Out N About in Los Angeles- Part 2: The San Fernando Valley- East Valley
Ahhh the Valley. Sometimes I’m forced to do some extremely suburban thing like go to the mall and I get something like hives. But mostly I have this secret little stone of appreciation and admiration for the majestic hills, the delicate variations in 50s tract homes, the expansive parking lots, and the surprisingly active industrial parks. For a good part of my life I thought of the Valley as a dry puddle, totally devoid of any kind of inspiration. To my feisty teenage mind the valley was a suburban nightmare. A hot, boring nightmare. You know how they say that absence makes the heart grow fonder? Well it didn’t. I moved away to college and I hated the Valley as much from five hundred miles away as I had when I sat in the middle of it. It took time. Lots of time. Who would’ve thought I’d ever move back, and learn to love really like it a lot?!
This post is dedicated not only to things I’d really miss about the Valley, but also to all the awesome secret stuff that’s here- not just at the edge of the Valley, not just at the Southern edge, but deeep in the heart of the Valley.
Let’s start with a little list of things that make me all sentimental-
*The fact that you can sit in your car at almost any red light in the whole Valley and be staring at rugged, looming hills (especially after it has rained and they are a luxurious green velvet).
*The house on Rinaldi with the lawn that gets decorated for every holiday (President’s Day, Arbor Day, you name it).
*The I-don’t-know-what factory off of the 5 in Sunland (Sun Valley? I dunno what the heck you call that part of town). I like when I’m driving at night in winter time and the steam pours out of its spout and all the little factory lights are on. It’s hypnotizing.
*The train tracks on San Fernando Road. They are dusty and dry and seem to go nowhere at all, but that train runs about forty times a day I think.
*The Oviatt Library at Cal State Northridge. A bit of family history and a whole lot of ‘holy crap’- I just love that building. It’s so massive and futuristic and somehow classic.
Awww, mushy and snuggly warm and fuzzies . . .
Okay, I know you’re not here to get all mushy with me so I’m going to just go ahead and do my links now.
The San Fernando Mission and Memorial Garden
Older than the city of Los Angeles, Mission San Fernando Rey de Espana is really quite adorable and small. The church itself is dark and kind of spooky, but the grounds are really cute- especially the random peacocks that stroll around. What makes this mission special are the arches along the road- I keep meaning to count them. I think there are 26 arches. Unfortunately the mission charges admission- and it ain’t cheap. The happy way around this is to attend mass on a Sunday- totally free! The garden across the street is known as Memory Garden, and used to belong to the mission but was given as a gift to the city of San Fernando in the 20s. The garden is gated and formal, with several working fountains- I took prom pictures there *==*- and there is a short avenue of old olive trees that are really wonderful. One of my favorite things about Memory Garden is the long, long line of stretch Hummers (Saturdays are Wedding picture/ quinceanera picture days) mixed with hot rods, taco trucks, and ice cream vendors parked on the street. Classic.
Buffalo Bruce’s Mercantile- the awesomest purple coffee house ever!
Smack dab in the middle of a neighborhood I usually avoid if I can help it (not in an un-safe way, just a not so pretty way)- unless I’m getting my dogs groomed, Buffalo Bruce’s is just about the coolest coffee place I’ve ever been to. And not to brag, but I’ve been to quite a few in my day. Forget Silverlake and heart-shaped mocha foam, forget secret alleys in Fairfax with tea-lighted patios, Buffalo Bruce’s is probably the cutest coffee place I’ve been to in L.A. yet. They also sell neat jewelry and have an adorable garden space.
The San Fernando Swap Meet
Not just 20 socks for six dollars- the San Fernando Swap Meet has FABRIC. Uh huh. Cheap fabric. Yep. And they are open four days a week!
Valley Thrift
Again, I can’t believe I’m sharing this incredible secret. This is one of my all time favorite thrift stores in the Valley- oh, and there are many, many thrift stores all along San Fernando Road (just drive allll the way down it). They are really organized and still one of the cheapest thrift shops around. The store is on a kind of funky V intersection and it can be hard to miss. Parking often sucks, but this is totally worth it. Plus there’s usually a hot dog vendor out front selling those heart-attack hot dogs wrapped in bacon, which can be yummy early in the morning- if you’re into that kind of thing.
Magnolia Blvd. (East of Lankershim all the way to San Fernando Rd.)
There are so many neat shops and quirky restaurants on this street that I could probably write a Part 3 to Out N About. There’s the shop where you can buy soap opera wardrobe cast offs, ridiculously delicious Porto’s Bakery (I HIGHLY recommend the papas rellenas), swanky Pinocchio’s, tons of vintage boutiques, more thrift shops, the list goes on. Actually, I think I will make that a part 3.
Phew- time to take a breath. I think I’ll save the rest of the Valley for another time. Until then, go to Porto’s and get some of them hot, delicious papas rellenas. Get at least 4, cause you’re gonna want more than one. Try and get there by 8:30 am because everyone loves Portos. If you’re going anytime after 9:30 am be prepared to wait in Disneyland-length line (it does move quickly though).