By David Harder on June, 29, 2017

Pulling Back the Curtain on LA – A Great, Great, City

Last Friday, I had elective surgery at Cedars-Sinai and am recovering quite nicely. Everyone on that staff was world-class wonderful. In the evening, the phlebotomist came to visit. When she finished, I asked how long she had been with the hospital and quickly learned she is from Chicago and putting herself through nursing school. I asked what she thought of Los Angeles. “It’s filled with such superficial, self-centered people.” Quickly, I pointed out that I was one of them and gave her the many reasons I love this town over all others. I asked, “Where have you been and how many people have you attempted to connect with?” She responded that her life was consumed with working at Cedars, driving to school and studying. I asked if she had enough spare time to turn that around and she responded, “I would love to! Do you have any suggestions?”

“Girl, get out some paper!” And, for the next fifteen minutes she wrote everything down, which included:

“Go to Musso & Franks. Have a light dinner with a dry martini. You will not understand old or new Hollywood until you have had this experience.

Drive out to the Cross Creek Country Mart in Malibu. Buy a coffee and sit near the playground enjoying the surroundings. You will see more celebrities in the next hour than an entire year in the city. Plus, you will experience what the good life in LA really means.

At least once, go to the Agape Spiritual Center of Truth. It is a wonderful place to meet people, an extraordinary spiritual development space and the service is a real show. You don’t need to become a regular unless you want to, but every Angelean ought to go at least once.

Great places to meet people include the steps in Santa Monica Canyon, Runyon Canyon, and tribes! Check-out the tribes that have similar values and interests to yours. Los Angeles is a city of tribes and we advertise. Get a subscription of Los Angeles Magazine and get LA Weekly. Each describes thousands of tribal activities in greater Los Angeles. Find the tribe that fits you. When you simply want to meet a lot of people quickly, offer to walk a friend’s cute dog and go to The Strand from Redondo Beach to Venice or Sunset Plaza. Yep, take an afternoon to stroll, shop and eat your way down the Plaza.

Pack a picnic dinner and go at least once to the Hollywood Bowl and the Greek Theatre. Buy a ticket to the Walt Disney Hall and watch Gustavo Dudamel bring classical music to vivid, rock-star quality life.

Volunteer at one of LA’s many premier charities and meet people filled with gratitude. These can include LA Family Housing, Children’s Hospital, The System, and I Have a Dream Foundation.

Go to the Getty Villa on a warm summer day and sit in the gardens imagining the world that inspired this spectacular space. Visit the Comedy Store and listen to some of America’s most outlandish comics. If they yell at you be sure to yell right back.

Go at least once to our world-famous dives – Philiipes French Dip, The Apple Pan, and Tito’s Tacos. Visit the spectacular campuses at Loyola and USC.

At the end of it all, go park your car on Hermosa or Beach Drive. Walk to the beach, go out onto the sand, sit down, and watch the sun dip behind the ocean.

Now you can make an informed decision about Los Angeles.

When we were finished, she came over and hugged me.

One suggestion for my readers –

If you live in a town you love and you find someone who isn’t finding their way, give them a helping hand. It doesn’t take much to give them the insights in how to make your home their home.

Brought to you by David Harder, President – Inspired Work, Inc.

P: (310) 277-4850 / E: david@inspiredworkservices.com