Aug. 16, 2020: 10 Year Anniversary Living in SoCal

Hi guys!

So today, Aug. 16, 2020 is a very important and special day for me: it is my 10 year anniversary of living in Southern California.

I’ve gotten asked in the weeks leading up to my anniversary how it feels to be living in California these days. It’s so interesting, because when I first moved to SoCal, the recession was still going on and the unemployment rate was at 14%. After the economy recovered, 10 years later, it is slightly higher at a 16% unemployment rate because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cities change. I can honestly tell you I have seen the whole state change for better and for worst. I read in the news all of the time (and hear from outsiders not living here) about the cost of living and how the politics have gotten out of control.

The thing is, yes, it has gotten out of control. But that’s not why I am still here. There is only ONE REASON I am still here and that is because of opportunity. Don’t get me wrong, I love the weather and my friends, but opportunity overrides everything.

I can’t let the controversial or bad news get me down, make me second guess my decisions or shatter what I worked so hard for. Life is about EXPERIENCES and making the best of it. It’s not about having material possessions or doing something because society says you have to. You got to be your own person and make your own life path and rules.

So instead of me doing a ton of reflection over my 10 years, which is what this post was originally supposed to be about (you guys can also go through my past posts), I decided to go down to LA for the day on my anniversary and visit some spots that I still haven’t seen since I’ve been here. I had a few but I also Googled the “Top Hidden Spots in Los Angeles” and came up with a list of what I desired to see. I wish I would’ve created this blog back when I first moved here in 2010 and I could’ve showed you more of what I have seen, but at the time, I was just so busy trying to figure out the area and get a full time job!

Enjoy!

My first stop of the day was the Venice Canals, not too far from the beach. I had taken the PCH route from my apartment to get there. The canals are a miniature version of the original Venice Canals in Venice, Italy and are a quarter mile long. You can walk over the bridges or along the perimeter of the canals and even drive your car over a few bridges!

According to California Through My Lens, “Venice of America was founded by tobacco millionaire Abbot Kinney in 1905 as a beach resort town. When Venice of America opened on July 4, 1905, Kinney had dug several miles of canals to drain the marshes for his residential area and bring a taste of Venice to America. In 1924 the city decided it needed more roads and most of the canals were filled in to pave them. After lots of court hearings from the residents about whether or not it was legal to fill them in, the Supreme Court ruled it was in 1928. By the end of the year, almost all of the canals were gone, save the ones that are still here to this day.”

Just a little northeast from the canals was The Mosaic Tile House ($20). The 6,000 square-ft house was created by artists Cherie Pann and Gonzalo Duran in the mid-1990s. Little did I know that I had to make reservations! Luckily, a couple in front of me (coincidentally from Ventura as well), offered to let me in with them, so I was in luck!

They are only open on Saturdays from 12pm to 3pm BTW. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, the inside was closed, but I still got a great viewing, it was so colorful!

Next I made my way to Downtown LA and spent $9 in parking so I could visit The Last Bookstore ($5), California’s largest used and new book and record store. The store is currently in its third incarnation and began in 2005 in a downtown Los Angeles loft.

One of the most famous shots people get here is of them peeping through or reading a book through a hole made of books. You can see me enjoying a book below! I didn’t buy a book here because I didn’t see one that sparked my interest (or it was too expensive), but I definitely will be returning soon!

My co-worker had told me he was going to be in the LA area as well that day for his sister’s birthday and told me they were going to stop by a donut shop called Donut Friend, but towards The Grove area. Luckily, I found one a couple blocks from the bookstore and ordered myself a The Strawberry So Far ($2.85), a strawberries and cream glaze and a fresh strawberry on top of a raised donut. It was fruity and delicious!

By the time I got to my car it was 1:35pm. Little did I know The Original Los Angeles Flower Market closed at 2pm that day. They had opened at 6am. Crap, I thought! I never drove so fast to the other side of town and luckily, I found a parking spot on the street right by the building.

According to the LA Flower Market website, it was “inspired by the success of local Japanese-American growers who had established the city’s first major flower market in 1912 (the Southern California Flower Market), the organization that would ultimately be known as The Original Los Angeles Flower Market was founded in 1919 as the American Florists’ Exchange by a group of 30 enterprising European-American growers. Currently, The Original Los Angeles Flower Market’s 50 member/vendors offer more than 125 different varieties of cut flowers plus an impressive portfolio of related foliage and floral accessories.”

That’s a lot of flowers! They were all very pretty and I was searching for carnations (quickly due to time), but didn’t see any. I definitely need to come back and buy some though!

Next I headed over to the Silverlake/Echo park area and saw the painted Micheltorena Stairs. There are 177 stairs and it’s a popular spot to hike and get your leg work in for the day. According to Los Angeles Times, “the 205-step Micheltorena Staircases was painted in 2013 by a local artist Corinne Carrey, with one hope in mind, that the hearts and vivid colors would make people feel good. Visible from Sunset Boulevard, they’ve been called ‘the world’s most Instagrammed stairway.'”

My last site stop of the day was the the Shakespeare Bridge in Franklin Hills, a gothic-style concrete bridge built in 1926. I actually went over it to go and view Walt Disney’s first house, but unfortunately, it was fenced up and I noticed some damage on the roof.

My last stop before I headed home was to buy a Crowler 3-Pack ($32.50) from Frogtown Brewery in Los Feliz. I kept reading about the rave of this brewery, so I purchased a Strawberry Basil – Blonde Ale, Lites Out – Czech Pilsner and a Dark Hearts – Chocolate Raspberry Pastry Stout. I had the Strawberry Basil and it’s very fruity and has a big bite on the end! Very refreshing and tasty though.

I still can’t believe it has been 10 years already. Time really does go by so fast. I would say if you are moving to SoCal – or ANY major move I would say – cherish and take in the moments. Work hard. Make new friends. Take advantage of any opportunity when you can. 🙂

Below are some oldies but goodies photos as well. I tried going back as far as I could on Facebook to other months on certain years and it won’t let me!

Cabazon Dinosaurs in 2010