Tamar "Supergeek" F.'s Profile

I'm looking for a fun commuter bike.  After going to a few bike shops that are authorized Linus dealers, I opted to go to the showroom itself.  I mean, I buy my Macs at the Apple Store, so why the hell not?

The bike shop is located down a little walkway on Abbott Kinney and is delightful.  The bikes are all outside and then there's a sparse shop inside.  I had already tested the Dutchi at another bike shop so I tried the Mixte here.  The guy who helped me was actually helpful and knew the product well, which was a huge difference from all the authorized dealers' knowledge of the product (i.e. slim to none).  There's a public parking lot in the back where there's enough space to test-ride.

Though I haven't yet bit the bullet and purchased a new bike, but if I do, I think I'll be heading this way to get it.

I came here for brunch in a party of 4.  First off, parking sucks.  I'm a nervous parker, forgot my quarters at home, and wound up spending about 1/2 an hour and 2 panic attacks (when ultimately winding up on 1-way roadways) trying to find a parking space.  

Despite arriving about 15 minutes late (thanks to the parking sitch), our table was not yet ready.  About 10 minutes later we were escorted to a table near the kitchen and an envelope containing copies of the menu was presented to us. Pretty schnazzy.

Among things our party opted for:
- bacon cheddar biscuits
- bagel w/cream cheese & jam (special)
- salad with lots of pretty stuff (special)
- asparagus w/egg & polenta
- benedict
- fritatta

Of the above, I tried the fritatta, asparagus, bagel & salad.  I'm a total brunch lover who has unrequited brunch love in LA (srsly, can we try to be 1/4 as good as NY?) and while the food was good, it wasn't knocking my socks off.  The lemonade was tasty, though.  

The price for our foursome (including lemonades, 1 mojito & a coffee) wound up to about $150 with tax and tip.  Alright, but kind of pricy for brunch.  Next time, I'll try dinner.

I came here both to get my current bike tuned up and to look for a new bike.

Service Department - The guy who helped me was very nice and helpful.  It's $65 for a tuneup which isn't cheap but is less than some of the other bike places in the area.  The guy helping me gave me about a 5 day turnaround time, which maybe I could have negotiated on if I were in a bind, but that was fine by me.  I think they did a pretty good job on tuning up the bike though it could probably have undergone the super-tune-up (which was more than the bike was worth); I am thankful though that they didn't try upselling at all.

Sales Department - The first time I came I was looking for a commuter bike (Linus was on my mind).  The person who helped me really had no knowledge of commuter bikes though he did let me test ride a few.  The second day I came in after dropping off my bike for service, Francy helped me and was far more knowledgeable.  They don't have too many commuter/city bikes as it seems like it's more of a road bike & cruiser shop, but that's become the norm with Westside bike shops.  

Of the bike shops I visited in the area, Helen's seems like the best all-around shop in terms of knowledge and selection.  Not cheap but on par with all the other local stores.

For what it is, it's a pretty good deal.  If you call for your first appointment, it's $25 for an hour (afterwards it's $35/hr).  

I was able to schedule a same-day appointment though in the past I've tried unsuccessfully to make appointments.  There is a parking lot but street parking in the area isn't bad so I'd recommend that if you're driving.  There are two suites for the CHAC, but the one that is parallel to Santa Monica Boulevard is where you should first enter to check in and fill out an intake form.  

The massage areas are sectioned off by curtains and I would point out that my curtain had lots of grease stains which was pretty gross.  The massage itself though was good so I quickly got the ick factor out of my mind.  They only do swedish massages but you can ask for a "firm swedish" if you'd like.

There is no shortage of massage places in the area, which range from cheap foot massage places to fancy pants spas.  While the base price of a massage here (post-first-massage) is about the same as a thai massage across the street, this is one of the cheapest ones for a swedish massage.  Also, you are not allowed to tip at CHAC, so compared to cheap-ish traditional massage places in West LA (which hound you with signs about tipping) the end cost can be quite a bit less.

I've been holding off writing my 500th review until I found a place that I could rave about, and boy have I found it.  The City opened the Bike Center on the ground floor of the Santa Monica Place mall about a year ago and it's a great asset to downtown Santa Monica.  

There are two locations of the bike center: the main location is at the corner of 2nd & Colorado and the second location is at the corner of 4th & Broadway.  The Colorado location has bike rentals, secure storage, lockers, and showers while the Broadway location has storage & lockers only.  

I haven't yet commited to using the bike center for everyday storage as I can leave my bike in my office if I ride in and my ride is short enough that I'm not in dire need of a shwoer.  However, for secure bike storage, they offer a great deal.  It's $15/mo or $100/yr to be able to use their bike storage room and have access to their showers.  The shower rooms are private and have a shower area and a changing area so not only do you have the whole place to yourself, but you can get yourself ready for the day in a leisurely fashion.  When I went on a tour of the place, they were very clean.  The montly rate goes up as you add in lockers or towel service but ultimately if you're a bike commuter, even going with the "bling bling" package (towel service & locker) is a mere $300/year.  The storage room is spacious and the bike racks are well organized.  Membership also includes a discount on bike repairs and free safety checks.

If you are looking to rent a bike, the prices are decent (~$30/day) and the bikes are in great shape.  Their fleet is all new - they've even turned over their fleet since they first opened.  The rentals include a lock and helmet and the hybrid bikes are equipped with a rack w/cable and a front pouch so you can store your wares.  If you work in the area, you can also join the "Bikes @ Work" program where for $45/year you can check out the bikes on weekdays for up to 1.5 hours at a time.  This is great for running errands or shorter trips, and serves like a "mini bike-share" until a program is implemented.  They also have a similar program with Segways but at a higher cost.

The final program that I'm aware of related to Bikes @ Work is that they're renting out their 2011 fleet to downtown offices.  If you have secure bike storage in your place of work, you can rent a bike at a low cost from them for a full year.  Our office was able to take advantage of this and now we have access to some great and nearly-new bikes to use during the work day.  

Santa Monica is a pretty progressive place and choosing to devote part of the new mall to the Bike Center is just one more display of this.  I highly recommend checking it out and using the Center, whether it's for commuting, taking short trips at lunch time, or riding a bike.

I came here for lunch since it's right by my office.  It's in the oft-desolate Santa Monica Place Market, although it was the most bustling part of the Market when I came during lunch time.  The first thing we noticed: holy moly the prices are high!  I opted for the Brooklyner Sandwich which cost over $17 with tax.  The sandwich included goat cheese, smoked salmon, tomatoes, and pickles and was big enough that I left over half.  The sandwich also included a side (salad, quinoa salad, fries).  If I were to split the meal with a dining companion and tack on a side dish (like the mac 'n cheese) then it could be a decent lunch.  However, the sheer cost otherwise makes it a tough regular lunch spot.

I came here for Blessing of the Animals and just that.  It's a really fun event which I'd highly recommend to any pet owner or animal lover in LA.  There are hundreds of people with their dogs, cats, birds, lizards, you name it, waiting for the local Archbishop to throw some holy water on each animal as it snakes its way through the line.  There are mariachi bands, horses, kiosks, the whole she-bang.

I haven't visited Olvera Street outside of the festival, but it looks like there's a lot there.  There were several souvenir kiosks, Mexican food, and snack stands.  I don't know if I'd go outside of during an event like the Blessing, but it's nice to have a real historic place in LA that's so transit-accessible.

I don't live in the area, but if I did I would frequent this dog park.  My friend and I took our dogs here after going to the Blessing of the Animals in downtown, since the City's website identified Hermon as the closest one from where we were.  The dog park is at the back of the park, under the overpass, and there's a small side and a big side.  It's a heck of a lot cleaner than Barrington Dog Park (my local LA City dog park) and not nearly as stinky.  There were only a few other dogs there when we came, but they seemed like socialized dogs and the owners were paying attention to them.  There's a good amount of parking before the overpass so I didn't have trouble getting a spot.  The park is just off the Via Marisol exit.  Ultimately, it's not enough of an attraction for me to travel 15+ miles out of my way to visit, when I have Airport Park nearby, but the next time I visit friends in the area I'd definitely take Murray there again.

Wow!

I feel like Skirball is eclipsed by the nearby Getty and, of course, LACMA, but I have not had as much fun at any other "cultural institution" in LA as I have at Skirball.  Mostly due to Noah's Ark, of course.

I came here with my friends (who were toting young children) to take part in the Puppet festival.  I was intending just to spend some quality time with them, not to be blown away, but blown away I was.

Skirball is located in Bel Air, just off the 405 (it has it's own exit just north of Getty Center Dr).  Parking is free and was not difficult to find at 11am on a Sunday though it looked like it filled up as the day went on.  Admission is $10 for adults and cheaper for kids/students/seniors; it's free for the tots under 2.  In the context of the nearby Getty, this is pricier if you carpool (as the Getty charges $15 per car) but driving solo it was slightly cheaper.  If you plan to go more than a couple of times in a year, a membership will be most cost effective.

The puppet shows around the museum were cute, albeit it was a special one-day event.  The Ark, it seems, is the real piece de resistance.  It's timed entry (but doesn't cost anything beyond the museum admission) and super-interactive.  Maybe that's why I don't like other museums as much - you can't touch things!  Here, if you want to touch it, you probably should be.  Though it's a big draw for kids, adults can enjoy it just as much.  There are a ton of repurposed items used to craft animals and parts of the ark, and it's tough to do everything in the exhibit within the 1 hour of time that you have.  All the more reason to return!

Though most of our time was consumed in the ark and at the various puppet shows, I got a peek into some of the exhibits, which were cool.  There's definitely a Jewish cultural bent to the work (text from the Torah chapter Lech Lechah is inscribed in one wall) but it is still very appealing to people from all backgrounds (no shoving-in-the-face religious stuff).  

I didn't go to the cafe but it looked nice.  It is more of a sit-down spot.  They do have to-go food too (this was in one of the conference rooms on puppet day), and it seemed reasonably priced and looked good.  The grounds themselves are really beautiful - I got to see real lilypads!  And if you come on weekends there's interactive art demos.

I'd highly recommend visiting if in the area!

I came to Santa Monica Place to get some sweets for J's birthday.  Though I never tried N'Ice Cream, it looked appealing.  I tried the salted caramel and vanilla gelato and ultimately wound up getting a mix of the two in a to-go container (I believe it was a half-quart).  It set me back $9 - pricy but not bad.  The girl who helped me was very friendly.

The gelato was smooth and flavorful.  The salted caramel was decadent with a bit of a burnt caramel taste but the mouthfeel was light instead of cloying.  And unlike airier ice creams, just a small amount of this was enough, making this last for the better part of a week.

Now I just need another occasion to return!