5 Latino art shows to check out right now
These Los Angeles-based shows welcome communities into their realities. Take a peek. Start a conversation and witness some of the city’s creativity firsthand. Source link
Month: February 2024
Black-owned businesses to support in South L.A.
The shiny teal pickup truck that gleams in the parking lot at Earle’s on Crenshaw. The maze-like Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, where a cozy dessert shop and stylish restaurant hide behind multilevel parking garages. The 780-foot-long “Great Wall of Crenshaw” mural that depicts key points and figures throughout Black history. These are just a few of the landmarks that color Crenshaw Boulevard, a 23-mile-long thoroughfare that stretches from the high-rises of Mid-Wilshire to the cliffsides of Rancho Palos Verdes. Zoom in on the sections bordering neighborhoods like Jefferson Park, West Adams, Leimert Park and View Park-Windsor Hills and you’ll find the pulse of Black Los Angeles. “We have a high concentration of Black residents and businesses right along the boulevard,” says Jason Foster, president and chief operating officer of Destination Crenshaw. “We have cultural references from music to movies, and people who are actually driving the culture, like Issa Rae and Ava DuVernay, who got their grounding right here on Crenshaw.” Duane Earle of Earle’s on Crenshaw. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times) The Crenshaw …
15 spectacular things to do in Seattle
TreeHouse Point, where scores of newlyweds sleep in trees every year, is half an hour east of Seattle in a forest of fir, spruce, cedar and hemlock along the Raging River. It’s a treehouse hotel, with seven elevated perches (and one ground-level bedroom) woven into the greenery. Guests, including many wedding parties, wake up surrounded by clever carpentry, the burbling river and birdsong. Treehouse builder and author Pete Nelson bought the property with his wife, Judy Nelson, in 2004. Since then, the Nelsons and their team have built seven treehouses on 4 acres with an event space, lodge and pond. If you’ve heard of the Nelsons and treehouses before, it may be because Pete hosted 100 episodes of the series “Treehouse Masters” on Animal Planet from 2013 to 2018, building and touring tree structures worldwide. Though weekend wedding business is brisk, that still leaves plenty of weekday nights for the rest of us. The treehouses, each a unique design, are priced at $325 to $625 a night, usually with a two-night minimum. (For a one-night …
Hija De Tu Madre’s CEO shares her favorite Latino-owned L.A. businesses
Growing up in L.A., Patty Delgado didn’t see any authentic Latina representation in fashion. “I wanted to create the Latina fashion brand I needed when I was a little girl,” she said. In 2016, Delgado started Hija De Tu Madre, a Latina lifestyle brand. As the CEO and designer, Delgado designs apparel, accessories and stationary for women that “take their culture everywhere.” Born in Boyle Heights to immigrants from Jalisco, Mexico, Delgado says she’s “always had a hunger for culture, belonging and representation.” In 2019, Delgado told The Times that while traveling, she “found a colorful sequined patch of the Virgin of Guadalupe, a familiar image in Latino households, and one that reminded her of her grandmother. When she returned to L.A., she sewed it onto a denim jacket and ‘a lightbulb went off.’” Now, with more than 300,000 followers on Instagram, Hija De Tu Madre keeps expanding, and has sold in over 30 countries. What’s next for the lifestyle brand? “In five years, Hija De Tu Madre will be celebrating its 13th birthday with …
Fun things to do in Los Angeles by yourself on solo dates
There’s a reason why people who are on a quest to romanticize their life keep going viral on TikTok. Tips to live our best life and heal deep-seated wounds are a mere click away, and a huge part of that wisdom cites the importance of enjoying your own company. Why? Because when we’re at peace with our solitude without the attachment of a title, person or external thing, we’re less likely to operate from a place of lack. Also, we’re less susceptible to desperately searching for or clinging to outside people and vices to fill a void. In practice, adding a romantic touch to the everyday can look like being mindful of what feels good to your senses and catering to that. It looks like this: going to that cool experience in L.A. even if you don’t have a friend or romantic partner to accompany you. Don’t put your joy on hold for so-called perfect circumstances. Think of these actions as tiny-but-impactful building blocks that ultimately help you craft a life that feels good to …
19 exceptional San Diego hikes
The rugged desert wilderness. Coniferous forests. Luscious rolling grasslands. Sandstone canyons. For outdoor enthusiasts, San Diego County boasts more than just its stunning shoreline. Source link
18 inspiring L.A. run clubs to kickstart your running era
Most runners, whether ultra-marathoners or leisurely joggers, have had times when running felt daunting. Kate Olson has completed two 100-mile races in under 23 hours (she also set the course record for both, no big deal), but there was a time when even she was perplexed at the idea of running any race longer than a 5K (3.1 miles). Why would anyone do that to themselves? When she started attempting longer distances, Olson would listen to music and set goals for herself: “All right, I’m gonna run for six songs,” she’d promise. Then once she got comfortable, she’d add an additional song. “It was an insanely slow process,” she said. For over a decade, Olson ran by herself. But she eventually found a running community that made her feel like family. In 2019, she started making a spreadsheet of all the active run clubs in L.A. and counted more than 100. While many of those clubs paused during the pandemic and never came back, a new wave of runners and clubs has since emerged. Olson, …
9 L.A. spots where Black chefs prove that tacos are soul food
The soul food lexicon is ever-expanding, encompassing and weaving in flavors and influences of the South, Caribbean and from across Africa. Here in Southern California, tacos also emerge as part of our soul food canon, based on recipes that trace back to Black kitchens. At first glance they might resemble the hard-shelled “gringo” tacos at fast-casual restaurants. But the seasoned ground beef (and, often, turkey) in these tacos is never bland or mushy, the cheese and lettuce are shredded fresh, and the fried tortillas are crisp, never stale. Instead of bottled options, the taco sauce is often made in-house, balancing peppery heat with a tang that recalls good barbecue sauce. They’re the afternoon snack that our moms and friends’ moms made, and for more than 30 years, Black-owned taco stands have specialized in this homey dish. Opened on South Central Avenue in 1989 by Mack Jones, Original Taco Pete calls itself the “home of the Black taco.” The family recipe was passed down by Jones’ aunts Gladys and Garthea and remains the same all these …
The 5 best Salvadoran businesses in Southern California, according to Hoozay
Stand-up comedian Jose Velasquez, better known as Hoozay, has always been loud and proud about his Salvadoran heritage. “Growing up, I never had any representation, and there was a negative connotation associated with being Salvadoran,” said Velasquez. “When I started doing comedy, I realized there was an opportunity to educate people about Salvadoran culture in a fun way.” In 2005, Velasquez started the “Backyard Comedy” shows, which were held at local breweries and paired stand-up comedy with local chefs cooking up pupusas. During the pandemic, Velasquez evolved the event into “Comedy Pupusas and Beer” and took the show on the road to different breweries around the country in Nevada, Texas and Kansas. The show is now a residency at Beer Thug Brewery in Bell and features comedians (and pupusas) monthly. Born and raised in Compton, Velasquez now aims to share Salvadoran culture with the masses. His first one-hour comedy special,”Hoozay: The Salvadoran,” is now available on Apple TV+ and Prime Video. “I see this as a Salvi renaissance era,” he said. “Having a platform allows …
Where to try hot pot in Los Angeles
When storms pummel Los Angeles, the best thing to do to stay warm is gather friends and family for a meal of hot pot. This typically communal way of dining can be anything you want it to be: strictly vegetarian, fiery and spicy or mellow and comforting. Hot pot spans Asia with a flurry of ingredients, unique broths and cooking methods that reflect a variety of cultures. In Japan, hot pot is all about simplicity, quality ingredients and family time. Sayuri Tachibe, owner of Pasadena’s Osawa Shabu Shabu & Sushi, fondly remembers having hot pot at home during her childhood in Japan. It’s something she’s also passed down to her son, Sho Emerson, who is the maitre d’ at Osawa. “Hot pot is a fun family experience,” Emerson says, adding, “It’s the act of cooking and being together.” For chef Vanda Asapahu of Ayara Thai, hot pot was a way to continue providing her community with nourishing food during the pandemic. “I asked myself, ‘What do Thais eat outside besides street food?’ We wanted to …