Eat on Washington

Pizza at the Coop

After receiving in the mail a $15 off discount if you spent $30, I visited again the Santa Monica Coop at 8770 Washington Blvd and National. I had featured this place when it first opened in a post about Food Markets. I found it to be as good as always, minus the great salad bar, that is no longer allowed after Covid-19. They have many hot food choices like pizza and soups, cold dishes like sushi and sandwiches, and lovely areas with tables, so you may eat lunch right there.

Bianca Bakery

Parking is free or one and a half hour, no validation needed, so I walked one block west to the Platform, I found open for indoor and outdoor dining the new restaurants featured in this blog, like Roberta and Margot. Loqi is small, so only takeout is available, but their fabulous large tacos are worth it. I walked across the street and bought a tasty ham and cheese croissant at Bianca Bakery. This Italian restaurant is open for breakfast and lunch from 9am to 3pm, and for dinner from 5 to 9pm.

Text and photos by Elisa Leonelli

Culver City restaurants open

Akasha

On this sunny Saturday afternoon, with the sky blue and clear after the rains, I took a walk in Downtown Culver City, after shopping at Trader Joe’s, to see which restaurants had reopened for outdoor dining, since they were finally allowed to do so on Friday January 29, after having been closed for over two months. And to my pleasant surprise I discovered that, besides the usual suspects, some new places had opened.

Citizen Public Market

The most intriguing is Citizen Public Market, inside the historic building that opened in 1929 as the Citizen Publishing Company. It is actually a fancy food court with four places already open: Goodboybob, Jolly Oyster, Pizzette, WeHo Sausage.

Gratitude

I walked into Gratitude, an art gallery on Main Street repurposed as a place to buy artisanal food and gifts.

Piccalilli

I noticed that Piccalilli, also on the now pedestrian Main street, had the best outdoor set-up with flower planters.

Mendocino Farms

I ate a tasty Peruvian Steak sandwich at the newly opened Mendocino Farms at the Culver Steps

Cafe Vida. Culver City

As for the usual suspects, I found open today for lunch with happy diners enjoying their meals: Akasha, Cafe Vida, Grand Casino, Meet in Paris and several other restaurants.

Text and photos by Elisa Leonelli

Sunday lunch on Washington Blvd

In these sad and tragic times of COVID-19, when so many people around the world got sick or died or lost their jobs (which only in the US means they no longer have health care), we gave some comfort to our heavy heart today by going out to lunch and enjoying this beautiful, warm and sunny day.

My best friend and I ate at our favorite Italian restaurant in Culver City, Pasta Sisters, loved their comfort food, lasagne and spezzatino (beef stew) with polenta. We noticed that Father’s Office was also packed with customers, seated outdoors with additional tables added to the pedestrian block of Helms Bakery.
After lunch, we walked West to the Platform, where Roberta was lively with people eating pizza, and Bianca Bakery was equally full.

Then we walked back to the East toward La Cienega, and found three restaurants, closed today for Sunday lunch, but open for dinner, EK Valley, serving Mexican Oaxacan food, Industry Cafe and Jazz, offering East African specialties, and the Italian Brunello’s Trattoria.

Check our other post-Coronavirus restaurant posts
Culver City Restaurants outdoor dining
Restaurants open near Reynier Village
Restaurants open in Culver City
Open on Robertson

Text and photos by Elisa Leonelli

Culver City Restaurants outdoor dining

Pasta Sisters patio (c) Elisa Leonelli

Los Angeles restaurants were allowed to open again for dine-in (May 29), after being closed for 10 weeks (since March 20) to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and, after implementing safety guidelines, many did, but, due to increases in coronavirus cases and deaths, on July 1 they were ordered closed again for 3 weeks, unless they can offer outdoor dining. We took a walk in Culver City today at lunch time and we were pleasantly surprised to see that quite few places were open, and dozens of diners enjoyed their meals under the shade of patios in the summer heat of this 4th of July weekend.

Pasta Sisters-Eggplant Parmesan (c) Elisa Leonelli

We were happy to see Carasau, the new Italian restaurant that opened a year ago, serve their signature pizzas and their menu of Sardinian specialties. We sat down at our favorite place, Pasta Sisters at Helms Bakery, and loved their eggplant parmesan (melanzane alla parmigiana).
Also open: Auld Fella, Cafe Ugo, Cafe Vida, City Tavern, La Dijonnaise, Grand Casino, Janga by Derrick’s, Public School, Rush Street, Sake House, Tender Greens, Tentenyu.

For more Culver City restaurants open for takeout and delivery, click on this earlier post

Restaurants open in Culver City

Chicas Tacos. 9345 Culver Blvd

Here are some restaurant in Culver City open for take-out and delivery. Others have temporarily closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Akasha, AR Cucina, Bianca Bakery, Brunello Trattoria, Cafe Vida, Chicas Tacos, Cava, Father’s Office, Grand Casino, Kay and Daves, La Dijonnaise, Loqui, Pasta Sisters, Phovorite, Sage, Sake House, Tender Greens, Tentenyu, Ugo

Click on restaurant names for address and menu.

For updates and more restaurants, click on Downtown Culver City, Helms Bakery, The Platform

For nearby places in Los Angeles click on the Restaurants page

Pasta Sisters. 3208 Helms Ave

Bianca Bakery

Today I tried a new restaurant in Culver City, Bianca Bakery, at 8850 Washington Blvd, next to the Platform shopping complex. I tasted their daily lunch special, polpette di vitello (veal meatballs) in marinara sauce, and I was pleasantly surprised by how delicious they were and how well they bonded with the freshly baked French baguette slices. The place is spacious and elegant, with outdoor seating, and a glass see-through area where the baked goods are prepared.
On the menu they have mostly Italian specialties, pastas such as Rigatoni alla Bolognese and Gnocchi Madeo, entrees like Caciucco, a fish stew from Tuscany. There’s a touch of French, Croque Madame, and Argentinian cuisine, Entraña a la parrilla (grilled skirt steal) with Chimichurri sauce.
I noticed a new pocket park nearby, with Italian style canvas chairs (sdrai) and a mural by Block Shop. It’s called Platform Park.

Text and photos by Elisa Leonelli

Culver City History Tour

Culver Hotel

Today I attended a tour called “Culver City at a Crossroads,” organized by the Los Angeles Conservancy. It gave me a chance to discover many things I did not know about the history of iconic buildings such as the Helms Bakery and the Culver Hotel.

Harry Culver’s Office, Culver Hotel

It was Harry Culver who founded Culver City in 1917, at the crossing of three tram lines, half way between Abbot Kinney’s Venice and Downtown LA. In 1924 he commissioned architects Curlett & Beelman to build the Hotel Hunt, now the Culver Hotel, in the Renaissance Revival style. It was owned by John Wayne from 1945 to 1967, then fell into disrepair, it was reopened by Lou Catlett and restored in the 1990s, in 1997 it was placed in the National Registry of Historic Places. In 2007 new owner Maya Mallick revived it as a boutique hotel and restaurant. I had photographed this building before, but today we had access to Harry Culver’s private office, ante-room and vault.

Helms Bakery. H.D. Buttercup

In 1930 Paul Helms commissioned architects Grant and Bruner to build the Helms Bakery in the Art Deco style, it opened in 1931 and operated until 1969. Their famous trucks delivered bread and baked goods throughout Los Angeles, they had a distinctive whistle to call customers. Their motto was “Daily at Your Door.” I had never walked inside the furniture mart H.D. Buttercup, where the history of Helms Bakery is told in words and pictures on a wall, an actual truck from 1948 is preserved there. For the first time I saw the original arched wooden ceiling with skylights.

Helms Bakery. Original ceiling

I had photographed the murals by Art Mortimer in the parking lot that reproduce old B&W photos from the 1930s and 40s, but today I saw one of the actual photos of the early 1930s trucks. A replica of the 1962 truck is parked on the now pedestrian Helms Bakery District.

Helms Bakery 1930s truck, mural by Art Mortimer

Learning more about the history of the bakery, that served bread at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, helped me understand the meaning of the mural titled “Helms Coach Gone A Rye,” painted in 2002, also by Art Mortimer. It depicts Culver City landmarks like the Culver Hotel and the Kirk Douglas Theater, oil wells and an airplane, as a backdrop to a Helms truck that has hit a fire hydrant. The back doors open to reveal the shelves of baked loafs inside.
Another historic building, the Beacon Laundry built in 1932 in the Zig-Zag Modern Art Deco style, now houses my favorite Italian restaurant, Pasta Sisters. That is where I had a wonderful breakfast of Neapolitan sfogliatelle and affogato, hazelnut ice cream drowned in espresso.

Text and photos by Elisa Leonelli

Read more articles about Culver City
Pasta Sisters at this link
Movie Studios at this link

And new article in LA Curbed about the history of Culver Studios

New Restaurants Culver City

Margot bar © Elisa Leonelli

We were disappointed when we discovered that EnjoyEat, our favorite Italian restaurant in Culver City, had closed until further notice on January 1, 2019, after months of only having been open for dinner, not for lunch. When we contacted the owners, who still run their original restaurant, Eatalian in Gardena, they replied with the comforting news that they are working on a new concept and will hopefully reopen soon.

Palihotel © Elisa Leonelli

We always thought EnjoyEat was cursed with a bad location, in an alley next to the Arclight Cinemas, that is off the beaten path.  But then in mid January the newly remodeled Palihotel opened in an historical 1923 building, across the street, on that same Van Buren Place (as we posted on Nextdoor on January 10), so now more people will likely discover this location.

Simonette-Palihotel ©Elisa Leonelli

A French restaurant, Simonette, opened at the lobby level of the Palihotel, with outdoor seating in an inner courtyard, the tables surrounding a mature tree. Their brunch menu includes Moules Frites, a Belgian specialty of mussels and fries.

Roberta’s © Elisa Leonelli

Late last year Roberta’s Pizza had opened at Platform, the fancy shopping mall at 8850 Washington Blvd, across the street from the Expo Line Culver City station. We had eaten there and posted on Nextdoor (December 1, 2018). We had written a blog post on their 2017 Pop Up experiment, and a review of Platform in 2016.

Margot © Elisa Leonelli

Today we tried a new restaurant, Margot, that opened at Platform on December 19. It is described as a mix of Spanish and Italian cuisine, so we ordered a focaccia sandwich filled with the typically Italian cold-cut, mortadella, and a frisee salad that came mixed with spicy olives. Both dishes were tasty but too salty. We didn’t care for the loud music, but the large and bright restaurant was comfortable.

If you want to eat authentic Italian food, try Pasta Sisters, that opened their cosy restaurant at Helms Bakery last March. Read our blog post here.

Text and photos by Elisa Leonelli

Actors Gang performs Dario Fo

Actors Gang theater © Elisa Leonelli 2019

The 1970 play Accidental Death of an Anarchist by Italian playwright Dario Fo is being performed until March 9 by the Actors Gang, founded in 1981 by a group of actors, with Tim Robbins as artistic director. Since 2005 their theater is located in Culver City’s historical Ivy Substation, built in 1907 in the Mission Revival style to house electrical equipment for the Los Angeles Pacific Railway. It was left vacant in 1953 and restored in 1993.

Tim Robbins, who had directed and acted in the political satire Bob Roberts (1992), now says, “I made that film as a warning about politics becoming superficial entertainment, based on factors that have nothing to do with the truth, image over substance, and the power of the media to create an image for someone, even though their past is very clearly clouded with potential misdeeds. And I believe that is what happened with Mr. Trump, he was elevated into a candidate by this crazy fascination we have with reality TV and celebrity.”
“There is a direct line between Bob Roberts and Accidental Death of an Anarchist, which stands in defiance of fascism. At a time when authoritarian governments are being supported by our president, and the judiciary is being corrupted by politics, this play resonates as if it was written yesterday. What inspired me, when I first read Dario Fo, was his ability to produce incredibly funny situations and dialogue about important social subject matter. Dario’s wicked humor and courageous satire gave me great inspiration to create theater that was relevant, entertaining and dangerous in its uncompromising telling of truth to power.”

Dario Fo

We went to see this American version of the play and were impressed by its manic intensity. You may read a review in Cultural Weekly. However, if you understand Italian, we encourage you to watch this 1987 video of Morte accidentale di un anarchico, with the incredible Dario Fo in the title role.
It is preceded by an introduction about the real life events that inspired the play, when police immediately arrested a railway worker, Giuseppe Pinelli, accusing him of the bombing of a bank, which had been more likely carried out by a right wing group with ties to law-enforcement. While the innocent man was being interrogated at police headquarters in Milano, he jumped or was thrown out of a fourth story window to his death. Fo recalls that the authorities were quite upset about the staging of his play, that made a farce out of their criminal blunder, and they brought his theater troupe to court 40 times. So in order to avoid sentencing, the name Pinelli was never mentioned, it was replaced with Andrea Salsedo, an Italian anarchist who in 1920, two days before Sacco and Vanzetti were arrested, fell to his death from the a 20th story window of the Bureau of Investigations offices in New York City.
Dario Fo, who died in 2016 at the age of 90, was a comedian, a playwright and a political activist. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1997.

Text by Elisa Leonelli

Eat Vegetarian

On Mother’s Day we tried OOAK, the new Asian Vegetarian restaurant in Culver City. We had pumpkin soup and shaking beef (actually mushrooms). The Cantonese food and the service were excellent. I asked for the meaning of the word OOAK. It’s an Internet acronym for “One Of A Kind.”

OOAK, Culver City

This made me reflect on the advantages of a vegetarian diet, that has been popular in the West since the counterculture 60s. That means eliminating any meat (beef, lamb, pork, veal, chicken) or fish from your food intake, eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts. When fish and seafood are allowed, that is a pescetarian diet; when eggs and dairy products are included, that is called ovo-lacto vegetarian. No animals are killed when eggs and milk are produced, however, fish are killed for us to eat them, and, as a friend of mine says: “I don’t eat anything that had eyes.” The Macrobiotic diet, inspired by Zen Buddhism, allows fish.

OOAK, Culver City

A vegetarian diet is sometimes chosen for ethical reasons, “do not kill living beings,” even though arguably plants are living as well; but it is also beneficial to your health, reducing animal fat, proven to cause cancer, high-blood pressure, and other diseases.
During the past few years a vegan diet has been promoted as even healthier; that means no animal products at all, no eggs, no cheese, no milk, no yogurt. But often, in order to simulate the taste of meat and cheese, soy products and other substitutes are used.
Even more extreme is a diet of raw food. In addition to no meat or animal products, there’s no cooking, as the heat removes some enzymes from vegetables.

MAKE OUT, Culver City

For me eating meals of fresh fruit, salads and steamed vegetables, cooked lentils and beans, feels healthy, but it’s not a religion. I believe in what novelist Barbara Kingsolver says in her 2007 non-fiction book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, that eating grass-fed beef and organic chicken is okay, and environmentally responsible. Reading that book was eye-opening, and it set me on a path of healthier eating. I love making blended vegan soups with a variety of cooked vegetables and spices. For more on this subject, you may read my article Souping for Health in Cultural Weekly.

MAKE OUT, Culver City.

See below some Westside restaurants that offer vegan, vegetarian or raw food.

SAGE, Culver City

Among the fast food chains, I like Veggie Grill, inexpensive and tasty. Recently I tried Daily Harvest, a vegan food delivery service of fruits smoothies, cooked vegetable soups and legumes.  I really liked it.

SAGE, Culver City

Of course, you are able to make vegetarian food choices at most restaurants; just eat salads, vegetable dishes and legumes. Indian, Thai, Chinese cuisines have delicious vegetarian specialties. My favorites are Szechuan eggplant and Baingan bharta (mashed eggplant).

SAGE, Culver City

OOAK. Asian Vegetarian Cuisine
9540 Washington Blvd, Culver City

SAGE. Plant Based Bistro
4130 Sepulveda Blvd, Culver City

MAKE OUT. Raw food
9426 Washington Blvd, Culver City

VEGAN JOINT. Since 2006
10438 National Blvd, LA 90034

ANNAPURNA. South Indian vegetarian
10200 Venice Blvd, Culver City

INDIA SWEETS & SPICES. Indian vegetarian, since 1986
9409 Venice Blvd, Culver City

REAL FOOD DAILY. Organic plant-based
414 N La Cienega Blvd. LA 90048

GRACIAS MADRE. Mexican Vegan
8905 Melrose Ave. West Hollywood

Text and Photos by Elisa Leonelli

Pasta Sisters in Culver City

Pasta Sisters finally opened on Sunday March 4, at Helms Bakery in Culver City, and it was worth the wait. It was an exciting experience to be there on their first day.

Pasta Sisters, Helms

My family and friends became fans of their storefront takeout place at Pico and Arlington, as soon as they opened, three years ago. We especially love their lasagne and eggplant parmesan.

Pasta Sisters patio

Now that they have a nearby restaurant with two outdoor patios, we will be able to enjoy their delicious food comfortably seated. The menu was expanded from their signature fresh pasta dishes, with the addition of several items, including beef stew and polenta (spezzatino con polenta Valsugana), a specialty of Padova, the Italian city in the Veneto region where the sisters are from.

Paola Da Re

Paola and her sisters Luisa and Patrizia learnt to cook from their mother Maria Giovanna. Paola is the chef, son Francesco, daughters Giorgia and Francesca help her run the family business. Paola credits the enthusiasm of their 40 employees and the optimism of her children for the successful opening of their new venture.

Francesco

On my first day I tried panzerotti, an appetizer I never tasted before, fried dough with two different hot stuffings, spinach and ricotta cheese, Italian cooked ham and mozzarella. They were amazing. I look forward to going back many more times and trying all of their dishes.

Giorgia, Francesca

For more info on where to find authentic Italian food in Los Angeles, or prepare it yourself, you may read my articles in Cultural Weekly
Italian Bread, Modena style
Fresh pasta, Modena-style

Text and photos by Elisa Leonelli

Pasta Sisters staff

Movie Studios-Culver City

After the news that Amazon Studios will be moving into Culver Studios at 9336 Washington Blvd, we looked into the history of this movie studio.

Culver Studios (c) Elisa Leonelli

It was built by silent movie producer-director Thomas Ince in 1918 on a lot acquired from Harry Culver, who founded Culver City in 1917. It was owned by director Cecil B. De Mille from 1925 to 1928, then by RKO-Pathé from 1933 to 1950. For several years it was leased by David O’ Selznick, producer of Gone with the Wind (1939). In 1950 it was purchased Howard Hughes, who continued to lease it. In 1956 it was bought by Lucille and Desi Arnaz for their Desilu Studios; they renamed it Culver Studios in 1970. It was acquired by Sony Pictures in 1991 and its 13 sound stages have housed the production of countless movies. See list and history at this link.

MGM Studios Colonnade (c) Elisa Leonelli

And here’s the history of the most legendary movie studio, MGM, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, that was not located in Hollywood but in Culver City, which in 1936 was dubbed “The Heart of Screenland.” It was built in 1915 as Triangle Studios by Thomas Ince, who moved its Inceville here from the Pacific Coast Highway at Sunset, then sold the lot to Samuel Goldwyn in 1918. Its original colonnade entrance along Washington Blvd in Greek-revival style is still standing. In 1924 it became MGM Studios, after the merger of three companies: Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Studios, Louis B. Mayer Productions. In 1981 it merged with United Artists into MGM-UA, it was sold to Lorimar in 1986. In 1989 Warner Bros, who had bought Lorimar, sold the lot to Columbia Pictures, that had been acquired by Sony, the Japanese tech giant. Sony Pictures spent $100 million to completely renovate the historic studio to its former glory, including the 1938 Thalberg building.

Culver Hotel (c) Elisa Leonelli

Harry Culver built the Culver Hotel in 1924 in Renaissance revival style, renovated in 2013, with 46 rooms and a lively restaurant.

The Helms Bakery was built as the official bakery of the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics.

No longer standing is another movie studio in Culver City, the Hal Roach Studios (1919-1963)

In the parking lot in front of Culver Studios, construction has started for a retail and restaurant complex called The Culver Steps. It is scheduled to open in 2019 like the giant 500,000 square feet Ivy Station in the parking lot of the Expo station that closed in February.

Sony Studios, Culver gate (c) Elisa Leonelli

Text and photos by Elisa Leonelli

Food markets

The Santa Monica Coop, at 1525 Broadway since 1995, opened another location in Culver City. It’s called Coopportunity Market & Deli, it’s located at 8770 Washington Blvd and National.

Coop, Culver City

I went to check it out today and found a wide variety of choices, organic fruits and vegetables, grown without pesticides, grass-fed beef raised without antibiotics, cage free chicken wings, crusted wild salmon, hot pizza, poke bowls and much more. It has free underground parking and tables to sit and eat from their salad bar and cooked food selections.

Sprouts, Culver City

It is a welcome addition to the nearby Sprouts that opened last September at 8985 Venice Blvd and to Trader Joe’s at 9290 Culver Blvd.
The Coop is planning a Grand Opening celebration on September 9, don’t miss it.

Trader Joe’s, Culver City

I frequent many other food markets that offer salad bars, hot soups and prepared meals, such as Whole Foods at 11666 National Blvd and Barrington. Amazon already started lowering the prices today, after their recent acquisition.
Gelson’s in Century City, Bristol Farms at 3105 Wilshire Blvd in Santa Monica, Erewhon at 7660 Beverly Blvd and Fairfax LA 90036, Lassens at 710 S LaBrea and Wilshire.

I do love cooking my favorite recipes at home, and I constantly experiment with new dishes, but I also enjoy the quick satisfaction of trying different tasty and healthy foods prepared by others, while shopping for groceries at these markets.

Coop, Culver City

Click on all the red links for more info, please write your comments.

Text and photos by Elisa Leonelli

New Restaurants-Culver City

We were curious about several new restaurants that opened recently in downtown Culver City, replacing others that closed, so we took a walk, looked at their menus and sampled some of their food. We favored inexpensive and unpretentious establishments, offering healthy choices.
For example the baby kale salad at BACO SHOP (424) 258 6301, 9552 Washington Blvd, the grain bowl with black lentils at CAVA (23) 230 5027 , 9343 Culver Blvd, the Angry Avocado roll at RAMEN ROLL (310) 426 8926, 9900 Culver Blvd.
We also indulged with the Chicken Karaage at TENTENYU (424) 603 4803, 3849 Main St. It was yummi (and boneless), much better (if not comparable) than HONEY KETTLE’S FRIED CHICKEN, rated number one in Los Angeles by LAist, Thrillist and Los Angeles Magazine (if you don’t mind waiting 30 minutes or more).

For a list of our favorite restaurants in Culver City check the RVNA website.

Please go explore and comment with YOUR favorite choices. Thanks!

Text and photos by Elisa Leonelli

Pizza Pop Up

Roberta’s Pizza (c) Elisa Leonelli

I was checking their website to see if Sweetgreen had opened at Platform in Culver City (it has), and saw a page about Roberta’s Pizza. I was born in Italy, so I’m always on the lookout for authentic Neapolitan pizza restaurants in LA, and the photos of these pizzas looked promising. So today I went for lunch with a friend, we ordered one pizza to share, the Bee Sting with spicy soppressata, and after the first bite we had to immediately order a second. To be fair, these pies are quite small. They had set up a shack under the Expo line bridge, with wooden tables in front, and placed their awesome clay pizza oven outdoors.  I asked how long they were going to be there and they said they are leaving in 10 days, February 12, drive the pizza oven back to the original Roberta’s in Brooklyn. I told them that the parking lot for the Expo across the street would close on February 14, for construction of a commercial and residential complex, and they said, “We’re leaving just in time, then.”

Sweetgreen (c) Elisa Leonelli

We also did check out Sweetgreen, where you can get healthy salads, warm bowls, and fruit juices, made from local organic ingredients.
Platform is at 8840 Washington Blvd, Culver City 90232. See post on this blog.

P.S. Roberta’s Pizza did end up opening a restaurant at Platform, with an extended menu and a full bar.  We had lunch there in December 2018.  It was crowded and noisy, but still good pizza.

Roberta’s Pizza at Platform 2018

Text and photos by Elisa Leonelli

Romantic Bookstore

It was only a few days ago, while reading an article in Los Angeles Magazine about the 14 Best Mom and Pop bookstores in L.A., that I discovered The Ripped Bodice, A Romantic Bookstore, in downtown Culver City.  It opened March 4, 2016, after a Kickstarter campaign that raised over $90,000.  It’s the dream project of two sisters, Bea, 27, and Leah, 25, smart and accomplished young women. Leah graduated from USC in Visual and Performing Arts, Bea studied Fashion History at NYU, her master thesis was titled “Mending the Ripped Bodice.”

Bea (c) Elisa Leonelli

I was so intrigued that I immediately contacted the sisters. Bea graciously received me and answered my questions. “Bodice Rippers” is a term used for erotic romance novels of the 1970s and 80s. Bea said they wanted to poke fun at that popular perception, and immediately communicate to their fans, “This store is for you.” “Sex is not something that we should be ashamed or embarrassed about, we all come from sex. It’s completely insane to me the way sex is discussed in this country, and all these issues that women are facing right now.  We’ve reverted into this dark age.”
Their store carries all sub-genres in the romance novels category, from paranormal to LGBTQ, and they host community events. “Thursday December 15, 8pm, is our monthly romantic comedy night, and this month we are collecting travel size toiletries to donate to women shelters in Los Angeles.”

The Ripped Bodice (c) Elisa Leonelli

The store is huge and bright, decorated like a comfortable home, with armchairs and couches for reading, books are piled up everywhere. Get over there, it’s well worth a visit.

The Ripped Bodice: 424-603 4776
3806 Main St. Culver City, CA 90232

Text and photos by Elisa Leonelli

Culver City summer

Kirk Douglas Theatre (c) Elisa Leonelli

Yesterday I checked out the Summertini event in Culver City. I discovered that the name means small tastings of martinis, vodka mixed with different fruit juices.  They were served in tiny (tini) plastic cups, not only at restaurants, but also at art galleries (The Whole 9) and a gift shop (Lundeen).  My favorite place turned out to be Grilliant, because they offered me a full size Winetini in a real glass.  The best location was the Kirk Douglas Theater lobby, where tea, not alcohol, was available and a platter of assorted cheeses and fruit.  I had seen an amusing play there in April, Women Laughing Alone with Salad, and I loved the atmosphere.  They had a backdrop set up where photographs of audience members were taken holding fake salad bowls in front of virtual scenery. Very cool. Take a look at their fall/winter season.
The Third Wednesday event for August 17 is called Tropical Staycation.  It’s the 5th annual Spiked Tropical Punch Tasting, so check it out.
Free summer concerts have been taking place for years in the courtyard at City Hall. Tonight July 21 it’s Latin Salsa dancing rhythms.  See program for the upcoming Thursdays: July 28, August 4 and 11.  Our favorite way to enjoy these evenings is to sit at Hikari across the street and listen to the music, while eating sushi and drinking sake.

Text and photos by Elisa Leonelli

Culver City Hall (c) Elisa Leonelli

Platform on Washington

Platform

Last week, after picking up the delicious Gazpacho soup from Smart Simple Gourmet at 3731 Robertson, I took a walk on Washington Blvd going East. This used to be a long stretch of road with no shops, mostly occupied by car dealerships, but recently a fancy shopping mall called Platform has been constructed and opened in March. A desirable location, especially now that the Expo Line has been extended to Santa Monica. The Culver City station is right across the street.

Aesop

Some of the shops have yet to open, but there are quite enough interesting places to warrant a visit. So I went back the following day to explore and take some pictures. I watched families with small children play in the numerous sitting areas bordered by drought tolerant landscaping, I saw customers with their laptops lounge on various terraces, I noticed an event organized by the LA Film Festival at the photo studio Lightbox, I walked into SoulCycle and thought I might like to try this type of exercise, I chatted with the salespeople at Aesop, skin care products, and they offered me a cup of tea.

Loqui

I had a tasty lunch at Loqui, Mexican tacos and quesadillas wrapped in their home-made flour tortillas.

Blue Bottle Coffee

I asked the girls at Blue Bottle Coffee if they could make me a cappuccino Italian style, all milk foam with espresso poured on top, and they did. I was pleased.

Juices Served Here

So I went back again the following day with a friend, we had dinner and drinks at Cannibal, ice cream at Van Leeuwen. We walked into some of the shops. At IDV (Ilan Dei Venice), we learnt that all the outdoor furniture at Platform is made by them.

Mural by Jen Stark

The Platform is in walking or bicycling distance from Reynier Village, but they also have a parking structure on Landmark Street, first 2 hours free. It’s in the building with the rainbow murals by artist Jen Stark, that also houses São Açaí, smoothies and bowls, and Cannibal, butcher shop and restaurant.

Text and photos by Elisa Leonelli

New Palms Station Expo Line beach extension now open

 

 

My wife and I recently got a chance to see what all the fuss was about. It turns out, it’s pretty darned momentous! For all of you that haven’t turned on the news lately, commuter light rail is now extended across metropolitan Los Angeles to the Pacific on Friday for the first time since the 1950s.

So the grand opening of the widely anticipated Palms  Light Rail Station has come and gone and it was a time for celebration with the official ribbon cutting ceremonies. Mayor Garcetti and other city officials were on hand for the event held on National Blvd. between Palms Blvd. and Clarington Ave. from 10- 4 on Saturday. Of course there was music, food trucks, pony rides, face painting, wall climbing…pretty much “The Works.” Free rides for all on the Expo line were offered for free from 10-4.

The opening of the 6.6-mile final leg of the Expo Line now connects seaside Santa Monica to downtown Los Angeles and Metro lines stretching as far inland as suburban Azusa, some 40 miles from the coast.

As you can imagine, this milestone fulfills a decades-long dream of public officials and Angelenos. Its true test, however, will be whether it can help our quality of life by removing cars from the road.

Metro Expo Line Phase 2 extension stretches the line from its previous terminus near Venice and Robertson boulevards in Culver City to a station at Colorado Boulevard and Fourth Street in downtown Santa Monica. The extension includes seven new stations, with stops in Palms, West Los Angeles and the area just north of Santa Monica College.

With the extension, which was officially open to the public around noon on Friday (5/20), the Expo Line will stretch from Santa Monica to downtown Los Angeles, ending at the Seventh Street/Metro Center Station at Seventh and Flower Streets. Riders at that station can connect with the Blue, Red and Purple lines to Long Beach, Union Station, North Hollywood or the mid-Wilshire area.

Officials said the ride from Santa Monica to downtown Los Angeles is expected to take 46-48 minutes and they expect the line to be one of the Metro system’s most popular, far exceeding the anticipated passenger count of 30,000 riders a day.

The extension will also help introduce a new feature for Metro — paid parking. Three stations on the Expo Line Phase 2 extension will have parking lots costing $2 a day as part of a two-year pilot program.

Transit riders with monthly parking permits will have access to select spaces on a first-come, first-served basis from 4 to 9 a.m. on weekdays. After 9 a.m., the permit spaces will be available to the general public. People without permits will pay the $2 daily parking rate, with parking attendants on hand to collect money and ensure motorists have Transit Access Pass cards to use the rail line. When an attendant is not on duty, payments must be made by phone or with a smart phone app that was made available Friday, according to Metro.

Metro officials said payment kiosks will be installed at the lots later this year, and technology is also being installed that will allow riders to check parking availability online.

The new tracks to the sea are the first of their kind since the Pacific Electric Red Cars stopped going there in 1953. Construction of Phase 2, from Culver City to downtown Santa Monica began in 2011. The project cost $1.5-billion and completes a project that has been under construction for a decade and has been in planning since 2003, when the Exposition Metro Line Construction Authority was given the authority to plan, design, and construct the line.

Funding was provided by Measure R, the half-cent tax measure approved by voters in 2008. Construction began in early 2006 and most stations opened to the public on April 28, 2012. The Culver City and Farmdale stations opened on June 20, 2012.

Oh and by the way, if this new rail line wasn’t enough, the new Expo Line bike way parallels the route of the light rail line and includes a mixture of bike lanes on Exposition Boulevard and off-street paths alongside the rail tracks.

We paid for it, now…how ’bout we use it!

For more information visit Metro’s website

 

By Joseph Martinez

Expo to Santa Monica

Expo train leaves Culver City to Santa Monica

We have been waiting anxiously for four years, since the Expo Line from Robertson and Venice to Downtown LA opened in June 2012, and now the opening day (announced February 29) of the Expo Metro line to Santa Monica is finally here:  Friday May 20.  The celebration and free rides continue on Saturday May 21.
We have been watching test trains pass by for months, with the crossing bars going down and the lights flashing, on Bagley and National. But soon we will actually be ON the train on our way to the beach.  We can’t wait.

Culver City Expo Station

So today I went to explore the Culver City station, took some photos, spoke with a guard.  I noticed that the bridge over Venice Blvd is divided in the middle, with the train tracks running in opposite directions separately.  I saw, then asked to confirm, that trains already travel all the way from here to Santa Monica and back, except they carry no passengers. The signage still indicates only the Eastbound direction to downtown LA, but will soon read: Westbound to Santa Monica.

Train from downtown LA continues empty to Santa Monica

When you do ride the train, for free, on May 20 and 21, and stop at some of the 7 new Expo stations: Palms, Westwood/Rancho Park, Sepulveda, Bundy, 26th St/Bergamot, 17th St/S Monica College, to Downtown Santa Monica, at 4th and Colorado, please email photos and comments to reyniervillage@earthlink.net and we’ll post then here.

Text and photos by Elisa Leonelli

 

 

1920s Jazz club

Cotton Club, Culver City – Los Angeles Library Photo

While reading the online newspaper LAist, we learned about the Cotton Club by Frank Sebastian, that opened in 1926 in Culver City, during the Prohibition era (1919 to 1933), and operated until 1938.  Located at 6500 Washington, it offered valet parking, three dance floors, full orchestras, dinner and breakfast, plus secret gambling rooms.  Modeled after the jazz club by the same name in Harlem, New York, it catered to white customers only and featured bands of black musicians. Duke Ellington, Lionel Hampton, Cab Calloway, and Louis Armstrong played there often.
Culver City was a neighborhood popular with movie stars, because it housed M-G-M, the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios, from 1924 to 1986, and the Thomas Ince Studios, built in 1918, that became the Cecil De Mille studios in 1925, RKO-Pathé Studios in 1928, and Selznick Pictures in 1935. Renamed Culver Studios in 1970, it’s located at 9336 Washington Blvd. The MGM studios at 10202 Washington Blvd were bought by Sony Pictures in 1990, and beautifully restored.

Cotton Club by Francis Coppola

Cotton Club, the 1984 movie by Francis Coppola, starring Richard Gere, Diane Lane, Gregory Hines and Lonette McKee, is set in the New York City’s Cotton Club. Duke Ellington’s was the orchestra in residency there from 1927 to 1930, then Cub Calloway’s band played from 1931 to 1934.  The jazz club and speakeasy operated in Harlem from 1923 to 1936, then it was moved downtown to Broadway and 48th St (from 1936 to 1940), after the Harlem Race Riot of 1935, because that neighborhood no longer felt safe for whites.

Cotton Club, New York

Why the name cotton?  Because the club decor was designed to evoke a plantation environment.  In Culver City silent movie star Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle built his Plantation Cafe, at 11700 Washington Blvd, in 1928.

Text by Elisa Leonelli

Arcana-Helms Bakery

Last Saturday afternoon I attended an event at the Arcana bookstore in the Helms Bakery District. I was intrigued by the photographer, Aline Smithson, who was signing her new book, Self & Others: Portrait as Autobiography. My curiosity was rewarded, because Aline turned out to be an interesting woman, and her book is amazing.
“Beginning with her earliest black and white silver gelatin prints, she photographs the world around her considering the poignancy of childhood and the pathos of aging and relationships. The photographer considers all her portraits a reflection of herself and the stories she wants to tell, and in that way, has created a visual language that is her own unique autobiography.”

Helms Bakery, murals

I then walked around and discovered something I had not noticed before, murals reproducing old photographs of the bread delivery trucks, on the wall by the valet parking. And that the furniture store Plummers is now called Scandinavian Designs.

Click on our previous post about the Helms Bakery and go there to explore yourselves, then please comment on your favorite places.

Text  and photos by Elisa Leonelli

Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook in Culver City

In all of my years living in Reynier Village, I always recognize and  appreciate just how central our neighborhood is to many of LA’s great things to do. Not far from our cozy enclave is a great way to exercise (for free) while taking-in some amazing views of the city … and all practically a stone’s throw away. Well, maybe not that close, but close enough that it is super convenient. I am talking about the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook California State Park in Culver City. It’s roughly 2.8 miles away and, on a weekend at 7:30 am, 5-10 minutes by car.

This relatively unassuming little patch of earth is a wonderful recreation space as evidenced by the sheer number of cars parked along Jefferson Blvd. that ferry Angelenos to the State Park.
Like everyone else, park on Jefferson Blvd. and start climbing the 282 concrete stairs that make up the steep half mile climb to the top. Once you  catch your breath, enjoy the panoramic views of downtown, the Hollywood sign, and the Pacific Ocean. Alternately, you can hike on the dirt trail that winds around the 58 acre park. You will be rewarded with glimpses of birds, native wildflowers and other native plants.

For my wife and I, it’s not just the exercise from the trail that we relish (we skip the steps as they are a little advanced for us at this point) but also the therapeutic calming effect of the area. Just being in those surroundings helps to clear our minds and is a peaceful departure from the routine of work and daily life in the city.

After your hike, walk past the overlook and find the visitor’s center near the top of the hill. Opened in 2009, the visitor’s center provides a primer on many topics in Los Angeles history including how community activism saved the park from development in 2000. Inside the building, you can rest a bit while watching a 12-minute video about the park and the surrounding region. When you eventually make your way back into the hubbub of Culver City, you’ll be thankful that a group of residents had the gumption to save this beautiful patch of nature from further development.

Park Hours: 8 am to Sunset daily
Visitor Center generally open Fri-Sun. Call ahead: 310-558-5547

Information about the Native Plants of the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook can be found here.

– By Joseph Martinez

Helms Bakery

The Helms Bakery District (Photo: © 2015 Joe Martinez- All Rights Reserved.)

Living so close to Culver city, it seems a shame not to take advantage of some of the areas that practically border our neighborhood. One area that I like to frequent, and is well within walking distance, is The Helm’s Bakery District just south of Venice Blvd.

Once upon a time, it was an actual bakery. The family owned and operated Helms Bakery supplied local residents with its fresh-baked bread for over four decades. Now it is a local landmark and home to a variety of restaurants and businesses. From Father’s Office Gastro Pub, with its 36 beers on tap, to LA Dijonaise Cafe’, with it’s offerings of fresh baguettes, croissants and desserts…there is something here for everyone.

After a bite to eat, I like to make my way over to Arcana Bookstore, one of the world’s premier visual arts bookstores. It is unique in that its primary focus is Photography, Art, Fashion, Design, Architecture, Cinema and Music. It’s been in business since 1984. Originally in Santa Monica, it moved here in 2012.

Or perhaps you need to freshen up your decor? You can head-on over to a number of establishments that cater to home decor furnishings like HD Buttercup or Room & Board.

In any case, it is a nice way to spend an afternoon browsing or shopping…and it’s “right next door.”

Oh and be sure to catch the 6th annual free Helms Sunset Cinema series returning to Helms Walk – the pedestrian plaza on Helms Avenue. The Outdoor film screenings kick-off on September 5 with the Disney animated film “The Princess and the Frog”

For more info, check out the Helms Bakery Website.

Helms Bakery District
8800 Venice Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90034 *

* In a strange zoning configuration, part of Helms Bakery District is in Los Angeles and part in Culver City

– Joseph Martinez

Movies in the park

Last night we went to check out this new event in our neighborhood.

Street Food Cinema presents summer movie nights in nearby Syd Kronenthal Park in Culver City, at the end of McManus Ave, South of Washington Blvd, walking distance from Reynier Village, once a month for five weeks, starting May 16, doors open at 5.30pm, movies at 8.30.

See schedule for more info and prices
Food trucks provide the food

At 6pm many families armed with chairs and blankets (it was cold) were arriving.  It’s hard to find a spot in the small parking lot of the park, and a sign warns NOT to park in the neighboring streets.  Parking is provided at 5780 Jefferson Blvd.  Better to walk or bicycle.

Please let us know if you attend any of these movies, send your comments.
Thanks

Text and photo by Elisa Leonelli

Eatalian

I had discovered Eatalian last year (October 6, 2013), when the Italy-America Chamber of Commerce West (IACCW) organized “Piazza Italia” at Ciclavia, a taste sampling of Authentic Italian restaurants, in a downtown pedestrian area near Grand Park. I had tasted their delicious ice-cream, and was delighted to find out that they were planning to open a location in Culver City. The main location of Eatlian Cafe is in Gardena, where they also have ExEat.
I had forgotten about this, until I found their business card and called them. They had indeed opened a cafe, EnjoyEat Espresso, and a restaurant, EnjoyEat Classico, in an alley next to the Pacific movie theaters in downtown Culver City.  I went there to eat pizza last Saturday night, and was not disappointed; their gelato, cappuccino flavor, was out of this world.  It reminded me of the Coppa del Nonno that I used to love as a child in my hometown of Modena.

Text by Elisa Leonelli

 

Wine Tasting

During one of our exploratory walks along that stretch of Washington Blvd between National and La Cienega, that has been blossoming with new restaurants, shops and art galleries for the past few years, we discovered a gem:  Bar and Garden, a unique liquor store that specializes in artisan products, AND offers wine tastings twice a week: Tuesdays from 5-8 and Sundays from 2-6
We checked it out today and found the atmosphere very pleasant. The girl at the bar was quite friendly, as she poured 3 samples of French wines from the Loire Valley.  We enjoyed the delicious amuse-bouches: olives and cheeses with fresh bread.
Bar and Garden: 310-876 0759
6142 Washington Blvd. Culver City 90232

Text and photo by Elisa Leonelli

Asian fusion

PEI WEI lettuce wraps

 

We were delighted to find out that a new location of PEI WEI had opened in Culver City, close to our Reynier Village neighborhood, so we went to try it out.
We had liked their place in Beverly Hills, but this venue was even nicer, with windows that let in the daylight and outdoor tables on the terrace, in a new mini-mall at the corner of Sepulveda and Washington Blvd.
They serve Asian fast food: Thai, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese, their specialty are the lettuce cups (a favorite item of their parent restaurant P.F. Chang) and they come in 3 different versions. Definitely yummi. Check it out!

Don’t forget to consult the Restaurants page of our Reynier Village website for more of our favorites and email us yours.

Text by Elisa Leonelli

FARMERS MARKETS

We are lucky to have so many farmers markets nearby, and we already recommended the closest, on La Cienega at 18th Street within walking distance of Reynier Village, Thursdays from 2 to 7pm.
But our favorite is the Culver City Farwers MarketCulver City Farmers market, now on Main Street between Venice and Washington Blvd, Tuesdays from 3 to 7pm. They not only have a variety of  fresh fruits and vegetables from local farms, but a real find.  A lovely young woman cooks healthy and delicious dishes for you to take home. Check out her weekly menu at Smart Simple Gourmet, pick them up and get ready for a real treat. She has a stand at the Mar Vista Farmers Market as well, on Grand View at Venice Blvd, Sundays 9am to 2 pm.
On Sunday mornings we also like the little market on Melrose Place East of La Cienega, and the newest, the Motor Ave Farmers Market on National.

Text and photos by Elisa Leonelli

New Culver City Restaurants

Wildcraft

We had been waiting for months to see the new LYFE KITCHEN-Love Your Food Everyday, open in Culver City, after seeing their name on the boarded up storefront, and that event finally took place this week.  I had read a LA Weekly review of WILDCRAFT, another new restaurant that opened on Monday February 25, and was anxious to try it, so I took a walk over there yesterday at lunchtime.  There was a long line waiting to eat at Lyfe Kitchen, in fact all the restaurants were crowded with happy diners enjoying the warm weather at outdoors tables lined up along the wide sidewalks.  So I decided to have the porchetta panino at Wildcraft and I was not disappointed; it did not resemble the suckling pig that is a popular street food in Rome, and it has become quite a fad in Los Angeles restaurants, but it was quite tasty.  I can’t wait to go again with friends to try their pizzas cooked in a traditional brick oven made in Naples.
For a complete list check the Culver City restaurant page of our Reynier Village Neighborhood Association website, and kindly send us your comments.

Text and photos by Elisa Leonelli

Garden nurseries

Fuchsia, Veronica, Geranium, Aeonium, Tibouchina

As we were searching for plants to replace the old bamboo and create our new garden, we visited several nurseries. Here’s a list of some we liked.

Rolling Greens in Culver City, 9528 Jefferson Blvd, was the most amazing.  Too expensive for us to buy anything there, but great for looking at gorgeous specimens and get ideas.  You must check out their retail store at 7505 Beverly Blvd, they have beautiful items for your home and garden.
Grow Native in Westwood, 100 Davis Ave, is the perfect place to find drought-tolerant plants native to California.  Call for directions: 424-234 0481.
Two Dog Organic Nursery, 914 Cloverdale, is the perfect place to visit if you wish to start a vegetable garden, and they will give you plenty of expert advice as well.
Hashimoto Nursery, 1953 Sawtelle Blvd, is a traditional Japanese nursery with impeccable plants.
Yamaguchi Bonsai Nursery, 1905 Sawtelle Blvd., has a section devoted to California Natives.
Armstrong Garden Center, 3226 Wilshire in Santa Monica.  They offer gardening classes, and a lifetime guarantee for their fruit trees.

We picked a selection of fruit trees, shrubs and flowers, with the help of Sammy Lyon, permaculture designer and garden educator.

Text and photos by Elisa Leonelli

Avocado, white sage, Senetti Blue, geranium

Meyer lemon, geranium, monkeyflower

Washington Blvd Restaurants

Industry Cafe

We had blogged about this stretch of Washington Blvd, between La Cienega and National, in 2010 and 2011, when it comes alive for the annual Culver City Art Walk (this event was sadly canceled this year because of citywide budget cuts), and we’ve walked there often to try some of the new restaurants.
We loved BATCH (it replaced SUBLIME); their pizza crust stands up to the exacting standards of an Italian like myself.  We are happy that the INDUSTRY CAFE offers live jazz, but the Ethiopian food could be better.  It was a good idea to make Helms Avenue a pedestrian area, but we’re sorry that they found it necessary to evict the Jazz Bakery to make room for yet another furniture store. LUKSHON is too snooty for my taste, but one day, when I had a cold, their Shanghai matzo ball soup was just what the doctor ordered.  We prefer places like PINCHES TACOS (yes, it’s named after a Mexican curse word), with its blue and pink building and their tasty sopes, or our latest find, E.K. Valley (Epy García’s Kitchen), serving Mexican food from Oaxaca.

For a list of our favorite Culver City restaurants, please check the Restaurants page of our Reynier Village Neighborhood Association website.

Please enjoy the food and send us comments below.

Text and photo by Elisa Leonelli

Riding the EXPO

Expo-Culver City

It was exciting, even for a jaded adult like myself, to ride the Metro Expo Line on the opening day of the Culver City station at Venice and Robertson, and the kids seemed to love it.  The atmosphere was festive, with a music trio playing and cheerful ladies handing out bus route schedules and reusable canvas bags.  I hopped on for free and rode to USC, my Alma Mater. The tracks sloped gently up and down to climb the overpasses crossing La Cienega and la Brea, otherwise the train rode at street level stopping at various intersections and stations, running at a leisurely pace. I got off at Expo Park and took in the lively scene of kids playing in the large round fountain in the middle of the Rose Garden. Waiting for the next train on the return, it was heart-warming to see so many habitual commuters, not just first-day joy-riders.  This type of public transportation, a long time coming in Los Angeles, does really help get people where they need to go, without a car.
Please send us comments about your experiences riding the Expo Line, along Exposition Blvd. It travels all the way to downtown L.A., where you may connect to the Red Line to Hollywood and North Hollywood, the Gold Line to Pasadena and East L.A.,  the Blue line to Long Beach.

Text and photos by Elisa Leonelli

Expo Park-USC

Expo Line

Expo map

Earlier this year the MTA had announced a November 15, 2011 “target date” for the Expo Line opening of the La Cienega/Jefferson station.  Now that deadline has been pushed forward several months with no “official date” announced.  Today’s LA Times article.
For us residents of Reynier Village the completion of the Expo Line Phase 1, all the way to the Culver City Station at Robertson and Venice, will be the most useful, allowing us to travel to downtown quickly.  Then the construction of Expo Phase 2, taking us to Downtown Santa Monica, which started in September 2011 and is scheduled to be completed in early 2015, will be quite a dream.  Let’s hope it will happen before we all get too old.
For more info keep checking Metro.net and buildexpo.org

Happy Holidays!

Elisa Leonelli

Culver City Art Walk

Giggle and Pop!

Each month we discover more art galleries, places to eat and shops popping up on the stretch of Washington Blvd, between La Cienega and National, that used to be quite deserted.
The best time to visit was yesterday, during the sixth annual Culver City Art Walk, when lots of people really did come out and walked around.
The event started at 2 pm on Helms Walk with Giggle and Pop!, a silly but sweet performance by the students of the Culver City High School Academy of Visual and Performing Arts, created by artist Gary Baseman. As late as 7 pm the opening of The Vault (6150 Washington) was still crowded, it felt just like at a private party.

Local musicians and artists came together for an impromptu jazz performance, the mural by D*Face titled “Going Nowehere Fast” loomed on the side wall of the Corey Helford Gallery (8522 Washington), visitors checked out the artwork featured in over 35 galleries, like the paintings of Peter Sims at Cardwell/Jimmerson (8568 Washington).
Hope you made it there on this special day, but if you didn’t, go any time, have a bite to eat at Pinches Tacos (8665 Washington, BYOB), listen to jazz at Industry Cafe (6039 Washington), work out at Sweat Pilates (8540 Washington).
Then send us a comment with your suggestions.

P.S. Click on our 2010 Culver City Art Walk post.

Text and photos by Elisa Leonelli

Jazz musicians

Mural by D* Face

Cardwell/Jimmerson Gallery

Green Living

Reynier Village

On September 23 we attended a Green Living Workshop, sponsored by speaker Karen Bass, presented by Sustainable Works and the Culver City Garden Club.
Many members of the SORO Green team were present.
Mini-seminars were offered with useful tips on how to conserve water, compost your organic waste, replace dangerous household chemicals, shop for food in an earth-friendly way.
Sustainable Works of Santa Monica offers 6 workshops, meeting once a week, on the topics of Water, Energy, waste, Chemicals, Transportation, Shopping & Food.
Reynier Village has been working with the SORO Green Team to organize one for residents of our neighborhood.
Find out more about the Residential Greening Program, and please send in your suggestions.
One of the recommended changes, that can be implemented immediately and at no cost, was to do more walking and bicycling, considering that the majority of car trips takes place within a 2-mile radius from home.
A fun ride, taking place for the first time in LA, is CicLAvia (from the Spanish word ciclovia=bicycle lane) on October 10, one of the 10-10-10 Global Work party events promoted by 350.org, the organization created by Bill McKibben to find solutions for the climate crisis.

Text and photo by Elisa Leonelli

ART WALK Culver City

This annual event gets better and better.
This year we decided to explore the area of Washington Blvd between National and La Cienega, East of the more popular downtown Culver City, and found a flourishing neighborhood, full of art galleries, of course, like Thinkspace, Kinkead Contemporary, Susanne Vielmetter, etc; but also other shops, like an interior decorator, Peggy Braswell, and a nursery, Ezequiel, flanked by two excellent new restaurants: Sublime Food Lounge and Brunello Trattoria

Text and photos by Elisa Leonelli

painter at Thinkspace

Kinkhead Contemporary

Suzanne Vielmetter

art2 on sidewalk