This place is like a out door art gallery, art is everywhere well depend how you look. Great music…read moreare playing and lots of vendor showing off their healthy stuff. Yelp booth you kick A$$ bringing all the local yelper together to enjoy a good day under the sun. Thanks to all the vendor who have showing me the eco away in life. I have not see so many artiest in one place, Most of them are very good at what they but many of them are unheard of... This is what i call urban art!

Why was it so ridiculously hot?! Otherwise, it would've been a wonderful day well spent in LA. Paid…read more$5 "donation" to park in a very rocky (and I mean BIG rocks), unpaved dirt lot. I guess that's our fault for being lazy. Of course, food trucks galore. And the clothing up for sale, oh geez. I wanted to buy everything. It was really tempting. Lots of hipster-esque things, and hipsters abound. We brought our dog because the flyer said pet friendly. It was great. They had a few booths for him as well, so he was happy :) The festival was to promote and appreciate art, and I thought it was a really cool chance to inspire the young. There was a room where they got pretty creative, creating art from miscellaneous objects like hard-drives, cereals, and even pages from books (as an English major, I cringed at the desecration). A big shoutout to the Yelp booth, replete with awesome free swag as always :) I got yelp sunglasses. On the inside it reads: UV Rays? F.U.C. 'em!

Los Angeles Chinatown is a hybrid of classic Cantonese Chinatown, commercialized China Town, new…read moreimmigrant South East Asian, Vietnamese Asian Town and the new rejuvenation of "Hipster" elements, a modernization and removal of antiquated tradition. Chinatowns were originally Chinese Ghettos, the designated regions where White America would allow Chinese laborers (and subsequently their families) to live. Typically undesirable lower socioeconomic regions. It became commercialized in the late 1960's through the 1970's as a tourist attraction, a cultural curiosity of sort. New York and San Francisco had, has and have a more "authentic" if there is such a description "Chinatown" with East/West coast snobbery towards those Cities over Los Angeles' C-Town. Chinatown is still kind of dirty 'tho, much as New York's and San Francisco's that on a hot humid day you can smell the overrun of sewage stench along the curbs of the streets. It's not quite as filthy as Seattle and Honolulu Hawaii's Chinatown 'tho. Parking can be difficult, but they have ample paid parking lots, and is also off of a public metro transit system. It's nearby Little Tokyo (aka Japantown) as well as kind of close to Dodger's Stadium, Downtown LA, Crypto (aka Staples) Centger, LA Live, the Financial District, the Garment District, etc. So, as a tourist or local running errands, there's many stops along the way and perripherally adjacent. If you crave Chinese Food however, I'd recommend the SGV San Gabriel Valley or The OC, Orange County area of Irvine as great alternatives or greater destinations for dining. If it's visiting something historic, this Chinatown is gritty and a nice experience during the day. The nightlife is mediocre, 'tho if you're driving and want food past 11pm, Chinatown has some really good eats! There is a "Bruce Lee" statue for a photo op for visitors as well as a sitting statue of Sun Yat Sen in the townsquare area. Golden Dragon Restaurant is a good place for authentic Dim Sum. There's an annual Chinese New Year Parade (Lunar New Year, typically sometime in Jan-Feb annually) held here too.

THIS IS CHINATOWN?! (3 stars)…read more Not going to lie, I'm use to San Francisco's Chinatown so coming here it was like "this is Chinatown?" It's really rundown and I feel could have potential is the right businesses and attractions were put in place. 1) if was so easy to find parking - yes, in LA, and in a Chinatown. 2) the streets were empty with a few local elderly walking around but packed in areas where there were groceries being sold 3) not many attractions to look at. I kind of felt sad for this part of down. It has a great view of downtown LA and prime for development but it feels like a washed up and forgotten area.

One of my favorite streets in Los Angeles. Abbot Kinney has a unique atmosphere with local vendors,…read moreboutiques, cafés, street musicians, and interesting architecture. It's a great place to walk around, grab a coffee, and enjoy the Venice vibe. Every visit feels a little different, and there is always something new to discover.

Abbott Kinney is only a mile long but there's so much to see. Whenever I'm in Venice, I never miss…read morecoming in here and strolling around the neighborhood. So many things to see in here such as checking the small businesses , view the colorful murals and attending pop up events. Also love dining here as there's so many different options as well. I love hanging out the stores which has either front and back patios. I really like the vibes and atmosphere here.

This was our first time visiting this annual event, thanks to Yelp, a sponsor. This combination…read morefood festival and local business showcase has been around in one form or another since 1970. Most recently, it has been held in the infield of Santa Anita Park, the Arboretum, and since last year, the Paddock area of Santa Anita Park, which is the entry plaza to the racetrack. The Paddock area expands nearly the entire length of the Park's bleachers, with all the vendors set up in tents throughout the area. There were VIP and general admission tickets; VIP's were for tables of 10. The VIP's gained one hour early admittance plus access to a shaded area with tables, its own bar and restrooms. Regular folk made do with scattered standing tables, permanent Paddock benches and the racetrack's huge restrooms. Beyond the restrooms, you could get a peak at the racetrack and infield, with the beautiful mountains beyond. Note there is minimal shade; a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen are advised. Everyone gets a swag bag, whose most valuable item was a plastic plate for holding all the food you'd soon eat. I was surprised how many hotels are in the area; all had booths, some with food. The Hilton Doubletree had their signature cookies! The food vendors had a larger presence, with representation from Arcadia as well as neighbouring cities. A huge variety of cuisines were offered, as well as many wine and alcoholic beverage vendors. Many restaurant vendors offered their own beverages as well. The event is for those over 21 for this reason (ID's are checked and you are given a wristband). We discovered many new local places to try; Girasol and Little Provence Cafe come to mind. And our old faves, The Derby and Cabrera's were there, with The Derby offering their classic prime rib with horseradish cream and their bread pudding. The Arcadia High School drum corps ushered us in. There was live music inside, as well as a DJ and dance floor. Overall an enjoyable and gluttonous afternoon, worth repeating annually.

Taste of Arcadia is back! Had 2 events since 2020 and it's bigger than ever inside Santa Anita…read moreracetrack area. Tickets were $85 and VIP I think was $110 (excluding early bird discounts). Large selection of restaurants like Marugame (yes Honolulu franchise), Outback, Max's, Fogo De Chao, Domenicos and Cabrera's were my favs. Lots of alcohol from tequila, gin, rum, beer and wine (Daou was my fav). Lots of hotels like a Hilton and Marriott was there. Deserts Nothing Bundt was my fav. Portions overall plus selections were great. I'm super impressed and grateful for the chamber and vendors running this fabulousness event. Parking was free and plentiful too. Bring a hat and sunscreen bc it's outdoors. See you next year.

Venice local now, for nearly 4 years and I've only been to first Friday twice. Both amazing…read moreexperiences and now it's a ritual of my friends, neighbors, and family in the area. The last first Friday, I brought mama. We dropped but the food truck 8E8 and bought thai iced teas, spicy drunken noodles, Tofu pad see Ew, and red curry. I literally ate my portion of food for 3 days straight, and it was more delicious every time. How does that work? They ran out of mangos and sticky rice! Next time, hope they are back next month in January 2024. :) There were so many other food trucks, close to 25 lining abbot Kinney all the way to Venice Blvd. such a fun local experience, found my neighbors/friends we hung out and had a great dinner sitting on the side of the road lol. That's Venice for ya, we just wing it bc why not.

This isn't a "useful" review…read more I got here just before the world changed. We hear about collective sacrifice during World War II and see movies where people are happy to go months out of their way to rescue Matt Damon from space, but reality involves violations of safety protocols, hateful and insane politics and letting cruise ship workers drift for months because apparently it's too dangerous to have the boat drop them off at 2AM. First Fridays is a reminder of a better era. The day of my February visit featured various typical and absurdly trivial dilemmas. Would I make it to the coast in time for sunset and would my phone battery die? And do I have the capacity to eat that delicious-looking fake meat from Original Herbivore after I just enjoyed real meat from Scroggins Smokehouse and various other things? Yeah, it seemed time to go back to the hotel after the amazing ribs, but the picture of the Reuben with faux pastrami was captivating. Little things I enjoyed about First Fridays: the palm trees at dusk are quite cinematic, and it seems more acceptable to talk to strangers here than in NYC, so I had a some Fieri-esque discussions here. It'll be a while before I take a plane again, but I'm thankful that First Fridays, its creative and hard-working vendors and its fusion-craving crowds built a classic California experience.

Ramona Gardens is hidden but is home to a great gym. The staff is great and one of them is a vegan…read more There is a small baseball diamond in the back. Great community, great people!! Don't get upset if your called an ugly kihh, it's a term of endearment in the community.

I have lived here all my life, and throughout my teenage years, there was rarely any gang violence…read moreinside the neighborhood. I won't lie, it isn't very lively, and the best part of Ramona Gardens is the Recreational Center. It hosts many things like Summer Night Lights, but unfortunately will end up closing in October. It does not matter. I think it is still a good place to live in.

Nice variety of vendors. Well organized and overall a great experience. Great selection of arts,…read morecrafts and food items to choose from also. Worth the visit

1st time at Pasadena Walk Art. This was their 11th year located off East Colorado Blvd & El Molina…read moreAve. Eclectic mix of interesting local artists (throughout Southern CA stretching from Torrance, San Pedro, Redlands, Monterey Park, Venice, Culver City to San Diego) and creative talented jewelry designers. We really had a fun time and all the artists were so friendly!

A fun event highlighted by visits to five fabulous taco restaurants, including four in the city of…read moreWhittier and concluding in Hawaiian Gardens, promised a lot of good eating and a variety of excellent choices for all. The delicious tacos delivered as expected. The turnout of a fun, lively group was certainly a huge plus and made the event even more enjoyable. We dined at the following taco gems in order: #1 Arturo's Puffy Taco - Whittier, CA: http://www.yelp.com/biz/arturos-puffy-taco-whittier #2 Tacos Baja - Whittier, CA: http://www.yelp.com/biz/tacos-baja-whittier #3 La Victoria Taqueria - Whittier, CA: http://www.yelp.com/biz/la-victoria-taqueria-whittier #4 Chema's Tacos - Whittier, CA: http://www.yelp.com/biz/chemas-tacos-whittier #5 Tacos San Pedro - Hawaiian Gardens, CA: http://www.yelp.com/biz/tacos-san-pedro-hawaiian-gardens All offered very tasty and a unique variety of choices of tacos. I believe the consensus favorite was the fish tacos from Tacos Baja, followed by the puffy tacos from Arturo's Puffy Taco and then the chicharron taco at La Victoria Taqueria. The idea to pick locations showcasing some of the most popular taco joints in Whittier, it appears, was a good choice. We thank Sarah A. for coming up with the idea and initially planning this event. My first one last year was much smaller but just as fun: http://www.yelp.com/biz/andrew-ks-taco-crawl-whittier#hrid:vWvfz3Lf_K8mTpCnejCHqA/src:self. But the combination of our two networks made for a bigger turnout. Friends who could not make it out this evening really missed out. And I encourage others to try out all five taco establishments and come with high expectations. They are some of the very best around. You just might one to try them one at a time.

This was a much needed night of socializing and good company! Five taco locations in a few…read morehours...can it really be done? If Sarah A. and Andrew K. are organizing this, then hell yeah! I've never really explored Whittier but the first four stops helped me get to know this town. One thing that I did not consider was the authenticity of these taco places. Thank goodness for Tacos Baja (taco stop #2) for having lardless beans! You meateaters make fun of me all you want, those beans paired with fresh avocado were damn delicious and quite filling :) Since my experience of this crawl is skewed from the norm, here's what I remember most about each stop: #1 - Arturo's Puffy Taco The meateater BF's friends saw his check in online and suspected that he was at a nudie bar. #2 - Tacos Baja Tasty free chiles that sneak up on you with its spiciness...YIKES! I had to eat a bunch of free radishes to cool down my burning mouth! Yummy beans :) #3 - La Victoria Taqueria Whoa, there's a lot of ambulances stopping next door! There's also a funny mural on the wall where a pig is cooking a chef. This is also where I took some very incriminating photos of Vince V. kissing a taco! #4 - Chema's Tacos I love all the optical illusions artwork on the wall including works by Octavio Ocampo. But dammit, this empty toy dispenser took 50 cents from my baller BF! Boo! http://bit.ly/KTHQfV Our last stop was a small trek down the 605 toward Hawaiian Gardens... #5 - Tacos San Pedro Yummy tamarindo! Free pickled carrots :) Ok, so maybe I wasn't as comatose full as the rest of you, but I was full! A vegan knows how to forage :) Besides, like I said before, I was there to socialize and it was nice to make new friends and catch up with friends I haven't seen in a while. A lot of great laughs were shared. So much so that I haven't laughed as hard as I did last night in a long time! You yelpers are fun people :) Thanks Sarah and Andrew for organizing this event and inviting us out for a fun night!