You Gotta Look Sharp

Meet Robin. Robin is co-owner of the hep-to-what's-hap Chinatown fashion emporium Welcome Hunters, and the most attentive fashion consultant I've ever had. The minute I walked into the store, she started sizing me up like a claims adjuster surveying a crime scene. I have what can be charitably described as a grab-bag sense of style (wear an oversized Hawaiian shirt out once, and people keep giving you more), but I was not without hope. Her snobbery is merciless and exacting--she had no problem telling me when a menacing skull-decorated t-shirt, or anything remotely "psychedelic," made me look like a moron--but she's, at heart, a dreamer and an optimist. In the end, she fixed me up with a pair of mint-green pants that never fails to garner compliments. And I'm going back for one of the clever shirts. Maybe the one with the Mickey Mouse hand making a power fist. Insider tip: For some reason, Robin loathes the word "brunch."

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Shopping • Downtown

Get Sophisticated

Ever been enamored with someone on a higher intellectual rung than you? Ever listened, rapt, while your date rhapsodized about artists and architects you'd never heard of, but pretended to, just to keep the banter going, feeling your own lack of sophistication like a bad stomach cramp? Sure you have. That's how most of us autodidacts learn new things--trying to impress cute people. This is a great place to do that homework. Kill a few hours rummaging this collection of arts-and-architecture books, some of them WAY out of print, and you’ll figure out why you're into people who seem smart--because it feels good to be smart. It puts some detail on your mental map of your city. And, long after that self-important grad-student has flaked out on you, you'll still have a grip on your aesthetic heritage, and be able to rap knowledgably about Union Station.

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Bookstores • Santa Monica

Behind the Secrets

Once a sad retreat for child molesters, a career as a performing magician is now a scientifically proven  means for your lonely, scrawny, acne-scarred ass to get laid. Does it work? It should. At Magicopolis, you'll find America's last, most talented practitioners of the art of misdirection, throwbacks to an age of entertainment before simplistic oversharing. So much of the amusement industry now leans on sadism and shadenfreude--Magicopolis is cool because you get to see, not just people acting like bitches, but people more clever than you do stuff you don't have time to learn, and because anything that entertains a five-year-old is entertaining, period. If you think it's hard to break up with your girlfriend on national TV, you've never spent months alone trying to make a nickel disappear. None of these magicians comes off like a cellar-dweller. Magicopolis draws and breeds class acts. See the mainstage show on a Saturday, and stick around for the Bar Show in the front, where post-magician Erik Tait presents standup comedians and rips the bandages off his magic act. All for your entertainment.

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Theaters-Performing Arts Centers • Santa Monica

Biking Zen

While the section of the Los Angeles River Bike Path near Griffith Park is well known, the southern section that extends all the way to Long Beach is also a real gem. The hard part is getting to this southern path (someday the in-between section of the river through downtown may be converted for recreational use but don't hold your breathe). First, look at a map and figure out where the trail begins (it's where S. Atlantic Blvd and District Blvd meet, 90270). To get there I took Vernon Avenue going east. After Vernon curves and turns in Pacific Boulevard, I turned left on Leonis Boulevard which soon turns into District. Not only is the route a little confusing, you are also biking through an industrial district full of tractor trailers. But persevere! Once you reach the path you are really in for a treat. It is a very peaceful landscape with a dedicated bike path. The bird life on the river is off the hook. Oddly enough, there are also a lot of horses to be seen hanging out at the mini-ranches beside the trail. And it's a pretty flat ride all the way to Long Beach.

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Other • Extended Coverage Area

Neighborhood Delight

In a dicey neighborhood, with an inconspicuous entrance, Verdugo Bar is easy to overlook. But that's okay. Somewhere between a corner bar and a secret party spot, it's hit an equilibrium that makes it one of my favorite bars in the city, and I like getting a table on weekends. Inside, it's anything but a dive, with thought-out decor, lots of room, and big couches in the back. It seems to have DJs most nights, and in terms of musical depth and variety, only our beloved Footsie's comes anywhere close. It could be roots punk night. It could be hip-hop and soul from a KCRW DJ. One night, the hosts scattered white record sleeves and Magic Markers and had an impromptu design contest. Any night, the beer selection is shockingly strong, ranging from heavy "coffee beers" to IPAs to rare West Coast microbrews to some of the most potent cider I've ever tasted. Come on a full stomach. If you pour a few goblets of Delerium Tremens into an empty one, you may find yourself in a rap battle that you're guaranteed to lose. Trust.

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Nightlife • Mt. Washington