Middle of the Week Getaway

Sunday is halfway over and manic monday will wear you out all over again. If you need a mid-week release like most people do, take advantage of Westfield Century City's, "Movies on the Terrace" events. 

"Movies on the Terrace" is a free outdoors movie screening all summer long starting this wednesday and every wednesday after that. It is conveniently located on their dining terrace so you can casually grab a bite to eat and enjoy a classic movie under the summer night stars. 

Just a few of the movies include: Sleepless in Seattle, Footloose, Top Gun, Back To The Future and Grease.

The Westfield Century City outdoors mall is located at 10250 Santa Monica Blvd. and the phone number to the concierge desk is 310-277-3898. 

Thanks to Brentwood community member, Erica G. for the recommendation!

Image courtesy of Westfield Shoping Center.

Farmers' Market: Eat Fresh

One of the many advantages of living in West LA is the abundance of farmers' markets around the neighborhood. When compared to market bought produce, the prices are lower and the quality is far superior (but more susceptible to premature spoiling). Flowers at the farmers' market are also a great buy! 

Here are a list of popular Farmers Markets nearby:

SUNDAYS

- Westwood Village. 945 Broxton Ave. 10am-3pm

- Pacific Palisades. Sunset & Swarthmore. 8am-1:30pm

- Beverly Hills. 9300 Civic Center Dr. 9am-1pm

- Santa Monica. Ocean Ave and Main St. 9:30am-1pm

- W. LA: 1645 Corinth Ave. 9am-2pm

- Brentwood: Gretna Green Way & San Vincente 9am-2:30pm

MONDAYS

-West Hollywood: 7377 Santa Monica Blvd. 9am-2pm.

TUESDAYS

- Culver City. Main St. & Culver Blvd. 2pm-7pm

THURSDAYS

- Westwood: VA. Davis Ave. 1pm-7pm

SATURDAYS

- Santa Monica Pico. Pico Blvd & Colverfield Blvd. 8am-1pm

- Santa Monica. Third Street Promenade & Arizona Blvd. 9am-2pm

Golf Course in W. LA Closed

The LA Times has just posted a story about a popular golf course in Brentwood closing its gates to the public.

"A popular golf course at the VA Medical Center in Brentwood has been closed to the public as federal investigators look into suspected embezzlement of greens fees there.

The nine-hole, par-3 course -- built for returning World War II veterans by members of the Hillcrest Country Club -- has been open in recent years to others who pay $12 per round to play.

But as much as $200,000 in user fees may be missing, according to some who are familiar with the course's operation."

To read more, visit "http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-brentwood-golf30-2009may30,0,4792313.story."

Sports Bars in W.LA

Santa Monica Blvd. and Wilshire Blvd. are lined with sports bars from the city of WeHo (West Hollywood) to Santa Monica, but few are actually worthwhile when you are seeking to catch some serious sports games with a sizable group of friends. 

The NBA Finals are planned to begin Thursday and whether you are planning to watch, or tag along with a group of friends for sideline cheerleading, here are some popular sports bars to go to for all kinds of groups:

IF YOU ARE GOING WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE BANDWAGON FANS: 

Q's Billiards/Cabo Cantina: The two bars are located adjacent to one another and are a great place catch the game if you are more restless than usual. Cabo Cantina has great happy hour specials and a festive atmosphere and Q's is equipped with many pool tables if people in your group might become bored.

Busby's Restaurant Bar: A plush bar with a wide selection of imported beers and a game room equipped with arcade games sure to entertain the easily distracted friends in your group.

IF YOU ARE GOING WITH PEOPLE PLANNING TO GLUE THEIR FACE ON THE SCREEN:

The Parlor: Filled with wide screens and ample space, the 2-story bar will let you focus on the whole game, nothing but the game so help you God. 

Yankee Doodles/ Barney's Beanery/ Hooters: All located on/adjacent to the third street promenade, the bars are classic boys club bars with a lively staff and wide selection of finger foods. Yankee Doodles will probably provide a better view of the game, but Barney's and Hooters compensate with their better selection of food.

South: Located on Wilshire Blvd. this sports bar is often crowded with a hybrid of serious sports fans and aloof social butterflies. It features a rear room with a very large screen to catch the game in addition to several smaller screens diffused in the bar.

IF YOU WANT TO WATCH THE GAME WITHOUT A LARGE GROUP AND ARE INDIFFERENT TO PEOPLE TRAFFIC:

Bar Food: A newbie, but a goodie, this bar is a classy place to watch the game (though the place isn't overwhelmed with screens). The friendly owner and managing partner are usually either behind the bar or greeting customers.

Image courtesy of The Parlor

Lakers Win, NBA Finals 101

In game 6 of the Western Conference Finals, the LA Lakers beat Denver Nuggets to win them a passport to the series finals. The sports columnists and bloggers are going wild about the possibilities when the Lakers will face the champions of the Eastern Conference Finals on Thursday. 

For readers already well-versed with the NBA series, they can turn to sports columnists. For those readers still trying to grasp the basics of the NBA Finals, here are few clarifying points that will help you catch up:

1. The NBA Finals has a "best of 7 games" format.

2. Generally, there are few outliers, but the big name teams end up competing in the parallel semi-finals of the western and eastern regions.

3. As of Friday night, the Lakers beat the Denver Nuggets during game #6 and are ready to play in the series finals (deeming the winner national champions).

4. While Laker fans are able to rest easy for a few days, fans following the eastern regional finals are anxiously waiting to see which team turns out on top.

5. The Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic are scheduled to play tonight in the eastern regional finals (game #6). The Cavaliers won game #5, but have won only 2 out of the 5 total games. The Magic have won 3 out of the 5 total games. Remember, this series is best out of 7 so if the Magic win tonight's game, they will move forward to meet the Lakers in the series finals. If the Cavaliers win tonight's game, they will tie the Magic in the series and will have to play game #7.

What to expect in each scenario:

If Cleveland Cavaliers win:

- they will face the lakers, the same team they LOST TO BOTH TIMES when they played against them during the regular season.

If Orlando Magic wins:

- they will face the lakers, the same team they BEAT TWICE during the regular season.

Westwood's W Hotel: BBQ and movies under the stars!

Tucked in the side streets of Westwood Village is a true-to-West-LA style, posh hotel. Maybe the number of A-list celebs frequenting the hotel doesn't actually keep this top-rated hideaway as much of a secret as I'm relaying, but I'm sure their exclusive weekend activities will be news to most West LA natives. 

The W hotel in Westwood has begun hosting "BBQ in the Backyard" on friday evenings and "Show Me the Movies" on Sunday evenings, also in their backyard (the far from modest pool area, called Wet). If you are planning to have a relaxed weekend and want a place to go that will be sure to satisfy your taste-buds, a trip to BBQ in the Backyard at the W hotel might make your Friday night a perfect start to the weekend.

If you want to catch an oldie, but goodie on screen and want to take a friend or significant other on a pleasantly original date than the usual dinner and a movie, then Show Me the Movies on Sunday evenings is a great way to enjoy dinner, a movie and a classy environment all at the same time!

To see a schedule of the movies playing at the W, visit:

http://southerncalifornia.destinations.starwoodhotels.com/wlamovienight.htm?EM=VTY_WH_97518_WLAMOVIENIGHT_SPECIALOFFER

Image courtesy of W Hotel

Gift Idea for a Woman

Ever have a female friend you feel obliged to buy a gift for, but not necessarily spend too much on? 

One of the most simple and helpful little gadgets made is the purse hook. Don't let its small size and effortless design deceive you, this little contraption is tiny enough to fit in any purse and durable enough to hold purses heavier than a backpack. 

They're generally incognito, but a simple search on eBay will direct you to many thousands of designs and styles of purse hooks. Investing in one will mean your fancy Louis Vuitton or Hermes bag will never sit on the floor while you are enjoying a meal at a restaurant or grabbing a drink at a bar.

GIft Idea for a Man

It is slightly cheesy and unbelievably silly, but if there is a man in your life desperately holding on to his goatee... this little gimmick may just save him a few minutes in the morning. 

Thanks to GoateeSaver, we can show the men in our lives we care... one goatee at a time. 

Remember, Father's Day is around the corner!

http://www.goateesaver.com/index.php?main_page=index

New Hit Nightclub: Guys and Dolls

For the young and restless: In case you had a hard time trying to get into trendy hollywood hotspots, there is a new bar/lounge/club adding just a little more rejection into your social night outings. 

Pay a visit (or attempt to and stand outside) Guys and Dolls in West Hollywood. The club creator is the same genius behind the once popular, Goa (no longer open).

Photo courtesy of Barbara Davidson of the LA Times.

Best Rated Yoga Studios

In our bustling LA lives, there is a growing number of people using yoga as a means to find some peace. According to Yelp and Citysearch ratings combined, the top three yoga studios are:

1. City Yoga
1067 N Fairfax Ave, West Hollywood, CA 90046
http://www.cityyoga.com/

2. Golden Bridge Yoga
6322 De Longpre Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90028
http://www.goldenbridgeyoga.com/

3. YogaWorks
2215 Main St, Santa Monica, CA 90405
http://www.yogaworks.com/

Quality Education in the Westside

Access to quality education is readily available on the west side. The plethora of private and public schools rank high in the state's school ranking system. LA is the home to UCLA and Santa Monica College. Also under our roof is the highly sought after UCLA Lab School and many religion-themed schools. Sadly, the tuition bills are also higher than ever.

The LA Times published an article today about a senate bill that seeks to control some of the UC system's policy on budget handling. This comes after the UC Board of Regents (the governing body of the UC system) increased student fees almost ten percent. While many West LA residents may not have been as affected by the economic hard times we currently face, the bills may add up.

Public schools are seeing a decrease in federal funding and the UC system is inching closer to privatization with each passing day.

As a product of LAUSD and graduate of UCLA, I wholeheartedly support public schools in LA. I also recommend all high school seniors to attend a community college for their first two years and then transfer to a UC or state school. During the first two years, community college students take general education classes and some prepratory classes. The transfer rate out of Santa Monica college is very high and the acceptance rate is much higher than freshmen admittance numbers. It is overall a much smoother transition from k-12 to higher education.

This doesn't only mean less money you may have to fork over to the academic institutions, but even more importantly, the quality of the education your child will be getting is not a significant drop when compared to private schools. I've been counseling high school seniors at my Alma Mater, Birmingham High School, and helping seniors with their personal statements for several years now. If there is one thing I've learned, it is that in the end, a dedicated student is all it takes to make it to an Ivy League.

LA TIMES ARTICLE:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-uc28-2009may28,0,3431789.story

LA Singles and Doggie-dating

Doggie-dating is what I term the act of looking out for prospective dates while an individual is walking a dog or taking the furry ones to a dog park. And in W.LA, it has become more than just a trend to own or foster a dog.

A woman with a latte in one hand and dog leash in the other is one of the many staples of W.LA. On Sunday mornings, the center island on San Vincente Blvd. is populated by athletic men and women jogging with their dogs.

Sure, owning a dog is a huge responsibility, but the perks of it are hard to quantify. Opting to own a best friend for many years to come not only assures you better health (1), but also a passport to the world of doggie-dating.

About 3 times a day, dog owners have an opportunity to take 10 minutes out of their hectic routines to enjoy some fresh air and observe their local surroundings and community. When pet owners take their dogs out for a walk, the likelihood of running into others who own a dog is becoming higher (2). Some may write off the idea of meeting people while on a d0g walk for fear of coming off too forward, but dog walkers can testify that even if they are too shy or resist the urge to spark a conversation with a fellow dog owner (say, "what a cute dog, what kind of dog is that?...) their dogs will do all the work for them.

Dogs are naturally extroverted and tend to be very social animals. So when little Spot sees Lassie across the way, Spot will whine, bark or try to break free of the leash all to get a few butt sniffs of Lassie. In the process, the two respective owners have been allowed to exchange glances multiple times. The added bonus is that dog owners come in all ages, shapes and sizes!

If you are reluctant to accept this theory of finding prospective dates during a dog-related activity, you can opt to foster a dog. This frees you from the obligation to adopt and will offer you an opportunity to tap into this niche of singulars in LA that might spark your interest. Sites like Petfinder.com make it easy to gather some more information about the process.

Woof! er- cheers, to doggie daters in LA!

References/satistics courtesy of 1. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/61316.php
2. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2005_April_27/ai_n13656042/
Image courtesy of Lhasa Happy Homes

LAKERS

Our boys (whether you are a clippers fan or a Laker fan.. you are still an Angeleno) closed ahead of Denver in the Wester Conference Final tonight, May 27, 2009 putting them ahead 3-2 in the series. The next game is on May 29, 2009 in Denver. With the Lakers at a home court disadvantage in Denver, it might take game 7 to prove the Western Conference champions.

Obama in our hood

I was on the way to WeHo and I got caught in an unusual amount of traffic on Wilshire (just west of Santa Monica Blvd.). I switched to NPR on the radio and soon found out the traffic was related to President Obama's visit to CA. Obama is staying at the Beverly Hilton for a Democratic Party Fundraiser. Consistent with CA culture, Wilshire Blvd. was lined with protestors with "anti-war, anti-prop 8" boards. Most of the protestors were organized to rally against the gay marriage ban. Of course, this comes after the California Supreme Court upheld the gay marriage ban just yesterday.

Oh yea, and as an aside...most of the West LA population spends anywhere from 30-59 minutes in their commute. (almost 600,000 people to be exact).

To view more about our neighorhood statistics, visit:
http://www.neighborcity.com/CA/Los-Angeles/West-Los-Angeles/

Image courtesy of AP.