This is topic My First Trip To L.A. in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.


To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://ft-forum.com/ft/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=8;t=004979

---

Posted by Michael Barry (Member # 237) on 02-26-2007, 02:38 PM:
 
This is actually my first trip to the US, and the first major trip I've taken in 26 years!

I'm posting this from the Ramada Hotel on Santa Monica Blvd in West Hollywood, and this is Day 3 of my trip.

The highlight of my trip thus far is going to the Las Filas area and visiting that same bar that was in 'Swingers' (I can't quite remember the same of it now). You know that part of the movie where that band is playing 'Staying Alive'? Well, that same band was there, and I just about died when they started playing the same thing - it was like I was in the movie. Such a great vibe and the audience really digs it. What a neat place! The added bonus of the evening was being invited by a cute girl to sit with her at her table - we had a lot in common.

Has anyone else been there? I'm also going to check out Las Vegas for a few days before heading to Vail, Colorado for some skiing.

Anyway, tips or feedback/comments would be great, but I have to say that from what I've seen thus far, you guys have a great thing going here in the US. I love it!
 

---

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 02-26-2007, 03:09 PM:
 
Pass up on eating at Pink's. You don't want to be miss your entire time there because you are busy with projectile vomiting.

If you like Chicken, check out California Chicken Company. I want to say it is on Melrose between La Brea and Highland (but it is definitely on one of those cross-streets).

And don't forget to drive up the side of the mountain in the Hollywood Hills so you can have your picture taken in front of the coveted house.
 

---

Posted by Cameron Glendinning (Member # 3516) on 02-26-2007, 03:35 PM:
 
Have a great time Micheal. I look forward to seeing photos of you outside fellow film-techers homes, no need for urine though. I hope you have a great time.
 

---

Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 02-26-2007, 04:31 PM:
 
Have a Great Time there.

quote: Michael Barry

---

Las Filas area

---

quote: Brad Miller

---

Pass up on eating at Pink's. You don't want to be miss your entire time there because you are busy with projectile vomiting.

---

quote: Michael Barry

---

I'm posting this from the Ramada Hotel on Santa Monica Blvd in West Hollywood, and this is Day 3 of my trip.

---

That's the place to stay if you want all the fun bars and clubs to be within walking distance!
 

---

Posted by Richard Fowler (Member # 893) on 02-27-2007, 10:26 AM:
 
Dan knows all the fun bars and clubs Know the area well. Pinks's is great, you just need to know what time of day to eat or the "fire" in your tail may bother you at the wrong time
 

---

Posted by Michael Barry (Member # 237) on 03-01-2007, 08:27 PM:
 
Hi folks!

Sorry I haven't been attentive but thanks VERY much to those who reponded thus far, and I will post a full follow up message soon.

The reason I have to be so brief now is that I'm staying at the Aladdin in Las Vegas and internet access is $5 for five minutes - ouch!

But in a couple of days I will be in Vail, Colorado and I will be more verbose then.

Ciao,

Michael.
PS. I have managed to avoid eating at Pinks so far

[ 03-05-2007, 11:31 AM: Message edited by: Michael Barry ]
 

---

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 03-03-2007, 10:33 AM:
 
Hey Michael

Good to see you're finally spending some of your money.

What's your itinerary? Are you going anywhere else than the USandA?

New Orleans per chance?
 

---

Posted by Michael Barry (Member # 237) on 03-09-2007, 06:19 PM:
 
Phil Hill: Yes! Marty and Elayne at the Dresden it was! They are awesome. There was a guest tenor player who joined them and they kicked off some Monk tunes - M&E have solid jazz chops, too! I was impressed. At the end of the night, I was proud to hold the door open to let them out.

Brad: While in Las Vegas, there were ads and posters EVERYWHERE to indicate the arrival of...PINKS in Vegas. So it would seem that they are spreading...I still haven't tried them.

John Wilson: Long time no see!!! Unfortunately, my itinerary only includes, LA, Vegas and Vail, Colorado. I'm planning another trip in a few months which may be more expansive.

So...now I've been skiing for several days in Vail, Colorado. Definitely a great ski resort! The runs are REALLY long and well groomed.

Joe Redifer: Where abouts in Denver do you live?

I can't wait until next trip to spend some more time in LA - I've got tonnes more people to see and places to go there. This includes the AMAZING girl I met in Vegas who lives at Long Beach (Hi, Tiffany!).

EDIT: Nearly forgot to mention - I went to Mann's Chinese and saw 'The Number 23' which I believe was in 2K digital. Beautiful theatre - great place to go and see a movie. I visited the Cinerama Dome but only had dinner there. I'll see something there next time.
 

---

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 03-09-2007, 06:28 PM:
 
I live in Lakewood, which is a suburb of Denver. Basically I am about 3 or 4 miles (4.8 to 6.4 kilometers... or so) from Denver itself.
 

---

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 03-09-2007, 07:56 PM:
 

quote: Michael Barry

---

...the AMAZING girl I met in Vegas who lives at Long Beach (Hi, Tiffany!).

---

quote: Michael Barry

---

[I'm staying at] the Ramada Hotel on Santa Monica Blvd in West Hollywood

---

Hmmmm... Well just a suggestion Michael, you might want to not mention where you were staying to Tiffany... Oh and choose ANOTHER hotel on your next visit to LA.

That hotel is a well-known "gay" hotel. NOT that ***I*** would know ANYTHING about that!
 

---

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 03-10-2007, 06:29 AM:
 
Michael

quote: Phil Hill

---

That hotel is a well-known "gay" hotel.

---

Not that there's anything wrong with that.
 

---

Posted by Richard Fowler (Member # 893) on 03-10-2007, 12:27 PM:
 
The whole area is very happy
 

---

Posted by Michael Barry (Member # 237) on 03-10-2007, 07:07 PM:
 
Hehe...

Well, that kinda makes sense...when I went for a stroll in the area, there was a definite paucity of girls in the neighbouring bars. Now I know why!

Also, I stopped by a video store called (I think) West Coast Video and they had a...very well stocked section. (In Australia, except for the capital state, the ACT, porn is illegal, so that was the first time I saw it in a store so explicitly displayed). I purchased a Snickers bar with almonds there.

Here's a bit of trivia I discovered for candy bar afficionados: the Milky Way bar that you buy in the states is the same as the Mars bar you buy in Oz, whereas the Three Musketeers bar that you buy in the states is the same as the Milky Way bar you buy in Oz. Snickers is the same everywhere it seems, however you cannot buy Snickers with almonds in Oz, at least not at the moment. Hmmmm...Snickers with almonds!

So yeah...thanks for the heads up Phil and others...pretty funny!
 

---

Posted by Michael Barry (Member # 237) on 03-12-2007, 02:42 PM:
 
This just in...I've just moved my flight back to Sydney by 24 hours, so instead of going from Denver to LAX and then straight to Sydney (with a boring 4+ hour wait), I've now got an extra day in LA up my sleeve. I'm VERY happy!!!

So it's like that desert island question: if you had ONE day to spend in LA, what would you do?

OK, this is what I've come up with so far. I'm heading over to Catalina Bar and Grill to check out the one and only Ahmad Jamal trio on Wednesday night, and I'm going to check out the Torrance area (Del Amo mall, etc) on Thursday morning.

Any other suggestions of things you MUST do in LA? Just don't suggest the 'Psychiatry: An Industry Of Death' Museum on Sunset Blvd...
 

---

Posted by Mark Ogden (Member # 43) on 03-12-2007, 03:35 PM:
 

quote: Michael Barry

---

Torrance area (Del Amo mall, etc)

---

Honestly, I wouldn't waste my time with that. It can take forever to get there depending on the traffic, and it's just a big high-end la-dee-da shopping mall.

Enjoy science? How 'bout the recently remodeled Griffith Park Planetarium and Observatory, a cool place to check out the skies, and very recognizable from the ton of location shoots that it's hosted over the years. On Hollywood Blvd, you can take a tour of the beautiful Kodak Theatre, where the Oscars come from. Walk a few block east and see what's playing at the Egyptian Theatre, or go over to the Dome on Sunset and actually see a movie (then cop some tunes at Ameoba Music across the street). If you want to see a real DVD store (which West Coast Video ain't), head to Lazer Blazer at 10587 West Pico, then have lunch at the Apple Pan a few blocks east across from the West Side Pavilion (say hello to Gordon the counterman and have the banana creame pie, from which it is to die). Drive down Wilshire or Santa Monica Blvd to the very end and watch the sunset, then stroll down the Third Street Promenade, if you really are in a retail mood. Take a spin north on the Pacific Coast Highway up to Malibu to see where the stars live.
 

---

Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 03-12-2007, 05:59 PM:
 
Mark's plan is a good one. Or go to Westwood (near UCLA) and see a movie at the Mann's Village or Mann's National Theatres (large single screen theatres seating over 1000) and then go to Santa Monica.

Alot of food and drinks and great looking women.
 

---

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 03-13-2007, 10:36 AM:
 
Agreed with the Santa Monica bit.
 

---

Posted by Michael Barry (Member # 237) on 03-13-2007, 06:49 PM:
 
Thanks for the great advice guys!

I did drive through the Westwood area briefly and definitely want to check out a movie at one of those fantastic single screen theatres. By the way, I went to see a play at the excellent Geffen Theatre in the Westwood area (which was David Mamet's 'Speed The Plough' - HIGHLY recommended, if anyone can get to it! It's fantastic writing and acting and the thing just breezes through - a sign of a great play!). So that's my 'giving something back to the film-tech community' bit!

When you guys say 'Santa Monica', do you mean right at the end where the beach is and everything? There's a whole bunch of cafes and places like in that area that that I saw on my brief drive through. It definitely looks like fun, if that's what's being referred to. I did have a great dinner at 609 Broadway at a place called 'Juliano's Raw', which is a Raw Vegan eatery; again, highly recommended and I'm glad I can once again make a contribution.

But please chime in if I have the Santa Monica thing completely pegged wrong. It sounds as if I don't want to miss out.

Lazer Blazer and Apple Pan is a done deal - and I'll tell Gordon you sent me!

The place I'm staying overnight is right near the observatory so I'll go there for sure. This is turning into a tight schedule! Glad I asked. For what it's worth, I'm staying at the Beverly Laurel motel this time (on the night of the 14th) which is right above a groovy cafe called 'Swingers'.

So now it's a toss-up between seeing a movie at Westwood (Village or Bruin) or the Cinerama Dome/Arclight. Is the Arclight absolutely the bees knees like everyone says it is? It sure has a great reputation. ***This just in - the options at those three screens the day I'm going to be there include '300' or 'Zodiac'. I'd rather see Zodiac but, well, it's 3 hours...will read some reviews of '300'. Looks like it's all digital, too. (I must say that the digital screening of 'The Number 23' at Mann's Chinese looked very good. Great light on the screen but perhaps a bit 'soft' looking in one axis. Otherwise excellent.)

Now, as for Ameoba Music...I went there too, already, but...HOLY COW...WHAT a store. For the uninitiated, the place is literally the size of an aircraft hangar and you name it, they've got it, whether it's a Japanese import, second hand or otherwise. Heaps of rare, out of print LPs and tapes too. I've literally never seen a store that stocks all genres of music so widely. Jaw dropping indeed! Then there's DVDs upstairs...

Perhaps I should make an itinerary for the day and google map the whole shebang. I get the impression that that's the only way I'm going to get through it all!

Thanks again, guys!
 

---

Posted by Mark Ogden (Member # 43) on 03-13-2007, 09:47 PM:
 
Yep, that’s the place. Both Santa Monica Blvd. and Wilshire Blvd. end on Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica, right where the beach is. Just a few blocks before it the Third Street promenade, a pedestrian mall with great restaurants. Barney’s Beanery is my favorite, great burgers and beer. They have some interesting shops, and the street ends to the south at Santa Monica Place. There’s usually plenty of parking in the garages on Second Avenue, and if you have time for a walk you can stroll down to the pier and walk out onto the boardwalk as well, very nice. If you go down Santa Monica Blvd. to Ocean Ave. and hang a right, then a left at California Incline, the road takes you down to the Pacific Coast Highway, which is a nice ride. It runs up north thru Malibu past some cool beaches. I can practically promise you that there will be a film location shoot going on at least one of them. If you stop for a drink or dinner at Duke’s Malibu (left side of road north-bound), ask if a hostess named Kathy Kohner still works there. In the early sixties, she hung around the beach bum surf crowd scene and picked up the nickname “Gidget”, her story spawned a movie franchise and eventual TV series, and she's as nice a cultural icon as you can meet. If you continue north on the PCH another 380 miles, you hit the Golden Gate Bridge, which may be too far for just one day .

I would see a film at the Mann Westwood Village over the Dome any day, I think it’s the best theatre in LA and it’s the preferred site for Hollywood premiers. The Dome is an architecturally interesting theatre, but honestly the picture there isn’t that great, especially if you see a film in ‘scope (the reason why has been discussed to death, so I won’t get into it here). The other screens at the Arclight are all pretty modern-bland, design wise, but they get some great flicks and the projection in the multi-plex side is all Kinoton and very good. Skip the National in Westwood, it's huge but quite run-down inside and in fact is right on the verge of shutting down, or so I understand.

If you tell Gordon at the Apple Pan I sent you, he’s going to get a blank look on his face. I say "Hello Gordon!" to him whenever I’m in there, but he has no clue who I am. It’s more fun that way. OBTW, I should warn you that the Apple Pan is a real dive. But it's been there forever, the food is great, your fellow diners are always friendly, and it's just about the last available example of a long gone era of great LA dining. A hickoryburger and pie at the Pan is always the last thing I do whenever I'm in town.

And finally, gloomy SOB that I am, as long as you're in Westwood I highly suggest a stop at the Pierce Brothers Memorial Gardens behind the Avco Theatre off Wilshire Blvd. There you can say a belated hello to Marlyn Monroe, Dean Martin, Frank Zappa, Jack Lemmon, Darryl F. Zanuck, Carl Wilson, The little blond girl from the Poltergeist movies, Dorothy Stratton, Natalie Wood, and many more celebs of the past, all in a teeny little cemetery. Cool, if you're into that kind of thing!
 

---

Posted by Mike Heenan (Member # 392) on 03-13-2007, 09:51 PM:
 
The Torrance area near the beaches like Redondo and Torrance beach might be worth checking out, but skip Del Amo mall, although they recently upgraded it with new shops and an outdoor shopping area, it's not worth visiting.
 

---