FINE LIVING IN THE GREATER PASADENA AREA JUNE 2014
Spanish Colonial Mexico
Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende
Honeymoon Registries For Couples on the Go French Stewart Speaks For Silent Star Buster Keaton The Original Jitter Bug Coffee Around the World
4 | ARROYO | 06.14
06.14 | ARROYO | 5
arroyo VOLUME 10 | NUMBER 6 | JUNE 2014
PHOTO, TOP: Rick Cunningham; BOTTOM LEFT: Shaela Cook; BOTTOM RIGHT: Courtesy of Contemporary Crafts Market
12 36
43
TRAVEL 12 SPANISH COLONIAL MEXICO Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende are jewel-box cities with a wealth of culture and centuries-old European architecture. —By Irene Lacher
34 HONEYMOON HELP Couples are opting for a new kind of wedding registry to make their honeymoon dreams come true. —By Carole Dixon
36 BEHIND THE STONE FACE French Stewart stars as silent film actor Buster Keaton in an illuminating new play at the Pasadena Playhouse. —By Bettijane Levine
DEPARTMENTS 11
FESTIVITIES Five Acres’ “Swingin’ on a Star” Gala, Pasadena Playhouse’s Premiere Gala
32
ARROYO HOME SALES INDEX
41
KITCHEN CONFESSIONS Coffee has been waking up aficionados for centuries.
43
THE LIST The Beach Boys come to Arcadia, German Shepherd Rescue hosts a barbecue, the Pasadena Pops play “Feinstein’s Favorites” and more
ABOUT THE COVER: Photo of the neo-Gothic La Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel at night by Rick Cunningham 06.14 ARROYO | 7
EDITOR’S NOTE
FOR THIS YEAR’S TRAVEL ISSUE, I DID A LITTLE MATCHMAKING. I WAS LOOKING for a place that would transport me — literally and figuratively — but wouldn’t require a full day of traveling. Mexico rose to the top of my list, but not one of its beach destinations, which most people associate with our southern neighbor. I discovered the mountain cities of Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende, which boast truly spectacular colonial architecture — a potential treasure trove for Pasadenans dedicated to historic preservation. Both cities have other charms as well: Their inhabitants never made me feel preyed upon as a tourist, and they consistently make Mexico’s list of safest cities. An unused money belt and canister of pepper spray, anyone? Carole Dixon writes about a burgeoning travel trend — honeymoon registries for couples too tapped out by wedding expenses to plan a romantic trip. Honeymoon help is long overdue. After all, if you had to choose between yet another food processor and a massage in Bali… Back home, Bettijane Levine talks to actor French Stewart (3rd Rock from the Sun) about his deep admiration for and stage portrayal of silent film star Buster Keaton. The play was a birthday surprise from his playwrightwife, Vanessa, who wrote Stoneface: The Rise and Fall and Rise of Buster Keaton in secret. You can open his gift at the Pasadena Playhouse from June 3 through 29.
—Irene Lacher
EDITOR IN CHIEF Irene Lacher CREATIVE DIRECTOR Kent Bancroft ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR Carla Cortez PRODUCTION MANAGER Richard Garcia PRODUCTION DESIGNERS Rochelle Bassarear, Carmelita Reyes COPY EDITOR John Seeley CONTRIBUTORS Leslie Bilderback, Samantha Bonar, Michael Cervin, Scarlet Cheng, Carole Dixon, Lynne Heffley, Noela Hueso, Tariq Kamal, Kathy Kelleher, Rebecca Kuzins, Bettijane Levine, Elizabeth McMillian, Brenda Rees, John Sollenberger, Nancy Spiller ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Dina Stegon ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Brenda Clarke, Joseluis Correa, Leslie Lamm ADVERTORIAL CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Joanna Dehn Beresford ADVERTISING DESIGNERS Richard Garcia, Rochelle Bassarear HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER Andrea Baker PAYROLL Linda Lam accounting Alysia Chavez, Kacie Sturek OFFICE ASSISTANT Ann Weathersbee PUBLISHER Jon Guynn 8 | ARROYO | 06.14
arroyo FINE LIVING IN THE GREATER PASADENA AREA
SOUTHLAND PUBLISHING V.P. OF FINANCE Michael Nagami V.P. OF OPERATIONS David Comden PRESIDENT Bruce Bolkin CONTACT US ADVERTISING dinas@pasadenaweekly.com EDITORIAL editor@arroyomonthly.com PHONE (626) 584-1500 FAX (626) 795-0149 MAILING ADDRESS 50 S. De Lacey Ave., Ste. 200, Pasadena, CA 91105 ArroyoMonthly.com ©2014 Southland Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.
10 | ARROYO | 06.14
FESTIVITIES
Matthew and Heather Lillard, Kristin and Greg Chapman, Lindsay and Bill Hayden
Mauricio Olaiz, Kimberly Marnell, Chantal and Steve Bennett
Five Acres CEO Chanel Boutakidis, Lillard, Wendy Burch and Sue McGirl
Harris and Stephanie Hall, Barbara and Richard Ealy, Beth and Rob Hansen
Five Acres honored Michelle LeClair and Tina Clark for the couple’s dedication to helping children and families in crisis at its 11th annual “Swinging on a Star” dinner gala on May 17 at the Trinity Ballroom in Pasadena. “It is our responsibility to not look away when a child is in need,” LeClair told some 250 supporters, who raised nearly $185,000 for the Pasadena organization aiding Tena Clark and Michelle Le Clair
abused and neglected children and their families. Actor Matthew Lillard and
Boutakidis and U.S. Rep. Judy Chu
KTLA, Channel 5, anchor Wendy Burch were emcees for the event, titled “Voices for Five Acres”; gala Chair was Sue McGirl of Altadena…The Pasadena Playhouse raised a record-breaking $380,000 at its May 4 gala, “Take the Lead,” at the historic theater, which was transformed into a vintage-style nightclub. The dinner benefit, organized by gala Chair Teena Hostovich, honored American Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe and his family for their philanthropic support. U.S. Rep. Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park), Pasadena Vice Mayor Jacque Robinson and Pasadena City Council members Terry Tornek and John J. Kennedy were among the 320 guests treated to performances by Ben Vereen and others.
Vanessa and French Stewart
Ben Vereen and Nigel Lythgoe
Jason George
Adam Shankman, Mary Murphy and Lythgoe
PHOTO: Star
PHOTOS: Melissa Kobe Photography (Five Acres “Voices”); Earl Gibson except where noted (Playhouse Gala)
Bonnie Lythgoe
U.S. Rep. Judy Chu, Council Member John J. Kennedy, Teena Hostovich,Vice Mayor Jacque Robinson 06.14 | ARROYO | 11
Spanish Colonial Mexico
The Baroque Basilica of Nuestro Se単ora de Guanajuato houses the carved wooden statue of the Virgin of Guanajuato, presented by King Philip II of Spain in 1557.
12 | ARROYO | 06.14
Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende are jewel-box cities with a wealth of culture and centuries-old European architecture. BY IRENE LACHER • PHOTOS BY RICK CUNNINGHAM
San Miguel’s Casa de la Cultura on the site of a former parish church built in the 19th century
HERE’S MY IDEA OF A TRAVEL NIGHTMARE — FLYING HOURS AND HOURS ONLY TO LAND IN A PLACE THAT RESEMBLES LOS ANGELES, CLUTTERED WITH THE SAME CHAIN CLOTHING STORES AND FAST-FOOD JOINTS I LEFT BEHIND. SO IMAGINE
my surprise when I disembarked from a flight of less than three hours to find cities with stunning European-style architecture and cobblestone streets from centuries past, where I didn’t see an American business — or an obvious American, for that matter — for three days. I’m talking about central Mexico, not one of the beachy destinations most Americans associate with our neighbor to the south, but a couple of remarkable inland cities — Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende. San Miguel de Allende is the better known of the two because of its history as a haven for American retirees, Spanish-language students and artists, who appreciated its Baroque and Neoclassical buildings and art schools, like the Escuela de Bellas Artes in former cloisters. Less famous here is the much larger Guanajuato, which has enough spectacular churches and cathedrals from –continued on page 15 06.14 ARROYO | 13
14 | ARROYO | 06.14
Crystal chandeliers illuminate the interior of Guanajuato’s Basilica de Nuestro Senora.
IF YOU GO…
–continued from page 13
the 16th century on to satisfy any rabid aficionado of historic preservation. And both cities consistently make the list of Mexico’s safest destinations. Guanajuato and San Miguel’s architectural treasures were mostly built at the height of Spanish colonialism, earning them both UNESCO World Heritage Site status in recognition of their special cultural significance, bolstering forces for preservation. In 1540, the Spanish found gold deposits in Guanajuato — “hilly place of frogs” in an indigenous language — which caused the population to mushroom. Spanish soldiers, Creole adventurers and native laborers arrived and discovered even more precious metals. A century later, Guanajuato was a world capital of silver production, and by the 18th century, the Valenciana mine on the city’s northern border was yielding two-thirds of the world’s silver output. The city’s wealth spurred construction of mansions, churches and plazas, many of them still preserved to varying degrees, a fact not lost on its many Figures of sometimes-married artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera Mexican tourists. From the hilltop at the Museo Casa Diego Rivera
–continued on page 16
GETTING AROUND: Once you’re in Guanajuato or San Miguel, taxis are plentiful and cheap. But strangely, cabs are the only public transportation that goes directly from the León airport to Guanajuato — and the tab can be quite steep. I wouldn’t advise making the same mistake I did when I had the hotel arrange the airport pick-up in advance. The half-hour trip ended up costing 800 pesos ($62), twice the price of hailing a taxi at the airport and enough to make New York cabs seem like a bargain. You can take a taxi from Guanajuato to San Miguel for the 1¼-hour trip, but I opted for one of Mexico’s luxurious intercity buses — Primera Plus and ETN offer snacks, drinks and Spanish-language movies — for around $8.50 per person. And shuttle transportation (which turned out to be a car just Sazón Cooking School for us) from San Miguel back to airport — about 1½ hours — cost $58 for two with BajioGo (bajiogo.com). If you’re calling Mexican hotels from the U.S., add the country prefix of 52. And be sure to ask them about deals and packages. - continued on page 16 06.14 ARROYO | 15
Guanajuato’s lavish turn-of-the-century Teatro Juárez still presents dance, theater, music and film events. Costumed musicians perform in front of Iglesia de San Diego next door.
- continued from page 15
GUANAJUATO WHERE TO SLEEP Villa Maria Cristina (named after the owner’s mother) is a sophisticated boutique hotel designed to recreate the aristocratic Mexican lifestyle, with 13 spacious rooms and suites, featuring high ceilings, hardwood floors, dark wood accents, Mexican folk art and antiques and classical French furniture from Roche BoVilla Maria Cristina bois. Amenities include an upscale restaurant serving Mexican and international cuisine, a spa with a Roman-style sunken pool, a business center and more. Rates range from 3,770 to 9,750 pesos ($291 to $754). Paseo de la Presa de la Olla No. 76, (866) 424-6868 from the U.S., villamariacristina.net Hotel Boutique 1850 is located in the heart of the action, mere steps from the Jardín de la Unión. This contemporary-style hotel has 20 rooms and suites, which Tripadvisor reviewers recommend selecting in advance (check out the hotel website). Pampering amenities include Spa 1850, Casa Valadez restaurant, the rooftop One Bar and a pillow menu. Rates, which include an American breakfast, range from $145 to $250. Jardín de la Unión 7, Centro Histórico, (473) 732-2795, hotel1850.com Funkier hotels that intrigue include the well-located El Mesón de los Poetas (The Inn of the Poets), a restored 18th-century residence with 31 rooms, each dedicated to a different poet (mesondelospoetas.com); Hotel Balcón del Cielo at the top of the funicular may have the best views in town (travelbymexico.com/guan/balcondelcielo/ index2.php); and Castillo Santa Cecilia could be great fun for visitors who dream of sleeping in a medieval castle — it was actually a mining hacienda in the 17th century, remodeled as a castle-hotel in 1951 (castillosantacecilia.com.mx/). WHERE TO EAT Mexico Lindo y Sabroso is a great place for authentic, affordable and fresh Mexican food with charming indoor and outdoor seating in a courtyard and on a terrace overlooking a park. Paseo de la Presa 154, (473) 731-0529 Los Campos Restaurante, ranked Guanajuato’s No. 1 eatery by Tripadvisor reviewers, is a cozy space off Plaza Baratillo owned by recovering Canadian Michael Dunlop and his Mexican wife, Rocio, who serve a creative, constantly changing menu of rustic Mediterranean cuisine with a Mexican accent. #4a Calle de la Alameda, Plaza Baratillo, Centro Historico, loscampos.mx - continued on page 18 16 | ARROYO | 06.14
–continued from page 15
dedicated to local hero El Pípila, the pink or green sandstone structures combine with multi-hued adobe buildings below to form a crazy quilt of color. As beautiful cities often do, Guanajuato, birthplace of artist Diego Rivera, has attracted art and music riches as well. (Museo Casa Diego Rivera, his childhood home and art museum, is a must.) And history buffs will find plenty to savor here and in San Miguel, where rebels fomented two wars of rebellion — the Mexican War of Independence (1810–1821) and the Mexican Revolution a century later. The closest airport is Del Bajio International Airport (BJX), also known as Guanajuato International Airport, in Silao, an industrial hub that produces leather goods and GM trucks (although the airport is identified with the nearby city of León). United and Delta have several flights a day from LAX to BJX, but they only have one daily nonstop in either direction — and I strongly advise you to book it, because the other flights can easily take twice as long. We took a United red-eye landing around 6:30 a.m., but the experience was unexpectedly painless, because our hotel let us check in as soon as we arrived. We stayed at Villa Maria Cristina, a lovely Relais & Chateaux hotel near state offices in Guanajuato’s quieter east side. (Guanajuato city is the capital of the Free and Sovereign State of Guanajuato; some of the best-tended colonial buildings house government offices.) The classical French property has been in the same family’s hands since it was built as a residence in 1800, and period details like elaborate molding, beautiful Mexican tile and heavy wooden shutters are lovingly restored. It opened as an elegant 13-room hotel eight years ago and is in the midst of expansion onto two adjacent properties. (You might want to wait until construction is finished around the end of summer, when the villa will have a total –continued on page 18
06.14 ARROYO | 17
A church wedding at the Parroquia San Miguel Arcángel
- continued from page 16
WHERE TO SHOP La Casa del Quijote carries a variety of artisan-made items, from colorful textiles and pottery to distinctive clothing and, yes, silver jewelry. Sopena 17, Zona Centro, (473) 732-8226, lacasadelquijote.com Xocola-T is an upscale shop selling one of Guanajuato’s specialties — candy. The tiny boutique offers a surprisingly wide variety of chocolates freshly made onsite with Mexican cacao from Tabasco and Chiapas. Baratillo 15, find it on Facebook.
SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE WHERE TO SLEEP Belmond Casa de Sierra Nevada is a luxury hotel with an unbeatable location, close to the busy city center but far enough away to get some sleep. Behind the traditional wooden doors fronting its six elegantly restored buildings are canopy beds, beautifully landscaped gardens, a spacious pool surrounded by stone arches, a sculpture garden, Andanza Restaurant, the Laja Spa and Sazón cooking school. Naturally, it made Condé Nast Traveler’s readCasa de Sierra Nevada’s pool ers’ list of the world’s best hotels in 2008 and 2013. Nightly rates range from $320 to $705 for the Presidential Suite. Hospicio 35, (415) 152-7040, casadesierranevada.com Rosewood San Miguel de Allende may look like it’s been there forever, but the sprawling pink hotel, recently built in the traditional style, opened in 2011 with 67 rooms, all with a balcony or terrace. The 13-acre property includes tiered pools, five restaurants and bars, arts and cooking classes, children’s activities and menus and more. Nightly rates start at $300. Nemesio Diez 11, Colonia Centro, (888) 767-3966, rosewoodhotels.com/en/ san-miguel-de-allende 18 | ARROYO | 06.14
–continued from page 16
of 36 suites, a second restaurant and bar, a children’s pool and play area, a movie theater and more.) The hotel is proud of its Institut Paul Bocuse–trained chef, Mauricio Navarro Spamer, who serves seasonal fusion cuisine. And we were particularly impressed by the cheery and helpful concierge, Cecilia Munoz, who resolved what could have been a big problem when my companion left behind his medication — she hand-delivered it to our San Miguel hotel the next day. Bring along good walking shoes, because you really don’t want to drive in either city and cabs are plentiful and cheap. (And not one driver tried to overcharge us. Taxis don’t have meters, so you agree on the price — which you can research in advance — before you get in.) Mile-high Guanajuato is carved out of a narrow valley and the streets are narrow and extremely hilly, as its name promises. (And the hills don’t stop at doorsteps. Building floors typiA burro leads a wedding parade through the streets of San Miguel.
Casa Shuck Bed & Breakfast started out as a private 18th-century villa and morphed into an intimate inn with 10 spacious rooms, great views, gardens highlighted by an ancient jacaranda and highly reviewed service. Check out the distinctive La Biblioteca Suite, which has a mini-library and two French doors opening onto a stone terrace. Contact the hotel for rates. Garita No. 3, Centro, (415) 152-6618, casashuck.com
Produce at San Miguel’s Mercado Ignacia Ramirez, named for the 19th-century writer, journalist, lawyer and Supreme Court judge
cally have numerous levels, linked by stairs. Mexicans may have recently surpassed Americans in obesity, but not the people we saw.) And forget about a grid. Cars and people constantly weave through curvy streets and numerous underground tunnels built in the last century. People of all ages stroll the streets and plazas well into the evening. Pull up a chair at one of the outdoor cafés circling the lively El Jardin Union, and sip margaritas as the parade passes. Bands of costumed musicians visit each restaurant, but we were most intrigued by the musicians in front of the baroque Iglesia de San Diego, drawing a crowd for a callejoneada — a roving party of 10 musical University of Guanajuato students, known as estudiantinas, and the occasional game tourist. Next door to the church is the opulent Teatro Juárez, a blend of Moorish, Roman and Greek styles, crowned with bronze statues of eight of the nine Greek muses (the story is one didn’t fit). One of Guanajuato’s most famous attractions is El Museo de las Momias (the Mummies Museum), a collection of 108 naturally mummified bodies of 19th-century cholera victims who were disinterred when their relatives failed to pay the tax to keep them buried. That ended in 1958, when disinterring was banned. The popular museum has inspired such artists as Werner Herzog and Ray Bradbury, but I just found it strange and sad. I much preferred exploring landmarks like the lavish 18th-century Church of San Cayetano de la Valenciana, built with the wealth produced by the Valenciana silver mine steps away. The extensively gold-leafed walls and altars look well maintained, perhaps subsidized by donations requested near the exit. And while the mine is still in operation after lo these many years, only the now-shuttered original entrance from 1558 is open for tours. We’d been told not to expect English to get us very far in Guanajuato, but we were assured that it was more widely spoken in San Miguel, where as much as 20 percent of the population is reportedly expats. Not only did we not find San Miguel to be “a Mexican Disneyland,” as a reluctant tourist wrote on a Tripadvisor forum — a lot of people we met spoke only Spanish, although they were polite and patient with our attempts at linguistic charades. The much smaller San Miguel (pop. 80,000), 1¼ hours away by bus or car, was once a stop along the silver route from Guanajuato. It’s a truly lovely place with adobe buildings freshly painted ochre and brick-red and cobblestone streets meant for exploring. We stayed at the upscale Belmond Casa de Sierra Nevada, a cluster of six converted residences from –continued on page 30
WHERE TO SIP You can’t go wrong with any rooftop bar here, but I vote for the Sky Lounge atop the boutiquey Hotel Nena, which is quiet, romantic and has unobstructed city views — not to mention a great bartender named Rafael, who makes a mean margarita. Nemesio Diez No.10, Centro, (415) 154-7129, hotelnena.com.mx In a city that appreciates its past, La Sirena Gorda (The Fat Mermaid) gets extra points for being San Miguel’s oldest cantina. The main room is adorned with oil paintings of, well, fat mermaids. Try their famous ginger margaritas and upscale bar food, such as shrimp and bacon tacos. Barranca 78, (415) 110-0007, find it on Facebook. WHERE TO EAT For foodies, De Temporada is a must. It’s a funky colorful shack on an organic family farm 10 minutes from town by cab, which will cost 80 to 100 pesos ($6 to $7.75) each way. The proprietor, Iliana The Fat Mermaid bar Lanuza, is a fascinating San Miguel native who studied food sociology in London and quotes M.F.K. Fisher on her website. But her super-fresh rustic menu is a sensual delight. Don’t miss her homemade ice cream, and check out the website first to avoid getting lost. Rancho La Trinidad, Camino a San Miguel Viejo KM 8, (415) 151-0673, de-temporada.com A short walk from the main square, La Parada is a sophisticated restaurant with a lovely outdoor courtyard serving better Peruvian food than I had in Peru a dozen years ago. Their ceviches are the most creative I’ve ever encountered; mine came with mango, toasted coconut, corn and leche de tigre (a Peruvian citrus-based marinade). Try one of their Peruvian pisco-based cocktails, and ask the waiter what’s good that evening. Recreo #94, (415) 152-0473, laparadasma.com We stumbled into La Crepe for Sunday brunch since it was across the street from our hotel, not expecting much, but we were happily surprised. It’s an intimate space, located in a leafy outdoor courtyard behind an art gallery and Agave Sotheby’s International Realty, with decent coffee and generous portions of chilaquiles and Mexican- continued on page 30 06.14 ARROYO | 19
ARROYO
HOME & DESIGN SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT
BACKYARD PROJECTS TO TURN THE AREA INTO A TREASURED SANCTUARY 窶田ontinued on page 22
20 | ARROYO | 05.14
06.14 | ARROYO | 21
—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—
–continued from page 20 (BPT) - You love the days when you can go home from work, open the windows and enjoy dinner out on the deck. And it sure isn’t hard to rise early on those sunny weekend days to spend all day in the backyard. Those days are here, and it’s time to get outside to spend time with the grill, the garden and the deck. Because the backyard is a space people like to develop with landscaping and gathering areas, they look for building materials that not only provide the strength and durability needed for the project they’re working on, but also those that have the aesthetic beauty preferred for a backyard sanctuary. If you’re planning to update your backyard this summer, consider these ideas: * Add a deck or patio - A gathering space is very important in the backyard, and if you don’t already have one, you’ll appreciate the sense of community and togetherness a deck or patio provides your family once it’s built. As you plan your deck, be sure to consider the material you’ll use for building it. Natural wood like Western red cedar requires minimal maintenance when left natural. It will turn into a distinguished 22 | ARROYO | 06.14
–continued on page 26
06.14 | ARROYO | 23
24 | ARROYO | 06.14
06.14 | ARROYO | 25
—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—
–continued from page 22 silver-gray that frequently matches or complements a home’s color. Plus, wood is a natural and sustainable material choice, as the manufacturing process is very lowcarbon emitting compared to composite products. Be sure to design your deck or patio to give you the most use of it. For example, if your family likes to grill, consider building in a grill. Or if reading is a favorite activity, add a couple of lounge chairs with a shade cover and a drink cooler handy; you’ll never want to leave the deck! Also, decorate the area with lights so you can enjoy the space well into the evening, long after the sun has disappeared behind the horizon. * Enhance your garden spaces - Those who have a green thumb enjoy planting flower, herb and vegetable gardens. Consider the opportunities raised beds provide, saving you back pain and providing the plants with a barrier from some weeds, insects and other pests. Raised beds also have good soil drainage and look beautiful, giving the garden space a clearly defined edging. If built tall enough with seats, they provide the gardener and visitors to the garden area good places to sit and enjoy 26 | ARROYO | 06.14
–continued on page 28
06.14 | ARROYO | 27
—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—
–continued from page 26 the space. Natural wood products like Western red cedar are perfect for building raised beds, because they won’t leak any chemical toxins into your garden. With your beds created and planted, you’ll be enjoying flowers and vegetables all summer long. * Build a visual element - Not many backyards have a visual element, but when one is added, it completely changes the look of the space. Visual elements are often practical and decorative. For example, a pergola can provide a shaded sitting area or a structure for grapes or flowering climbing vines. A gazebo is a great location for reading a book in the shade or a romantic candlelit evening. Ponds, statues and even a decorative gate can enhance the overall appeal of your backyard, enticing family members to hang out when the weather permits. As you work on your backyard project this summer, you can start dreaming about how much time you’ll be spending on your new deck, enjoying the produce from your garden or relaxing near the visual element you’ve added. It might be so nice, you’ll never want to go inside! |||| 28 | ARROYO | 06.14
06.14 | ARROYO | 29
De Temporada’s Iliana Lanuza
Locals take in the scene at San Miguel’s manicured main square, El Jardin. –continued from page 19 - continued from page 19
style eggs. Belmond Casa de Sierra Nevada’s Wi-fi works there, so if you’re staying at the hotel, you can read the morning paper on your phone. Hospicio #37, Centro, (415) 154-9435, letseat. at/lacrepesanmiguel.com WHERE TO SHOP Bags for sale at the Sure, the Mercado de Artisanias (Artisans’ Mercado de Artesanias Market) a few blocks from the main square has schlocky souvenirs, but it also has beautiful Mexican pottery, textiles and folk art, including hand-carved wooden angels and punched-tin Christmas trees lit from inside, for far less than you’ll pay along the main tourist drags — and a tenth of what you’ll pay online. But come prepared to bargain. Plaza Lanaton Mixta is one of several boutiques here with carefully curated selections of clothing, jewelry, textiles, home décor, artwork, furniture and more by local designers. It’s not cheap — a colorful cotton shawl runs around $125 — but after perusing the sale table, I was able to snag An overview of the bustling an adorable cross-body leather bag painted with Mercado de Artesanias flowers and a Day of the Dead skull for $31. Pila Seca #3, (415) 152-7343, mixtasanmiguel.com m With more than 120 art galleries, you could spend your entire visit exploring the work of Mexican artists. Even if you’re not that dedicated, you won’t want to miss Arte Contemporaneo, which represents such prominent artists as Luis Granda, Jordi Boldó and Alberto Castro Leñero. Sollano #13, Centro, (415) 152-5742, arte-contemporaneo.com.mx |||| 30 | ARROYO | 06.14
the 16th to the 18th centuries, with lushly landscaped courtyards for a heart. The building housing the lobby and Andanza Restaurant, embellished with Mexican antiques and elaborate wood-beam ceilings, was built in 1590. As for the other buildings, who knows? A hotel employee said it would cost 30,000 to 40,000 pesos ($2,300 to $3,100) to exhume their history from government archives. “In Mexico,” she said, “money talks.” (If so, it must be the lingua franca of human history.) The hotel also operates the Sazón cooking school in an 18th-century mansion, where you can drop in or design your visit around classes in healthy Mexican or regional cuisines or take a guided market tour. (And while you’re there, pop next door to the Mercado de Artesanias [Artisans’ Market], where bargaining is accepted and you can get good prices on Mexican pottery, folk art and clothing.) The main plaza in San Miguel is El Jardin, abutting the pink-sandstone Parroquia de San Miguel Arcangel, which is beautifully lit up at night, and the fascinating Casa de Allende Museum, the former home of the ill-fated Mexican revolutionary Ignacio Allende, after whom the city is named. But when evening comes, look upward. San Miguel bustles with rooftop bars with stunning night views of the cityscape. A lot of the action takes place near the Jardin, but we stumbled upon a quieter bar with a spectacular view, a shimmering pool and a great bartender (ask for Rafael) — the Sky Lounge atop the boutique Hotel Nena. Not surprisingly, this is also a fine town for dining on cuisines that range from Mexican, natch, to Japanese and Italian (although the pizza and pasta, while yummy, somehow tasted Mexican too). But one of our tastiest experiences was our visit to De Temporada, a 10minute cab ride from town. De Temporada (which means “seasonal”) has a slightly different take on farm-to-table cuisine — this is a table-to-farm restaurant, a funky colorful hut on the organic family farm of Iliana Lanuza, who studied food sociology and earned a master’s degree in food politics in London. Her menu is small but always seasonal. After wolfing down her perfectly crisped pork belly, rich gnocchi and just-dug salad and green beans, we dove into her homemade ice cream. I went for the maple-ginger, and I must say her ice cream is the best I’ve ever had. Ilianadoesn’t have an alcohol license, so BYOB if you’re so inclined, for a small corking fee. Then spend the afternoon gazing off into the fields and give your feet a rest — let your mind do the wandering. ||||
06.14 ARROYO | 31
arroyo
™
~HOME SALES INDEX~
ALTADENA Homes Sold Median Price Median Sq. Ft. ARCADIA Homes Sold Median Price Median Sq. Ft. EAGLE ROCK Homes Sold Median Price Median Sq. Ft. GLENDALE Homes Sold Median Price Median Sq. Ft. LA CAÑADA Homes Sold Median Price Median Sq. Ft. PASADENA Homes Sold Median Price Median Sq. Ft. SAN MARINO Homes Sold Median Price Median Sq. Ft. SIERRA MADRE Homes Sold Median Price Median Sq. Ft. SOUTH PASADENA Homes Sold Median Price Median Sq. Ft. TOTAL Homes Sold Avg Price/Sq. Ft.
apr ’13 43 $585,000 1482 apr ’13 48 $814,000 1929 apr ’13 17 $555,000 1478 apr ’13 141 $490,000 1497 apr ’13 23 $1,052,000 1969 apr ’13 181 $575,000 1476 apr ’13 18 $1,882,500 2724 apr ’13 10 $918,000 1823 apr ’13 24 $875,500 1719 apr ’13 505 $444
2014
441
+18.47%
apr
HOMES SOLD
AVG. PRICE/SQ. FT.
2013
505
-12.67%
apr HOMES SOLD
HOME SALES
apr ’14 37 $559,000 1487 apr ’14 31 $1,150,000 2127 apr ’14 24 $680,000 1462 apr ’14 126 $539,500 1409 apr ’14 31 $1,230,000 2086 apr ’14 150 $645,000 1550 apr ’14 16 $2,159,000 2222 apr ’14 9 $802,000 1765 apr ’14 17 $1,048,500 1698 apr ’14 441 $526
HOME SALES ABOVE RECENT HOME CLOSINGS IN THE PASADENA WEEKLY FOOTPRINT ADDRESS CLOSE DATE ALTADENA 1612 Woodglen Lane 05/01/14 04/15/14 2017 Midwick Drive 3925 Lilac Canyon Lane 04/01/14 2487 Morslay Road 04/04/14 1899 Homewood Drive 04/17/14 1001 Concha Street 05/02/14 ARCADIA 1527 Rodeo Road 04/14/14 04/02/14 2322 South 3rd Avenue 418 East Rodell Place 04/04/14 1622 Perkins Drive 04/01/14 2131 Canyon Road 04/18/14 2315 Louise Avenue 04/28/14 2311 South 8th Avenue 04/14/14 1035 South 4th Avenue 04/01/14 65 East Grandview Avenue 04/18/14 929 Alta Vista Avenue 04/01/14 2214 Highland Vista Drive 04/07/14 719 Nicholas Lane 04/09/14 127 White Oak Drive 04/08/14 2220 Highland Vista Drive 04/03/14 1734 Claridge Street 04/15/14 2615 Greenfield Avenue 05/01/14 116 Bonita Street 04/07/14 2000 South 3rd Avenue 04/17/14 2207 South 8th Avenue 04/09/14 EAGLE ROCK 4848 Algoma Avenue 04/08/14 GLENDALE 2367 Pickens Canyon Road 04/30/14 04/04/14 231 North Adams Street 1515 Glenmont Drive 04/02/14 1001 East Mountain Street 04/30/14 3440 Country Club Drive 04/09/14 1972 Calle Sirena 04/18/14 1626 Del Valle Avenue 04/08/14 230 South Jackson Street #210 04/10/14 622 Naranja Drive 04/18/14 924 Calle Simpatico 05/05/14 1951 Erin Way 04/04/14 1874 Idlewood Road 04/01/14 1440 Melwood Drive 04/02/14 1991 Polaris Drive 04/09/14 LA CAÑADA 748 Greenridge Drive 05/05/14 04/01/14 88 Normandy Court 833 Parkman Drive 04/01/14 5235 Castle Road 04/16/14 4705 Alta Canyada Road 04/15/14 1355 Journeys End Drive 04/07/14 610 Groveview Lane 04/08/14 5303 Harter Lane 04/25/14 5072 Angeles Crest Highway 05/02/14 1306 Salisbury Road 05/02/14 4615 Alcorn Drive 04/16/14 1931 Tulip Tree Lane 04/30/14 4349 Cobblestone Lane 04/29/14 4352 Cobblestone Lane 04/30/14 800 Valley Crest Street 04/08/14 5690 Bramblewood Road 04/11/14 4847 Crown Avenue 04/11/14 1716 Lila Lane 05/02/14
PRICE
source: CalREsource
BDRMS.
SQ. FT.
YR. BUILT PREV. PRICE PREV. SOLD
$1,660,000 $1,600,000 $1,549,000 $1,345,500 $1,075,000 $920,000
4 4 4 3 3 2
3859 3012 3979 3713 1762 1616
1991 1937 2001 1931 1940 1925
$3,157,000 $2,800,000 $2,700,000 $2,410,000 $2,200,000 $1,750,000 $1,730,000 $1,600,000 $1,600,000 $1,570,000 $1,550,000 $1,500,000 $1,468,000 $1,398,000 $1,250,000 $1,150,000 $1,060,000 $1,035,000 $910,000
4 5 5 5 4 4 5 4 2 5 3 4 3 3 3 3 4 4 3
4526 5754 5628 5389 4494 4051 3304 2342 2336 3651 2123 3427 2232 2151 1868 2127 1722 1756 1447
1988 1989 2008 1998 1981 2005 1955 1977 1952 2003 1960 1988 1954 1960 1952 1958 1924 1956 1955
$960,000
3
1324
$1,405,000 $1,375,000 $1,335,000 $1,288,000 $1,265,000 $1,225,000 $1,200,000 $1,150,000 $1,100,000 $1,060,000 $1,000,000 $975,000 $950,000 $905,000
3 0 3 3 3 4 4 0 8 4 4 2 2 3
$3,000,000 $2,300,000 $2,080,000 $2,000,000 $1,980,000 $1,780,000 $1,740,000 $1,500,000 $1,425,000 $1,370,000 $1,350,000 $1,320,000 $1,285,000 $1,250,000 $1,240,000 $1,230,000 $1,225,000 $1,225,000
4 4 3 3 4 3 3 4 3 4 4 2 3 5 3 3 3 3
$1,385,000
04/16/2004
$851,500
3/9/2001
$180,000 $426,000
05/14/1986 09/06/2000
$1,044,000 $2,250,000 $294,000 $1,250,000 $265,000 $220,000 $128,000 $417,000 $920,000 $1,150,000 $655,000
4/18/2000 6/12/2009 1/10/1997 02/12/2004 06/27/1995 08/08/1983 9/30/1981 07/29/1993 10/10/2003 9/25/2009 6/7/2002
$710,000
11/20/2002
$340,000
10/14/1999
$712,500 $280,000
01/12/2007 03/01/1991
1958
$751,000
10/3/2008
2478 1210 3448 2643 3422 3272 2638 2780 4764 2618 3736 2732 2398 2255
1965 1940 1941 1926 1981 1994 1926 2010 1930 1990 1989 1955 1958 1967
$570,500
10/10/2000
$136,000 $545,000 $475,000 $1,025,000 $479,000
7/26/1976 07/28/1992 3/24/1997 10/20/2004 12/1/1999
$840,000 $615,000 $603,000 $298,000 $789,000
11/30/2010 5/2/2002 8/15/2002 3/26/1985 12/8/2010
5926 4541 2216 1977 2200 2292 3951 2422 2124 2260 2454 2030 2086 2238 2231 2854 1813 2112
1987 1998 1945 1952 1938 1950 1947 1966 1955 2006 1964 1953 1957 1959 1951 1966 1941 1961
$400,000 $680,000 $415,000 $760,000 $900,000 $573,000 $565,000 $500,000 $1,375,000
5/7/1996 1/15/2004 06/16/1988 04/28/1998 11/28/2012 4/18/1995 06/17/1993 07/12/1996 01/23/2007
$480,000 $1,205,000 $180,000
02/12/1998 10/19/2006 06/14/1979
The Arroyo Home Sales Index is calculated from residential home sales in Pasadena and the surrounding communities of South Pasadena, San Marino, La Canada Flintridge, Eagle Rock, Glendale (including Montrose), Altadena, Sierra Madre and Arcadia. Individual home sales data provided by CalREsource. Arroyo Home Sales Index © Arroyo 2014. Complete home sales listings appear each week in Pasadena Weekly.
32 | ARROYO | 06.14
ADDRESS CLOSE DATE LA CAĂ‘ADA 4519 Littleton Place 04/22/14 4307 Bel Aire Drive 04/21/14 647 De Nova Street 04/18/14 4393 Bel Aire Drive 04/09/14 412 Oliveta Place 04/29/14 5403 Ocean View Boulevard 04/23/14 PASADENA 1531 Glen Oaks Boulevard 04/11/14 535 Madeline Drive 04/18/14 615 Linda Vista Avenue 04/16/14 774 South Oakland Avenue 04/15/14 546 La Loma Road 04/25/14 2924 Lombardy Road 04/07/14 1470 Linda Vista Avenue 04/23/14 929 Old Mill Road 04/29/14 2976 Lombardy Road 04/10/14 1290 Rancheros Road 05/05/14 1054 South Arroyo Boulevard 04/04/14 271 Glen Summer Road 04/28/14 3007 Gainsborough Drive 04/02/14 2845 Thorndike Road 05/02/14 920 Granite Drive #311 04/28/14 643 South Orange Grove Boulevard04/09/14 990 Atchison Street 05/01/14 635 Old Mill Road 05/05/14 521 Michigan Boulevard 04/10/14 989 Mesa Verde Road 04/07/14 290 Wigmore Drive 04/11/14 920 Granite Drive #213 04/04/14 1721 East Mountain Street 04/24/14 539 South Santa Anita Avenue 04/14/14 57 North Wilson Avenue 04/21/14 1765 Oakdale Street 04/30/14 250 South De Lacey Avenue #502A04/24/14 585 Laguna Road 04/15/14 670 South Arroyo Boulevard 04/17/14 3345 Yorkshire Road 04/23/14 1984 East Cricklewood Path 04/24/14 1510 La Loma Road 04/15/14 232 Glen Summer Road 04/21/14 1525 Arroyo View Drive 04/08/14 1070 East Topeka Street 04/25/14 206 Sierra View Road 04/24/14 700 East Union Street #106 04/16/14 1156 East Orange Grove Boulevard 04/30/14 2008 Loma Vista Street 05/02/14 1354 Brixton Road 05/01/14 1425 Riviera Drive 04/23/14 1418 Paloma Street 04/11/14 550 Castano Avenue 04/18/14 SAN MARINO 1940 Sycamore Drive 04/08/14 2870 Wallingford Road 04/15/14 2125 Adair Street 04/18/14 1260 Adair Street 05/02/14 1072 Granada Avenue 04/11/14 1935 Robin Road 04/09/14 2150 South El Molino Avenue 04/09/14 2170 South El Molino Avenue 04/14/14 2415 South Oak Knoll Avenue 04/04/14 2900 Shakespeare Drive 04/09/14 1715 Westhaven Road 04/24/14 2620 Huntington Drive 04/11/14 2855 Sheffield Road 04/29/14 1360 Belhaven Road 05/01/14 1649 Banning Way 05/02/14 1380 Garfield Avenue 04/04/14 SIERRA MADRE 397 West Montecito Avenue 04/22/14 60 Rancho Road 04/22/14 SOUTH PASADENA 1014 Highland Street 04/29/14 1661 Spruce Street 04/24/14 1031 Stratford Avenue 04/23/14 2043 Milan Avenue 04/02/14 1814 Wayne Avenue 04/25/14 238 St. Albans Avenue 04/09/14 2020 Fletcher Avenue 04/04/14 1240 Indiana Avenue 04/01/14 805 Montrose Avenue 04/03/14 811 Montrose Avenue 04/11/14 1354 Elm Park Street 04/15/14 1711 Hill Drive 04/24/14
PRICE
BDRMS.
SQ. FT.
YR. BUILT PREV. PRICE PREV. SOLD
$1,150,000 $1,100,000 $1,030,000 $986,000 $970,000 $961,500
3 5 3 3 2 2
1948 2088 1400 1285 1433 1847
1962 1949 1955 1929 1952 1958
$4,800,000 $3,125,000 $2,650,000 $1,951,000 $1,858,000 $1,851,000 $1,800,000 $1,739,000 $1,700,000 $1,681,000 $1,650,000 $1,625,000 $1,569,000 $1,550,000 $1,500,000 $1,435,000 $1,425,000 $1,415,000 $1,400,000 $1,375,000 $1,335,000 $1,310,000 $1,307,500 $1,289,000 $1,280,000 $1,265,000 $1,250,000 $1,225,000 $1,200,000 $1,198,000 $1,185,000 $1,175,000 $1,101,500 $1,070,000 $1,050,000 $1,040,000 $975,000 $975,000 $945,000 $925,000 $920,000 $905,000 $903,000
5 4 6 4 4 3 4 3 3 3 3 5 3 4 3 4 4 3 3 3 4 3 5 5 3 3 3 5 4 3 4 5 2 3 3 3 3 6 4 3 3 4 3
6261 5877 3593 3710 2872 1902 2535 3171 1867 2046 2368 2763 2385 2470 2070 3966 3189 2145 2429 3060 2200 2100 3355 3379 1578 2000 1570 3014 2363 2263 2920 4300 1425 1559 2211 1724 1910 4224 2576 1568 1808 3042 1948
2004 1951 1917 1932 1922 1941 1941 1949 1947 1961 1961 1937 1941 1951 2009 1971 1913 1949 1938 1949 1940 2009 1916 1949 1915 1921 2007 1963 1924 1932 1957 1991 1939 1952 1918 1925 2006 1937 1937 1951 1955 1929 1937
$4,237,273 $3,340,500 $3,150,000 $2,800,000 $2,600,000 $2,450,000 $2,388,000 $2,200,000 $2,118,000 $2,050,000 $1,850,000 $1,700,000 $1,600,000 $1,550,000 $1,440,000 $1,330,000
4 3 4 5 4 4 5 3 3 4 3 3 3 2 2 2
1977 2087 3167 3294 3282 3164 2825 2598 2239 2318 2204 1968 1770 1432 1530 1944
1940 1962 1931 1954 1927 1938 1938 1931 1933 1945 1938 1948 1946 1948 1937 1955
$1,175,000 $955,000
7 3
3160 1707
1888 1957
$1,991,000 $1,848,000 $1,835,000 $1,650,000 $1,560,000 $1,418,000 $1,060,000 $1,053,000 $1,048,500 $999,000 $983,000 $950,000
4 4 4 5 4 4 3 5 3 3 4 3
2836 2944 2720 2228 2458 3846 1272 2391 2315 1506 1671 1679
1949 1935 1906 1909 1909 1986 1922 1940 1914 1911 1950 2008
$820,000
01/04/2012
$153,000
09/07/1983
$700,000 $142,000
03/02/2001 12/15/1975
$600,000
05/08/1989
$1,275,000 $1,653,500
04/24/2009 05/01/2006
$1,100,000 $555,000 $1,512,000 $330,000
10/13/2006 5/25/1988 05/13/2005 5/15/1991
$745,000 $1,360,000 $265,000
04/07/1995 01/26/2007 11/19/1986
$250,000
08/03/1984
$805,000 $1,100,000
07/09/2004 07/31/2009
$800,000 $200,000 $1,100,000 $245,000
11/15/2004 03/31/1980 04/28/2008 08/01/1985
$430,000
05/29/1997
$1,300,000 $390,000 $780,000
04/07/2006 09/19/2000 07/28/2005
$270,000 $1,080,000 $1,320,000 $810,000
12/4/1985 11/01/2011 05/05/2009 03/19/1996
$1,580,000
04/18/2005
$870,000
03/09/2001
$859,000
9/20/2002
$568,000
12/21/2000
$1,045,500 $1,166,000
04/12/2011 9/19/2006
$593,000
01/31/2003
$645,000 $625,000 $379,500
11/16/1999 05/23/1989 10/08/1997
$450,000 $649,500 $679,500 $940,000 $350,000
10/17/1991 11/21/2000 12/30/2003 8/19/2008 10/15/1991
$316,000 $500,000
06/25/1999 02/08/2013 06.14 ARROYO | 33
Honeymoon Help Couples with enough Cuisinarts to fill several kitchens are opting for a new kind of wedding registry to make their honeymoon dreams come true. BY CAROLE DIXON
MOST MATURE COUPLES BRAVE ENOUGH TO WALK DOWN THE AISLE THESE DAYS HAVE ALREADY BEEN COHABITATING FOR A FEW YEARS, OR AT LEAST SUPPORTING THEMSELVES LONG ENOUGH TO ACCUMULATE PLENTY OF WINEGLASSES, CUTLERY AND CUISINARTS. WHY ASK FOR MORE HOUSEHOLD ITEMS TO ADD TO THE CLUTTER — ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU CAN AFFORD TO WHIP OUT YOUR CREDIT CARD AT A MACY’S HOME SALE? WITH THE AVERAGE WEDDING TAB NOW SKYROCKETING PAST $100,000, EVEN SIMPLE NUPTIALS CAN BE EXPENSIVE, WITH TOO LITTLE CASH LEFT OVER AFTER THE BAR AND BUFFET BILLS ARE PAID TO WARRANT AN EXTRAVAGANT HONEYMOON — UNLESS YOU’RE MARRYING A TRUMP. ADD TO THAT THE EXTRA PRESSURE ON THE
34 | ARROYO | 06.14
trip itself, probably the most important you will ever embark upon with your new (hopefully) lifetime mate. So why scrimp, if you don’t have to? Enter online Thomas and Laura Grissom honeymoon trip registries — websites like Honeyfund. com, Travelersjoy.com and Wanderable.com — which are helping to send freshly minted couples all over the world. More than 290,000 couples have already used Honeyfund ’s free service to make their travel dreams come true. Clients can request honeymoon vacation “experiences” — i.e. cash — for their wedding gifts, and upgrade their registry webpages with more pictures, bells and whistles. From a kayaking trip in Fiji to a lavish dinner in Paris or an African safari, spectacular honeymoons are limited only by the couple’s imagination and their guests’ pocketbooks. One pair raised almost $25,000 for their journey to South America, while less elaborate itineraries, such as a simple trip to Hawaii, have come with gifting tabs of just a few thousand. To sign up, you simply create an account, or “dream registry”; share the information with your wedding invite list and then sit back and wait for your honeymoon plans to fi rm up. The websites help smooth over the traditional stigma attached to asking for cash. “There are still some people from a bygone generation that have a different standard of etiquette, but Peggy Post [etiquette expert and daughter of Emily] has come out in favor of this growing trend,” says Honeyfund CEO Sarah Margulis. “It’s a changing demographic and some people will never be comfortable with it, but it has become an accepted way of gifting.” Margulis co-founded Honeyfund with her husband, Josh, in 2006, after their own honeymoon. “We looked into a honeymoon registry but just couldn’t find a site that we liked,” she says. “They were too expensive.” The couple opted to put together their own wedding gift registry website and had such a positive response they decided to launch Honeyfund. While the basic site is free, they offer upgrade packages — “value,” “premium” and “elite” tiers, costing $19.99 to $99.99 for such options as an ad-free page, a slideshow and a guestbook. Invitees can send a credit-card gift via Paypal or print an online certificate and bring it to the ceremony. “We advise couples to have one traditional wedding registry in addition, for people who don’t feel comfortable with this format,” says Sarah. While couples have used these sites to fund recreational travel, the trend also encompasses helping people pay for expenses of married life farther into the future, such as a mortgage. One bold couple who registered for a honeymoon cruise added the option of gifting fertility treatments. Santa Monica publicist Nicole Worley decided that Honeyfunding a post-nuptial trip to the Caribbean would be easier on guests traveling to her destination wedding in Solvang. “As a young couple it was a great way to fund our honeymoon in a nontraditional, simple way,” she says, “so we presented the Honeyfund option to our guests. When people are traveling, bringing a gift can be difficult.” Her advice: “If you’re making this available to an array of people, it’s important to educate them.” Thomas and Laura Grissom of Phoenix, Arizona, used Honeyfund for their wedding in 2012. “We didn’t need more things and we actually planned the honeymoon in Europe before the wedding,” Thomas says. They learned about the site from an ad
in The Knot. “We value travel much more than buying things, and our family knows that about us,” says Laura. “Once we explained that the money comes directly to Kelly Coughlan and Hunter Weaver us, even my Grandma got involved.” Traveler’s Joy, with more than 200,000 members, also posts honeymoon guides to destinations like Anguilla and Walt Disney World. You can read about the couples’ reasoning for picking their wished-for trips, while checking out profi les, pictures and even maps of their proposed itineraries. There are airline upgrade pleas, such as “Jill has never flown fi rst-class, so why not now?” as one groom-to-be wrote. Other popular requests appear to be couples’ massages, Champagne, breakfast in bed or scubadiving excursions. And there is a blog where honeymooners can share anecdotes and pictures after their trips. Traveler’s Joy was launched in 2005 by North Carolina entrepreneur Brandon Warner after a leave of absence from his job took him to New Zealand, where he met co-founder Tony Alexander. “A lot of friends were getting married and it’s so frustrating to buy someone a $100 spoon that they will never use,” says Warner. “We decided to create something where people could request experiences on their honeymoon.” While they service mostly honeymoon clients, silver and golden anniversary couples are also getting in on the action. “We’ve had family and friends surprise a couple with trips like a cruise or an around-the-world journey,” Warner adds. “Our clients span the globe.” Traveler’s Joy charges a flat fee of 7.5 percent for all cash gifts received by its service. Even though it’s not free, Kelley Coughlan, the founder of Melrose PR in Santa Monica, and her fiancé, Hunter Weaver, decided to give it a try. “We chose Traveler’s Joy because we liked the clean layout of the website. We found that many of the others were more cluttered and a little confusing,” says Kelley. Being affi liated with both Weddingwire.com and Theknot.com didn’t hurt either. “Our wedding website is hosted by The Knot and we felt it would be an easy, seamless integration,” she says. “Also, we loved that you could select what the money was going towards, such as breakfast in bed or snorkeling. We felt it would be fun for our parents and family to know how they were contributing to our honeymoon itinerary.” Five-star hotels are also noticing a shift away from traditional gifting. According to Susan Williger, director of communications at The Langham, Huntington in Pasadena, “Over the past few years, we have seen an increase in couples that register for their honeymoon, including our brides and grooms. Couples typically go about this by listing the hotel as their honeymoon destination via their wedding website. Wedding guests can contact our concierge at our hotel to prearrange and gift specific components of the newlyweds’ honeymoon, such as romantic dinners at The Royce Wood-Fired Steakhouse, spa services, in-room amenities or gift cards for the luxury boutique.” And the trend isn’t stopping with honeymoons. Honeyfund ’s Margulises have launched a second site called Plum Fund, which raises money for any watermark occasion, from birthdays or anniversaries to baby showers and community events. And some people are registering online for wedding shower gifts. One Los Angeles foodie asked for gift certificates to local high-end restaurants for hers — but if it was our choice, a trip around the world would be just fine. |||| 06.14 | ARROYO | 35
PHOTO: Shaela Cook
Behind
36 | ARROYO | 06.14
the Stone Face O French Stewart stars as Buster Keaton in an illuminating new play about the silent film actor’s Rise and Fall and Rise at the Pasadena Playhouse. BY BETTIJANE LEVINE
PHOTO: Anousha Hutton
M
any people reading this may not even know who Buster Keaton was, or why the Pasadena Playhouse would present a play about the silent film star almost 50 years after his death. But the world’s film historians and cinephiles have weighed in on Keaton’s colossal and enduring talents and judged him an underrated genius, whose 1920s films are relevant and timeless, and whose innovations laid the groundwork for much that Hollywood has accomplished since. Critic Roger Ebert wrote that Keaton’s brilliant fi lms “make him, arguably, the greatest actor-director in the history of the movies.” Entertainment Weekly named Keaton the seventh-greatest director in history. The American Film Institute ranked him number 21 among the greatest fi lm stars who ever lived. To these savants, Keaton onscreen was magic. An incredibly agile physical comedian, he wrote, directed and starred in his early fi lms, maintaining a deadpan, poker-face expression throughout, thus earning himself the nickname, The Great Stone Face. Yet he was anything but inexpressive. Through his large, luminous eyes and poetically subtle movements, he conveyed a full range of emotions and a sweet sincerity that could make audiences roar with laughter and also bring them to tears. Perhaps the most intriguing part of Keaton’s story is that his own life took as many furious twists and turns as any portrayed in his movies. By the age of 28, he had made 31 extraordinary fi lms — writing, directing and starring in all. Hailed around the world as a genius and visionary, he was at the pinnacle of the evolving art form. But within the next five years he had plunged to its depths, unheralded and underemployed. Battles with ex-wives, alcohol and ignorant studio heads all ensued, along with the invention of talkies. The toxic combination toppled his career — but just for a while. In the end, Keaton overcame it all. How he did it is the tale told in Stoneface: The Rise and Fall and Rise of Buster Keaton, at the Pasadena Playhouse from June 3 through 29. The play, fi rst produced in 2012 at L.A.’s Sacred Fools Theater, was hailed as a hit by the Los Angeles Times, whose reviewer called it an “inspired” production with “remarkable inventiveness and style.” Of actor French Stewart, who stars as Keaton, the paper said, “He displays a comical gravitas…combined with sheer physical virtuosity that is, quite simply, a revelation.” Stewart, a fine physical comedian best known for playing Harry Solomon, the idiot uncle in the now-classic TV sitcom 3rd Rock From the Sun, describes himself as a lifelong
Keaton fan. “Buster Keaton is my hero,” he told Arroyo Monthly in a recent interview. “He’s the greatest movie star that ever walked the face of the earth — and that’s because of his sheer talent. He did it all with his body and imagination — with no technology. He was so elegant in his comedy. He had this great stone face, but he expressed so much with his body, his movements. And so much happens in his eyes. He tells you everything. He was an athlete, maybe rivaled only by Jackie Chan or Michael Jordan.” Keaton’s greatness was “lost to the public,” Stewart says, partly because of his temporary battle with the bottle and partly because he was never a shrewd businessman, like contemporaries Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd. What’s more, he was a humble and gracious person, not inclined to self-promotion. Such a character was ill-suited for the fiercely competitive and sometimes cruel world of early Hollywood. “Keaton’s story has never been told correctly,” Stewart says. “We worked with the blessing of his family. They saw the show in its fi rst incarnation at Sacred Fools.” There are some physical similarities between Stewart and Keaton, the actor says, and also similarities in the arcs of their lives. “I’ve lived a similar life to his, but just to a lesser degree. I can never pretend I’m as good as Buster Keaton, but I’ve lived my life in show business, and it’s gone up and it’s gone down. I got beat up physically doing children’s movies. I’ve done a ton of them: Home Alone 4, Inspector Gadget and so on. Keaton got beaten up while growing up in vaudeville with his parents, who threw the child around as part of their act.” Keaton’s love life also had its ups and downs, finally evolving into a happy marriage that lasted until his death. As for Stewart, he met his wife, Vanessa, in 2010 in the Green Room of the Geffen Playhouse, while they were performing on different stages. “We got to know each other and fell in love.” Vanessa Claire Stewart, an actress and playwright — she co-wrote and starred in the Geffen hit Louis and Keely Live at the Sahara — has since given birth to their daughter, Helene Claire (now 19 months old) and to Stoneface, in which her husband stars. “Vanessa knew I loved Buster Keaton, and she surprised me with this play. She wrote it secretly for me, over the course of a year. It was my birthday present,” says Stewart, who has worked in theater and fi lms since he graduated from New York’s American Academy of Dramatic Arts 30 years ago. In addition to 3rd Rock From the Sun, he has appeared in dozens of other hit TV shows, including –continued on page 38 06.14 ARROYO | 37
O
–continued from page 37
Seinfeld, The Larry Sanders Show, Community, Bones, The Closer, Castle and Private Practice, and he currently has a recurring role in Mom, Chuck Lorre’s new CBS comedy starring Allison Janney and Anna Faris. He has also maintained an active presence on the stage, with recent credits that include Matthew Modine Saves the Alpacas at the Geffen, Watson at Sacred Fools and Voice Lessons opposite Laurie Metcalf on Theatre Row Off Broadway. Stoneface director Jaime Robledo, who also helmed the original production, has won a string of awards for his work. He’s been dubbed “the Julie Taymor of Hollywood” by some critics for his wizardry in creating epic productions for small stages. Robledo says that Stoneface “connects audiences to a genius and lets them see what makes him tick. It’s a two-act play, fully scripted, incredibly tightly choreographed. It’s a play in the format of a musical. But instead of musical numbers, we use the silent clips from his fi lms.” Some of Keaton’s incredible stunts are recreated on the Pasadena Playhouse stage, Robledo says. The L.A. Times called the production “virtuosic” and “surreally creative.” Robledo calls the play “a gift to the audience, and a gift to me.”
What makes it so compelling to audiences, the director continues, is the trajectory of Keaton’s life. “We see the rise of a legend, watch him fall, then pick himself up. It’s about genius and the self-discovery of an artist, about someone who had to discover what’s important to him.” French Stewart as Keaton is riveting, Robledo says. “It’s astonishing. He’s an incredibly skilled physical comedian. I don’t know how he does it, but he masters this art of conveying emotion and connecting to an audience without so much as the blink of an eye. He is a magician. It’s a talent even the most skilled actors do not have. I’m so grateful he lives in Buster’s skin.” |||| Previews begin at 8 p.m. June 3 through 6 and at 4 and 8 p.m. June 7, with full performances starting June 8. The curtain rises at 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, 4 and 8 p.m. Saturdays and 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays through June 29. Tickets cost $34 to $54 for previews, $54 to $74 for regular performances. The Pasadena Playhouse is located at 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 356-7529 or visit pasadenaplayhouse.com.
THE PRIME OF BUSTER KEATON
(This page) Buster Keaton in The General
Unlike Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd, the era’s other two kings of silent comedy, Buster Keaton, who lived from 1895 to 1966, had a nuanced physicality that was unerringly low-key. He did his own death-defying stunts in a virtually no-tech world, with no safety nets or stuntmen. As one critic explained, Keaton could make falling off a bridge look as easy as getting out of bed. Joy and humor pervaded his personality, as well 38 | ARROYO | 06.14
as those of the screen characters he created. Never pitiable, the protagonists he portrayed were always optimistic and curious, with a kind of intelligence behind their pratfalls and physicality. And psychological insights were woven into the tales Keaton elected to tell. An NPR biography of Keaton called his work “timeless and convulsively funny.” The General (1928) is one of his best. It’s a fulllength feature based on a true Civil War story, and
it’s available on YouTube. Check it out. You may be amazed and transfi xed, hanging on to every antic in Keaton’s wordless world. Orson Welles called it “the greatest comedy ever made, the greatest Civil War film ever made and perhaps the greatest film ever made.” A 2002 worldwide poll by Sight & Sound rated The General as the 15th-best film of all time. — B.L.
06.14 ARROYO | 39
40 | ARROYO | 06.14
KITCHEN CONFESSIONS
The
Jitter Bug
Coffee has been waking up aficionados for centuries. BY LESLIE BILDERBACK
They say the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. I realized the depth of my addiction recently when the coffee canister was empty, and I proceeded to dig through the camping supplies for my jar of Folgers Crystals. Blech! To say that I am addicted to coffee is an understatement. I sip it all day long. I start the day with a full pot, then periodically invest throughout the day in iced red eyes (coffee with a shot of espresso) and black eyes (the same, with two shots), singlehandedly keeping my local barista employed. I can even finish the day with an espresso with no fear of insomnia. What is it about this magical elixir that so captivates me? Besides its miraculous effects, coffee has a pretty interesting history. The story of coffee’s discovery is probably just a myth. As is often repeated, an Ethiopian goatherd named Kaldi witnessed his flock nibbling on the berries of a bush. They promptly exhibited excitable behavior and had a heck of a time falling asleep. Soon, the natives were chewing the berries each morning as they perused their newspapers. Coffee seems to have been domesticated first in Yemen, in the seventh century. Mystic Sufis are said to have steeped the bean into a drink that assisted them in their
ascetic trances. They are credited with transporting the beans across the Arab peninsula and beyond, spreading it to Cairo, Damascus and Mecca. Alcohol-free Islam took to the beverage immediately, claiming that Muhammad gave coffee to the world via the jittery archangel Gabriel. It was soon dubbed the “wine of Araby,” and coffeehouses sprang up across the Moslem world. By the 16th century the convivial atmosphere of the coffeehouse began to worry the sultan, who feared the beverage stimulated primal carnal desires. More likely he was concerned that the coffeehouses were brewing subversive political ideas. Bags of beans were burned in Mecca, putting an end to the popular buzz, which had spread even inside the Great Mosque. But once coffee has been accepted by the masses, it’s not that easy to quash. (Because when you’re wired out of your mind, you can solve any problem.) Coffeehouses opened outside the city limits, and the bean soon spread to India, Indonesia and Istanbul. The Turks opened their own cafes, and Silk Road merchants from Italy and elsewhere began smuggling out beans in their suitcases. (“Your valise smells great!”) Soon Venice was selling coffee to the rest of the continent and the British Isles. In England, coffee caught on immediately. The first public venues are thought to have been in Oxford, a legacy continued by procrastinating college students the world over. There, academics paid a penny a cup and dispensed advice in what have come to be known as “penny universities.” Intellectuals noted that coffee stimulated the body and cleared the mind, unlike wine, which usually resulted in conflict and orgies. (Another tradition carried on by college students.) Women complained that coffee made their men impotent, and Charles II was concerned about the political ramifications of rooms full of smart people hopped up on the stimulant. He tried, like his Islamic counterpart, to shut down the coffeehouses. But by 1660 there were at least 500 coffeehouses in London. The damage was done. Other tales of coffee’s introduction to Europe stem from the 1683 Turkish siege on Vienna. Unable to penetrate the city walls, the Turks abandoned their camps, leaving behind bags of the brown beans, which the Viennese promptly brewed and served with Sacher tortes. Eventually that city created its own unique coffeehouse culture, admired and emulated across Europe. Drawn in by coffee and a side of strudel, patrons sat for hours reading dozens of volumes of printed materials that were readily available and ripe for dissemination. Each café catered to specific groups of like-minded thinkers. Doctors, psychoanalysts, philosophers, politicians and artists knew in which coffeehouse they could find their kindred spirits. Eventually, coffee was replaced by tea in England. Luckily, coffee remained popular in much of Europe and America. The Dutch East India Company successfully cultivated coffee in Java, and the resulting demand in Europe led to new plantations in Ceylon and Sumatra. Coffee was brought to New Amsterdam, where it was eventually popularized by patriots as the anti-English beverage of choice. It wasn’t until 1971, when a few wide-eyed students opened a coffee roaster in Seattle, that we developed our current national obsession. They wanted to name their –continued on page 42 06.14 | ARROYO | 41
KITCHEN CONFESSIONS
–continued from page 41
business Pequod, after the ship in Moby Dick. But investors thought it sounded weird, so they settled for the chief mate of Melville’s tale — Starbuck. I started drinking coffee when I was nine or 10. Desperate to prove to my doting grandmother that I was “all grown up,” I was immediately hooked. I always loved coffee ice cream best and was horrified to discover that coffee cake was meant to be served with coffee, and was not, as I had hoped, made entirely out of coffee. I started serving the brew to my kids when they were in elementary school in an effort to get them moving in the morning (“Mommy, this cocoa tastes weird.”) One kid climbed aboard the bandwagon immediately. The other saw through my scheme. Both of them still sleep until noon, however. You’d think they’d have learned by now that Mother Knows Best.|||| Leslie Bilderback, a certified master baker, chef and author of Mug Cakes: 100 Speedy Microwave Treats to Satisfy your Sweet Tooth (St. Martin’s Press), lives in South Pasadena and teaches her techniques online at culinarymasterclass.com.
Turkish Coffee Wafers My favorite way to administer coffee is in short little espresso shots, preferably accompanied by delicious baked tidbits like these. INGREDIENTS 21/3 cups all-purpose flour ¾ teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt 2 sticks butter 2 teaspoons freshly ground cardamom 2 tablespoons instant powdered espresso
32/3 cups sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 egg 1 tablespoon milk 2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar
METHOD 1. Preheat the oven to 350˚. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. 2. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt, and set aside. 3. In a large bowl and using a sturdy spoon or an electric mixer, cream butter, cardamom, powdered espresso and sugar until free of lumps. Add vanilla extract, egg and milk. Slowly add sifted ingredients and mix well to fully incorporate. Chill dough for 30 minutes. 4. Roll out chilled cookie dough onto a floured surface until a quarter-inch thick. Cut out cookies with a floured cookie cutter and place them on lined baking sheets 1 inch apart. Sprinkle each cookie lightly with cinnamon sugar and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown on the edges. Cool 5 minutes before removing from baking sheets. 42 | ARROYO | 06.14
–c
THE LIST
A SELECTIVE PREVIEW OF UPCOMING EVENTS COMPILED BY JOHN SOLLENBERGER Herding the Nerfs
the all-ages event is free.
June 1 — Altadena’s
Visit makemusicpasadena.org for the
Aveson Charter
full lineup.
School’s “June Jubilee” from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Farnsworth Park features games, food,
Giving Shepherds a Hand
prizes and a performance by the pop
June 8 – Westside
punk band Nerf Herder, headed by Parry
German Shepherd
Gripp. Admission is free.
Rescue is hosting its
Farnsworth Park is located at 568 E. Mt.
second annual “A Shepherd Sunday” pic-
Curve Ave., Altadena. Call (626) 797-1440
nic fundraiser at Liongate Manor, a historic
or visit aveson.org.
private estate in Pasadena, from 1 to 5 p.m. The event includes barbecue by cookbook
Antiques and Art Take Center Stage in Pasadena
author Adam Perry and savory delights
June 6, 7 and 8 — The Pasadena Antique
erinary care for the record number of dogs
Show and Sale comes to the Pasadena
arriving with illnesses or injuries.Tickets cost
Convention Center, where guests can
$50 each or $175 for four; free for children
select from a wide variety of fine art, furni-
under 12.
ture, heirloom jewelry, vintage timepieces,
Liongate Manor is located at 555 S. San
porcelains, bronzes, silver, art glass, crystal,
Rafael Ave., Pasadena. Email westside.
folk art, quilts and more.The show runs from
fundraising@gmail.com for information.
from Wolfgang Puck. Proceeds benefit vet-
than 12.
CONTEMPORARY CRAFTS AT CONVENTION CENTER
The Pasadena Convention Center is locat-
June 20, 21 and 22 — The annual Contemporary Crafts Market returns to the
Weeks of June 9 and
ed at 300 E. Green St., Pasadena. Call (626)
Pasadena Convention Center for three days with juried works by more than 200
23 plus July 7 and 14
793-2122 or visit bustamante-shows.com.
of the nation’s top craftspeople. Items include jewelry, glassware, ceramics, hand-
11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission costs $8, $5 for seniors; free for children younger
Visit sheprescue.givezooks.com for tickets.
Discovery at Descanso Camps
— Descanso Gardens
painted textiles, custom furniture and mixed-media creations. The market runs
and the Child Educational Center present
Dance Camera West Links Dance, Film
from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admis-
four sessions of Descanso Discoveries
sion costs $8; free for children 12 and younger.
Camp for kids in grades one through six.
The Pasadena Convention Center is located at 300 E. Green St., Pasadena.Visit craft-
Campers can learn cooking and gar-
June 6 through 9
source.org for information.
dening and explore nature from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. The
— Dance Camera West, an organization promoting the art
premiere by André and George Previn
include Tim Conway, Jr., Kristin Cruz (KOST),
cost is $442 per week; free extended care
of dance on film, hosts the 13th annual
and appearances by Broadway soloists
Peter Dills (KABC) and USC Heisman Trophy
is available.
Dance Media Festival, titled “Restructure.”
Laura Osnes (Cinderella and Bonnie and
winner and former NFL player Matt Leinart.
Descanso Gardens is located at 1418 Des-
Look for a wide range of screenings, live
Clyde; pictured at left) and Norm Lewis
Poker tournament prizes range from $500
canso Dr., La Cañada Flintridge. Call (818)
performances, panel discussions and
(Les Misérables and Porgy and Bess), sing-
to $2,000.The cost for participating in the
354-3418 or visit ceconline.org for camp
architectural art at venues around down-
ing music from the Peggy Lee and Judy
poker tournament is $125, which includes
information and registration. For Descanso
town Los Angeles, including the Music Cen-
Garland archives not heard anywhere else.
$100 in chips; for bingo, it’s $75, which cov-
Gardens information, call (818) 949-4200 or
ter Plaza, the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion,
Gates open at 5:30 p.m. and the concert
ers 30 cards. Spectator tickets cost $45.
visit descansogardens.org.
Grand Park and REDCAT. Costs vary.
starts at 7:30 p.m.Ticket prices start at $20.
Santa Anita Park is located at 285 W.
Visit dancecamerawest.org for the full
The L.A. County Arboretum is located at
Huntington Dr., Arcadia. Call (323) 550-2208
A Beastly Ball
schedule.
301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia. Call (626) 793-
or visit firefamilyfoundation.org.
June 14 — The Greater Los Angeles Zoo
7172 or visit pasadenasymphony-pops.org.
Association (GLAZA)
Pops Season Opens With Show Tunes
Fighting Fire With Poker
Making Music on Many Stages
June 7 — The Fire Family Foundation, a
June 7 — Make Music
Beastly Ball, spotlighting the new Rainforest
June 7 — The Pasa-
nonprofit assisting fire victims, presents its
Pasadena returns
of the Americas. Guests may dress casually
dena Pops, conducted
annual fundraiser, the Fire Boot Classic, at
to multiple stages in
or in safari attire for an after-hours stroll
hosts the 44th annual
by Michael Feinstein, launches its L.A.
Santa Anita Park. Featuring a 1920s-style
downtown and Old Pasadena from 11 a.m.
through the zoo, where they can observe
County Arboretum season with a concert
speakeasy theme, the event, which runs
to 11 p.m.The 12-hour event features more
the inhabitants — including feedings and
titled “Feinstein’s Favorites,” featuring works
from 7 to 10 p.m., includes a poker tourna-
than 150 performances encompassing the
close encounters with small animals —
by Harry Warren, Richard Rodgers, Nelson
ment, a cigar-rolling bar, silent auction,
spectrum of music styles, from rock to world
while enjoying music, dancing and dining
Riddle, Henry Mancini and Alfred New-
liquor tasting, bingo, food and drink and
and beyond, including internationally
on dishes from some of Pasadena’s and
man.The program also includes a world
live entertainment. Celebrity bingo callers
known, Grammy-winning acts. Admission to
–continued on page 45 06.14 | ARROYO | 43
44 | ARROYO | 06.14
THE LIST
–continued from page 43
L.A.’s top restaurants.The event starts at the zoo’s programs and activities.
Ballet Preljocaj Returns to Music Center
The Los Angeles Zoo is located at 5333 Zoo
June 20, 21 and 22
6 p.m.Tickets cost $1,000. Proceeds benefit
— Glorya Kaufman
Dr., Griffith Park. Call (323) 644-4753 or visit
Presents Dance at the Music Center
lazoo.org.
spotlights the return of Ballet Preljocaj,
A Tribute to Johnny Cash
France’s leading contemporary company,
June 14 — Father’s
production, titled Les Nuits (The Nights), is
Day weekend features
based on tales from The Thousand and
the sixth annual
One Nights.The evening, choreographed
to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.Their new
“Roadshow Revival: A Tribute to the Music
by Angelin Preljocaj to music by Natacha
of Johnny Cash” at the Ventura County
Atlas, Samy Bishai and 79D, features 18
Fairgrounds from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Bands
dancers in a seductive, mysterious and
include Los Lobos, Paladins, Dale Watson,
flamboyant show.The curtain rises at 7:30
the Americans, James Intveld, Gamblers
p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m.
Mark, Mighty Cash Cats, the Cold Hard
Sunday.Tickets cost $34 to $125.
Cash, Calico, the Walking Phoenixes,
The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion is
Snake Oil Salesmen and other acts to be
located at 135 N. Grand Ave., L.A.
announced.The event includes a car and
Visit musiccenter.org.
motorcycle show and a variety of vendors. Tickets cost $35, two-for-one for active mili-
Surf’s Up at Arboretum
tary members, $70 for preferred, secured
June 22 — Get ready for some summer
seating, $175 for VIP tickets including food
“Fun, Fun, Fun” as the Beach Boys make
and four drink tickets, $5 for kids 6 to 12, free
waves at the L.A. County Arboretum and
for children 5 and younger.
Botanic Garden’s 22nd annual Family
The Ventura County Fairgrounds are
Music Festival. Gates open at 3 p.m. and
located at 10 W. Harbor Blvd.,Ventura.
the concert runs from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on the
Visit roadshowrevival.com for tickets and
Bauer Lawn. Concert tickets cost $30 ($25
information.Visit facebook.com/theroad-
for members); free for children younger
showrevival for latest information.
than 12, who must be accompanied by an adult.
Summer Jazz and World Music Light Up Descanso
The L.A. County Arboretum and Botanic
Descanso Gardens
arboretum.org.
Garden is located at 301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia. Call (626) 821-3222 or visit
hosts its annual Music on the Main live summer jazz series
Running to Help the Homeless
Thursdays from June 19 through Aug. 21.
June 22 — The Midnight Mission, one of
New this year is the World Rhythms music
SoCal’s largest social service providers for
series Tuesdays starting June 24, continuing
the homeless, commemorates its 100th
through Aug. 5. All concerts start at 6 p.m.
anniversary with a 5K/10K run benefit in
Free with Descanso admission.
La Cañada Flintridge’s Oak Grove Park.
June 19 — Music on the Main showcases
The Mission serves the homeless popu-
jazz vocalist Sara Gazarek.
lation with programs designed to help
June 24 — World Rhythms spotlights local
people who’ve lost everything return to
group Kayamanan Ng Lahi performing
self-sufficiency. All ages are welcome.The
Philippine music and dance.
day begins with runners’ bib pickup from
June 26 — Music on the Main features jazz
6 to 8 a.m., and the race starts at 8 a.m.
drummer Dave Tull and his band.
An awards ceremony and lunch follow the
Descanso Gardens is located at 1418 Des-
race.The registration fee starts at $35 for
canso Dr., La Cañada Flintridge. Call (818)
adults, $20 for children.
942-4200 or visit descansogardens.org.
Oak Grove Park is located at 4400 Oak –continued on page 46 06.14 | ARROYO | 45
THE LIST
SUMMER ART AT THE OLD MILL Ongoing through Sept. 7 — The California Art Club’s Endless Summer exhibition at the Old Mill in San Marino features some 40 juried paintings that evoke the long days of summer. Works include seascapes, desert landscapes and seasonal still lifes. Gallery hours through Sept. 7 are 1 to 4 p.m.Tuesdays through Sundays. The California Art Club Gallery at the Old Mill is located at 1120 Old Mill Rd., San Marino. Call (626) 449-5458 or visit californiaartclub.org. –continued from page 45
Grove Dr., La Cañada Flintridge. Call (213)
Orchestra’s season opens at Santa Anita
553-2328 or visit midnightmission.org to
Park with John Williams and Friends at
register.
7:30 p.m. Maestro Victor Vener and the orchestra bring the big screen to musical life with such Williams scores as Star
Summer Youth Programs at L.A. College of Music
open at 5:30 p.m. for pre-concert dining
The Los Angeles Col-
(including food for purchase on-site),
lege of Music (formerly
full bars and live jazz. Ticket prices range
Wars, E.T., Jaws and Jurassic Park. Gates
Los Angeles Music Academy) hosts Sum-
from $20 to $88.
mer Xperience, intensive summer music
Santa Anita Park is located at 285 W.
programs for teens, tweens and college
Huntington Dr., Arcadia. Call (626) 300-
students. Students participate in master
8200 or visit calphil.com.
classes, private lessons, student recitals, large ensembles and recording sessions try professionals like American Idol vocal
Carnival of Cosmetics at Convention Center
coach Dorian Holley and Everclear’s Art
June 28 and 29 —
taught by school faculty and music indus-
Alexakis (pictured above).
Beauty enthusiasts can
June 23 through 27 — Music Performance
get the lowdown on the latest professional
and Music Producer programs run from
hair and cosmetics secrets from makeup
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.The cost is $1,095
artists, hair stylists, vendors and manufactur-
for the week.
ers at the PHAMExpo at the Pasadena Con-
June 28 through July 2 — The Songwriter
vention Center.The event includes classes
Program and Drummer’s Reality Camp
and seminars presented by expert speak-
both run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.
ers, including Damone Roberts and Scott
The cost is $1,095 for the program and
Barnes, on topics from “Career Marketing”
$895 for the camp. Students who enroll in
and “How to Build a Makeup Kit” to “Building
both receive a $300 discount.
a Beauty Brand.” Nail art is in the spotlight
The Los Angeles College of Music is
with the PHAMEous Nail Competition, taking
located at 300 S. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena.
place both days.The event runs from 8:30
Call (800) 960-4715 or visit lacm.edu.
a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.Tickets cost $45 to $65.
46 | ARROYO | 06.14
Williams Scores Launch Cal Phil Season
The Pasadena Convention Center is
June 28 — The California Philharmonic
phamexpo.com.||||
located at 300 E. Green St., Pasadena.Visit
06.14 | ARROYO | 47
48 | ARROYO | 06.14