Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with valley

Sunday lunch/brunch in Van Nuys?

infinitywaltz — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 19:54:41 -0800

What are your restaurant recommendations for Sunday lunch in Van Nuys or surrounding areas? We've got a friend visiting from out of town, but they're staying in Van Nuys. We're going out to lunch on Sunday, but being from Orange County, we're not all that familiar with the Van Nuys restaurant scene. Since we'll already be spending quite a bit of time on the freeway to get there, we probably won't want to drive too far outside of Van Nuys to eat. Anyone got any secret favorite restaurants? There's a pub, the Robin Hood, in Sherman Oaks that sounds promising, as well as a place called 94th Aero Squadron that serves a Sunday brunch, but I've never been to either one and I trust the hive mind more than Yelp reviewers, so I figured I'd ask.

Need Lily of the Valley Flowers - end of August

yulka13 — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 09:45:30 -0800

I need to get the flowers of the Lily of the Valley for my wedding at the end of August. Please advise where I can purchase these flowers either in New York or in Maryland. I am also willing to buy this flower online. Thank you so much!

Best stories about Valley Forge

By The Grace of God — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 13:28:10 -0800

I am looking for the best, most powerful, most engaging stuff on the internets about the Valley Forge encampment. This is for an exercise in frameshifting. I am going to use this piece of history as part of a blog post designed to motivate a team that's recently suffered a setback and needs to kick it up a notch.

General and personal narratives about the encampment welcome.

Los Angeles family therapist?

Anonymous — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 05:33:23 -0800

Family/Relationship Therapist in Los Angeles/San Fernando Valley area recommendations? Anyone have a recommendation for a therapist in the Los Angeles/SF Valley area? My relationship with my parents has become somewhat rocky and I'd like us to see a therapist together to help work things out.

What's your favorite Sonoma winery?

mostlymartha — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 15:38:48 -0800

What extra special wineries has this Sonoma Valley regular missed? Since we live about 40 minutes away, we go wine tasting in Sonoma quite frequently. We have probably four very regular wineries and another half dozen semi-regulars. We love these places (Mayo are practically family) but have started to wonder what jewels we've been neglecting.

A partial list of places we've been more than once: Mayo, Gloria Ferrar, Roshambo, Schug, Ravenswood, St. Jean, Wellington, Eric Ross, B.R. Cohn, Cline.

Of course, there are practically a bajillion other wineries in the area. What are the best places (big or small) we've missed? We particularly value attentive, fun, and knowledgeable staff in tasting rooms. We don't particularly care about tours and hate it when we get the perfunctory in and out with a sales pitch wine country tourist experience.

Also, although we go tasting in Napa, Healdsburg, etc. as well, I'm mostly interested in Sonoma and Glen Ellen simply because that's where we go the most.

Hidden Gems in Death Valley?

notsnot — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 14:03:40 -0800

What not to miss in Death Valley? My fiance' and I are spending the 19th-morning of the 22nd in Death Valley. I've been doing hella research on what not to miss, but wondered if anyone had any "secret" spots that are absolutely not to miss. I know about the Opera House, and we're renting a Jeep just so we can go out to the Racetrack. I plan on some classic shots in Rhyolite, and eating Mexican breakfast in that colorful joint in Beatty, NV. And I scheduled this trip to have the full moon set over Manly Beacon as the sun rises. We're staying in Panamint Springs, and are also considering taking a morning trip up to the Alabama Hills and Manzanar. But what am I missing?

I just don't want to come back from a great trip and then hear about something we'd missed. We will have 4 wheel drive (and I'm pretty fairly accomplished, thataway) so rough roads shouldn't be a problem.

Help my find a decent gym in the San Fernando Valley

fishmasta — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 13:09:45 -0800

Where can I go for a good workout in the San Fernando Valley? So I'm out of shape (not horribly, but definitely not fit) and I hate my commute. Solution? I want to find a decent gym near work so I can spend my time doing something productive rather than wasting it in traffic. Does anyone know of a good gym somewhere in the San Fernando Valley (somewhere between Woodland Hills and L.A., closer to Woodland Hills is better) where I can do this? I'm young (22) and don't make too much, so I assume that'll narrow my choices a little, but I'm willing to spend some to not work out in a nasty gym. Criteria include someplace pretty relaxed, wouldn't be too crowded between 5-6:30 and caters somewhat to a younger crowd if possible. I'd also rather not be hassled by personal trainers looking for business while I'm in the middle of my workout. It doesn't have to fit all of these, but the closer the better. Any ideas? Thanks!

Looking for high quality espresso beans in Silicon Valley

spiderskull — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 11:51:24 -0800

GiftFilter: Where can I buy high quality beans for an espresso lover in Silicon Valley? I'm looking for recommendations for beans for a good friend's personal espresso machine. I am, unfortunately, grossly ignorant on the fine art of choosing the right beans.

I'd prefer a local joint that roasts their own beans -- organic would also be nice.

Thanks!

28 hours, drive from LA to Death Valley & back, worth it? If so, what would you suggest as the itinerary?

parttimeninja — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 14:20:08 -0800

28 hours, drive from LA to Death Valley & back, worth it? If so, what would you suggest as the itinerary?

Help us find the best wine Willamette has to offer...

Asherah — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 19:56:35 -0800

Can you recommend outstanding wineries in or around Willamette Valley, Oregon? My boyfriend and I will be roadtripping through the Pacific Northwest in early August and are looking for any stand-out local wineries along the way. We were hoping for recommendations on more of the non-touristy-tour-type establishments, but more of the smaller-scale, low-key variety. We're not limited to certain varietals, and would just like to enjoy the best that Oregon and the Willamette Valley has to offer.

Google searches have come up with a list 200+ long with no extended descriptions or reviews, thus the question here.

What is Visitacion Valley like?

Silverlantern — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 06:20:43 -0800

I am interested in knowing more about Visitacion Valley. My fiance and I are moving to San Francisco this summer and are looking into sublets before finding a more permanent home. We are looking into a sublet in Visitacion Valley but cannot find a lot of information on the neighborhood. What is the neighborhood like? What is the public transportation like there, and how long does it take without a car to get into the city?

What is the name of the programmer who killed himself?

onepapertiger — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 19:33:04 -0800

I read this article a few years ago about a Silicon Valley programmer who committed suicide after getting rich off a startup. I can't remember the name of the programmer but I do remember some of the details. Does anyone know this story? *The coder was Asian. He was either Chinese or Korean.

*He got rich with an Internet company he started with his friend.

*His mother had died and when he got rich, he bought her a green Jaguar. In his suicide note, he begged that no one ever sell it, even though his mother had died shortly before he killed himself.

*He broke down at a presentation to a company and couldn't answer their questions. He said, "I'm just a coder."

*His girlfriend, Christine (I think), had moved from Paris to be with him. She moved back to Paris after breaking up with him. I think they had gone to college at Berkeley, Stanford or UCLA together.

I think I read this in either Wired or Salon, but I'm not sure. Anybody know?

How to determine health risks of living at a particular address

jewzilla — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 18:14:43 -0800

How can I tell how dangerous pollution in a specific area is to my health? I noticed that the area near where I work, and where I would like to live, is a hotbed of EPA Superfund sites. See here and zoom out once. Also, this looks like bad news.

When I start looking for a place down there, I'd like to factor health risks into my decision. I have a friend who refuses to live anywhere but Palo Alto for fear of the ill effects of toxic waste. I wonder if she's acting rationally given the higher cost of housing there. I would certainly hate to make such an expensive choice without data to back it up.

I suspect there are other sources of pollution besides just Superfund sites (smog, for instance), but it's got me wondering if it's such a hot idea to live and work there.

I did manage to find stats for causes of death by zip code in California but the deaths (by cancer in particular) were only significantly higher than average in zip codes with a major hospital.

The question I really want answered is: "If I move to street address X, how much am I increasing my probability of getting a serious illness per year that I live there compared to street address Y [or the national average]?" Cancer is probably the greatest concern, but I imagine other illnesses (such as respiratory illness) should be factored in too.

I know it's overly optimistic of me to hope for that exact answer to be out there, but maybe there's a partial answer somewhere, or at least something that correlates with the information I'm looking for.

How do I quit talking like a valley girl?

tinaguppie — Tue, 24 Jan 2006 11:11:56 -0800

white girl ebonics filter: How can I learn to quit talking like a valley girl? I am in my 30's and just started a highly specialized post graduate school program where I am required to speak, give presentations and sometimes teach, which isn't too much of a problem. I've mostly conquered a fear of public speaking, however, when I start feeling comfortable, I start channeling Spicolli. I have a tendency to use the word "like" entirely too frequently. Even more embarrasingly, I use words like 'dude,' 'totally,' 'super' and 'cool' more than I would like. I have reason to believe that I sound like a moron when I speak. I've spent the last 15 years working cubicle farm jobs where I didn't have to talk pretty.

I look a lot younger than I am. The combination of looking like a kid and talking like a kid is beginning to have the result of me not getting taken seriously. I know I am not the only person in my demographic to have this issue.

What can I do to start speaking like a civilized, intelligent adult? I already know about Toastmasters, but am lukewarm to the idea of joining (my local group is full of evangelical former co-workers who are hellbent on me joining their church).

Advice for a first-time road biker?

symphonik — Sun, 04 Sep 2005 14:08:28 -0800

What is your advice for a first-time road biker? I just recently moved to the SF Bay Area/Silicon Valley from Colorado, where I was used to being able to basically walk out my door and go hiking. Since that particular fitness activity is not as convenient here, and due to other factors like rising gas prices and traffic, I decided to pick up a road bike (a Specialized Allez 24).

I was fitted by the clerk at the store, so it's a pretty good fit and it's adjusted well. I've biked before, but never regularly and never strictly on a road bike. What advice would you, the experienced road biker with the streamlined helmet and the funny-looking sunglasses (or not :), offer to a first-timer? Since the plan is to bike to and from work, advice on negotiating traffic, being a courteous member of the road, and other bits like just how to ride comfortably is especially appreciated, but all advice is welcome.