(October 2003)
Best of L.A.: In the Realm of the
Senses
More Sight...
Best Nonprofit
Enclave: The Granada Buildings Where South La Fayette Park
Place, Hoover and Seventh Street meet, stands this beautiful complex of four
Spanish style buildings erected in 1927. Architect Franklin Harper originally
developed the site to be the Granada Shoppes and Studios, a $1 million
project which proposed its 42 offices and studios be used for residential and
commercial purposes. With that in mind, Harper designed each two-story suite
to include a loft area, kitchenette and full bathroom on the top floor to be
used as tentants’ living quarters while their offices or shops were run on
the ground floor. Among its early residents was George Hurrell, a master of
the Hollywood portrait, who photographed silent screen stars in suite 9. PEN
Center USA, Theatre of Hearts and People in Progress are among the handful of
nonprofit organizations whose offices are housed in this Los Angeles
historical monument, now exclusively nonresidential, and many of the other
suites are occupied by filmmakers and artists. Creative people are drawn to
the Granada because of its fascinating history, charming architecture,
old-school elevator and lovely courtyard: a gorgeous garden with flowing
fountains along the walkways, a taste of the Alhambra a short stroll awsay
from picturesque but gritty MacArthur Park. 672 S. La Fayette Park Place,
Westlake. —Teena Apeles Best Art-Supply Store
With Free Parking: Blue Rooster
In parking-challenged Los
Feliz, it takes a lot to impress the locals. Which may explain the instant
success of the newish Blue Rooster, which, in addition to the usual panoply of
rotating art shows, art classes, student discounts and copiously displayed
art supplies, has plenty of parking in the rear. Graphic artist Nick Gallo
has created a cool neighborhood space to show the work of local artists,
learn new techniques and find all the canvases, oils, sketch pads, carrying
cases and X-acto knives your heart desires, as well as hip magazines and
artists’ books. Bring the dog. This is the Eastside, after all. 1718 N.
Vermont Ave., Los Feliz, (323) 661-9471. — Teena Apeles
More Taste...
Best Halo-Halo: Max’s of
Manila
Halo-halo, the Philippines’
favorite icy dessert, is a riot of color, texture and flavor — sweet
preserved beans, coconut meat, jackfruit, sweet yam and colorful cubes of
gelatin at the bottom of a large dessert bowl filled with crushed ice and
evaporated milk, topped off with flan and your choice of Filipino ice cream:
macapuno (coconut), mango or the violently purple yam known as ube, which is
pretty much the people’s favorite. (Nobody said this was going to be simple.)
The best part is mixing the whole thing together, then fishing with a long
spoon to see what turns up. It’s like searching for buried treasure. Yar.
Just the sight of a halo-halo, which makes a banana split look as austere as
a Snack Well cookie, is enough to make a body want to bypass meals
altogether. 313 W. Broadway, Glendale, (818) 637-7751. —Teena Apeles
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