I know y'all are wondering what I think about all the driving. This is LA so of course I'm driving now, right? Well, yes. Luke who never owned a car in his life (and took the trains and buses all over San Francisco for ten years), now not only owns a car but has been driving it too. It's true!
I got to experience the nightmare of driving that so many know as "just another day in LA" first-hand a few days ago when I had a couple meetings in and near Santa Monica. Yes, that is the same Santa Monica that is just ten miles west of me but took nearly an hour for me to get to on Friday morning. You wanna see road rage? Thank goodness there was no car webcam on me once I reached my destination at the end of that excursion.
Oh and thank goodness for Ryan Seacrest and his morning radio show, which at least kept me semi-entertained.
It is definitely true that traffic here can be horrifying. Case in point, we went to watch the LA Galaxy MLS Soccer game on Friday night and it took an hour and a half just to get to the stadium, which is 22 miles south of me. Granted, we were driving in Friday after-work rush-hour traffic, and we also overshot the stadium by a couple miles, so perhaps we could have done it in 15-20 minutes' less time. Still, I can say that I've rarely had to just suck it up and get used to driving conditions like I've experienced in my brief time in Los Angeles so far.
I just added up all the time I spent in a car on Friday. About... five hours. No wonder I had serious vertigo by the end of the day!
So, yeah, driving can be a pain in the butt. However(!), if you know the short routes - the fast(er) ways to get around town - you can shave lots of time off your drive. Just the other night, I took the fast(er) way to my boyfriend's place, and it was just 10 minutes. A few days later I tried a different route, thinking I'd mix it up and try something new, and it made the trip take almost 20 minutes. No, there wasn't more traffic at that time of day; I literally just tried something that was almost the exact same distance and ended up taking nearly twice the time.
I do loves me my transit, and I'll have more to say on what I think of LA's transit system sometime soon. In the meantime, suffice to say that LA probably proves the point that a good transit system means more than just fast trains and buses that run frequently. It also means trains and buses that take you to the places you want to go from the place you are, and it means new development being clustered around transit-accessible locations so that people at least have the option to take the train or a bus, even if it's not quite as convenient.
I've also learned (and kinda already knew this) that Santa Monica Boulevard moves about as quickly as the U.S. Senate. This is a given. Almost any day. Any time. Any place along the road. Don't trust the Google Maps on this one. SMB (as I have learned to abbreviate it) is no place for the impatient or those on a schedule.
Now I just need to find alternatives...
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Fine dining
I don't intend to spend much time offering critiques or reviews of the local culinary offerings, but this particular experience was far too bizarre to pass up. Combine the best Mexican food I've ever eaten (and it was quite affordable) with a gigantic restaurant that was absolutely empty, and you begin to understand why this might be blog-worthy.
Before going to see Easy A at the ArcLight Cinemas, my boyfriend and I decided to check out a restaurant in the neighborhood that looked interesting from the outside when we'd driven past it a couple times. The restaurant is called La Vida, and it's on the corner of Sunset and Gower, across from a Denny's, so you know it has to be good. Even though we had been concerned that it might be pricey (based on the facade, and the look of the restaurant), we decided to go when we saw on the restaurant's website that the menu was actually quite reasonable.
We walked in at 7:15pm on a Saturday evening, which in my experience in San Francisco would make us very lucky to find a table at a good restaurant. Not only was there a table available for us, there wasn't a single other patron in the entire restaurant! My boyfriend asked the hostess "How long have you been open?" meaning, "When did this restaurant open? It looks new to us." However, the hostess responded with, "We've been open since 7PM." When he asked her again about when they had opened in the space, she said "Oh! We've been here since March."
She proceeded to seat us in one of three large dining room spaces. Below is a picture of that room, which could probably seat at least 75 people when filled.
Just based on the decor, I worried again that we might have misjudged the pricing on the menu, but once we checked it out, turns out that it was as advertised on their website. I kept thinking there had to be something we were missing.
I can honestly say that I've never had any as tasty or as well-done as what I had at La Vida. And the chips were free, guac $6.50 and burrito $12. Huh? To be sure, drinks were as expensive as each entree, and the waiter and hostess both explained to us that they're more of a "club" than a restaurant. That may be the case, but they are a "club" that has restaurant seating for more than 200 people.
Here are a few more shots of the interior:
And the outdoor patio:
Frankly, the thing that most stuck with me was how phenomenal the space was, combined with phenomenal food, and yet we were the only diners until a group of three people showed up just before 8PM. So, in a restaurant that could seat over 200 people, on a Saturday night, in a great location, with great food and a great milieu, we were the lone diners for over half an hour.
Oh, and did I mention that the lighting was being adjusted while we were eating? First it went up a notch, then it came down some, and then it came down a lot more. I felt like we were interfering on the restaurant's pre-opening prep time.
However, given the quality and price of the food and the niceness of the space, I'd definitely go back again, and I'm sure I will.
Before going to see Easy A at the ArcLight Cinemas, my boyfriend and I decided to check out a restaurant in the neighborhood that looked interesting from the outside when we'd driven past it a couple times. The restaurant is called La Vida, and it's on the corner of Sunset and Gower, across from a Denny's, so you know it has to be good. Even though we had been concerned that it might be pricey (based on the facade, and the look of the restaurant), we decided to go when we saw on the restaurant's website that the menu was actually quite reasonable.
We walked in at 7:15pm on a Saturday evening, which in my experience in San Francisco would make us very lucky to find a table at a good restaurant. Not only was there a table available for us, there wasn't a single other patron in the entire restaurant! My boyfriend asked the hostess "How long have you been open?" meaning, "When did this restaurant open? It looks new to us." However, the hostess responded with, "We've been open since 7PM." When he asked her again about when they had opened in the space, she said "Oh! We've been here since March."
She proceeded to seat us in one of three large dining room spaces. Below is a picture of that room, which could probably seat at least 75 people when filled.
Just based on the decor, I worried again that we might have misjudged the pricing on the menu, but once we checked it out, turns out that it was as advertised on their website. I kept thinking there had to be something we were missing.
I can honestly say that I've never had any as tasty or as well-done as what I had at La Vida. And the chips were free, guac $6.50 and burrito $12. Huh? To be sure, drinks were as expensive as each entree, and the waiter and hostess both explained to us that they're more of a "club" than a restaurant. That may be the case, but they are a "club" that has restaurant seating for more than 200 people.
Here are a few more shots of the interior:
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| Looking back into the restaurant to another of the rooms. |
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| One of the light fixtures in the furthest-back room, that could probably easily seat 40-50 people. |
And the outdoor patio:
Frankly, the thing that most stuck with me was how phenomenal the space was, combined with phenomenal food, and yet we were the only diners until a group of three people showed up just before 8PM. So, in a restaurant that could seat over 200 people, on a Saturday night, in a great location, with great food and a great milieu, we were the lone diners for over half an hour.
Oh, and did I mention that the lighting was being adjusted while we were eating? First it went up a notch, then it came down some, and then it came down a lot more. I felt like we were interfering on the restaurant's pre-opening prep time.
However, given the quality and price of the food and the niceness of the space, I'd definitely go back again, and I'm sure I will.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Heat
Perhaps the most noticeable change I've experienced to date since moving from San Francisco to Los Angeles is the weather. It's an adjustment, to say the least.
I've taken to wearing shorts and a tank top every day and my sunglasses are almost always affixed to my face. Anytime I go out without the sunglasses is an unfortunate experience before the unrelenting sunshine. No clouds. Little breeze. Just warm warm sunshine.
A little something about me: I much prefer rainy, cool weather. Yes, you heard that correctly. My ideal climate is probably Forks, Washington, one of the country's rainiest towns (and now known for other reasons - go ahead and Google it). Well, I like rain and snow. You probably think that's weird, so feel free to just say it out loud. There. Happy now?
Despite my complaining about the perpetually chilly air of San Francisco, the fog was somehow cathartic to me on those days when I just wanted to be bundled up in a blanket, sipping hot chocolate, and watching the latest episode of Top Chef. For me, the fog was San Francisco's version of "rain" during a long dry season.
That said, who wants to be bundled up in his winter jacket and hat to watch the fireworks lighting up the blustery fog on July 4th? Or just being cold the entire summer for that matter? Oh yes, I know that San Francisco's "summer" is September and October - but last I checked it has still only broken 80 degrees 3 times since Sept. 1, and mostly highs have been in the 60s. Meanwhile, the high in LA has only been cooler than 70 degrees once since Sept. 1, and generally has been hovering between 75 and 80 every day. And that one day cooler than 70? Several people complained to me that I'd brought the "San Francisco weather" with me in my move. Gee, thanks guys! Apparently some Los Angelenos think that any SF'er - transplant or visitor - brings the clouds with him wherever he goes. But, aren't the clouds pretty?
I'm a weather fanatic. Years ago I took a one-credit college course on climate change, and the one grade for the class was a final exam that was all things meteorology (and not what we covered on climate change issues). Needless to say, I aced the exam because, ever since I can remember, I have been fascinated by fronts, air masses, storms, cloud patterns, precipitation, etc. Changes in weather patterns, in particular, interest me. Shifts from hot to cold or vice versa; days of rain/snow; different cloud patterns... you name it, if it's changing I'm probably outside watching it or obsessing over it on numerous websites like this and this. For many years, must-see TV for me generally consisted of ESPN's SportsCenter and all things The Weather Channel.
Well, the weather didn't change much over the course of any given year in San Francisco, and that appears likely to be even more so the case in Los Angeles. It's basically sunny, and warm, every day. Yes. Every day.
As this article points out, LA gets 329 days of sunshine a year, out of 365 days. Last I checked, that's a little over 90% of the time. (dramatic pause) Do you know how hard that kind of unrelenting warm sunshine is for someone used to changing weather, including both hot and cold days and intermittent precipitation? Or do you lack sympathy with my plight? I don't blame you if you fall into the latter category.
So, doing my best to adjust - walking and biking around to explore and discover my environs, and to acclimate to a climate that brings perpetual sunshine and warmth. Any and all suggestions for coping mechanisms to adjust to this new climate are welcome.
I've taken to wearing shorts and a tank top every day and my sunglasses are almost always affixed to my face. Anytime I go out without the sunglasses is an unfortunate experience before the unrelenting sunshine. No clouds. Little breeze. Just warm warm sunshine.
A little something about me: I much prefer rainy, cool weather. Yes, you heard that correctly. My ideal climate is probably Forks, Washington, one of the country's rainiest towns (and now known for other reasons - go ahead and Google it). Well, I like rain and snow. You probably think that's weird, so feel free to just say it out loud. There. Happy now?
Despite my complaining about the perpetually chilly air of San Francisco, the fog was somehow cathartic to me on those days when I just wanted to be bundled up in a blanket, sipping hot chocolate, and watching the latest episode of Top Chef. For me, the fog was San Francisco's version of "rain" during a long dry season.
That said, who wants to be bundled up in his winter jacket and hat to watch the fireworks lighting up the blustery fog on July 4th? Or just being cold the entire summer for that matter? Oh yes, I know that San Francisco's "summer" is September and October - but last I checked it has still only broken 80 degrees 3 times since Sept. 1, and mostly highs have been in the 60s. Meanwhile, the high in LA has only been cooler than 70 degrees once since Sept. 1, and generally has been hovering between 75 and 80 every day. And that one day cooler than 70? Several people complained to me that I'd brought the "San Francisco weather" with me in my move. Gee, thanks guys! Apparently some Los Angelenos think that any SF'er - transplant or visitor - brings the clouds with him wherever he goes. But, aren't the clouds pretty?
I'm a weather fanatic. Years ago I took a one-credit college course on climate change, and the one grade for the class was a final exam that was all things meteorology (and not what we covered on climate change issues). Needless to say, I aced the exam because, ever since I can remember, I have been fascinated by fronts, air masses, storms, cloud patterns, precipitation, etc. Changes in weather patterns, in particular, interest me. Shifts from hot to cold or vice versa; days of rain/snow; different cloud patterns... you name it, if it's changing I'm probably outside watching it or obsessing over it on numerous websites like this and this. For many years, must-see TV for me generally consisted of ESPN's SportsCenter and all things The Weather Channel.
Well, the weather didn't change much over the course of any given year in San Francisco, and that appears likely to be even more so the case in Los Angeles. It's basically sunny, and warm, every day. Yes. Every day.
As this article points out, LA gets 329 days of sunshine a year, out of 365 days. Last I checked, that's a little over 90% of the time. (dramatic pause) Do you know how hard that kind of unrelenting warm sunshine is for someone used to changing weather, including both hot and cold days and intermittent precipitation? Or do you lack sympathy with my plight? I don't blame you if you fall into the latter category.
So, doing my best to adjust - walking and biking around to explore and discover my environs, and to acclimate to a climate that brings perpetual sunshine and warmth. Any and all suggestions for coping mechanisms to adjust to this new climate are welcome.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Plastic
Whenever a single word was ever used to describe Los Angeles to me before I moved here, it was "plastic." A close second is "smog," but I would say that "plastic" beat out "smog" by virtue of it describing something more endemic to the people of LA rather than just its environment. And I would have to say that my first experiences of this city years ago backed up the "plastic" meme, from the bright colors adorning the most plain of storefronts, to the women in 6-inch heels and Gucci bags and sunglasses, to the thousands of people who come here anticipating fame in their near future.
If anything changed for me in the past year and a half with my boyfriend it was seeing a side of LA that wasn't plastic. Rather, as a native to this city, my boyfriend showed me an LA that was more of a community and that was interested in more than just your body mass index and skin elasticity. I got to see an LA where families grow up, distinct neighborhoods attract a wide variety of people, and entertainment is an industry, not just an attraction.
Which isn't to say that "Plastic LA" doesn't exist.
Case in point: Moments after arriving at the gym this morning, I almost ran into a woman with breasts as big as her head and nearly popping out of her low-cut shirt. Y'all know I'm not the type to chase skirts, and yet I couldn't help but be distracted by what appeared to be a three-headed woman who, mysteriously enough, nearly always had some man talking to her. I suppose I should have been shocked - shocked! - by the voluminous silicone in front of me, but it just seems to be par for the course.
Never mind that the gym is packed with myriad men with arms bigger than my neck, and legs to match. This may be the same gym - Gold's - as I went to in San Francisco, but the similarities end there. To say I feel like wimpy, skimpy Luke would be an understatement. About the only people with breasts larger than the woman mentioned above are the men. Almost all of them. I kid you not.
All this to say that the plastic meme certainly does have its place. I suppose the thing that makes it distinct here is that people are more forthright about wanting to look like they just popped out of a fashion mag (in some cases almost literally). And, given the proximity of the entertainment industry, I suppose it all makes sense.
Speaking of proximity to the entertainment industry... I must also mention my first celeb sighting, which I suppose is commonplace in LA. It turns out that Matthew Morrison - of Glee fame - apparently works out at my gym. I spotted him and a buddy doing bench presses while I was trying to get my chest to half the size of said woman above. And while I was not about to run up to him like a giddy school girl and ask him to sign my sweaty gym towel using a pen I'd scammed from the front desk when the clerk wasn't looking, I was definitely tempted.
I guess it just makes the point about plastic and the entertainment industry... the television and movie biz is literally around every corner and employs so many people. It would be hard not to want to act and dress the part to have a shot at fame. (I'll blog more about the entertainment industry soon enough...)
If anything changed for me in the past year and a half with my boyfriend it was seeing a side of LA that wasn't plastic. Rather, as a native to this city, my boyfriend showed me an LA that was more of a community and that was interested in more than just your body mass index and skin elasticity. I got to see an LA where families grow up, distinct neighborhoods attract a wide variety of people, and entertainment is an industry, not just an attraction.
Which isn't to say that "Plastic LA" doesn't exist.
Case in point: Moments after arriving at the gym this morning, I almost ran into a woman with breasts as big as her head and nearly popping out of her low-cut shirt. Y'all know I'm not the type to chase skirts, and yet I couldn't help but be distracted by what appeared to be a three-headed woman who, mysteriously enough, nearly always had some man talking to her. I suppose I should have been shocked - shocked! - by the voluminous silicone in front of me, but it just seems to be par for the course.
Never mind that the gym is packed with myriad men with arms bigger than my neck, and legs to match. This may be the same gym - Gold's - as I went to in San Francisco, but the similarities end there. To say I feel like wimpy, skimpy Luke would be an understatement. About the only people with breasts larger than the woman mentioned above are the men. Almost all of them. I kid you not.
All this to say that the plastic meme certainly does have its place. I suppose the thing that makes it distinct here is that people are more forthright about wanting to look like they just popped out of a fashion mag (in some cases almost literally). And, given the proximity of the entertainment industry, I suppose it all makes sense.
Speaking of proximity to the entertainment industry... I must also mention my first celeb sighting, which I suppose is commonplace in LA. It turns out that Matthew Morrison - of Glee fame - apparently works out at my gym. I spotted him and a buddy doing bench presses while I was trying to get my chest to half the size of said woman above. And while I was not about to run up to him like a giddy school girl and ask him to sign my sweaty gym towel using a pen I'd scammed from the front desk when the clerk wasn't looking, I was definitely tempted.
I guess it just makes the point about plastic and the entertainment industry... the television and movie biz is literally around every corner and employs so many people. It would be hard not to want to act and dress the part to have a shot at fame. (I'll blog more about the entertainment industry soon enough...)
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Sites around the neighborhood
Went for a little bike ride around my neighborhood to take a few pictures and to get a feel for the area. Here they are ---
The Hollywood Community Hospital is on De Longpre Ave, just a couple blocks from my new place. Perhaps it is somehow connected with all the senior housing in the immediate vicinity?
My initial impressions of the neighborhood are good, and also a little mixed. I love the proximity to shops, restaurants, groceries and other necessities, and transportation. The amount of trees, the walkability, and a lot of the new development are all pretty fantastic. At the same time, there are random places interspersed throughout the neighborhood that could really use new or improved care-taking, and it feels in many places like a neighborhood going through a substantial transition.
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| Carlton Way |
The first picture here is Carlton Way (as seen looking West from this intersection), which is lined for a couple blocks with these beautiful, tall Mexican fan palm trees. These trees grow all over my neighborhood, and I've noticed that in a few places they're coming up almost like weeds. In this instance, they were obviously planted all at the same time, and the way they line the street is pretty dramatic.
This is the front of an apartment building (location here) that was quite beautiful with all the palm trees out front.
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| Hollywood Community Hospital |
The Hollywood Community Hospital is on De Longpre Ave, just a couple blocks from my new place. Perhaps it is somehow connected with all the senior housing in the immediate vicinity?
I had a few more shots but will just end this post with a picture of one of the most well-known sights of LA, the Hollywood sign. Turns out that in my neighborhood this sign is also something you see at nearly every turn. The sign is a good 4 miles from where this picture was taken.
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| The Hollywood Sign |
Frankly, that's all very exciting to me. :-)
Go Blue!
Labor Day evening, and we had just arrived in my new city. I had unpacked my "new" car (hereafter referred to by her name, Mary Ann, in deference to my mom who lovingly owned this car for the past 7 years before selling it to me) after she had made the challenging trek up and through the grapevine while loaded up with my most expensive electronics and live plants.
We were taking a stroll up El Centro Ave (don't be deceived by the name, it's a small street) when some woman walking her dog said "Go Blue!" to me as she walked by. I was caught off guard, having forgotten that I was wearing my "Michigan Alumni" t-shirt and having only heard something along the lines of "Yo you!" My boyfriend immediately ribbed me for not acknowledging the support I'd just gotten from one of my new neighbors, and, when I realized what I'd failed to understand moments earlier, I turned around and thanked her and responded with my own, now sadly behind-the-times "Go Blue!"
I don't believe in omens. Looking for the universe to give us "signs" as to whether today or tomorrow will be better or worse than yesterday is time spent that could otherwise have been dedicated to far more useful exploits. That said, I did appreciate the unexpected welcome to my new city, literally within the hour of my arrival.
Oh, and come to find out that there's a giant bar literally one mile from my new apartment that is the Michigan sports bar. As you might expect, that bar is at the top of my list of places to visit!
We were taking a stroll up El Centro Ave (don't be deceived by the name, it's a small street) when some woman walking her dog said "Go Blue!" to me as she walked by. I was caught off guard, having forgotten that I was wearing my "Michigan Alumni" t-shirt and having only heard something along the lines of "Yo you!" My boyfriend immediately ribbed me for not acknowledging the support I'd just gotten from one of my new neighbors, and, when I realized what I'd failed to understand moments earlier, I turned around and thanked her and responded with my own, now sadly behind-the-times "Go Blue!"
I don't believe in omens. Looking for the universe to give us "signs" as to whether today or tomorrow will be better or worse than yesterday is time spent that could otherwise have been dedicated to far more useful exploits. That said, I did appreciate the unexpected welcome to my new city, literally within the hour of my arrival.
Oh, and come to find out that there's a giant bar literally one mile from my new apartment that is the Michigan sports bar. As you might expect, that bar is at the top of my list of places to visit!
Welcome to Los Angeles!
I grew up in the Midwest. Spent nearly 15 years in Michigan, and before that was born in and lived some in Wisconsin (with 2 years in nowhere-Texas sprinkled in). So when I decided to move to San Francisco 10 years ago, it was a big deal.
Last week I moved to Los Angeles, which is the inspiration for this blog. Yeah, I have already learned the ropes living on the West Coast since 2000, and it is pretty much my home now, but I also chose to come to LA independent of what anyone asked me to do or thought was the "right" thing for me to do. It was entirely by my own choice, and primarily because I wanted to live near my boyfriend of the past year and a half. It made sense for me at this point in my life to move, and here I am.
Los Angeles is very different than any place to which I might have seen myself moving years ago. Part of the purpose of this blog is to put my thoughts down and share first impressions and experiences of this city in a public forum, for anyone who thinks that what I have to say or share is even the least bit interesting. It's also to organize my thoughts as things come at me from all sides - perhaps you can provide some semblance of order to it.
I come at this as someone who learned early in my life to hate LA, when as a child I watched my beloved Detroit Pistons (that's NBA basketball, for those of you who care to know) lose to the Lakers, before finally besting them a year later. As an alum of the University of Michigan, I have had no love lost for the USC Trojans, with their year-in/year-out Pete Carroll media lovefest and powder puff PAC-10 conference (Note: The PAC-10 is pretty amazing these days... but not so 10 years ago; and yes, I know Pete Carroll jumped ship for the NFL and that USC is in a difficult place this year). Having grown up in a city dependent on cars for even the most basic necessities, I'm no fan of being in the ultimate car city, known not only for its parking lot freeways, but also its smog which taints an otherwise unbeatable daily weather routine of sunshine and 70s.
I didn't start a blog 10 years ago when I first moved to San Francisco because (a) I didn't know blogs existed back then and (b) moving to LA feels somehow different for me than my move to SF. LA feels like and moves like a big city, while SF felt more familiar, almost like a big town where everybody knew your name. LA is the first place I've been able to afford my own place, in a desirable part of town, that isn't the gay ghetto.
This isn't to speak ill upon the good name of San Francisco, a city that I have loved and continue to love, because SF is an incredible place. It's simply to provide some arrangement for my thoughts as to why now, why this medium, and what next.
I'll share thoughts, experiences, and pictures here as this journey unfolds. And, whoever you are reading this, thank you. I hope you'll share your own thoughts as you see fit.
Last week I moved to Los Angeles, which is the inspiration for this blog. Yeah, I have already learned the ropes living on the West Coast since 2000, and it is pretty much my home now, but I also chose to come to LA independent of what anyone asked me to do or thought was the "right" thing for me to do. It was entirely by my own choice, and primarily because I wanted to live near my boyfriend of the past year and a half. It made sense for me at this point in my life to move, and here I am.
Los Angeles is very different than any place to which I might have seen myself moving years ago. Part of the purpose of this blog is to put my thoughts down and share first impressions and experiences of this city in a public forum, for anyone who thinks that what I have to say or share is even the least bit interesting. It's also to organize my thoughts as things come at me from all sides - perhaps you can provide some semblance of order to it.
I come at this as someone who learned early in my life to hate LA, when as a child I watched my beloved Detroit Pistons (that's NBA basketball, for those of you who care to know) lose to the Lakers, before finally besting them a year later. As an alum of the University of Michigan, I have had no love lost for the USC Trojans, with their year-in/year-out Pete Carroll media lovefest and powder puff PAC-10 conference (Note: The PAC-10 is pretty amazing these days... but not so 10 years ago; and yes, I know Pete Carroll jumped ship for the NFL and that USC is in a difficult place this year). Having grown up in a city dependent on cars for even the most basic necessities, I'm no fan of being in the ultimate car city, known not only for its parking lot freeways, but also its smog which taints an otherwise unbeatable daily weather routine of sunshine and 70s.
I didn't start a blog 10 years ago when I first moved to San Francisco because (a) I didn't know blogs existed back then and (b) moving to LA feels somehow different for me than my move to SF. LA feels like and moves like a big city, while SF felt more familiar, almost like a big town where everybody knew your name. LA is the first place I've been able to afford my own place, in a desirable part of town, that isn't the gay ghetto.
This isn't to speak ill upon the good name of San Francisco, a city that I have loved and continue to love, because SF is an incredible place. It's simply to provide some arrangement for my thoughts as to why now, why this medium, and what next.
I'll share thoughts, experiences, and pictures here as this journey unfolds. And, whoever you are reading this, thank you. I hope you'll share your own thoughts as you see fit.
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