Nerdmonkey.com

L.A. Story

I just finished spending a week in Santa Monica, California. I stayed with an old friend of mine from high school, Kathy, and her husband Jeff. They have a nice apartment with a comfortable couch (i.e., my bed) that is just a few blocks from the beach. It was so nice to get up and stroll down to the Santa Monica Pier or to Venice Beach which will all within walking distance.

I was most impressed with all the gymnastic equipment in the beach parks. They have everything from parallel bars to rings to the balance beam. What's funny is that they have a miniature version of the same types of equipment for the kids, but that section of the park is relatively empty compared to the grownup section. I guess Los Angelans are really kids at heart.

Kathy and Jeff know a lot of great places to eat in the area. We went out to eat a lot, and now I know some really good places to get some grub at. One of the first places we went to was El Cholo on Wilshire. These people claim to have invented Nachos. I don't know if I buy that or not, but their food was delicious. If you're in the mood for Italian, you might want to check out Pizacotto (I must be spelling this wrong, because I can't find it online). Kathy's old boss told her about the place, describing it as someplace you can go to just get a cheap pizza to go. Well, the food was great, but it was hardly a pizza by the slice joint. It was a semi-fancy Italian restaurant where a meal would be in the $15-$20 range. I guess that just goes to show you what the well off consider cheap.

Speaking of which, houses are outragiously priced in the area. I thought things were getting expensive in Portland, but in the Santa Monica area you're going to really pay to live. A relative of Jeff's just bought a house for three quarters of a million dollars that they describe as a "shack". I guess the house on the property doesn't really add any value at all -- you just pay for the land. I won't be moving down there any time soon.