Consistently one of the most impressive museums in the city, with engaging exhibitions coming…read moreseemingly every 3 months. This one's a favorite of mine, so it's tough not to be biased. My most recent visit was in early June, and I loved the several eternities in a day exhibit. How tactile and fascinating! This place has a killer permanent exhibition and even the exhibitions I haven't been as in love with have something interesting to say, so I will keep coming back. The service is always helpful, and there are some nice spots to sit and enjoy the vibe (including the fun top-shaped chairs). I miss the ping pong tables they used to have...but no complaints found here! Go visit asap.

Honestly, I wasn't sure what to expect when I walked into the Hammer Museum, but I ended up…read moreabsolutely loving it. The museum is beautiful, peaceful, and incredibly well organized. I also loved that there are a few dining options inside, making it easy to spend a couple of hours exploring without feeling rushed. One of the best things about the Hammer Museum is that admission is free, and they offer generous hours, which makes it a great activity whether you're a local or just visiting Los Angeles. The exhibitions were stunning. I loved the mix of contemporary and modern art, along with works from iconic artists such as Van Gogh and Monet. Every gallery felt thoughtfully curated, and there was always something interesting to discover around the next corner. And the museum store? Absolutely beautiful. I honestly wanted to buy everything. From art books to unique gifts and home items, it's worth visiting on its own. If you're in Los Angeles and looking for a relaxing and inspiring way to spend an afternoon, I highly recommend the Hammer Museum. I'll definitely be back! Note: While the museum has featured works by artists such as Van Gogh and Monet in certain exhibitions or collections, the exhibits rotate, so what's on display may vary during your visit.

I really enjoyed this venue. The staff was pleasant, the theater was the perfect size, with…read morecomfortable seating and temperature. I look forward to returning.

I love the GEFFEN. Awesome plays in a world of musicals. Awesome sets. Below is the fantastic set…read morefrom "Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous Book" by Pearl Cleage. I really enjoyed the performance I saw. It was still in progress. Bravo! Excellent acting.

I took some really fun and educational "Lingua Viva" Italian classes here. You can take them online…read moreor in person and they offer private and semiprivate classes as well. A lot of opera students study here, and they also offer exam preparation. The Italian Cultural Institute of Los Angeles promotes Italian culture in the USA. They organize and support special events, exhibitions, and festivals, aid in the publication of Italian works, and advance the study of the Italian language. It's housed in a striking modernist building designed in 1963 by Robert E. Alexander, a contemporary of Richard Neutra. The building used to be the UCLA International Student Center. The colored illumination at night is especially stunning.

Los Angeles is one of the cultural nerve centers of our ever growing multicultural world where…read morefashion, fads, memes can travel at the speed of light via the internet. Los Angeles hosts the likes of Japan Foundation, Göthe Institut, Alliance Français. Through the sponsorship of Los Angeles Times' Food Bowl for the month of May at such places as Shibumi where master Sushi chef Kōji Kimura aged fish for Sushi & Sashimi that amplified the complexity of Umami multifold,  I was introduced to another government sponsored cultural organization, the Italian Cultural Institute of L.A. in the heart of Westwood Village. Istituto Italiano di Cultura has classes in Italian language, cookIng, events in art, fashion, regional food & wine appreciation, music, opera, theatre, movies, etc. There is gallery space in which to feature contemprary artists from all over Italy. There is also an outdoor patio space where all the action took place on May 30, 2019 that featured cuisine from Emilia-Romagna, home to Prosciutto di Parma, Aceto Balsamico di Modena, Parmigiano Reggiano. Guide Michelin starred chef, Luigi Fineo, and wine historian, raconteur, consummate sommelier Giammario Villa presided over this sumptuous degustazione con vini e piatti. 1) Erbazzone Emiliano alle Bietole: Bietole/Swiss Chard, wild onion braised in broth & finely puréed lookIng dark green sandwiched between leathery, rustic millefeuille scented by premium quality, fragrant butter, golden brown on top that became creamy as one chewed leaving a pronounced dairy sweetness. 1a) Rimosso Ancestrale DOC (Denomiazione d'Origine Controllata) Lambrusco by Cantina della Volta (100% Sarbara): Scent of wild cherry, red lipstick waxy, light woodiness. Taste of agrodolce, acidic, touch bitter, sour cherry, chalky, dry. Soupçon of frizzante/fizziness. Such complexity comes from its being unfiltered looking like a murky, bright crimson cloud still full of yeast & must. 2) Piadina Romagnola Crescenza e Prosciutto di Parma Rambela IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tìpica) Ravenna: Two thick, finely grained dry textured, grilled flour "tortilla" half moons sandwiching porky, salty, air dried, aged Prosciutto slathered with viscous cream cheese. 2a) "Rambela" Ravenna Bianco IGT by Randi Vini (100% Famoso): Deep golden glowing yellow like the legendary golden fleece. Fragrances of citron, faint baked flour & butteriness perhaps due to Malolactic fermentation. It's like drinking golden liquid Panettone. Bit astringent, citrusy, acidic to clear the palate. 3) Ravioli di Zucca Parmigiano, Burro e Salvia: Soft, pillowy Ravioli stuffed w/ soft mush of sweet, earthy squash. Dressed w/ the same sweet, dairy scented butter & earthy, dusky, herbal, fresh sage leaf dusted by ground sweet, woody, medicinal nutmeg. 3a) Rosa Ceparano IGT Romagna Rosato by Fattoria Zerbina (100% Sangiovese): Clean, neutral subliminal scent. Extra dry, astringent, touch skunky, bitter wild strawberry, raspberry. Good clean sharp contrast to all the soft, mellow tones of the pasta to awaken the palate. 4) Brasato di Manzo al Sangiovese: Slow cooked "chuck" beef in rich broth & Sanviovese red wine well noted for an undertone taste of tar, creosote, green wood as well as sweet dark fruitiness & acidity. Texture is moist, grainy, stringy, lush. The au jus is swirled in w/ ultra soft, buttery mashed potato. 4a) Antitesti IGT Ravenna Rosso by Fattoria Zerbina (50% Sangiovese 50% Merlot): Plummy, dark cherry, tasting of juicy blackberry, blueberry, oaky, woody, cigar, "moth ball", agrodolce. 5) Ternerina al Cioccolato e Pistacchio (pees tah kee oh): For want of a better word, it's a brownie topped w/ a dollop of heavy whip cream, scattering of pistacchio, powdered sugar looking like fresh fallen snow. 5a) Antitesti paired well w/ this simple chocolate dessert. Thanks to gracious, hospitable, welcoming Ina Cohen of Istituto Italiano who notified me of a last minute open seat to this elegant already fully booked soirée. Love the tales of history, tradition, culture, legends, myths, facts relating to food & wine of Italia by Master Taster Giammario Villa. This Istituto Italiano di Cultura L.A. Times Food Bowl Cena al fresco was hyper educational full of 5 star, sophisticated Vita Dolce.

Here is my ode to good ol' Broad. (Yes; ode and Broad rhyme.)…read more The façade | Spectacular. White, teak, steel, glass, all the benchmark components of a building dedicated to art. The "T.E.U.C.L.A." Serra sculpture is the first to be on permanent view in a public space in Southern California. Proximity to the Sculpture Garden provides this looming, structured, clinical building balance with good ol' nature. And more art. The interior | Clean, no-nonsense, spacious. Classrooms are very easy to find. The fourth floor, for Design | Media Arts, has a "lobby" that serves as a game room with a ping pong table and about three game controllers. The balcony (4th floor) | Very cute cacti and succulents on show atop the teak beams, serving as a sort of shelf. It's pretty precarious, but I haven't seen a thing fall yet. Untitled, | The second floor houses a small overpriced café called Untitled,. The comma just compounds on the pretense? or the artsiness? the inflated prices already convey pretty well. The Shoot Room | If I could live here, trust me--I would. Lights, check. Softbox, check. Dem Canon DSLRs, check. Five backgrounds to choose, check. Photogasm, check... EDA | Stands for Experimental Digital Arts. Basically small but well-equipped exhibition room with a large projection screen for showcasing.

Interesting gallery inside on the lower level. No one around on the morning I was there, so it was…read morea bit eery. Still, interesting art is always fun to look at...

How many hundreds of times have I driven by the Tarzana Community & Cultural Center? It has been…read moremany years, way back to the time there was a pottery store on the property. I finally had a chance to visit for a Tarzana Music Night last week. What a fun event! Because the weather was being forecasted to be cool with the potential of rain, the event was held indoors. Things were comfortable, but we were in close quarters with the other attendees. The sound was great and the performances were a lot of fun. I was primarily there to see a good friend perform, but I also had the chance to see some other talented musicians. I think each one was a singer songwriter, and I enjoyed each performance. Each one of the people that was working at the venue, which I imagine may have been on a volunteer basis, was friendly and a lot of fun. Normally the music nights are held outdoors, and I can imagine that most of the year, it is a lot of fun being in the open air.

What a cool place I never knew was here! Check out their events on their website! If you write them…read morethey will write you back too. They have a small outdoor stage with string lights hanging beautifully all around, a few picnic tables and fold out chairs for when there's an event to watch. When the chairs aren't there I imagine thats what they use for the outdoor dance floor under the stars, too! A few people brought their dogs on leash. I saw a few people brought in their own food, chilled out and ate while they watched the live band. They do have a very small amount of drinks, chips, and cookies for sale at a stand but thats it so if you don't want junk food def bring what you do want. They do have an indoor bathroom. PARKING - Def uber/LYFT to them. There are only a few spots in the back you can get to from the side street (not from Ventura blvd) and thats it! So do yourself a favor and get a ride. Lyft must know about this place because the driver knew exactly where to meet us in the back when we booked our return. For us it was a calm but fun summer evening hang outside! I don't know what its like without a band playing but hope I get a chance to check that out too.

Best little college theater in Los Angeles! UCLA's student productions are pretty stellar!!!…read more Support the kids and COME ON OVER!!!

This is a small 198 seat theater in McGowan Hall opposite from the Freud Playhouse…read more They have wonderful, quirky little productions here like Andrew Dawson's "Quatre Mains" last winter. The whole production was just one and sometimes two pairs of hands on a table. You'd think that would get old after a few minutes but you would be wrong. They did the moon landing. It was fantastic. Too bad they didn't stage it again a few weeks back at the 40th anniversary.

This is one of those awesome hidden opportunities LA has to offer! This is a FREE tiny museum that…read moreis in a single room in the UCLA campus. It's very small, but it's pretty amazing! You get a chance to see some meteorites up close and personal, touch them and even use a provided magnet to prove their magnetism! You probably won't spend too long here, but the campus is beautiful. I'd recommend seeing the (also free) Fowler Museum which is a short 8 minute walk away also on campus. There are other things to see here too like the botanical gardens and a sculpture garden. We also did the (again FREE) Hammer museum a short drive away.

Horrible management, especially for the University. They invite you to park, pay a parking fee,…read morethen wander around the campus looking for information. Turns out despite the website indicating otherwise, the gallery is closed. If they manage their specimens like they manage their gallery, I question their qualification to do either. It literally takes thirty seconds to go on to Google and onto your company website and update information. Pure incompetence..

I found Aakansha to be very unpleasant. Judgmental and condescending, she dispensed criticism in a…read moreway that felt unfair and somehow more demeaning than necessary. I unfortunately cannot recommend.

Aakansha is full of energy and smiles. And her energy is so contagious…read more Her dance fitness classes are lots of fun. A fantastic way to get your exercise. You can take private lessons for special events like weddings. Highly recommended.