In the City of LA
Here it is- what we've all be waiting for...
As some of you may know, and others of you may not know, I spent this past summer with my boyfriend (that's him up there at the LACMA Urban Lights exhibit) and his mom in Los Angeles, California. It was my first experience with really traveling other than going to Tennessee to visit family every year and going to Rolling Loud in Miami back in 2017- and boy let me tell you, it was an experience alright. From the moment our plane landed, it was like everything was monumentally different in comparison to my experience living on the east coast. It was overwhelming, but it was so exciting.
Semi-Nomadic Living
One of the coolest parts of my time in LA is that we never stayed in one place for more than a couple of weeks. Airbnb, as problematic as their business model may be, made it possible to be in the middle of some of the best parts of the city without having to sign a binding lease. There was a week where we lived in this beautiful hotel converted to an apartment complex right on Hollywood Blvd and a few weeks we stayed in this really cool condo and we were able to experience the beautiful Westwood district right by UCLA. I think staying in Westwood was my favorite because there were so many stores, theaters, and restaurants within walking distance. It was like being on campus, but with a lot more to see and do, and definitely way more quiet. If I were to ever go back, I would probably choose to stay in Westwood for my entire visit.
Work Work Work
I feel like the most important thing people should know about LA is that it is so much more expensive than anywhere in North Carolina or the southeast in general. Like I'm talking $15 for a medium pizza or gas at almost $4 a gallon at all times kind of expensive.
With that being said, my first goal when I got there was to get secure a summer job, and luckily within my first week there, I did. I worked at this really cool paint your own pottery place/art studio called Color Me Mine in Beverly Hills, and I honestly loved it for the most part. I got great hours, worked with some pretty cool and interesting people, and there was literally never a dull moment.
My most jaw dropping celebrity customer moment was when Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis came in with their kids one day. Just a disclaimer, I was obsessed with That 70s Show for a big chunk of my childhood, so I was starstruck for a couple of seconds, I will admit that. However, that ended very quickly when I was at the back sink washing paintbrushes and palettes, and Mila was back there washing her hands and she basically flicked the water off her hands at me to dry her hands before grabbing a paper towel. That was one of those moments of flash rage for me just because she didn't apologize or anything, but then I thought to myself "Ok, don't say anything. Be nice and she'll probably tip because she's loaded." So everything in the shop is going as normal and Mila and Ashton are at the table with their kids finishing up their projects, and the Mila calls my co-worker over to ask for help. Basically, we had these special paint pens we used to write people's names or short messages on their pieces for them, but only employees were allowed to use them because they were super fragile and easy for people to "accidentally" walk off with. Of course, Mila was asking my co-worker to let her use one. We had a strict "don't break policy no matter who they are," code because apparently celebrities and the more affluent customer base had a track record of asking for exceptions to be me made for them- big surprise right? So naturally, my co-worker explained to her that we weren't allowed to give her the pen, but that we would be happy to write something on her pieces for her or even trace over her or her kids' writing to make it more personal. A normal, rational person would have been ok with either of those two options, but Mila wasn't. Instead, she responded with "Are you really not going to let me write my own kid's name? You really think I'm too simple to do that? I know how to not break a pen." Ashton looked kind of embarrassed, but didn't say anything and my co-worker just caved and let her use the pen. Ashton took the kids to wash their hands and then went to put them in the car while Mila finished up. Once she was done, she set the pen on the front counter and then just walked out without signing her ticket or paying. So I had to run out behind her down the sidewalk to get her to come back in and pay. The clincher is that even after being rude and flicking water off of her hands at me, making my co-worker uncomfortable just so she could get her way, and leaving without paying she didn't tip at all. Now, I'm not one of those people who thinks tipping is something that you absolutely have to do, BUT I feel like being rich in combination with being a tad bit of an asshole to everyone servicing you calls for at least some sort of gratuity. It was an eye opening encounter, honestly. At least I got to meet some famous people, right?
First of all, anywhere I go, my main concern is the food. I wouldn't necessarily label myself a foodie, but I do LOVE food ok. I found at least four favorite food spots there that I of course can't find back on the east coast, so I'm experiencing major withdrawals.
I would not ever want to live in LA full time. I don't think I could even be bribed with large sums of money or food to do it. It just isn't somewhere that I could see myself living without my anxiety constantly being at peak levels with everything going on all around me all at once or without selling my plasma to be able to maintain a fairly decent lifestyle. However, I would love to go back for a short trip- like maybe a week or two. I feel like we got a feel for what areas are good places to stay, how much we would need to save to be able to fund the trip, and what things there are to see and do out there. Having that knowledge and firsthand experience would probably make a future trip ten time less stressful. It'd be cool to go for a short amount of time at the beginning or end of summer, we'll see.
What's the Difference?
The west coast is a lot different from the east coast, in my opinion, and California is monumentally different than North Carolina. The biggest difference I noticed is that people aren't really all that nice in LA. Growing up in Tennessee and then living in North Carolina the past eight years, I'm used to what people refer to as southern hospitality but also just common courtesy. When we were in LA, I noticed that the people who worked in restaurants or stores just seemed really cold and kind of rude. There was no "Hi, how are you?" or "Have a nice day," and I just wasn't used to that. I remember bringing it up to my boss and he told said "Yeah people out here don't really make small talk with people they don't know, especially not when talking to customers. They'd probably look at you weird for trying to have a conversation with them." Also, literally no one ever said "excuse me," like if you bump into someone I feel like that's just the polite thing to do, especially if you damn near knock them over because you're walking so fast (which happened to me quite a few times). I already talked about the difference in what things cost, but I just want to reiterate that LA is so expensive. When I got back to North Carolina, I felt like I couldn't even complain about the prices of anything because at least it was cheaper than what I had experienced all summer. However, I've been back in North Carolina for about five months now so I've resumed complaining about the prices of things.
Overall, California just had a different feel. I don't want to say "vibe" because that word makes me wince, but you know what I mean. I think just being in a new environment for a little while was refreshing and kind of exhilarating with everything going on around us.
What We Saw
Some of the things we were able to see were just so beautiful, like the Melrose art district and the murals on Hollywood High School (both pictured below). We also visited The Marathon Clothing store before it was condemned, and there were countless murals (one pictured below that we saw in Koreatown) and memorials of Nipsey Hussle all around the city. We didn't make it to the Santa Monica Pier before we left, so that is definitely on the to-do list for a possible future trip. We did of course walk down Hollywood Blvd a few times and spent a few hours wandering around Beverly Hills shopping district the day I got my job. I can't forget to talk about seeing the Golf Wang store (pictured below) because we weren't even looking for it and almost didn't realize what it was at first. We had made a habit of going to thrift stores whenever we had days off, and we stumbled upon one that was right next to the Golf Wang store. I saw the IGOR mural on the side of it and thought that maybe someone had just painted there since the album had just recently dropped, but then I saw people walking from that direction with Golf Wang shopping bags and noticed the line on the other side of the building. Not only had we accidentally found the store, but Tyler the Creator was actually in the store at that very moment. Seventh grade me would have passed out, honestly. And no, I didn't go in. The line was way too long and I don't do well with big commotions. I did snap a picture of that mural, though. My words don't do any of these sights justice, but they were all just kind of surreal for me being the mildly country person that I am. Seeing things I always read about in articles and on other people's blogs or saw pictures of on Instagram was a lot more cool than I expected it to be.
Spending the summer in LA was kind of a wild experience. Nothing crazy happened, but it was just really eye opening. It has definitely pushed me to want to travel more, though and I'm excited for any future adventures up ahead.
- Alli
As some of you may know, and others of you may not know, I spent this past summer with my boyfriend (that's him up there at the LACMA Urban Lights exhibit) and his mom in Los Angeles, California. It was my first experience with really traveling other than going to Tennessee to visit family every year and going to Rolling Loud in Miami back in 2017- and boy let me tell you, it was an experience alright. From the moment our plane landed, it was like everything was monumentally different in comparison to my experience living on the east coast. It was overwhelming, but it was so exciting.
Semi-Nomadic Living
One of the coolest parts of my time in LA is that we never stayed in one place for more than a couple of weeks. Airbnb, as problematic as their business model may be, made it possible to be in the middle of some of the best parts of the city without having to sign a binding lease. There was a week where we lived in this beautiful hotel converted to an apartment complex right on Hollywood Blvd and a few weeks we stayed in this really cool condo and we were able to experience the beautiful Westwood district right by UCLA. I think staying in Westwood was my favorite because there were so many stores, theaters, and restaurants within walking distance. It was like being on campus, but with a lot more to see and do, and definitely way more quiet. If I were to ever go back, I would probably choose to stay in Westwood for my entire visit.
Work Work Work
I feel like the most important thing people should know about LA is that it is so much more expensive than anywhere in North Carolina or the southeast in general. Like I'm talking $15 for a medium pizza or gas at almost $4 a gallon at all times kind of expensive.
With that being said, my first goal when I got there was to get secure a summer job, and luckily within my first week there, I did. I worked at this really cool paint your own pottery place/art studio called Color Me Mine in Beverly Hills, and I honestly loved it for the most part. I got great hours, worked with some pretty cool and interesting people, and there was literally never a dull moment.
The thing about working in Beverly Hills is that you get some of the most random, and occasionally super eclectic clientele. I only have two interesting stories about customers, the rest of my days there were just experiences with regular run of the mill rich people.The weekend before Father's Day, we were having a super busy day- nannies and moms bringing in loads of kids to make sure they got their gifts squared away in time. So, I was just doing my usual paint bottle restock. and out of nowhere this little kid runs up to me and says "Hi, I'm King. I'm here to make something for my dad, but I can't make him the giant dinosaur." He was super cute and he looked oddly familiar but I didn't really think too much about it, so I just said "Oh wow, that's super cool. How about you make him a small dinosaur instead?" and he just ran to go sit back at his table. About an hour goes by and I'm at the register getting some tickets in order, and King comes back up to me and says "Hey, do you know who my dad is?" and I was just like "No, who is he?" He then tells me to lean down so he can whisper in my ear, and says "He's Tyga, but you can't tell anyone and don't tell my grandma I told you either," and then ran away again. It was honestly the most adorable thing ever. I know some of you are wondering if he made his dad a dinosaur, and sadly he did not. He did, however, make a really cool tic-tac-toe set for him and a little race car for himself. I also just want to add that Tyga's mom, PJ, is one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen in my life and arguably just as sweet.
My most jaw dropping celebrity customer moment was when Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis came in with their kids one day. Just a disclaimer, I was obsessed with That 70s Show for a big chunk of my childhood, so I was starstruck for a couple of seconds, I will admit that. However, that ended very quickly when I was at the back sink washing paintbrushes and palettes, and Mila was back there washing her hands and she basically flicked the water off her hands at me to dry her hands before grabbing a paper towel. That was one of those moments of flash rage for me just because she didn't apologize or anything, but then I thought to myself "Ok, don't say anything. Be nice and she'll probably tip because she's loaded." So everything in the shop is going as normal and Mila and Ashton are at the table with their kids finishing up their projects, and the Mila calls my co-worker over to ask for help. Basically, we had these special paint pens we used to write people's names or short messages on their pieces for them, but only employees were allowed to use them because they were super fragile and easy for people to "accidentally" walk off with. Of course, Mila was asking my co-worker to let her use one. We had a strict "don't break policy no matter who they are," code because apparently celebrities and the more affluent customer base had a track record of asking for exceptions to be me made for them- big surprise right? So naturally, my co-worker explained to her that we weren't allowed to give her the pen, but that we would be happy to write something on her pieces for her or even trace over her or her kids' writing to make it more personal. A normal, rational person would have been ok with either of those two options, but Mila wasn't. Instead, she responded with "Are you really not going to let me write my own kid's name? You really think I'm too simple to do that? I know how to not break a pen." Ashton looked kind of embarrassed, but didn't say anything and my co-worker just caved and let her use the pen. Ashton took the kids to wash their hands and then went to put them in the car while Mila finished up. Once she was done, she set the pen on the front counter and then just walked out without signing her ticket or paying. So I had to run out behind her down the sidewalk to get her to come back in and pay. The clincher is that even after being rude and flicking water off of her hands at me, making my co-worker uncomfortable just so she could get her way, and leaving without paying she didn't tip at all. Now, I'm not one of those people who thinks tipping is something that you absolutely have to do, BUT I feel like being rich in combination with being a tad bit of an asshole to everyone servicing you calls for at least some sort of gratuity. It was an eye opening encounter, honestly. At least I got to meet some famous people, right?
Here comes the best partThe Grub
First of all, anywhere I go, my main concern is the food. I wouldn't necessarily label myself a foodie, but I do LOVE food ok. I found at least four favorite food spots there that I of course can't find back on the east coast, so I'm experiencing major withdrawals.
Before I get into the good stuff, I just want to say that In n Out is overrated. It kind of tasted like a Wendy's burger to me, and the fries were terrible. I wanted to love it, but I didn't and I will not stand for anyone over-hyping it after what I tasted.While we're on the subject of burgers, Shake Shack was a life changing experience. I was super excited to find out that there is one in North Carolina, but just a little hurt that it's all the way in Charlotte. On the strip I worked on, there was this place called Burger Lounge. They had all organic ingredients, grass fed beef, and everything was just as fresh as it could possibly be. It was a little bit expensive for a meal, but that right there was the best burger I've had in my entire twenty-two years of living. I haven't been able to bring myself to go to a restaurant for a burger since I've been back on the east coast, and it is all because my love for Burger Lounge. The absolute best, most amazing food spot I discovered out there was Fat Sal's Deli and it honestly such a disservice to me and my taste buds that it doesn't exist in North Carolina. While we were out there we used Postmates quite a bit, like almost every night. It was just a lot easier than tracking down somewhere with food and dealing with going to pick it up or sitting down in the restaurant to eat it. Also, we're just a tad bit lazy so it was convenient. Anyways , one of the nights when we were staying in Westwood, it was like 1 am and we were starving, so we looked at what late night spots were open and I saw Fat Sal's. When I looked at their menu, their name totally made sense to me. They had all kinds of stuff like burgers, loaded fries, and a ton of sandwiches but they are most well know for their fat sandwiches. These were like monster mega sandwiches. The one I tried the first night we ate there was called the Fat Buffalo- it was a sub with chicken tenders tossed in buffalo sauce, fried mozzarella sticks, french fries, cheese and ranch on it- and it was HUGE. It was too much for me to finish but it was good. The next time we stayed in Westwood, we were within walking distance from Fat Sal's, so we just strolled on over there and I decided to try to the buffalo chicken cheese fries. Those fries are what got me, and from that point on, I was eating Fat Sal's like multiple times a week. I was convinced I was going to have to give myself an intervention at one point because I ate buffalo chicken cheese fries four days in a row and could literally feel my stomach begging me to stop. I have absolutely no regrets, though and would kill to be eating them right now. If I go back to LA anytime soon, it will strictly be to indulge in some Fat Sal's.
That brings me to my next point.Would I Go Back?
I would not ever want to live in LA full time. I don't think I could even be bribed with large sums of money or food to do it. It just isn't somewhere that I could see myself living without my anxiety constantly being at peak levels with everything going on all around me all at once or without selling my plasma to be able to maintain a fairly decent lifestyle. However, I would love to go back for a short trip- like maybe a week or two. I feel like we got a feel for what areas are good places to stay, how much we would need to save to be able to fund the trip, and what things there are to see and do out there. Having that knowledge and firsthand experience would probably make a future trip ten time less stressful. It'd be cool to go for a short amount of time at the beginning or end of summer, we'll see.
What's the Difference?
The west coast is a lot different from the east coast, in my opinion, and California is monumentally different than North Carolina. The biggest difference I noticed is that people aren't really all that nice in LA. Growing up in Tennessee and then living in North Carolina the past eight years, I'm used to what people refer to as southern hospitality but also just common courtesy. When we were in LA, I noticed that the people who worked in restaurants or stores just seemed really cold and kind of rude. There was no "Hi, how are you?" or "Have a nice day," and I just wasn't used to that. I remember bringing it up to my boss and he told said "Yeah people out here don't really make small talk with people they don't know, especially not when talking to customers. They'd probably look at you weird for trying to have a conversation with them." Also, literally no one ever said "excuse me," like if you bump into someone I feel like that's just the polite thing to do, especially if you damn near knock them over because you're walking so fast (which happened to me quite a few times). I already talked about the difference in what things cost, but I just want to reiterate that LA is so expensive. When I got back to North Carolina, I felt like I couldn't even complain about the prices of anything because at least it was cheaper than what I had experienced all summer. However, I've been back in North Carolina for about five months now so I've resumed complaining about the prices of things.
Overall, California just had a different feel. I don't want to say "vibe" because that word makes me wince, but you know what I mean. I think just being in a new environment for a little while was refreshing and kind of exhilarating with everything going on around us.
What We Saw
Some of the things we were able to see were just so beautiful, like the Melrose art district and the murals on Hollywood High School (both pictured below). We also visited The Marathon Clothing store before it was condemned, and there were countless murals (one pictured below that we saw in Koreatown) and memorials of Nipsey Hussle all around the city. We didn't make it to the Santa Monica Pier before we left, so that is definitely on the to-do list for a possible future trip. We did of course walk down Hollywood Blvd a few times and spent a few hours wandering around Beverly Hills shopping district the day I got my job. I can't forget to talk about seeing the Golf Wang store (pictured below) because we weren't even looking for it and almost didn't realize what it was at first. We had made a habit of going to thrift stores whenever we had days off, and we stumbled upon one that was right next to the Golf Wang store. I saw the IGOR mural on the side of it and thought that maybe someone had just painted there since the album had just recently dropped, but then I saw people walking from that direction with Golf Wang shopping bags and noticed the line on the other side of the building. Not only had we accidentally found the store, but Tyler the Creator was actually in the store at that very moment. Seventh grade me would have passed out, honestly. And no, I didn't go in. The line was way too long and I don't do well with big commotions. I did snap a picture of that mural, though. My words don't do any of these sights justice, but they were all just kind of surreal for me being the mildly country person that I am. Seeing things I always read about in articles and on other people's blogs or saw pictures of on Instagram was a lot more cool than I expected it to be.
- Alli
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