by Jonathan Bilski, Editor-in-chief TTDILA.com
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| Jamie Lee Curtis |
Late last week, Vice Magazine's West Coast
Editor and constant hater of LA, was pissed off again by another human being. This time it was
Gwyneth Paltrow's Mom, Blythe Danner, on a quote she gave about how people
criticize her daughter. From that he some how decided to go after Gwyneth to see if he hated her or not in a half-a**ed stalker kind of way. On his Twitter Taete said
"Because I'm not afraid to go after the difficult targets, I wrote a thing
making fun of Gwyneth Paltrow." Here it is.
My gut feeling was that Taete's words would lead to another
article about him hating LA, a constant of the universe. I already had a
growing animosity towards him for the constant bashing of LA. I could think of
many reasons why I disliked him.
As he wrote in his own article, "don't judge a man
until you've walked a mile in his shoes." So, in order to better understand
Taete, wait... Jamie Lee Curtis is the first part of his name? Why didn't he
change it to Jamie Curtis Taete, something easy, that no one would make fun of?
Now, I'm thinking of Jamie Lee Curtis and the movies she's been in. Anyway, I decided to follow where he went.
Sadly, Jamie Lee Curtis decided to spend a day following Gwyn's
life based on her app, Goop City Guides. Goop is Gwyn's lifestyle brand and the
app is a new connection with places Gwyn likes to visit and Jamie Lee Curtis, a
non-gay man, decided to follow it out of spite.
Many of the places that he visited I had already been to countless
times. He cut into them one by one with snarky attitude and the best jokes he
could muster, not talking to anyone at the stores, not another shopper, owner
or employee. He acted like a loner completely withdrawn in his own world. Here
in LA you can talk to people, ask questions and be a real g-d damn reporter.
So, I decided to retrace his steps and spend Sunday revisiting
the shops and businesses he so easily passed judgment on.
First stop on the Jamie Lee Curtis' hate train was Yolk.
1626 Silverlake Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026
323-660-4315
I hadn't been in a while.
On that Sunday morning it was alive with customers in its corner of
Silverlake. The bright happy-go-lucky store had plenty of treasure to discover
inside. I could just talk about the Lamy pen section, and the wonders of
well-made writing instruments for this part. However, I chatted with manager
Tori Senatore about the neighborhood gift store. That's what she called it when
I asked her to describe it. "It's for the Mom and family in the area with
a nice home feeling," said Senatore.
Senatore after joking with a customer about the meaning of
the store after my questioning showed me around. First was the kid's section
towards the back where I was shown the French line of Djeco arts and craft
kits, puzzles and games, their top sellers for kids. You won't find a PS4 here,
the toys are for a much younger set.
There are adult toys, get your mind out of the gutter. I mean
desk toys, home decor, those shiny Lamy pens that fit oh so nicely away in your
pocket that can be taken out and awed out by other writers.
When you enter, your greeted with a huge selection of gifts
to get from home decor to office, some local, some imported, but a vast
collection. Senatore took me over to a felt trivet, a rainbow of colors to pick
up the hot things in your home, the best seller so far the season for adults.
Some giant felt trivets in the shape of autumn leaves caught
my eye as well, before glancing over at the Sisters of Los Angeles section, from
three local female artists. A line featuring many fine products that remind me
of LA. Drink out of a glass with your favorite freeway or beloved part of the
city on it.
Senatore told how Yolk got painted for an opening launch of the
Sisters of Los Angeles. A nice bright look for a bright store on Sunset.
Soon I was off, pen addiction abided for now.
Not that far a drive away was Intelligentsia coffee house,
not in the theme of any rebel movement where only the intelligent rule.
3922 West Sunset
Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90029
323-663-6173
I arrived to a young
girl being dropped off for a study session at Intelligentsia. She happily ran
off with books in tow. Many folks were outside having conversations while
drinking, so many different faces and strange hair styles. The line was out the
door, but moving fast. Staff dressed like it was the 1920's, dress shirts,
suspenders ready to take the incoming orders.
In line for a cup, I
asked Michael and Robyn Schanzlin what they would be having and why they liked
the place. "Angleno," they said, "So foamy and frothy, an ice
coffee." They came because, "We live nearby and it's really good when
you want to spend for a cup, " added Michael.
The rich smells of coffee
stayed with me as I entered the nearby Cheese Store with much different scents,
not affiliated with the Cheese Store of
Beverly Hills, that's a longer story, but let's say the two don't get along.
3926 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90029
Los Angeles, CA 90029
323- 644-7511
The Cheese Store
wasn't on Jamie Lee Curtis' list, maybe he's one of those suffering from
lactose intolerance. Gwyn might have not
had it on her app. In either case, he missed out on sampling cheese and oils to
dip bread into. The store has rare cheeses and imported food luxuries. I once got honey with honeycomb still in it
for my Father's birthday there once.
If you ever needed
something to stand out at a party for the foodies of your friends you couldn't
go wrong with this cheese store.
Next, we have Forage.
3823 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026
323-663-6885
Sunday-Monday Closed
Sadly, Forage was closed on Sunday. I would have liked to
sampled what Jamie Lee Curtis detailed, but he himself didn't try and instead
merely bought a cookie and a coffee. Forage allows customers to bring in their
own vegetables to be used for the restaurant dishes. A second of research
online told me it's a family-owned and locally run.
Next was Secret
Headquarters, not on the list, but it's hard to pass up one of the best looking
comic stores in LA. With both all the big name books, but indie titles and art
shows every so often as well. The store welcomes those who are long time fans
and anyone starting out in comics with the decor of gentleman's club found in England.
3817 Sunset Blvd, Los
Angeles, CA 90026
323-666-2228
Next door was its
sister store Vacation.
3815 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026
Los Angeles, CA 90026
323-666-2111
Here I headed to the back to see an employee who happened to
be the owner/ manager Mark Thompson. He jokingly told me I could interview him
if I helped sort the vinyl LP's he was going through. Hunched over he chatted
with me about running the store and the neighborhood. Mark stops first and
jokes about an Evangelist album he picks up of a family that looks so fake and
proper it's scary.
"It's a neighborhood vinyl shop, new and used, heavier
into rock," Mark tells me. I point to a title of Sex Machine and some of
the other crazy titles, but he has to stop sorting LP's and help a customer out as he has no
other employees that day.
He's the only other person on my list I tell about my
article being based on Jamie Lee Curtis' unhappy mess. He gets a little
emotional, even though retracing the earlier article nothing negative is said
about his store, just that it only sells vinyl, which technically isn't true, I
saw some tapes.
Mark remembers Jamie Lee Curtis coming in for the
"article". "He came in, took a picture, then left."
He asked to be quoted, "If you don't like it, don't
come here, don't be a brat."
Mark seemed more angry that his fellow neighborhood stores
were snarky attacked, not that his place was even mentioned and tells me it's
just Vice's style to act that way to get attention. He recommended I stop by
the local The Black Cat, now
missing its Space Invader art, for a bite to eat.
3909 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90029
323 -661-6369
I couldn't stop just yet and headed to the Mohawk General
Store.
4011 Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90029
323- 669-1601
A hug and good-bye greet me as the employees are helping
customers. I'm informed that this a women's store for vintage items and gifts
by the employees. The owners wanted it to feel like an extension of someone's
living room and it does feel that comfy. The style inside is almost to
relaxing, the music in the background, the smell of scented candles.
Why a grown man would go in other than getting a gift for a
girl puzzles me? Jamie Lee Curtis is obviously not loved by any women or
wouldn't pay for something so nice for a lady of the night from this store.
If he talked to someone he might have been led down to
Mohawk Man two doors down.
4017 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90029
Los Angeles, CA 90029
323-669-1601
Chasen Laidler, a good looking male employee, was telling me
about his French imported crème blue and white striped shirt. I was soon over
my head in the world of this high-end men's fashion store. Chasen went over how the place sells luxury
items, gets imports and clientele of many traveling business men who want
products from abroad.
Chasen expanded that the store was only open for 6 months and
a Pasadena store just opened.
What grabbed me with a sense of humor were the big portraits
of Jockeys on the walls. Taken by a local artist, the collection is a reminder
of wealth with sports. To me it was tiny men in brightly colored uniforms, but
to each their own.
Next would be the most magical of the stores, it had a
unicorn.
8384 Beverly Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90048
323-653-6531
Tweak was busy with shoppers. I passed by a gift wrapping
center on the way in and thought it was something like Spencer's Gifts. I was
wrong when I saw the Star Wars cookbook with ice sabers, pieces to have frozen
popsicles look like light sabers. Then a notebook with nun-chucks embossed on
the cover.
Soon enough, I was talking to the owner, Tara Riceberg. Tara
was kind enough to show me her unicorn. Upfront in the store window this season
you'll see an Astro-Unicorn with Astro-gnomes. I might be wrong and it could be
a space unicorn.
Tara is all over the place when I'm talking to her. She's
truly in love with her business. She made the Unicorn that's in front of us as
she goes over all the info she can with way more enthusiasm than anyone I've
talked too so far.
The business started in 2011 and was showing no signs of
stopping with how busy it was on a Sunday in December with Christmas coming.
Tara spouts, "...connecting, clever and purposeful design, " as she
hits her palm to her head like a V8 commercial about finding the right gifts
for everyone.
Tara says she only buys from small companies and if from the
bigger ones she has to meet a representative to see if they're own the level.
She shares she's also fond of museum gift shops.
We then go back inside where she shows me some of her
favorite products, which none have a price on. If you want to know the price
you have to talk to somebody at the store and interact with them.
I show Tara the devilishly funny Devil Match Striker by
Jonathan Adler that caught my gaze when I first entered. She's distracted by
another customer before she can stop another customer from testing it out. She
asks, with an altered tone to the man who just tried to set a small fire,
"Did you just try and set a match and burn down my store?" He replied, "Yes" and was quickly made fun of
as the matches in the Devil's head weren't real, but store props, only there to
look nice. He was also about to buy it anyway and it happened to be the last
one.
James W., the man who almost set Tweak ablaze was well
acquainted with Tara as was his wife. "It has cool funky gifts," he told me shortly after also implicating his
wife for trying to use the Devil striker in the store.
Tara was happy they tried it, "The store is meant for
people to touch and try things," she told me as she played with Kinetic
Sand. A kind of cleaner sand you can put on your desk at work and play with
when you stressed out. Then she shot a marshmallow across the store with the Hanz
Marshmallow Catapult, assembly required.
She mentioned having golden tickets, gift certificates for
$25, like Willy Wonka inside certain game items in the store for the holidays
season while showing me even more things I might enjoy.
"I have a kidult store," she said. A store for
kids and for adults who want to act like kids.
Feal Mor was next on the list. Sadly, it's shut down and a
new store is set to open in Claremont, CA this Fall.
Claremont, CA - opening this fall
Off to a well known high-end American Rage Cie.
150 S. La Brea Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
323-935-3154
Los Angeles, CA 90036
323-935-3154
American Rag Cie has been visited by me before. It's high end fashion, you might find your
favorite pair of anything inside. Jeans paradise might be a better name, but
that's only one section of this huge clothing store. Andrew L. one of the
managers was easy enough to talk to about the place. Comprised of three
sections: new merch, vintage and the world denim bar.
I stopped him and told him to go over the world denim bar.
It's 81 brands from around the world of jeans. Take your time to find the most
perfect pair from across the world. If not into jeans there's still the other
sections of all different kinds of clothing from hats and shoes to
jackets. You even have CD's, books to get and
a diner nearby to eat something after you've been clothes shopping.
This place has special brands only it can receive or only a
few shops in LA will carry.
Andrew went into the process of how hard it is for any of
the vintage gear getting to the place and how certain people have the job to
find it. He added, American Rag had been around for twenty years with the denim
bar coming in for only twelve of them.
Inside the store is not a cheery Target, but a more laid
back place you wish meetings were held. Meetings to go on safaris or battle a
bond villain.
Sadly, next on the list Jonathan Wright and Company are
closed on Sundays.
7404 Beverly Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90036
888-931-1710
Sundays- Closed
I did call earlier in the week and discover Jonathan Wright
is a real person and not just a made up name. He just stepped out. It's a card
shop and stationery store, so if you need invitations you might to drop by.
Far out from Sunset and West Hollywood was Gjelina Take Away
in Venice.
1427 Abbot Kinney Blvd
Venice, CA 90291
310-392-7575
Gjelina Take Away is
connected to Gjelina another omission from Jamie Lee Curtis.
1429 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291
(310) 450-1429
(310) 450-1429
Gjelina is supposedly
a celebrity spot said a random passerby when I came by it that night. As I was
taking pictures of the place Daniel Beadman was giving me tips on how to shoot
it. A local photographer and patron he was holding on to two tiny dogs. Soon
Daniel was trying to remember every detail about the place. Thinking hard he
was telling me about its three owners how it's named after one of their
mothers. That it has Chef Travis Lett and fresh ingredients.
Beadman could not be
stopped. "Just get a piece," he was telling me to grab a slice instead of a
whole pizza if I was hungry from the take-away section.
If you want to spend
more and dine in you go to Gjelina, if you want to grab and go you go for the
Take Away, both were busy on Sunday night.
Andaz was open, however they have a stance on talking
without PR present so there wouldn't be any reason to visit without an PR
escort who sadly was already busy and out Sunday.
8401 Sunset Boulevard
West Hollywood, CA 90069
323-656-1234
As Jamie Lee Curtis already lives in LA it's a bit odd why
he even bothered spending a night in a hotel then writing a measly three short
paragraphs about it.
From a few reviews I've read online the main reason to go is
the view of Sunset and the city. Unless your cheating on your significant other
there's not much reason to visit for a local.
That day I also saw the local Venice Canals Christmas Parade
thanks to where GTA was on the map. Tiny boats with Christmas decorations
passed by me and it was kind of magical seeing their Christmas lights reflect in
the water.
When walking back to my car I saw a sealed plastic bag of
deli meat that had been rotting out in the sun during the day. It was a
disgusting bag of meat that was no longer edible and was close to putrefying.
Which, if you think about it, is kind of the perfect metaphor for Jamie Lee
Curtis and everything he stands for.