Windward Bridge - Best of LA

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OF OF THE THE BEST BEST

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Summer 2013 - Volume 3, Issue 2

Transcript of Windward Bridge - Best of LA

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OFOFTHETHEBESTBEST

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A Note from the Editor...So, you may have noticed that this issue is a little different from the classic Windward Bridge, not just because of the size difference but because of the chic new layout and themed content matter. Well, we decided to take a new route and try something that we’ve never even considered before. What better way to kick off summer than with a handy primer to highlight some noteworthy parts of the city that we all call home?

And so, we present to you: the Windward Bridge: Best of LA Guide. This publication is geared entirely towards featuring unique and quirky aspects of LA, including some of the best restaurants, hidden hotspots, and local “celebrities.” We hope you’ll use it as you seek out your own adventures in the Summer of 2013.

On a personal note, I am honored to leave the fate of this magazine to our wonderfully innovative and talented staff. Though I cannot determine whether or not they’re going to pursue the idea of themed magazines or longer issues, I do know that whatever direction they choose to go, they’re going to produce something entirely their own. I personally cannot be more thrilled to see the outcome.

See you out on the town!

Editorial and Design Staff

Emma Rust Editor-in-ChiefEmma Steiner Online EditorLauren Yu Managing EditorAbby Kuhns Culture EditorAlison Feinswog Features EditorAaron Klevan Sports EditorOlivia Carbone Staff WriterJack Ginsberg Staff WriterDaniel Hyun Staff Writer

Chuck Isgar Staff WriterCharles Lyttle Staff WriterAllie Melendez Staff WriterAlyssa Price Staff WriterBrooke Rosenthal DesignerEmily Surloff DesignerJenny Weiner Staff Writer

James Lubin Advisor

Photo Credits: Wikimedia Commons, Google Images

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Beverly Hills-The Robertson Dancer

You’re casually cruising down Robertson Boulevard on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. You look to your left. What do you see? A man busting a ridiculous dance move while prancing to a Michael Jack-son song on rollerskates. As crazy as this may seen, it is a common sight here on Robertson. There you see John Wesley Jermyn, aka The Robertson Dancer, strutting to a unique collection of hand-picked songs. These streets are his: this is where he sleeps, eats, and, of course, dances. Jermyn has been dancing here since the mid-1990s, and he is ALWAYS THERE. Born to a Hancock Park family, Jermyn’s schizophrenia caused him to stray from a once comfort-able lifestyle as he delved deeply into a world of dance and music. Brands such as Kitson have marketed t-shirts emblazoned with his folk hero-like image. This man lives music and dance, but not for any fame. Simply for the music and dance.

Venice - The Roller Skating Guitar Guy

You think Venice can’t get any weirder until you hear - then see - a turban-clad man headed your way on rollerblades, weaving through the thonged throngs while singing and playing a psychedelic Fender guitar. Meet Mr. Harry Perry, better known to music lovers and tour-ists as the Kama Kosmic Krusader. Riding into LA from his home state of Michigan in 1973, Perry took to strumming his self-penned tunes on the Venice Beach boardwalk. Though he prefers the thrill of live performance, he does his daily business by hawking albums like Skate Town Ball. As if this guy didn’t already have serious steet cred, he led his fellow artists in a legal battle against real estate developers and politicians to maintain the right of public performance. Harry Perry - upholding our first amendment rights on two roller skates.

LA CharactersSan Vicente-The Twins

Jogging down the street in magnificent fashion and complete unison, two mysterious twins are catching your sight. Clad in matching bright bumble bee yellow kicks with forest green shorts to compliment their unbelievably tone bodies, it is easy to see that these men are physi-cal specimens. They are spotted everywhere matching, whether it is Pinkberry, doing step-ups on San Vicente, or waving at drivers while jogging. But there are many questions to be asked about these clan-destine folks. Why do they do this? Are they actors looking for work? Or do they just happen to be twins that jog together? While rumors are constantly circulating that they are publicity hounds, nobody knows for sure. There is just one final question: Are they listening to the same music?

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Versailles is like walking into a little slice of Cuba. The moment you walk in you automatically notice the shelves stocked full with authentic cuban sodas, and each of the tables with their own warm crusty bread, and you’re immediately engulfed by the smell of fresh garlic. This place has some of the most memorable and savory Cuban food in the city, and you’re served in a matter of minutes, cutting out the pain of sitting there with an empty stomach marinating in the smells of delicious food. The food itself is not only authentic, but mouthwateringly delicious. Dishes from Cuban garlic chicken with rice and beans to avocado salad to that old standby, ropa vieja, make Versailles the palace of Cuban restaurants.

Nestled in historic Westwood Village, walking distance from the campus of UCLA, is the vivacious 800 Degrees pizzeria. 800 degrees allows diners to customize everything about their pizza from the dough to the toppings. All of which happen to be imported from organic farms ranging from California to Italy. Once the ingredients are chosen, the Neapolitan-style pies are baked in a wood burning oven at precisely 800 degrees in less than one minute. The finished product tastes nothing short of delicious.

Sweet Lady Jane

Rush Street

Bru’s Wiffle

Blockheads

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Located near Volcano Tea and Beard Papa’s is the chilly nirvana of Brian’s Shaved Ice. The moment you walk in, you’re immersed in the scent of the flavors from Tiger’s Blood, to Mango, to Green Tea and many others . The cute and color-ful ambiance of this place is enough to en-tice you to come in, but the best part of is that moment where you sit down with your shaved ice and it resembles a little slushy mountain of orangy, purple, and blue snow. And you dive your spoon in and take a bite, and you hear the crunch of the ice and taste the rush of chill sweet flavor with a tangy hint of pineapple from their classic Dole Whip. Its unbeatable after spending a hot day at school. And it also happens to be open until 1 A.M on the weekends!

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The Pantry is the quintessential Los Angeles diner that has been a landmark to the city since 1924. And though this is the hotspot for tourists, it can also be the sometimes forgotten breakfast place for the locals. It’s one of the best places to go for a classic hearty breakfast. It has kept the same look since its inception, which makes you feel like you’re stepping back in time. That, coupled with the friendly staff, makes the experience even better. The best part about The Pantry is the abundant food; humongous omelets and pancakes are served 24 hours a day. These huge portions never fail to reel in visitors.

Yes, it is really just called Food. The best-kept secret of Cheviot Hills (until now), Food is located on the corner of Pico and Prosser. If you are ever in the mood for a great sandwich, salad, or chai tea, Food is the place to go! Get their grilled cheese sandwich, which has bacon, tomato, and avocado. Food also has the best cookies and cupcakes to accompany any sandwich or salad. Oh, and one other fun fact about Food - there is a mini-market in the back where you can buy anything from a gallon of milk to a case of Orangina.

We are so fortunate to live in a city in which we can find any type of food we may crave, from Hawaiian shaved ice to Cuban garlic chicken. These five options should make anyone’s list for must-try LA dining.

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LA Hotspots

Not even in L.A. would you think that a cemetery would be a desirable destination, but Hollywood Forever is the rare exception. Every summer, a group called Cinespia hosts a series of nighttime movie screenings at this historic landmark, pro-jecting films on actor Rudolph Valentino’s Mauso-leum. Visitors are encouraged to come equipped with picnic baskets and blankets and to sprawl out facing the WESTERN wall of the monument, taking in such flicks as Clueless, The Shining, and Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure in the resting place of such movie stars as Valentino, Douglas Fairbanks, Janet Gaynor, and Peter Lorre. Occasionally, Cinespia will host living celebrity guests on these nights, and, if a guest is anyone important, he or she has probably reserved his or her spot on celebrity row.

The City of Angels is filled with everything you would expect from a modern metropolis, from vast museums to shopping palaces to towers that scrape the sky. But there are some places that you could only find here - hotspots that are so quintessentially L.A. that no perfect sum-mer is complete without a visit.

There are farmers’ markets, and then there’s The Farmers Market. The latter is an irresist-able draw to tourist and Angeleno alike, offering tables groaning with fresh produce along with a smorgasboard of dining stands representing cuisines from around the world. Craving crepes? No problem. Missing Malaysian curry? They’ve got it. With a history spanning all the way back to the late 1800’s, The Farmers Market features more than 100 restaurants, grocers, and tour-ist shops, all in close proximity to that other capitalist mecca, The Grove. As much a foodie’s paradise as a shopper’s heaven, The Farmers Market is the perfect place to spend a lunchtime or gather treats for an evening meal - especially if you can’t settle for just one culinary option.

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No matter your house affiliation, if you consider yourself to be a Harry Potter fan and you have never visited the magical (yes that was a pun) Whimsic Alley, then you are in for a treat. If you dropped your wand in the Black Lake or if your potions project singed the ends of your scarf or house robe-designed snuggie, you need to go to this store on Wilshire. While the store does ven-ture into other fandoms including Twilight (I know, it hurts my soul too) and Doctor Who, it mainly centers around The Boy who Lived. Hogwarts fans rejoice - If you’re look-ing for a box of Bertie Botts Every Flavour Jelly Beans (or maybe just a half-pound of earwax flavor), this is an eclectic shopping spot that even a brilliant boy wizard couldn’t conjure up.

The NuArt: permanent home for the corset filled, makeup covered, gender bending Rocky Horror Picture Show and promoter of all the other artsy, foreign movies you’ve never heard of. Its outdoor ticket window, old-style marquee, popcorn coun-ter, and single dingy theater transport you back in time to days when movies were only a nickel. The NuArt is most known for its faithful showing of the Rocky Horror Picture Show every Saturday night at midnight for 23 years. But it also plays other great movies that aren’t usually advertised. Anna Kareni-na, a movie with creative, almost dance like, chore-ography and a dramatic plot, based on the book by Tolstoy, was shown there in 2011.

LACMA

Amoeba Music

Renaissance Faire

Black Market

Vidiots

Rip City

Malibu Country Mart

Surfas

Kid Robot

Giant Robot

Johnny Cupcakes

Mitsuwa Marketplace

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