Knowing that, it should come as no surprise that today we journeyed to the downtown LA Arts District. Bloomfest 2010 was going on, which is a street festival celebrating the life of Joel Bloom (he died three years ago). This guy pretty much founded the art colony in LA, so people that live in this neighborhood love him.
Along with bands, vendors, and the famous LA food trucks, Bloomfest features something especially awesome: the chance to tour all the studios, galleries, and artists' lofts for free.
If you've ever taken a walk with me at night, you know I love to creep on people. It's weird, I know. But I am just fascinated with people's everyday lives. So to get the opportunity to just walk into these working/living spaces was pretty exciting for me.
We started off the day by having lunch in Little Tokyo. Incredible! Packed with people, being in Little Tokyo just reminded me why I love the city so much. There's something about the sheer diversity of a city that I have trouble finding in the suburbs. The strangest, most interesting people hang out in the city, and it was refreshing to be reminded that not everyone in the world is a Christian, well-off, or...normal :) I have a deep appreciation for people who are just genuinely being their freakishly weird selves. There's something very commendable in that. Case in point:
Gotta love the costumes. These teens were waiting for this Japanese punk rock band. Naturally, the band was in costume too!
We had lunch at this excellent little restaurant where you took a number to be seated. It was incredibly crowded, and there was no silverware. We drank our soup like tea, and were required to use chopsticks. Suddenly, I was very thankful for my CSM ethnic restaurant experiences!
After Lunch, we headed back over to the Arts District and hopped on the Furry Bus. Yes, that was its (accurate) official name! We had an amazing guide named Lily. She's been living in the community for over 20 years and is an artist as well. She kept calling us the "new ones from Indiana" and knew everyone. I don't think we would have enjoyed the day nearly as much if we hadn't had her around!
Yes, we rode around in this! It was cushy and furry and all-together fun! The television was playing 80's music videos on loop.
Oh- and there was a hipster marching band. You might think that the two cannot coexist...but in LA, anything is possible!
Graffiti is legal in LA! It's so incredibly detailed/ opinionated. Plus, it's always changing- people just keep adding to the layers on the walls.
Remember the original? The designer lived next door to one of the lofts we visited! So cool.
It was such an awesome day with my husband! And...the longer we're here, the more it starts to feel like home. That's a very good thing. :)
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