Archive for the ‘los angeles’ Category
Good afternoon tea spots are hard to find. Los Angeles has a diverse collection of tea houses that range from traditional English to sleek and modern—you just have to know where to look. All the classics are present, from luxury hotels to Asian-inspired tea rooms. Here are our top 10 favorite spots:
10. Tudor House, Santa Monica
This Santa Monica tea room is classic English, casual, and perfect for tea followed by some beach time or shopping at Third Street Promenade. You won’t be fawned over by white glove waiters, nor hear harpists strum. Instead you can relax, enjoy classic English fare and pastries, then grab a pint at the English pub next door.
Tudor House Santa Monica
1403 2nd Street
Santa Monica, California
310.451.8470
Along Washington Boulevard in Culver City is a nondescript barber shop. Step inside and you’ll likely see customers getting spruced up in the barber chair. But head on to the back of the joint and give a knowing nod to the man by the unmarked white door and you’ll find yourself inside a hidden corridor behind the barber shop.
All across Los Angeles, street artist Paige Smith is making the city sparkle. With faux paper geodes that is. And lots of unexpected shapes that represent crystals, quartz, and other mineral formations normally found in nature.
Located among the lapping waves and pelicans in Redondo Beach, California is one of South Bay’s best kept dining secrets. Lined with palm trees and overlooking a quiet stretch of the marina, Baleen, named for a type of whale, feels miles apart from the bustle of Los Angeles, but chic enough to be a major player on the restaurant scene.
My absolute favorite place to take out of town guests in Los Angeles day or night is Griffith Observatory. Nothing can beat the location, with sweeping vistas of the Hollywood sign and endless panoramas of the entire city, all laid out in front of you. It doesn’t get more iconic than this.
Looking for a little Halloween inspiration? Then you’ve got to check out this light show themed to “The Nightmare Before Christmas”.
Outside the Tonga Hut in North Hollywood, a giant Polynesian Moai statue greets those seeking a little tropical bliss. Wedged between a brightly-lit bridal shop and a model store on a quiet strip of Victory Boulevard sits the oldest remaining tiki joint in Los Angeles, dating back to 1958.
The Birth of the Tiki Bar
The tiki bar itself was an L.A. concoction, pioneered with Don’s Beachcomber Cafe in the 1930’s, which quickly became popular with Hollywood celebrities. This ushered in an era of south seas chic that saw the spread of tiki establishments across the country, famous for their exotic cuisine, rum-based cocktails, and wonderful island atmosphere. Created to give late night revelers dreamy island vibes to swoon over, tiki bars served as houses of island kitsch filled with the rich iconography of far away destinations like Tahiti, Fiji, Easter Island, Hawaii, and The Cook Islands, to name a few.
Hollywood sparkled last night with glamour and glitz as celebrities came out for the 83rd annual Academy Awards. Our absolute favorite “Style Vixen” of the night was Gwyneth Paltrow, dressed in a sleek and shimmery Calvin Klein gown that evoked a hint of sci-fi glam and Cleopatra styling.
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Roller derby is sweeping the country by storm and derby counterculture is in turn ballooning, creating an entire empire centered upon strong, sexy women. Armed with clever names and flashy outfits, these tough all-girl squads are kicking some serious butt.
Culture Vixen’s Gayle Wheatley tracked down Sandra Frame, storyboard and animation artist by day, who moonlights as the mighty Tara Armov of the LA Derby Dolls by night. In an exclusive in-depth interview, Tara shares insight into her two passions: skating and art.
Gayle Wheatley (GW): Which came first, art or roller derby, and how did you get your start in each? Which of these two passions is closer to your heart?
Tara Armov (TA): The art definitely came first! I’ve drawn for the majority of my life. Derby came along about seven years ago.
It’s hard to say which is closer to my heart as both have had a profound effect on me in different ways but sometimes over the same issues. Being insecure yet able to express myself through either art or derby are reoccurring thoughts and feelings in my life.
GW: What inspires you as an artist? How has roller derby played a part in your art?
TA: I think both art and derby let me express emotions and feelings that I can’t do any other way. I find inspiration in vibrant colors and dynamic compositions in art, usually figurative in one form or another. Derby just boosts what I already get inspired by to begin with.
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Looking for ideas to celebrate Halloween? New this year to Disneyland park’s Halloween Time celebration in Southern California is Mickey’s Halloween Party, a special event going on every Tuesday and Friday evening in October leading up to Halloween. Here are the highlights:
Costumed Fun
This is your chance to break out the halloween costumes! You’re sure to see plenty of amazing Halloween outfits as you wander between rides. There’s even a costume parade at the end of the night filled with innovative ensembles, favorite characters, and a sampling of hand-picked costumed partygoers. (Your very own Culture Vixen editors were randomly selected!)
Trick-or-Treating for All Ages
Best yet, each guest receives a trick-or-treat bag upon entry to fill up at various trick-or-treat stations spread out around the park throughout the night. Guests are treated to unlimited candy, and the normal rules don’t apply here—there are no age restrictions and everyone is perfectly welcome to trick or treat, no matter your age! Where else but Disneyland would this be possible?
Spooky Fireworks
Disneyland’s fireworks extravaganzas are known for their sophisticated pyrotechnics, and Mickey’s Halloween Party is no exception. The special Halloween Screams fireworks spectacular features Disney villains with flashy individually spinning pinwheel fireworks and sky crawling blasts of sparkles.
Extra Breathing Room
Perhaps the best part of this event is the crowds—or lack of them. There’s nothing like the exhilarating experience of hopping on and off rides with little or no wait time! (Dependent of course on the night you attend.)
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