my own walking tour of sorts of Downtown LA gift shops after attending the Japanese American National Museum (JANM) event the other week in search of a present.

I first roamed through JANM's award-winning gift shop (featured as part of the Best of LA in 2006 and previous years, also available online) conveniently accessible to the public by being right near the museum's entrance. In addition to the items of current and past museum exhibitions, the store features an eclectic mix of fine jewelry, great logo shirts, fun cultural items like chopstick kits and sushi playsets, and a large selection of books and music. There's something for just about anyone and any age. And, a personal favorite aspect of mine, it is also a great place to get Angry Little Girls tote bags and books!

After JANM, I headed west to walk back to the Civic Center subway station to head home, but then remembered that I was only a few blocks from the LA Philharmonic's great gift shop at the Walt Disney Concert Hall (which also has an online home). In addition to the store's fine collection of music, the store features artistic crafts, gifts, jewelry, books, and stationary. I had particular fun in the kid's section that features fun instruments to teach kids about music and help them become more engaged. I even got myself an African thumb piano.

I headed south from the LA Philharmonic's gift shop and found myself by the Los Angeles Central Library which also has a lovely gift shop of eclectic items including jewelry, books, artwork, and children's toys.

My impromptu walking tour felt like I was finding gems all over Downtown LA's landscape!

-Charity Tran, ExperienceLA Web Coordinator