Here in Los Angeles, everyone wants a massage all the time. To hear people talk, you’d think that it ranks right after air on the list of basic human needs. The problem is, where to go? It seems like there are only two types of massages available in the Great Southern California Basin. The first…
When people think of Los Angeles, they probably envision endless miles of concrete, infinite strip malls that test the definitions of beige, and a Kardashian snapping a selfie on every corner. But if you ever get lost on the 210 Freeway, and take an off-ramp with the hopes of finding not only your way, but…
I like it when cities name themselves after something they feel is worthy or appropriate about the city itself. For instance, I find it interesting that Long Beach chose to name themselves after what it considered (way back when) to be its most dominant feature: literally a very long beach. Made total sense, and prevented…
I recently had the mundane pleasure of spending the day in Arcadia, California. For those of you that have never heard of this San Gabriel Valley suburb of Los Angeles, let me try and help. On the map of Los Angeles, Arcadia is way to the right. Even more. That’s it, keep going, farther right,…
The “Other” Valley – the San Gabriel Valley “Where in the hell is the valley?” As the unofficial historian and self-proclaimed expert on all things Southern California, I completely understand the confusion. The problem for those without tans and agents is there are so many valleys. Too many. There is The Valley (which we covered last week),…
I am the unofficial historian of Southern California. I back this up with absolutely no credentials or merits of any kind. I am unqualified beyond belief. But since moving here many years ago, all my out-of-town friends ask me questions about The Great Southern California Basin, and seem to accept my answers as fact. Foolish…
Forrest Brakeman 