EastGirlsWest

Spent a wonderful day in LA yesterday. You know, I’ve been meaning to start a recurring post theme called “San Diego We Feel Good About”. Places and things in San Diego that, well, we feel good about. The proximity of LA, my friends, falls into this category.

When I first moved here I heard a lot of “…and LA is only two hours away…” from the many who were trying to sell me on the merits of America’s Finest City. I’ve lived lots of places that were only two hours away from other places. And honestly? The effort was rarely made. For example: I grew up in Connecticut, less than two
hours away from New York City, and I think my parents took us there once.

But now, all the rules have been broken! We actually DO go to LA on fun little adventures, quite often. And it doesn’t take that long to get there. It’s the perfect day trip - you love it while you’re there, but are happy to return to sleepy San Diego at the end of the day.

So we managed to go to three (3!) museums, eat two meals and get some shopping in. A more successful day I cannot imagine.

Started off at The Getty Center. OMG. I had been told it was extraordinary. Heard first-hand accounts of it’s fabulousness. Read that it was breathtaking. Once there, I was overwhelmed. The setting, views, architecture and landscaping all work perfectly together, creating a space that is truly grand, yet still welcoming. I never even made it inside to look at the art. While The Boyfriend did research in the library, I spent the entire time wandering through the spaces between the various pavilions, walking through the garden, admiring the views. Note to Richard Meir and Robert Irwin: well done.

After lunch at the Getty, we drove to Little Tokyo to check out the Noguchi exhibit at the Japanese American Museum. Talented man, that Isamu. The sculpture and furniture were of course great, but we particularly enjoyed seeing a selection of the set pieces he built for Martha Graham.

After the Noguchi exhibit, I somehow found myself at a certain car dealership that The Boyfriend had sniffed out and driven to as if the location were embedded in his personal GPS. I barely had time to register what was happening. One minute we were driving by the Disney Concert Hall to admire it’s wavy Gehry-ness, and the next thing I know I’m on the roof of a building in downtown LA, wandering among a sea of luxury cars with a salesman named Anton.

From said car dealership we drove over to Reform Gallery in West Hollywood. Reform is not a museum, but is, in fact, just like visiting one. This is because everything is extremely beautiful and somewhat rare, and we could never afford to own any of it. Still, we hardly miss the chance to stop by when we’re in LA.

Also stopped into one of our favorite stores, OK on Third Street, where I overheard the following conversation between two salespeople:

“What should I get my mom for Mother’s Day? Is there something I can get her here? What would she like?”
“How about a book?”
“Yeah, but we don’t have any books on plastic surgery.”

Our last museum stop was the LA County Museum of Art (LACMA) for two shows: Gustav Klimt and Ettore Sottsass. We waited until after 5:00 to go because then it’s free.

I had never been to LACMA either, and it’s quite a lovely collection of buildings and public space. There was jazz band performing for free to a large crowd of wacky Angelenos, who were dancing, drinking and generally enjoying themselves. You can read (and listen) about the Klimt exhibit here. The paintings were recently returned to the heir of the family they were looted from by the Nazi’s. And they were beautiful.

Finished the day off with yummy Cuban food at Versailles on La Cienega, and a drive home that was nearly traffic-free. Car tunes? Currently obsessed with Elbow - third album, Leaders of the Free World.