shopping
Just got an email about a Yes Studio Pop-Up this weekend in the LA area. I'm bummed I won't be on the west coast to check this out! They'll have some handmade goods from a recent trip to Chiapas, Mexico (think unique handbags, chocolate and coffee).
Stop by if you are around and look out for their monthly Pop-Up events this summer!
I have a busy lifestyle and while I can't really complain (I'm single and have no dependents, so it's really not that hard) I do try to maximize my free time so I can spend more time on what I love. Here's what I use:
If you don't have a washer and dryer in your house you know that doing laundry is just that much more annoying. I just tried Washio for the first time and it worked out pretty well. I packed up my laundry and they came to pick it up during pre-selected hours. They asked my preferences and provided some sturdy bags for wash and fold and dry cleaning. I scheduled when I wanted them to return the clean laundry and voilá, laundry was done. Is it expensive? Yes. But if you factor in time gained and hassle lost, it may be worth it for you. Use this referral code (echeveste99453dy61) for $10 off your first order if you want to try it out!
I'd love to try Blue Apron, but it's just not worth the cost for me. It would make sense if I knew my sister and I were going to eat all the meals, but our schedules are so full that sometimes neither of us are home for dinner for days. I wish there was a one meal option, but there's not!
Instead, I use Relay Foods, which allows me to schedule a pickup of the groceries I want. They even have meal plans with recipes that focus on fresh, local veggies. You can pick a recipe and add all the ingredients to your cart with one button. We've been doing this for weeks now and it is amazing. Try out Relay Foods for yourself!
I tried Stitch Fix once and hated it. I know others have had better experiences, but it just wasn't for me. I signed up for Daily Look's Elite Box and LOVE it. I'll have to post about my next box to share what I get next. Until then, try it out for yourself: use this link for a two-month free trial of Elite Box!
Whenever people tell me they are going to visit San Francisco I ask where they are staying and they are almost always staying at some hotel in or near the Tenderloin. Don't do it! Stay anywhere else! San Francisco is a gorgeous city, but it's easy to get stuck in dirty areas or tourist traps (that being said, the Tenderloin definitely has some good bars and trending spots). If you're looking for amazing food, local favorites and a taste of the many neighborhoods in SF, check out these places instead:
Outerlands If you're looking for locally sourced American brunch in a cozy, rustic setting by the sea, and are ok with waiting a few hours for a seat, this place is perfect. I usually put my name down then take a stroll to Trouble Coffee, Mollusk and sit by the sea until my table comes up.
Boogaloos This was my go-to brunch with a twist. I only ever get one thing: Desayuno Tipico. Two eggs over easy, black beans with salsa, grilled plantain cake topped with tamarind sour cream and corn tortillas.
St. Francis Fountain Best classic diner with the perfect coffee pot coffee. Old school candy shop and ice cream parlor, too.
Blue Bottle Best soy latte, ever. My favorite location is in Hayes Valley--take a stroll in the little park and grab a drink from their roll-up garage.
Ritual No, they won't ice your latte. Don't even ask. But they will give you the best drip you've ever had. And you won't mind how much you paid for it.
Four Barrel This is one of my favorite coffee shops not just for the coffee, but for the atmosphere. They also have affogatos.
The Mill Their toast is AMAZING. Say yes say yes!
Philz Last, but certainly not least, is my favorite everyday drip coffee. I always get the Tesora with medium sugar and medium cream. Stop by a panaderia on the way if you are going to the mission location.
Caffe Sport If you are going to North Beach and want dinner, this is my favorite spot for seafood in a kitschy atmosphere. It's a little pricey but worth every penny.
Zarzuela Looking for an affordable, authentic Spanish meal? In one of my favorite neighborhoods? Check this place out in Russian Hill. There's delicious ice cream across the street.
Pizzeria Delfina Best thin crust pizza. To work around the wait - either order take out and eat in Dolores Park or wait for a table to open up at 500 Club.
Halu I LOVE RAMEN. SO MUCH. This place is not only delicious, but it is Beatles-themed. Last time I went they didn't have their bacon-wrapped mochi, the most amazing thing ever, so be sure to ask in case it's your lucky day!
The Phone Booth This is my favorite bar in San Francisco. It is often full of hipsters, so go on a weeknight if you can (I avoided on weekends). There is a pool table and a juke box. A great place to end a night.
Hotel Biron Best place to meet someone for a glass of wine and some good conversation. It feels very European and is kind of hidden.
Trick Dog Your friends will think you are pretentious, but that's ok because their cocktails are fantastic. Dinner is good here too...I still dream about their kale salad.
El Rio The best for outdoor drinking, weekday karaoke (I think it's on Wednesdays) and shuffleboard.
The Homestead Excellent low key high brow place! They have peanuts and old fashions.
Local Edition If you are downtown, stop in for some 20s paper boy style and delicious cocktails.
Painted Bird There was a time in my life when I only shopped at this place. It was wonderful. They have a nice range of affordable pieces for your eclectic closet -- thrift and vintage.
Little Paper Planes Filled with gorgeous, handcrafted goods and their new house-made clothing line. I love everything in this store.
Acrimony Sleek, Minimal, Fun -- pieces for men and women that will elevate your wardrobe.
Mill Mercantile Well made clothes in Americana style or Japanese interpreted Americana.
Bikram Yoga Hot yoga in the mission. A nice, friendly studio where you will feel comfortable sweating buckets.
Urban Flow Great if you are a bit more advanced or want to push yourself to the next level.
Yoga to the People Donation based with a mission location that looks over the city. Go for the candlelight practice.
Stop by Skynear Designs+Gallery in Adams Morgan for a local designer trunk show!
I'll have my etxe wallets on sale along with Kayti Fan Designs, New Leaf Works, I Found That Vintage and ODA.
There will be champagne :)
See you there!
Now that I live on the East Coast, I try to make it out to the West Coast at least a few times a year. I was pretty lucky this last year and got to spend a good chunk of time on the West Coast, including downtown Los Angeles.
Art gallery found on walk to work on Olive near 10th street.
DTLA is short for downtown Los Angeles. When I was in college at USC, I lived on Figueroa and Pico, or Fig and Pico. I never, ever used the train that came in from the South Bay, but did occasionally use the Dash to get to campus. I never knew where that train station by my house went, but in the past year I've used the blue line a few times to get to work (when I was staying in Belmont Shore). Now there are a lot more public transportation options downtown, especially with the new metro, and uber rides in the downtown area are pretty cheap. Of course, if you want to go out of downtown you definitely need a car...baby steps -- it's LA!
The rooftop pool at my Airbnb
Downtown is no longer a ghost town like it used to be when I was in school. There have always been pockets of activity, but now there are long stretches of art galleries and restaurants. I used to go downtown for destinations like the Smell, Seven Grand or the Edison. Now I can literally just wander and stumble upon gems without a pre-determined destination. I prefer to stay in downtown when I'm in LA--it's close to my LA offices for work and a central place friends can meet me (or pick me up :).
on my way to get coffee on 7th street
A few years ago Tierra Mia Coffee opened up on Spring at 7th Street and has since expanded to Northern California. The Latin-inspired coffee shop features house-roasted beans, single-origin espresso and unique drinks like the horchata latte and mocha Mexicano. Ulysses Romero created the local chain with the Hispanic market in mind--and has been expanding ever since his original location in South Gate.
According to the Pew Hispanic Center, 38% of Californians are Hispanic and 51% of K12 students are Hispanic. There are more Hispanics in California than in any other US state or the District of Columbia, and most are Mexican. Why does this matter? Because Tierra Mia is trending and I suspect other Latino-themed or inspired experiences will be on the rise. Also, I'm Mexican! My great-grandparents got married on Olvera Street and it's awesome to see the Latino experience celebrated and accepted as normal instead of shunned or pushed out, as it was in previous decades (and still is in some areas).
If you're looking for a cafe, market restaurant or bar, check out Artisan House. It's a large industrial chic space with outdoor seating and a weekend buffet brunch. There's Monday night jazz and acoustic Sundays, as well as art up on the wall. Currently hanging is a photography series by Eric Cacioppo. #Buslife is a collection of photographs taken with a Samsung Galaxy s3 using the VSCOcam app from Cacioppo's daily bus trips to work.
Fatherhood by Eric Cacioppo on view at Artisan House on Main and 6th street.
Near Artisan House is a new artisan goods store that features independent and local designers. I spotted my friend's block printed toiletry bags! The shop feels like a showroom with a carefully curated selection of unique products--from indigo-dyed pouches to handmade jewelry to charcoal soap. This is the perfect place to pick up a gift for a friend or special piece for yourself. A much needed addition to this part of DTLA!
Grand Central Market has become much more...how do I say...bourgeois? Take a walk through the market and you'll see the diversity of LA and it's range of inhabitants. It's intense and it's raw and it's not like any other urban market because it really includes a little bit of everyone. You have the Ferry Building in SF, Chelsea Market in NY and Union Market here in DC, but those all cater to a really particular type of person - the kind that can shell out $7 for a slice of cheese. Grand Central Market is not that. You can shimmy up to a Chinese-diner and sit amongst first-generation Mexicans speaking Spanish in their local dialect. Or wait in line for 2 hours to try Egg Slut with uber-hip Korean teenagers. It's all there--whatever you want, whatever floats your boat. We had Thai street food from Sticky Rice and it was amazing. I also got a boba with red bean paste. YUM.
There are a ton of great sushi spots in DTLA, but my favorite is probably Komasa Sushi. I like that you can get seated pretty quickly if you are only two and you can sit at the bar and watch the chef prepare the sushi right in front of you. It's super fresh and melts in your mouth. They are also close to the mochi place. YUM x 2.
My friend has been telling me about this jazz bar in Little Tokyo so we had to go when I was in town. It's in the other part of Little Tokyo where that ramen place is. There's usually a cover (~$15) but you're guaranteed an amazing show. We happened to catch two sets by Rachel Flowers and other jazz musicians. Flowers put on one of the best performances I have ever seen. The space is super intimate and the sound just reverberates around you. Her voice is angelic without being cheesy and her command of melody via keyboard, piano or flute is just incredible. I was pretty blown away, and inspired. Oh, and she's blind.
So there you have it, some places to check out next time you are in #DTLA. And don't say I didn't warn you about apartments--buy them now. It won't be semi-affordable to live downtown for long.
dreaming of sun in snowy DC,
Stephanie
I may or may not be in line at Best Buy on Thanksgiving ;), but I will definitely be checking out Thread at Dock 5 on Friday in DC. Union Market will be hosting 30 local and national designers for a 3-day pop-up with live music and swanky food (or at least this is what I imagine, I have not yet been, still getting used to the 'DMV'--are you an R or a D? ahhhhh).
Friday 1-8pm, Saturday 11-8pm (The Walkmen concert at 7pm), Sunday 11-5pm. NoMA/Gallaudet (Red Line) 1309 5th NE @unionmarketdc
Etxe will be part of the Popt Gambit in SOMA at 440 Brannan -- remotely! So Popt is a new app where you can tag your products/clothes and people can scan them at the pop-up shop and buy then or buy later. The app allows designers to set up their own prices, let customers bid on prices, and test out different price points. I meet one of the founders Kelley through a friend (and fellow designer Clare of Scout's Honor Clothing Co) and the entire process of scanning in my two products was super easy and fun.
Now I can have designs at pop-ups anywhere! Popt takes 10% (which includes merchant fees), so it is a pretty nice way to allow customers to 'collect' your items and prompts buying at a later date, which is great because how many times have you left a pop-up shop and totally forgotten all those great pieces? I've seen MANY apps trying to do kind of similar things; this is the first one that actually makes sense.
Other designers at Popt Gambit include Mitsymoto Designs, Pop Outerwear, EdgefieldUSA, D Structure, Derby Jackets, Tradlands, Scout's Honor Clothing Co, Nesting Days & 440 resident designers: Hieros, Estrella, Ric Rac, Umber and Ochre, Department 17.
Oh and it is an open bar. So yeah, the only place to recover if you are joining the hordes at the big box retailers. No judgement.
Friday Lounge 1-7pm, Happy Hour 3-7pm. 440 Brannan Street. Powell Bart or Cab it. @poptag_it
