In search of a new food-and-beverage event for a new experience, I discovered the Los Angeles Wine…read more& Food Festival at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, CA, and immediately purchased two VIP tickets for the Saturday Bite Club. The event was from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., and using my better judgment, we took an Uber to and from the location. Arriving about a half hour before the doors opened, the line was quite long for the VIP entry, but once the doors opened, we entered in a matter of five minutes, and the festivities began. The vibe was Pop Culture with patrons of all flavors, and everyone was sporting their personal fashion statement and personality. The place was filled with the non-stop grooves played by the resident DJ, and everyone grooved to the beats as they savored the numerous delicious chef-created bites and chased them with the various whiskeys, tequila shots, cocktails, and brews available for consumption. Notable offerings: King Hawaiian - Soft Pretzel Bites Lior Hillel - Mediterranean Street Corn; and a Pilpelchuma Prawn Uyen Le BBQ Pulled Pork Banh Mi James Bailey - Smoked Pork Lettuce Wrap Javier Lopez - Yellowfin Tuna Tostada; and Compressed Pineapple Michael & Bryan Voltaggio "Voltaggio Brothers" - Wagyu Sloppy Joe; and Matcha Zeppole Rose Previte Maydan - Hummus with Roasted Lamb Shoulder Juan "Billy" Acosta - Carnitas El Momo Okay Inak "Sora Craft Kitchen" - Icli Kofta Kat Turner "Highly Likely" - Shaved Celery Salad Irene Verceles "The Surfing Fox" - Mango Pork Belly Gino Pineda "Dialog Cafe" - Miso Salmon with Miso Butter Lindsay McDonald "All About the Cinnamon" - The Big Poppa Cinnamon Roll Julia Tokarz & Gregory Lay "East Side Cheesecakes" -Cider & Silk Cheesecake Shooter Michel Reed "Poppy & Seed" - Smoked Beef Short Rib Pastrami David Kuo "Fatty Mart" - Chili Wontons; and Pork & Shrimp Dumplings Beverages provided by: Coke, Santa Cruz Mountains vineyard, Germain/Robin Distillery, Argonaut Brandy, Icelandic, Bernardus Winery, Pinhook Distillery, Cyrus Noble Bourdon Whiskey, Knob Creek, Frey Ranch, Peroni Beer, Magna Carta Winery, Lerner Project Winery, Alto Canto Tequila, Coyote Chief Winery, The Vice Winery, Grillin' Time Cocktails, and Brushwood Distillery In addition, lots of swag and discount cards were distributed. Items such as gift bags, bottle openers, pins, shot glasses, canned beverage covers, ballpoint pens, bottle sauces, t-shirts, and even a piercing studio in the VIP area! During the evening, the music played, wine, beer, and cocktails flowed, and the food was abundant. Everyone in attendance was in great spirits, friendly, and on their best behavior. I will definitely attend the coming year.

I went to the Eaaat event at this hangar and it was outstanding They had a few vendors and bar…read moreareas. The restrooms were nice and clean and all the personnel working the event were cool. The only thing I did not like they had run out of food early and they only had 25 good vendors. I felt they needed more vendors for a variety of food. Some good items were just ok and some were good. Easy parking and you had a nice breeze. Very clean place to have an event.

I was onsite for a film production and had a great experience overall. Rehearsals and costume…read morefittings were held in the main building, which is clean, modern, and well-maintained. We did the actual filming at the sound stages, which were spacious and professionally equipped. As a woman working long hours in the DTLA area, I especially appreciated the onsite security services -- they were attentive, well-informed, and knew exactly who was scheduled to be where and when. The parking facility felt secure, and lobby security's control over the main elevators added an extra layer of safety and organization. The vibe of the entire site felt professional and well-run, with a clear focus on keeping things efficient and safe. Would definitely work here again.

I get so excited whenever I get a chance to go to Los Angeles Center Studios. It's a cool vibe that…read morehas hints of Hollywood nostalgia. To get on the premises you have to be in their system. The security guards an amazing, professional and very nice. Walking towards the doors to the lobby you can see police signs from certain tv shows and films that are produced there. Inside the lobby there's comfortable seating, a television and then it's the concierge desk. If you need the elevator the concierge will help you get to your destination. After talking to the concierge I didn't need the elevators. I just had to walk through the lobby and when you exit you are ground level where there's signs for what production is filming in a specific stage. The stages are huge and it's amazing the creativity some of these tv/film/commercial companies can construct: a mini mansion, basketball court with bleachers and event the inside of a courthouse to name a few. When evening falls you get a beautiful view of downtown Los Angeles with all of the sky scrapers nicely lit up. The inside of main building is very fun with healthy motivation statements in the stairwell, the hallways have fun 1980s style carpeting and the walls/doors are bright and colorful. There's a fun buzz of hard working production staff getting ready for filming and the cool chill ease from the students that are taking classes here. Los Angeles Center Studios has filming opportunities, meetings, fittings and also host social events like Black On The Block. Which is like an independent flea market and networking. You'll probably have to check their website for the dates to play. I really like this venue!

A very nice venue on the American Jewish University campus (off Mulholland) where such productions…read moreas CAPITOL STEPS were featured. (That's what we saw.) I don't know how many seats this place holds, but what I do NOT like about it is that it's very wide, not so many rows back, but really wide with seats........and NO aisle inbetween. There are only aisles on either far side. While many older, physically challenged people are more likely to attend productions here, it seemed a little difficult for some of them to climb over others. The design could have been a little better. However, the seats are comfortable, and the visuals are really good. My aunt sat up near the front (2nd row back), is hard of hearing, and she said she couldn't hear a word. My dad sat with us towards the back (maybe 8-10 rows back, not sure), and even though he's hard of hearing as well, he did hear the entire show. FYI, I think where one sits makes a difference for the hearing-impaired. Prior to, or maybe even after the show, browse their little art gallery and the gift shop if it's open. Definitely helps to pass the time more quickly, and there are some nice things to look at, too. By the way, parking sucks, so GET THERE EARLY. That's what we were told, and it made a HUGE difference.

We live in a neighborhood where the July 4th festivities are too festive if you catch my drift, so…read morewe decided to try a staycation somewhere quieter and calmer. That's how we found the Meyer & Renee Luskin Conference Center. I figured with UCLA students gone for the summer the campus and Westwood Village would be a dead zone. I figured that neither the people living in high rises on Wilshire nor the people living in Mansions north of Sunset would be launching fireworks or having block parties and I was right. Westwood village was peaceful and campus was quiet. The only time we heard a loud noise was when a medivac helicopter landed at the hospital nextdoor. We were able to go for walks around campus with our dog and we all got to rest and relax and not be on edge because of loud fireworks. It was lovely! From the moment we pulled up and were greeted by the parking attendant to when we got our keys at registration, the entire arrival experience was exceptional. Our room was clean and we had everything we needed. We enjoyed watching the World Cup Game in our room and the hotel bar. We also had an outdoor lunch at the hotel's restaurant Plateia, We enjoyed our stay and so did our dog.

Unfortunately, my stay at Luskin fell short of expectations…read more Customer service was a letdown. I had to leave early due to ab emergency, and there was little consideration given for the unused night. The room had its own issues. The walls were paper thin, I could hear my neighbors' conversations word for word. The carpet was dirty, and the shampoo and conditioner bottles in the shower were cracked and broken. I expected a much higher level of hospitality and care from Luskin, and this stay didn't deliver.

This hotel is very elevated, clean, and extremely close to LAX. The staff was very nice & we loved…read morethe rooftop bar.

Our friend was hosting their first pizza pop-up so we had to come and support!…read more The Corner Room is an event space and there wasn't just pizza; they also had an art gallery open to the public. Nestled in Frogtown, this spot is in a quieter residential area so parking was readily available. They have a large outdoor area with seating. The gallery was spacious with ample natural lighting, making it a welcoming place to explore. We had a good time and look forward to future events!

Venice Beach House is one of the chicest and coziest places I have ever stayed in. Whatever they…read moresprayed made the place smell so nice and relaxing. So many little touches - fresh cut fruit in the mornings, fresh flowers in the hallways, and more. This place really had really great vibes. In addition to good vibes - it's located a stones throw away from the beach, and within cheap ubers away from Abbot Kinney and more. Highly recommend.

This place is incredible. Stayed here while passing through on a long road trip and it was just…read moreeverything I needed and more. Quiet, comfortable, hassle free in every sense, beautiful location right off the beach, friendly professional staff, fantastic breakfast... I can't say enough about this place. 10/10 recommend.

Located on the site of a now defunct Armenian high school, the AGBU Vatche & Tamar Manoukian…read morePerforming Arts Center is a performing-arts complex comprising a 600-seat Main Theater and a 150-seat multipurpose room with a stage. I saw the Armenian Pops Orchestra perform here to an exuberant and sold-out crowd. The name of the place is a mouthful and probably needlessly long.* They have all kinds of programming, but because it's run by the AGBU, their main mission is to promote Armenian cultural programming, including the concert I saw here. The inside of the Main Theater looks very modern at first, but if you look back while the lights are on, you'll see that it seems as if they built the fancy exterior building around an existing older theater. It doesn't look bad, and the theater looks like it seats more than the 600 it does. The acoustics were very good from my seat, which was near the center of the theater, a little bit closer to the stage than to the rear wall. The exterior of the building and its lobby are gorgeous and very modern. They stand in stark contrast to the shabby mid-century architecture of the former high school's buildings, which are just across the pathway from the performing arts center and where AGBU meetings still occur. (There are still lockers inside as well, and you can see the trophies, ribbons, and photos of the sports teams; it's a little bit depressing.) There are plenty of spaces in the parking lot, and the lobby of the building provides quite a bit of room for pre- and after-show mingling. The center is near Pasadena High School and has close and very straightforward access to the Foothill Freeway (I-210). Its location is surprising, because it's almost right in the middle of a residential neighborhood. *AGBU stands for Armenian General Benevolent Union, which has a long history that once included international, political, and factional intrigue with its rival the ARF (Armenian Revolutionary Federation). AGBU is mostly involved with cultural programs these days, but there were times when members of the Armenian diaspora would not speak to one another because they were aligned with either the AGBU or the ARF. Those times have mostly passed, at least in the US.

It's nice and pretty but the parking lot doesn't accommodate the amount of seats inside and either…read morethe sound system doesn't work right or the people managing it are incompetent. It became a joke at the concert I was at that the microphones don't work and some songs hurt my ears.