Nestled between Beverly Hills and Hollywood, and bordered by the Santa Monica Mountains and an honor guard of mega-billboards, West Hollywood, the Creative City, is one of Los Angeles’ finest examples of the culture of the cutting-edge. WeHo is home to 39,000 full-time residents, yet plays host to a weekend influx of 78,000 who come to take advantage of world-class shopping, dining and events the likes of the annual Vanity Fair Oscar Party and largest Halloween Street Party in the world; quite the attractive blend of intimacy and vibrancy. A two-square-mile city, WeHo natives put the “nobody walks in LA” cliche to rest. There are only three Cecconi’s Restaurants in the world, one in London, one in Miami and one, at the Melrose Avenue and Robertson Boulevard intersection, in the heart of WeHo. Cecconi’s is an absolute must for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or unparalleled Italian Tapas. Just down the block on Melrose, you’ll run into one of my favorite hair salons, Galvin & Benjamin, breathtaking boutiques such as Maxfield , Marc Jacobs , Alexander McQueen , Paul Smith , Miu Miu …and if you’re a vintage-maven like me, just a few blocks further east and you’ll find some of LA’s best kept secrets, selling gowns and formal-wear from the 20′s, 30′s and 40′s. The City’s “Art on the Outside” engages visitors and residents with innovative artwork. Currently WeHo is hosting seven colossal abstract sculptures from world-renowned contemporary artists along the grass median of Santa Monica Blvd, historic Route 66. Sprinkled throughout the city and also running through June 2012, you can also find multi-lingual poetic municipal signs by artist Rebecca Lowry. But, the cherry on top of WeHo at the moment, lies within MOCA’s Pacific Design Center Space, where former Dior Homme designer, YSL art & collections director, and International Designer of the Year, Hedi Slimane demonstrates a uniquely experiential & uplifting breed of story-telling with his exhibit “California Song.” On the ground floor Slimane’s ‘California years’ black-and-white photographs are framed in unfinished wooden boxes and separated from one another by mirror’s, offering individualized vantage points to take stock of the series of narratives being whispered in the intimate space. A genuine look at California’s rock and roll heritage is splattered throughout the gallery, from monochrome portraits of Francis Bean and her mother Courtney Love, Beach Boy Brian Wilson and up-and-coming lead-singer Christopher Owens, set next to iconic images of broken down squats, vintage pontiacs against the Pacific Ocean and a blurry look at the American dream. The top floor, produced exclusively for MOCA, showcases an outstanding sonic & motion-picture installation. Photographs are projected onto a cube in the center of the room, surrounded by speakers, inviting you to soak up your own version of Slimane’s slightly morose exploration of youth subculture & beauty culture, and the immersive intersection of fashion as art & photo as literature. “California Song” will be on display at MOCA’s Pacific Design Center space in West Hollywood through Jan-22, 2012. The rest is here: Tamie Adaya: West Hollywood: A Cultural Gem
Beverly Hills News
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Tamie Adaya: West Hollywood: A Cultural Gem
Nestled between Beverly Hills and Hollywood, and bordered by the Santa Monica Mountains and an honor guard of mega-billboards, West Hollywood, the Creative City, is one of Los Angeles’ finest examples of the culture of the cutting-edge. WeHo is home to 39,000 full-time residents, yet plays host to a weekend influx of 78,000 who come to take advantage of world-class shopping, dining and events the likes of the annual Vanity Fair Oscar Party and largest Halloween Street Party in the world; quite the attractive blend of intimacy and vibrancy. A two-square-mile city, WeHo natives put the “nobody walks in LA” cliche to rest. There are only three Cecconi’s Restaurants in the world, one in London, one in Miami and one, at the Melrose Avenue and Robertson Boulevard intersection, in the heart of WeHo. Cecconi’s is an absolute must for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or unparalleled Italian Tapas. Just down the block on Melrose, you’ll run into one of my favorite hair salons, Galvin & Benjamin, breathtaking boutiques such as Maxfield , Marc Jacobs , Alexander McQueen , Paul Smith , Miu Miu …and if you’re a vintage-maven like me, just a few blocks further east and you’ll find some of LA’s best kept secrets, selling gowns and formal-wear from the 20′s, 30′s and 40′s. The City’s “Art on the Outside” engages visitors and residents with innovative artwork. Currently WeHo is hosting seven colossal abstract sculptures from world-renowned contemporary artists along the grass median of Santa Monica Blvd, historic Route 66. Sprinkled throughout the city and also running through June 2012, you can also find multi-lingual poetic municipal signs by artist Rebecca Lowry. But, the cherry on top of WeHo at the moment, lies within MOCA’s Pacific Design Center Space, where former Dior Homme designer, YSL art & collections director, and International Designer of the Year, Hedi Slimane demonstrates a uniquely experiential & uplifting breed of story-telling with his exhibit “California Song.” On the ground floor Slimane’s ‘California years’ black-and-white photographs are framed in unfinished wooden boxes and separated from one another by mirror’s, offering individualized vantage points to take stock of the series of narratives being whispered in the intimate space. A genuine look at California’s rock and roll heritage is splattered throughout the gallery, from monochrome portraits of Francis Bean and her mother Courtney Love, Beach Boy Brian Wilson and up-and-coming lead-singer Christopher Owens, set next to iconic images of broken down squats, vintage pontiacs against the Pacific Ocean and a blurry look at the American dream. The top floor, produced exclusively for MOCA, showcases an outstanding sonic & motion-picture installation. Photographs are projected onto a cube in the center of the room, surrounded by speakers, inviting you to soak up your own version of Slimane’s slightly morose exploration of youth subculture & beauty culture, and the immersive intersection of fashion as art & photo as literature. “California Song” will be on display at MOCA’s Pacific Design Center space in West Hollywood through Jan-22, 2012. The rest is here: Tamie Adaya: West Hollywood: A Cultural Gem
Weekend Nugget Number One: Johnny Depp
Did Johnny Depp slap down some dough for a getaway on the Isle of Wight? Could be. Real estate rumors have begun to circulate in the local press that the Oscar-nominated ex-pat American actor may have set his real estate sights on the historic and scenic Isle of Wight, located just off the southern coast of England. The wee island has been popular amongst literary types and royalty since at least the mid-1800s when Queen Victoria and Prince Albert acquired the vast Italian Renaissance-style pile known as Osborne House for uses as a summer retreat. Nowadays the island is best known among music-minded pop cultural types for hosting the annual Isle of Wight music festival . Over the summer there were local reports the insanely famous and famously reclusive actor was spotted roaming around the southern seaside town of Ryde and chowing down in local eateries such as the Ugly Mug Cafe in Shanklin where the home made cakes and sandwiches are wheat-, gluten- and dairy-free. Recent reports suggest the sightings (and photos) of Mister Depp over the summer may have been not of the actor himself but rather of someone who just happens to look a lot like the actor and doesn’t mind posing for photos as the actor. However, the latest report –sent our way via an acquaintance we’ll call Venetia Vaseseller–quotes Michelin-starred chef Robert Thompson who owns The Hambrough hotel in Ventor as saying, “People still think coming here is like stepping back in time. But it’s up-and-coming. Johnny Depp just bought a place in [the small village of] Bonchurch.” We have no inside intel on the matter. We’re just passing along a little celebrity real estate gossip and rumor. What we do know is that Mister Depp and his French actress-wife Vanessa Paradis maintain a number of swank residences around the world including a house in the affluent Paris suburb of Meudon, a remotely situated villa in Plan-de-la-Tour about 10 or 12 miles from St. Tropez in the South of France, a 45-acre private island in the Bahamas called Little Hall’s Pond Cay, and a gated, 2.54 acre estate in Los Angeles, CA with a hulking chateau-style mansion built in 1922 and perched on a hillside directly above the Sunset Strip. Property records we peeped indicate Mister Depp acquired his bamboo-ringed Tinseltown compound, former the home of from celebrity attorney Marvin Mitchelson , in October 1995 for $1,890,000. In typical celebrity real estate baller style property records also reveal a corporate entity connected to Mister Depp’s Sunset Strip estate also owns four smaller (but hardly insubstantial) residences on the same short, windy cul-de-sac purchased between September 2005 and October 2008. A quick consult with our bejeweled abacus shows Mister Depp shelled out a total of $10,070,000 for the four properties. Presumably Mister Depp uses the quartet of residences as office space and/or to house family, friends,
Iman and Missoni clan jetting in for Rodeo honor
It’s all about the jet-setter life on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, Calif, so it’s no surprise that the Italian fashion dynasty, the Missonis, as well as Somali-born model Iman are landing there this weekend to christen their new homes. Follow this link: Iman and Missoni clan jetting in for Rodeo honor
WATCH: Diamond Artest’s Inspirational Response To Cancer
While Kobe is trying to get to Italy ( The LA Times Lakers Blog reports that the Italian team is now appealing to President Obama), Blake Griffin is becoming comedy king of the year , and Luke Walton is currently assistant coaching at The University of Memphis, Ron Artest is spending a little more time at home. Artest (a.k.a. Metta World Peace) and his 8-year old daughter Diamond visited the KTLA morning news today to talk about the NBA lockout, Diamond’s budding music career, the art of handball, and her new single “Hero,” which tackles her battle with cancer. Diamond was diagnosed with cancer at age 4, and now as a happy and healthy 8 year old, she’s dropping tracks with the likes of Sade to inspire other children with cancer to believe in the best possible outcome. Her song “Hero” hit iTunes on September 27. Artest was most recently on the tube for getting voted off this season’s ‘Dancing With The Stars’ and before that, for asking to legally change his name to Metta World Peace. Diamond Artest was quoted as saying that she, too, would like to take her father’s last name of World Peace. According to The LA Times , she wants to do it out of “love and respect for her father.” Check out Diamond’s new music video above and watch the KTLA clip below to see just how big Ron Artest smiles when Diamond is on: Read more here: WATCH: Diamond Artest’s Inspirational Response To Cancer
OPENING ALERT: Blue Collar Grill Now Serving Dtown
Phone: 213-622-7827 Status: Opened Monday class=”padded” align=”right”/> Blue Collar Grill , a San Fernando Valley favorite for several years, has moved shop out of Canoga Park. Their new home is inside of the International Food Court on Los Angeles Street, downtown. Sharing food court space with spots like Downtown Kabab, Flyin’ Stick and Pho La Downtown, Blue Collar is still serving the same popular menu of Philly Cheesesteaks, Italian Beef and burgers and fries . Owners Steve and Craig are still slinging deep fried chips behind the counter too. Serving now, Blue Collar Grill downtown is open Monday through Saturday from 10AM to 4:30PM. [EaterWire] Link: OPENING ALERT: Blue Collar Grill Now Serving Dtown
2012 Fiat 500 Test Drive and Review
We hit the road in the new Fiat 500. Read our full review here: www.driverside.com
