Pasadena Heritage lecture "Tribute to Julia Morgan, Architect", was held January 21, 2012 in honor…read moreof Julie Morgan's 140th birthday, the 35th anniversary of the founding of PH and to raise awareness for the possible preservation, renovation and restoration of JM's YWCA (1921) located at Marengo and Holly in Pasadena which has been listed on PH's most endangered list for many years. This was a very informative, well attended presentation on the City's historic civic center plan, JM's bio and body of work, architecture and construction of the YWCA as well as the past and present function of the structure and possibilities for reuse. The second part of this program may be scheduled in the Fall of 2012. Julia Morgan, California's first licensed woman architect, is known for her work at Hearst Castle, in addition to her work in SF, Oakland, No. California and for the design and construction of YWCA buildings throughout California, Utah, Arizona, and Hawaii including 14 structures at the Asilomar Conference Grounds (originally YWCA) in Pacific Grove. Bernard Maybeck was her mentor.

For the past 16 years, Pasadena Heritage has been hosting the annual Craftsman weekend, which…read moreaccording to their website is "the largest and most comprehensive celebration in the Western United States." Throughout this weekend, you can take both bus and/or walking tours of historic neighborhoods, but the highlight of the weekend is the Craftsman House Tour where you get to visit six distinctive period homes, Not only do you get to see the interiors of these beautiful homes, you'll also have trained docents inside who will give you historical facts and architectural info about the home itself. So if you have a love of the American Arts & Craftsman movement, than why not take advantage of being local to a part of the country where you can see beautiful examples of this distinct architectural and design style. I certainly did last year and with Annual Craftsman Weekend coming around again in October, you can too. To see the pics I took while on the 2006 Craftsman House Tour, check out the link below: http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157594566541113/

Yikes, this is an expensive tour but it is a rarity to see a period house with most of the original…read moreoccupants furnishings etc. The tours are docent led and very informative. If you like these types of tours, this one is quite worth it.

I came here for an event today so really my review is tailored more towards the events that Casa is…read moreholding but also to acknowledge the fabulous grounds and building though I admit I don't have full context for the history or background. I would definitely come back here to learn about the house and to take the guided tour. This wasn't the purpose for me coming today but the gentleman who works here noted that it's a great tour and I know friends who have enjoyed learning about the family and the history of the house, getting a deeper dive of information. I came here with some friends for their first hosted event Sound Bath. A wellness day if you will. From start to finish everything was very organized and thoughtful. The staff hosting the event and the spiritual wellness guide and sound healer was wonderful. Everyone was nice and you felt welcomed. Not pretentious and just very positive and good vibes. We had a nice group and everyone was respectful and on time for the sound bath so it went off without issue. It was a relaxing experience and the grounds were very nice to hold this outdoor event. The birds were chirping, the sun was shining, we found an area with shade, very nice. Very faint sounds of cars in the distance here and there which wasn't ideal but out of their control and once things settled in you really couldn't hear much external noise. After the relaxing sound bath we were offered tea and light pastry snacks. I opted for a water and began exploring the grounds instead of partaking in the refreshments. The grounds are lush and lovely, very zen. Loved the beautiful trees and walkways with small fountains and running water. It was green and pretty all around from the recent rains. Definitely a great location for events and to learn a little SB history. I will definitely do my research and come back again soon.

This was a fantastic find on Yelp. My wife and I enjoy finding out historical information on…read morecities we visit and have taken many tours over the years. David Jensen does a terrific job as your guide and host. We made our reservations online, very easy. David showed up on time. He covered everything he describes on the information and more. Carlsbad as well as the general coastal area have a fascinating history that David took the time to describe. The walk and pace are very easy and David does a great job being loud enough for people like myself to to hear. You cover the history of the area. Visit key sites where building still stand or once stood. You learn about the regions flower/apprentice industry and about an unlikely "historian", city benefactor. Yes, this was a very enjoyable tour, well worth the low cost and if you are in Carlsbad, we would highly recommend David Jensen's tour!

From the owner: Enjoy a 90 minute tour by a professional tour guide that will explain the history of Carlsbad…read morestarting from the 1880's . You will stroll through historical buildings and the Village as you learn about the past that shaped this iconic beach town with history. Learn about the famous mineral water and how the city was named and founded. Along the way, we will point our great restaurants, shops , and things to do in Carlsbad. Don't miss this tour on your visit!

This is the annual design show for those of you looking to redo your kitchen, bathroom, flooring or…read moreif you're an interior design professional. I came not being or seeking to be any of the above. I just came to check it out. I found a ton of $5 discounts online, but Goldstar had a deal that knocked the $30 one day pass down to $15+$4 fees = $19. Before you buy your ticket online, check Groupon, Livingsocial, Goldstar, etc. to see if there are any deals. If you're a student you can also get a 3 day pass for only $15! You really only need 3-5 hours to cover all the booths in the South Hall. If you want to see a lot of speakers or presentations, then of course add more time. They do allow ins and outs so you can go to your car and drop off the loads of catalogs you pickup. There are a lot of kitchen and bath manufacturers here. If you're looking for inspiration on a redesign, then this is a great place to get ideas on high end fixtures. There's retro, sleek, modern, futuristic, cubist, straight bling gaudy... it's all here. Just know that some cool designs are not practical at all. There was a bathtub that was so tall and deep and not sloped that it would force you to sit at 90 degrees in the tub and have to rest your arms above your shoulders... not comfortable at all. There are some furniture and lighting designers here, but not too many, mainly smaller independent designers that just have 3-5 models to showcase. No Herman Miller, Phillipe Starck or anything like that. It felt like there were more patio furniture booths than there were regular furniture booths. This year (2014) there were a lot of pre-fab home exhibits, which were cool to look at but mainly felt like an upscale mobile home. A pre-fab home made in a metal shipping container? Yes, there's a company that does that. If you were thinking about going to design school, there's plenty of information on that as most of the major schools in the area were represented in one corner. With all the kitchens on display, surprisingly none of them had any cooking demos going on. The only free samples in the show were drinks... a couple of coffee makers, a sparkling water tap. If you get hungry you'll have to eat the deplorable convention center offerings or step out to LA Live/Nokia Plaza to get some better eats. There was a Coolhaus Ice Cream Sandwich Truck in the middle of the floor. Most of the vendors we talked to were friendly and eager to share about their products and hand me their thick catalogs. There are mini booths for artists and small businesses. Interesting or useless depending on your tastes. Cardboard iPhone speaker amplifier? Concrete table plant pots? Etched aluminum drawings? Heated chairs made out of slabs of rock? Most of the speaking topics leaned towards the future of design or trends in design... more appealing to the design pro than to the common citizen. If you get the VIP packs, you can go on the home tours (visits to area homes, not at the convention site). Favorite giveaway received? Double layer drinking glass from Topbrewer Scanomat. Parking - Pay $15 to park in the Convention Center parking structure or drive around nearby and find an all day lot for $5-$10. I found $5 parking easily. Worth going to? Yes. Would I go again? Yes. Would I go every year? No. I think you only need to go once every 3 or 4 years to stay in tune with some of the new smart home innovations or design trends. $100,000 budget to redo your kitchen and bathrooms and have it look cool? It's doable. :)

I don't understand how they can legally claim this is the largest home show on the west coast,…read morebecause it's not. my first visit to Dwell was back in 2011 and boy have things gone down hill. There is nothing to this show. They tried this year by bringing in "big names" like Karim Rashid and Johnathon Adler, but if anything I kind of felt bed for them- bad press. This show was so dead, in both attendees and exhibitors that it should be free. It has gotten progressively worse over the years. To top it off, the people who work the registration on the phone and over email were rude. Wanting to charge $350 for a trade pass if you're not an architect. I want my money and time back. Not worth the $60 for trade they want to charge. Throw it away!

I hired Schram Designs to produce some renderings for a real estate development project my company…read morewas bidding on. He did a really great job for us. Jason is easy to work with, knowledgeable in Sketchup (which was our preferred program for this project), and well priced. Our company will definitely hire him again. Highly recommend Schram Designs!

I used Schram Designs to provide renderings for a high end cosmetics store and was blown away! I…read morebriefly provided some finish details and a basic layout and Jason took it far beyond what I was expecting. The renderings and textures were such high quality and impressive that it wasn't far from a real image. Beyond that his communication and work ethic made the overall experience very enjoyable and seamless. Highly recommended!

Group Ride with plenty of style and flair. Location changes. Nice people, nice bikes, crazy city. I…read morewill never forget talk about the 7-11 convenience store someone had built into their monster house somewhere up a hill. You can still glimpse the old website here http://alexamerri.com/design/ride-arc-website/. The new website also very interesting. The new site also sells artistic postcards. The siteis designed in such a manner as to project multiple symptoms of NPD onto its author. NPD (Narcissistic personality disorder) seems prevalent among politicians and sports personalities. (LRB (6 Nov 2014) mentions the Kevins Rudd and Pietersen. Remember Lance Armstrong?) "Overwhelming need for admiration coupled with a complete lack of empathy towards others." Or something like that... The ride should be great. It's just the website that is a bit strange...

The creators of this tour came up with a brilliant idea and found ideal, beautiful hidden gem…read moreneighborhood routes to explore. Both tourists and locals will be delighted by the Garden Safari experience. Though I've lived in LA for 30 years, (even for a time in Santa Monica) I didn't know what was special and specific to the route through Santa Monica to Brentwood. I found the education in trees and architectural history of the area particularly fascinating. The tour ended up in the perfect historical and refreshing spot that I couldn't believe I'd never been to. One of the best parts of the tour for me is that it has led me to a new sense of wonder and interest in walking around all neighborhoods in general. But the ones on this tour are particularly stunning.

We just spent an enjoyable afternoon exploring parts of Santa Monica with Natalie and Garden…read moreSafaris. She pointed out various architectural styles and points of interest along with notable tree varieties throughout. A delightful way for a tourist or local to discover the area. I especially enjoyed the La Mesa portion with its stately mature Morton Bay Figs.

We had a great day with our guide, Paul! Very informative filled with a chock full of interesting…read morefacts! We are native Los Angeles peeps and never rode Angel's Flight. Paul treated us to a ride which made it special! I definitely recommend this tour company!

We booked the Hollywood Speakeasy Tour for Valentine's Day 2025. On the day of, they cancelled it…read more Nice. Don't rely on these guys. While I appreciate things come up, a professional operation has contingencies in place to manage those risks. I guess not here. A suggestion: if you're going to cancel at the last minute, at least offer the customer something so that working with you wasn't a complete waste of time.