Anyways, Matt and I have been trying to explore the micro- and nano-communities outside of our own and discover all that the LA area has to offer.
Pasadena
In mid-November, we went with a group of other young professionals from our church on a hike at Eaton Canyon in Pasadena. Pasadena is actually a city itself (not part of the Los Angeles area really), but it is still part of Los Angeles county and only 20ish minutes away. We didn't really get to see much of Pasadena, but Eaton Canyon was a lovely nature area with good hiking and a nice waterfall. This was our second hike in the LA area, and we have really taken to it. We are aiming to fit in many more hiking adventures in 2014.
Silver Lake
According to wikipedia, Silver Lake is a "trendy, highly diverse residential and commercial neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles." Cool, famous people like Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling own homes there. ALSO, this is where we saw Scott Speedman at a 7-11. (Granted, Scott Speedman isn't super famous anymore, but as a former Felicity fan, I was excited to spot him!)
This community is organized around a reservoir, hence the name, and has many parks. When we visited this area, we definitely picked up on a 'cool, hip' vibe with lots of young people out at brunch or picnicking in the parks.
LA Live
LA Live is a downtown entertainment area where you have the Staples Center, shopping, restaurants/bars, etc. We went one Sunday after church for lunch, and it was kind of dead. It looked like a cool place though, and I am sure it is a busier area during the week and especially during sports/concerts at the Staples Center. We will probably go back at a better time to truly experience it. However, there was a really awesome Christmas tree up in the center of the complex, and we had some really good lunch at The Farm of Beverly Hills.
Venice
Venice is another nano-community within our micro-community, the Beaches. We have explored Venice a few times, and I have to say, it is not our favorite. It is a little too grungy for our tastes, but lots of people love it. It is a cool place to hang out for a little while, and there is great food and fabulous views of the beach.
Beers/Brunch at Venice Ale House
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| This picture is here mainly because I like the slogan ;) I didn't get any food pics, but the food is GREAT |
Date night at Primitivo - tapas place
Venice Beach/Boardwalk
Santa Monica
Santa Monica is another nano-part of our Beaches community, and we LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Santa Monica. We keep talking about moving there as we feel it is the place in the LA area that is the most 'us'. However, we are kind of tired of moving, so it may be a game-time decision once our lease is up in June. Most recently, we were in Santa Monica for date night, which involved pre-drinks at The Penthouse Restaurant in The Huntley hotel (great views and atmosphere), dinner at Seasons 52 and post-drinks at Water Grill (right on the beach). We have been to both The Penthouse and Water Grill before, and we returned because they are such cool places to hang out. It was our first time at Seasons 52, and it was very enjoyable (food pics below). I don't know why I don't have more pics of Santa Monica, as we hang out there often. So, I will have to remedy that in the future :)
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| Matt's rainbow trout |
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| My awesome filet mignon |
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| Fun mini desserts - pecan pie, red velvet, dark chocolate mousse |
Back to MDR (Marina del Rey)
Here in MDR, we are full of the Christmas spirit. This past Saturday night, the 51st Holiday Boat Parade was held in the marina. I believe there were 45 boats entered in all, and they took about 3 turns around the marina to make up the parade. Here are the best pics I could get given it was night time and some of the boats were moving too fast to avoid blurriness.
And, this lovely Christmas tree greets us every time we enter/leave our apartment lobby - very festive!
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