Fun outings for moms, dads and other grown-ups – without the kids.
Date With L.A.
Historic and Hip, Pasadena is a Romantic Treasure
By Mimi Slawoff PHOTO COURTESY NORTON SIMON ART FOUNDATION To celebrate our anniversary, my husband Bruce and I headed for the storybook town that sits at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains: Pasadena. Rich with greenery, architectural charm, art and all manner of restaurants, Pasadena is a great place to spend a day with your valentine. Explore the Pasadena Playhouse District, South Lake Avenue and our favorite, Old Pasadena,...
Burbank: Studios, Nature, Old Charm
Growing up in Burbank, I saw it evolve from a one-theater town (the Cornell Theatre, demolished in 1980) and the quaint downtown pedestrian Golden Mall to a sophisticated city with mega movie theaters, shopping centers and plenty of dining options. Yet, with pockets of historic restaurants and quirky boutiques, my hometown retains a charming small-town feel. Burbank is home to major studios (Burbank Studios, Walt Disney Studios, Warner Bros.) and...
Date Night in Little Tokyo
Little Tokyo is the second oldest neighborhood in L.A., and is an incredible intersection of civic, cultural and culinary history. With almost 40 restaurants between First and Third streets and Alameda and Los Angeles streets, there are only a few other districts in the city with as many eateries. Though my wife and I have eaten in at least half of them over the years, we go to Suehiro Cafe...
Date with L.A.: Parisian Sensibilities in the San Fernando Valley
When I lived in Paris, one of my favorite pastimes was being an urban flâneur – a stroller, lingerer, saunterer, if you will. With no hard-set agenda, I would walk around and see where the day took me. For this month’s Date With L.A., I decided to slip back into my flâneur shoes in the most unlikely of places: the San Fernando Valley. Given the French inspiration for this solo...
Malibu Wine Safari Offers Grown-up Mother-Daughter Fun
When my three children were growing up, we visited kid-friendly L.A. attractions ranging from A-Z. The kids are grown now, but we still enjoy spending time together and chatting about life, sometimes even over a glass of wine. So, for this “Date with L.A.,” my daughter Christina took me on a mother- daughter trek to the Malibu Wine Safari at Saddlerock Ranch. Christina knew I’d fall hard for this adult...
Retro Row Helps New Yorker Adapt to Long Beach
Years ago, when my partner, an East L.A. native who is now my husband, coaxed me across the country, I was not sure how well this New Yorker would adapt. Luckily, moving to the very walkable “Retro Row” neighborhood in Long Beach turned out to be a dream come true. Shortly after our son’s birth, the local businesses kicked off Fourth Fridays on Fourth Street, featuring extended store hours, specials,...
Leimert Park: An Artistic Getaway
Since my move to L.A. five years ago, I’ve heard countless stories about Leimert Park serving as a popular center for African American arts and entertainment. My previous Leimert experiences centered around stops to my favorite bookstore, Eso Won Books (4327 Degnan Blvd.), a necessity for book lovers and writers like myself, and grabbing delicious Jamaican food from Ackee Bamboo (4305 Degnan Blvd., #100). For my date, however, I wanted...
Atwater Village: Hip and Down-to-Earth
When L.A. Parent invited me to write this inaugural “Date with L.A.” column – a monthly feature that will encourage parents to enjoy a day or night in L.A. – without the kids – I yelped with joy. L.A. is my hometown; it’s where my family is centered, the place that holds my memories. I hope this column serves to highlight some familiar places, some new places and some places...
Date Night: The Pan Am Experience
Does anyone ever deliberately set out to eat airplane food? If that food is part of Air Hollywood’s Pan Am Experience, you definitely should! Avoid the crowds at LAX, leave your luggage at home and head instead to a cluster of warehouses off the 118 Freeway in San Fernando to board a Pan Am 747 for a flight to the 1970s. Pan American World Airways disbanded in 1991 and the...
International Plates for Picky Palates
My child, once a baby who gummed anything I put in front of him, has become a quintessential picky toddler. Every suggestion is met with a cheerful, but firm, “No,” and I’ve watched his culinary world narrow into a rotating Lazy Susan of hot dogs, chicken fingers and fish sticks. This is something I swore I would never allow. Experts say to keep presenting toddlers with new foods, and not...