Snowflakes?? In Los Angeles???
June 30, 2023 8:09 AM Subscribe
Help me figure out where to stay/what to do in LA in October. The snowflakes I promised are within!
I am turning a work trip to Santa Cruz into a personal trip to LA despite them being 300 miles apart because I want to go to the Museum of Jurassic Technology. So in answering please consider that I am a person who will [make my spouse] drive 300 miles to go to the Museum of Jurassic Technology! I feel like that tells you a lot about me, not all of it good. I have zero interest in the movie aspect of LA and only care about its weird goth arty side.
I am looking for:
Places to stay
- I know LA is pretty car-forward and I am prepared for [outsourcing all the] driving, but I'm told by reliable sources that there are pockets of walkable, homey-feeling urban neighborhood. (I don't want to be in the burbs but I'd also rather not be in the most businessy parts of any city's downtown.) Where are those and do you know of any cool, ideally weird hotels in them? (Once upon a time I really wanted to stay in this roof Airstream but it's not a thing anymore.)
Things to do
- The Last Bookstore is on my list already. It is not anywhere near the museum as far as I know so we're looking at linchpin destinations for two different days—other stuff to make a day of it would be great.
- Can anyone advise on the current status of Clifton's Republic? It looks like almost parodic levels of My Shit, but then I think it closed for a while, but now it's open, but under new management, but...? Can you just go? Is it cool? Is it obnoxious?
- I'm not gonna like plan around going to a goth night but if there's one while we're there I'd want to check it out. Anything still running?
- Very good cocktails: we like 'em.
- I do also eat food, of necessity, and will accept restaurant (and treat) recommendations.
General notes
- My spouse would want me to note that HE is very handsome and young, but I personally am fat and middle-aged and uncool and would rather avoid an exclusively stunning and hip young crowd.
- In general I find extremely popular and crowded events/places stressful. If you know of two great cocktail bars and one is lively and one is a secret, please for the sake of my mental health tell me the secret one.
I am turning a work trip to Santa Cruz into a personal trip to LA despite them being 300 miles apart because I want to go to the Museum of Jurassic Technology. So in answering please consider that I am a person who will [make my spouse] drive 300 miles to go to the Museum of Jurassic Technology! I feel like that tells you a lot about me, not all of it good. I have zero interest in the movie aspect of LA and only care about its weird goth arty side.
I am looking for:
Places to stay
- I know LA is pretty car-forward and I am prepared for [outsourcing all the] driving, but I'm told by reliable sources that there are pockets of walkable, homey-feeling urban neighborhood. (I don't want to be in the burbs but I'd also rather not be in the most businessy parts of any city's downtown.) Where are those and do you know of any cool, ideally weird hotels in them? (Once upon a time I really wanted to stay in this roof Airstream but it's not a thing anymore.)
Things to do
- The Last Bookstore is on my list already. It is not anywhere near the museum as far as I know so we're looking at linchpin destinations for two different days—other stuff to make a day of it would be great.
- Can anyone advise on the current status of Clifton's Republic? It looks like almost parodic levels of My Shit, but then I think it closed for a while, but now it's open, but under new management, but...? Can you just go? Is it cool? Is it obnoxious?
- I'm not gonna like plan around going to a goth night but if there's one while we're there I'd want to check it out. Anything still running?
- Very good cocktails: we like 'em.
- I do also eat food, of necessity, and will accept restaurant (and treat) recommendations.
General notes
- My spouse would want me to note that HE is very handsome and young, but I personally am fat and middle-aged and uncool and would rather avoid an exclusively stunning and hip young crowd.
- In general I find extremely popular and crowded events/places stressful. If you know of two great cocktail bars and one is lively and one is a secret, please for the sake of my mental health tell me the secret one.
I'm told by reliable sources that there are pockets of walkable, homey-feeling urban neighborhood.
Actually, downtown Culver City right next to the MJT is one of those neighborhoods to me! It's been getting more and more trendy and upscale but it still might be worth a look. Even though it's "downtown" there are no tall office buildings, and it's a popular place for people to hang out at restaurants and bars or eat ice cream on the plaza, but there are still plenty of families and such, it's not all Hollywood starlets and social media influencers. It also has a Metro stop on the E line which will take you right into downtown Los Angeles - you can walk from the 7th Street / Metro Center stop to Clifton's and the Last Bookstore if you want. Possible downsides though: parking in downtown Culver City can be a bit tricky - street parking can take a lot of effort to find, and there are lots of pay garages but I don't know about overnight parking in them - and I'm not super familiar with hotels. I do know the historic Culver Hotel is right in the middle of downtown Culver City but have no idea what it's like as a place to stay, and there's a very new hotel next to the Metro stop apparently called The Shay which definitely looks to be more streamlined hip than funky. No idea about any smaller quirkier places that might be around. But even if you don't make Culver City your home base, its downtown is a fun place to walk around before or after the museum.
Cocktail bar-wise there are two good ones nearly right next to each other in Palms (which is a city of LA neighborhood adjacent to downtown Culver City and the actual home of the MJT): Bigfoot West and Oldfield's Liquor Room. They're about a mile and a half from downtown Culver City, down Venice Boulevard which is busy and not the most atmospheric but very possible to walk down, or it's a super easy drive if you don't mind hunting a bit for parking on the neighborhood streets. The Culver Hotel has a bar which does cocktails too, and they seem very nice to me, but I'm not a cocktail aficionado so your own mileage may vary.
I have not been to Clifton's since 2017 which is before it went on hiatus. At that time it was indeed full of almost parodic levels of kitsch and I went through the cafeteria line and picked out some fantastic rainbow Jello construction to eat. It seems that now the new owners have made it into more of an upscale bar only open on Friday and Saturday evenings, but the internet says they kept the decor at least!
posted by sigmagalator at 9:14 AM on June 30, 2023 [4 favorites]
Actually, downtown Culver City right next to the MJT is one of those neighborhoods to me! It's been getting more and more trendy and upscale but it still might be worth a look. Even though it's "downtown" there are no tall office buildings, and it's a popular place for people to hang out at restaurants and bars or eat ice cream on the plaza, but there are still plenty of families and such, it's not all Hollywood starlets and social media influencers. It also has a Metro stop on the E line which will take you right into downtown Los Angeles - you can walk from the 7th Street / Metro Center stop to Clifton's and the Last Bookstore if you want. Possible downsides though: parking in downtown Culver City can be a bit tricky - street parking can take a lot of effort to find, and there are lots of pay garages but I don't know about overnight parking in them - and I'm not super familiar with hotels. I do know the historic Culver Hotel is right in the middle of downtown Culver City but have no idea what it's like as a place to stay, and there's a very new hotel next to the Metro stop apparently called The Shay which definitely looks to be more streamlined hip than funky. No idea about any smaller quirkier places that might be around. But even if you don't make Culver City your home base, its downtown is a fun place to walk around before or after the museum.
Cocktail bar-wise there are two good ones nearly right next to each other in Palms (which is a city of LA neighborhood adjacent to downtown Culver City and the actual home of the MJT): Bigfoot West and Oldfield's Liquor Room. They're about a mile and a half from downtown Culver City, down Venice Boulevard which is busy and not the most atmospheric but very possible to walk down, or it's a super easy drive if you don't mind hunting a bit for parking on the neighborhood streets. The Culver Hotel has a bar which does cocktails too, and they seem very nice to me, but I'm not a cocktail aficionado so your own mileage may vary.
I have not been to Clifton's since 2017 which is before it went on hiatus. At that time it was indeed full of almost parodic levels of kitsch and I went through the cafeteria line and picked out some fantastic rainbow Jello construction to eat. It seems that now the new owners have made it into more of an upscale bar only open on Friday and Saturday evenings, but the internet says they kept the decor at least!
posted by sigmagalator at 9:14 AM on June 30, 2023 [4 favorites]
As an Angeleno, I'd say definitely stay in Culver City. Its "downtown" is like two or three blocks, and you'll have a nearby Metro stop so you can take the train to the actual downtown for Cliftons and the Last Bookstore.
Tito's Tacos is a "love it or hate it" place. I happen to love it, and the LA Times does too. (Here's Gustavo Arellano on what Cal-Mex food is and what it means.) Order two tacos with cheese.
Also in Culver City: my preferred bookstore.
posted by BlahLaLa at 10:24 AM on June 30, 2023 [4 favorites]
Tito's Tacos is a "love it or hate it" place. I happen to love it, and the LA Times does too. (Here's Gustavo Arellano on what Cal-Mex food is and what it means.) Order two tacos with cheese.
Also in Culver City: my preferred bookstore.
posted by BlahLaLa at 10:24 AM on June 30, 2023 [4 favorites]
I live right near The Last Bookstore (it's great!) and I have some recs for Downtown LA:
- Grab some food at Guisados or Tacos 1986 (both ~1 block away from The Last Bookstore). Tacos 1986 in particular has the best mushroom tacos I've ever had. People you meet are going to tell you to go to Grand Central Market, but if you are crowds-averse I would steer clear.
- Clifton's is indeed very cool and you will love it if you can hit it when it is open. I don't think it is ever open during the day anymore, and I have heard conflicting reports on its weekend night hours. If you can time your DTLA day for a Friday or Saturday, I would just swing by to check after 7 or so. It's just a couple blocks from The Last Bookstore, and you might like to take a gander at the building/marquee/tile work/in through the windows, even if it is closed.
- The Central branch of the LA Public Library often has very cool (and very not crowded) exhibitions on the second floor. I don't see a fall schedule currently on their website, but in the past I've seen exhibitions of historic LA restaurant menus (displayed on diner banquets!) and of a group of historic LA puppeteers (including costumes, props, and puppets). It's worth checking closer to your visit to see what's up.
- If your gothiness extends past the strictly gothic to incorporate stylishly-strange Cathedrals, you might enjoy the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. It's a very interesting contrast with traditional cathedrals, if you're into that kind of thing.
- I also like Beelman's pub for (mostly) vegan food and alcohol, as well as Tulsi's for Indian and Pine and Crane for Taiwanese.
- I don't usually think to go to Cole's French Dip as a vegetarian, but the vibe is cool and there is both a bar in the front and a speakeasy in the back.
All of these recommendations are easily walkable from the 7th Street or Historic Broadway E line stations, which is the train to Culver City. If you decide to park downtown, while there are small garages/street parking/surface lots everywhere, I generally think it's easier to just park in the massive underground garage underneath Pershing Square. It's close to everything and a decent rate for the whole day, without the circling hassle of trying to find space somewhere else.
posted by CtrlAltDelete at 1:03 PM on June 30, 2023 [4 favorites]
- Grab some food at Guisados or Tacos 1986 (both ~1 block away from The Last Bookstore). Tacos 1986 in particular has the best mushroom tacos I've ever had. People you meet are going to tell you to go to Grand Central Market, but if you are crowds-averse I would steer clear.
- Clifton's is indeed very cool and you will love it if you can hit it when it is open. I don't think it is ever open during the day anymore, and I have heard conflicting reports on its weekend night hours. If you can time your DTLA day for a Friday or Saturday, I would just swing by to check after 7 or so. It's just a couple blocks from The Last Bookstore, and you might like to take a gander at the building/marquee/tile work/in through the windows, even if it is closed.
- The Central branch of the LA Public Library often has very cool (and very not crowded) exhibitions on the second floor. I don't see a fall schedule currently on their website, but in the past I've seen exhibitions of historic LA restaurant menus (displayed on diner banquets!) and of a group of historic LA puppeteers (including costumes, props, and puppets). It's worth checking closer to your visit to see what's up.
- If your gothiness extends past the strictly gothic to incorporate stylishly-strange Cathedrals, you might enjoy the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. It's a very interesting contrast with traditional cathedrals, if you're into that kind of thing.
- I also like Beelman's pub for (mostly) vegan food and alcohol, as well as Tulsi's for Indian and Pine and Crane for Taiwanese.
- I don't usually think to go to Cole's French Dip as a vegetarian, but the vibe is cool and there is both a bar in the front and a speakeasy in the back.
All of these recommendations are easily walkable from the 7th Street or Historic Broadway E line stations, which is the train to Culver City. If you decide to park downtown, while there are small garages/street parking/surface lots everywhere, I generally think it's easier to just park in the massive underground garage underneath Pershing Square. It's close to everything and a decent rate for the whole day, without the circling hassle of trying to find space somewhere else.
posted by CtrlAltDelete at 1:03 PM on June 30, 2023 [4 favorites]
Stay in the Wizard of Oz's wagon and have Rachel, the artist-witch-longshoreman who owns it now, do your astrological chart.
posted by shadygrove at 1:41 PM on June 30, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by shadygrove at 1:41 PM on June 30, 2023 [1 favorite]
If you're based in Culver City, you're a short metro ride to the art galleries at Bergamot Station. Bergamot Station is a pretty chill and quiet place, or at least, was so when I was there.
posted by sebastienbailard at 3:10 PM on June 30, 2023
posted by sebastienbailard at 3:10 PM on June 30, 2023
Arts District Map Most of these galleries listed have interesting work and a really close to the Jurassic. If you walk back toward Blackwelder, Culver City gets very old school with small streets and huge shade trees. It's very walkable; there are a lot of independent design shops and photography studios squirrel away in that area. I would just stay in an Airbnb in that area.
Father's Office, listing 2 under restaurants, specializes in fancy cocktails.
If you head north on Roberston to about Melrose, you will run into a very well preserved area of Los Angeles that has lovely walkable streets and well preserved older architecture.
posted by effluvia at 4:21 PM on June 30, 2023
Father's Office, listing 2 under restaurants, specializes in fancy cocktails.
If you head north on Roberston to about Melrose, you will run into a very well preserved area of Los Angeles that has lovely walkable streets and well preserved older architecture.
posted by effluvia at 4:21 PM on June 30, 2023
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I love Clifton’s in every corner of my heart. Definitely go if you can, but even before the pandemic it was being badly mismanaged, so make sure it’s open before you make the trek.
You might enjoy The Edison, which used to be a bar in an old power plant downtown, but which seems to be an event space now. See what’s happening with them…they may have an event scheduled or be welcoming the public again by October.
posted by corey flood at 8:53 AM on June 30, 2023 [1 favorite]