the kawaii guide to california :: part II
welcome to the kawaii guide to california | pt II
jump aboard the kawaiian bus with us as we explore so-cal & venture around los angeles — the city of angels — or affectionately known by locals only as la-la-land.
while there are so many radical neighbourhoods to stay in LA - our personal fave is venice beach. venice is a smorgasbord of beach bums & babes & burritos. for the ultimate people perving spot just hang ten at the venice skate bowl to see all walks of life from earth & beyond. if aliens had just landed and wanted to feel right at homies upon disembarkment - venice would be the ideal place to go.
buy yourself and your bestie a poem from jacob for two dollars if you see the wordsmith & his old skool typewriter sitting around - seriously the best two bucks you will ever spend. if you can get your hands on a bike its ever so refreshing to cruise down the boardwalk with the wind in your hurr.
abbot kinney boulevard is a epic road packed with LA artisan shops & really fresh healthy grub options. for the most in-depth & tongue-in-cheek guide to VB grab a copy of venice from our fine friends at indoek.
fave kawaii spots include ::
general store | all around indie artisan home haven | @generalstorelondon
christydawn | LA made folk floral dream dresses | @christydawnia
rainbow acres | health food store heaven | @rainbowacres
rose bowl flea market | mecca for crazy market ladies | @rosebowl_fleamarket
for the ultimate mecca of all markets head to the rose bowl flea market in pasadena held every second sunday of the month. we would even say it’s a bloody good idea to book your trip around this flea date so you don’t miss out on the crazy market lady haul advertised as the best flea in the world. we concur.
foodie fans head to the butchers daughter for the ultimate vegan dream come true where you can eat anything & everything on the menu. or try tocaya the organic mexican chain for easy delicious bowls of goodness.
we drove over an hour to get to this poke joint in redondo beach recommended by a native hawaiian friend. he insisted it was the best poke on the mainland - big call huh. at one point, my good mate had tears spring to his eyes as we delighted in our simple meal & the serendipity of our LA adventure together - a bit like that scene in ratatouille when the food critic has his first bite of soup that sends him right back to his sweet childhood home. yass queen - its transcendentally good poke.
the best way to get around LA is using uber or lyft. save a few dollars by sharing the ride & you will also meet random & often interesting folks from all over the world. my fave driver is frederick - a 93 year old new york native who moved into LA in the 50’s, who has been hitched three times & now drives a prius to get out of the house & hair of his younger 86 year old wife. he plays jazz tunes like sinatra & billie holiday and is a proper old skool gentleman who opens the car door for you. fred says his favourite generation is the one right now because this gen of kids are open-minded & world conscious. super kawaii ne!
otherwise jump onto the electric scooters that are scattered all around town. locals think they’re a bit naff but heck they are super fun as - you just need to download the app to get going.
down the coast of LA i hitched a lyft with ramon - a 22 year old political asyulum from venezuela who lives downtown & just loves EL-AY. i told him i had travelled all the way up from western australia & was on my way to a photoshoot in san clemente to hang with some insta-friends that i had never met in the flesh before. he was all like - say what!
stay tuned for our next post featuring BTS from our latest shoot SS18 land of liberty with gunn & swain and seaesta surf shot by taryn kent on location in orange country at the houseinhabit dream casa.
#weloveyoucalifornia