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Kogi BBQ, Los Angeles.
Waiting in line to enter the parking garage at Amoeba Music, this author pondered the various dining options in the area – and there are many, ranging from the quite visible In’n'Out Burger to the virtually invisible Paru’s. Quite by chance and through rushing traffic, I caught a flicker of something quite common to LA parked right across the street – a food truck. And food trucks in LA [also in NYC] can be very good indeed. Follow LA food trucks here.
Yet this was not just any food truck, but the much vaunted and oft praised Kogi Barbeque truck – one that the very talented food critic, Jonathan Gold, waxed poetic about [photo gallery here] in the LA Weekly. For those interested in food and in reading about food [the production, the marketing, the taste], one of Gold’s very best pieces here.
Fully in keeping with the feel-good LA vibe, this choice had been made for me. The following series of images documents the fortuitous encounter.
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Amoeba Music, Los Angeles.
We tend not to gush very much or very often over here at thinkmore – superlatives do not come easily. But there’s no other way to put this : Amoeba Music, Los Angeles, is the best music source [music store] there is.
We’re quite familiar with music outlets in the US, Japan, Europe – there are many wonderful, carefully curated collections lovingly tended to by those that know their music. Some are specialists in a particular genre, some in a particular medium, some offer music related memorabilia and oddities – they pale in comparison to the sheer size and scope of the offering at Amoeba.
Statistics and details can only reveal so much – for anyone truly interested in music and sound recorded on physical media [CD and Vinyl], this is the place to be. It matters little how far you live from LA, or how unappealing LA seems from afar : this is a must. And after you’ve maxed out a card or two, head over to this place for a brilliant and calming yoga experience or sign up for a twitter feed from these guys to feed that body overworked from hefting those discs.
This sequence of images begins with the automotive descent into the Amoeba Music parking garage, and up into the store via a flight of stairs. While every attempt has been made to capture the breadth and scope of what’s on offer, images cannot capture the rush and the exuberance one feels while in the space. The experience is similar to being at a wonderful beach – the breadth and scope magnificent, the warm glow unforgettable, and every image captured on camera a cheap facsimile. So use this imagery just as a guide, and set sail.
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Quite in keeping with the feel-good vibe, the organic produce, the relaxed state of mind enhanced by yoga and bracing sea breezes, is the emphasis on environmental consciousness and sustainability. It is easily the city with the most hybrid vehicles on view, both for personal use and commercial. Perfectly in step is the constabulary of the LA County Beach Lifeguards, outfitted with bright yellow hybrid people movers.
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Situated moments away from downtown Santa Monica and just a few minutes [or hours, depending on traffic] from Los Angeles is this remarkably peaceful and wide expanse of sky, sea and sand. Combined with the fantastic organic produce, the yoga studios and the generally positive vibe, this is a life-affirming experience not to be missed.
