Social psychology classes were always my favorite classes when I was in college. In one class, we once watched a number of old experiments and tv clips showcasing various human behavior patterns. This old “Candid Camera” clip of people’s conforming behavior on an elevator has remained an all-time favorite of mine. Apologies for the picture quality below, but if you click through you can watch the video and enjoy it for yourself. Hilarious!
This power of authority study always disturbed me.
Last week we ran part one: The Westside of the awesome Los Angeles city guide that our sister-in-law put together. Today Kelley is taking us downtown! Enjoy.
DOWNTOWN
While most cities consider their downtown the hub of their city, this is not so true in Los Angeles. Only recently has downtown LA really started to create a name for itself, and I’m excited to see what more the area will have to offer in the coming years.
Breakfast: Handsome Coffee Roasters in the downtown LA arts district offers a wide selection of pastries in addition to their awesome coffee.
Lunch: Head over to Chinatown and pick up some food from one of the delicious street vendors followed by dessert from one of the many candy shops.
Dinner: Church and State. Full disclosure, I haven’t actually been here, but I have heard it’s amazing and maybe if you’re visiting you can take me with you! This restaurant would be great for a fancy night out. However, if you’re looking for something more casual….
Wurstkuche: This is a place I have actually been, and one of my favorites. They also have a location on the Westside, but the downtown spot is great after a late night at the bar. Be sure to get the Houblon Chouffe on tap, it’s one of Teddy’s favorite beers and a must try.
The Arts District: This will be more like an area you walk around after you grab your morning coffee, but it’s definitely not an area to be missed. With an up and coming scene, this area of LA feels more like New York or Brooklyn. Check out some of the intricate street art lining the walls of every building and be sure to stop into Hammer and Spear, in my opinion, one of the coolest stores in Los Angeles.
Chinatown: This is just one of those places you have to see. To my own amazement, I only went to Chinatown for the first time a few months ago when my friend, Ally, came to visit. With its endless junk shops and open air fish markets, it was really a sight to behold.
LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art): This is another spot I haven’t gotten to visit yet, but I hear it’s definitely worth your time.
The American Apparel Factory Store: Only open during the summer, the American Apparel factory is located in downtown. When you first arrive, you’ll think you went to the wrong location, but follow the signs up the stairs, past the machines and you will behold endless rows and bins of American Apparel items at prices you can actually afford.
SO California
L: Tell me about when it rained in LA this week.
F: Oh boy! Well let me start this story by letting you know that I have been living in Los Angles for 7 months now. I have never seen it rain. While we were working in our office, we were “alerted” that it was raining. Everyone stood up and stared out the window for a while with smiles on their faces. I felt SO happy. It felt like the first snow on the East Coast.
L: Do you have any floral clothes? They’re all the rage for Spring, I hear.
F: I have one shirt that is floral. I just don’t really dig the floral scene on me. I feel TOO girlie. It’s not for me. I am open to changing my perspective on that though. 😉
L: What’s your favorite game?
F: At the moment, beach volleyball. I have fallen in love with the sport. You don’t have to be good. It is a great workout. It is a perfect way to spend time with your friends. You also get to be in the sun.
L: Do you ever feel lonely?
F: I feel lonely every once and a while. If anything, I think I should spend more time alone. I am rarely alone. I used to feel really lonely when I lived in NYC. I think being surrounded by all of those people can be a false sense of company.
L: If you were going to dye your hair, what color would you choose?
F: Girrrrrl. I would love to dye my hair black. I would just love to see what it felt like and if I liked it. Or, hot pink.
A week or two ago I watched “The Loneliest Planet.” Despite extremely limited dialogue, the story has stuck with me and I keep thinking back on it. I don’t think it’s actually a story about loneliness so much as it is about separateness. It’s a beautiful film, shot in the Georgian (the country, not the state) mountains. If you’re in a quiet enough mood to get into it, I think you’ll enjoy it. If you’re not, watch this.
Footnote: I just read this cutting review of the film and now wonder if I dislike it, or possibly myself, much more than when I started the post. I kid, I kid. I still like it and I like myself. However, I hear where he’s coming from. Fair warning, the review gives away the whole movie, if that’s even possible.
Seattle-town
I spent the most lovely time in Seattle this past week building stronger relationships with some of my favorite people in the world these days.
It is amazing how much better you feel after you have opened up to people.
Here are some pics from this weekend:
Got to meet lil Parker for the first time!
My favorite past time
The cutest
Our good friend Catherine sent us a round of pictures from her visit this weekend to Indian Ladder Farm in Altamont, NY that were too good not to share! It’s been so warm and beautiful in NYC for the past couple of weeks that it’s been easy to forget it’s actually fall. These pictures are the perfect reminder of the season. Thanks, Catherine!
Ever since I can remember I have loved people. I just love connecting with different people. I am talking all levels of connection: seeing someone who is serious burst into laughter for the first time, making eye contact with a stranger, relating to someone you never thought you could. I live day to day for those moments.
My friend sent me this TED talk by Amanda Palmer yesterday. It is about creativity and giving back and connecting with people. I have been thinking about it all day. I love her message and wanted to share it with you.
She also wrote an open letter to Sinead O’Connor’s open letter to Miley Cyrus. Did you follow that? Check it out here.
Yayoi Kusama “Dots Obsession” (1998)
Yayoki Kusama “Horse Play” (1967)
Yayoi Kusama in Mirror Room (Pumpkin) (1991)
Connect the dots la la la la
(Image via here)
And Im caught one more time
Up on cyprus avenue
And Im caught one more time
Up on cyprus avenue
And Im conquered in a car seat
Not a thing that I can do
I may go crazy
Before that mansion on the hill
I may go crazy
Before that mansion on the hill
But my heart keeps beating faster
And my feet cant keep still
And all the little girls rhyme something
On the way back home from school
And all the little girls rhyme something
On the way back home from school
And the leaves fall one by one by one by one
Call the autumn time a fool
Yeah baby my tongue gets tied
Every every every time I try to speak
My tongue gets tied
Every time I try to speak
And my inside shakes just like a leaf on a tree
I think Ill go on by the river with my cherry cherry wine
I believe Ill go walking by the railroad with my cherry cherry wine
If I pass the rumbling station where the lonesome engine drivers pine
And wait a minute, yonder comes my lady
Rainbow ribbons in her hair
Yonder comes my lady
Rainbow ribbons in her hair
Six white horses and a carriage
Shes returning from the fair
Baby, baby, baby
And if Im caught one more time
Up on cyprus avenue
And if Im caught one more time
Up on cyprus avenue
And Im conquered in a car seat
And Im looking straight at you
Way up on, way up on, way up on….
The avenue of trees
Keep walking down
In the wind and the rain, darling
You keep walking down when the sun shone through the trees
Nobody, no, no, no, nobody stops me from loving you baby
So young and bold, fourteen years old
Baby, baby, baby…
I am obsessed with Kristen Wiig! I can’t get enough. I think she is one of the funniest comedians that I have ever seen. Lately, when I need a laugh, I have been watching her best skits on SNL.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcDrc4tUgnc]Huffington Post put together her 15 most memorable skits here. Please check it out. They are hilarious.
In keeping with our sister theme, we wanted to introduce you to our new sister-in-law, Kelley! She has put together a three-part city guide to Los Angeles and it is fantastic. Without further adieu, here is Kelley:
Since moving to Los Angeles over a year ago, we have had a steady stream of visitors looking to escape the cold weather or just spend some time on the west coast. I love having people come visit, because it gives me a chance to show off our city and all the things that make it such an amazing place to live. One of my favorite aspects of this city is that each neighborhood is like a city unto itself. There’s so much to see and each day you can have a different experience, just depending on where you are in the city.
So, I decided to put together a city guide for you, highlighting a few of my favorite places in Los Angeles and offering you a chance to see some of the great places different neighborhood have to offer. This by no means is an exhaustive list, but it’s definitely a start.
THE WESTSIDE
We’ll start by working our way west to east, or as best I can. The Westside encompasses neighborhoods such as Santa Monica, Venice, Brentwood and the Pacific Palisades and is traditionally what someone pictures when they think of Los Angeles. The beach is obviously the main attraction, but the Westside also has some amazing restaurants and lots of culture as well.
Breakfast: Café Gratitude
This is one of Farrell’s favorite spots in LA, and for good reason. As someone who drinks a smoothie for breakfast nearly every morning, Café Gratitude’s smoothies cannot be beat. I suggest ordering the “I am Strong” smoothie, but if you need to have your morning coffee, the “I am Luscious” provides the caffeine pick-me-up you’ll need to keep you energized.
Lunch: Holy Guacamole Tacos
This is one of my favorite taco spots in the city and I nearly always take guests here when they come to visit. I first ate here when I was a tourist in LA and Teddy and I made sure to hunt it down as soon as we moved (we ate here the day after we settled into our apartment). The fried fish tacos are perfectly fresh and crunchy. Though there’s not much seating, you can usually squeeze into a spot across the street at the coffee shop and eat your tacos in peace.
Dinner: Sunny Spot
The Sunny Spot offers an open to close happy hour that cannot be beat. May I suggest ordering the yucca fries and the heirloom tomato salad. However, if you’re looking for something a little larger, the half jerk chicken is the way to go.
Drinks: The Bar at Hotel Erwin
Sweeping views of the city and ocean provide the perfect setting for a sunset cocktail after a long day.
The Westside is teaming with activities for tourists and locals alike. Some landmarks, like Venice beach, are famous, some not as much. Below is a list of my favorite activities.
The Getty Center: Admission to this incredible museum is free (though parking is exorbitant). While the museum itself does have some incredible artwork, it’s more about the views and the tram ride up the side of the mountain.
The Santa Monica Pier: If you’re not too scared of Farris wheels, be sure to hop on this one. The views are truly incredible.
The Brentwood Country Mart: This quaint little shopping area is one of my favorites. Be sure to check out Sweet Rose Creamery for some of the best ice cream in the city.
The Venice Canals: You can rent a bike from someone on the beach and ride through the streets made famous by so many movies.
Playa del Rey Beach: This is my go –to beach in Los Angeles. Away from all the congestion of Venice and Santa Monica, Play del Rey offers a quite sanctuary next to Marina del Rey where you can watch the sail boats come in and out of the bay. The whole town feels like another city and reminds me of one of my favorite vacation spots, Anna Maria, FL.
sisterdisco.com 