The New L.A. Almanac: Summer 2017

School’s out and summer is finally here! Celebrate the return of beach weather and flip flops with an insider’s peek into what to wear, see, do, hear and eat during our favorite - and some say, endless - season.

Studio Ghibli Pop-Up Shop (June 24 - July 24, 2017)
For the first time ever in the United States, Japan’s famed animation house, Studio Ghibli will open an official pop-up shop at JapanLA on Melrose. With exciting limited edition items for sale, it’ll prove difficult to choose between Hayao Miyazaki’s adorable creations such as enamel pins, a darling My Neighbor Totoro Satin Jacket featuring “custom embroidery of Totoro, Soot Sprites, Catbus and Chibi Totoro” or a Jiji Lace Bracelet. But then again, why limit yourself? These official items can’t be purchased elsewhere, unless you’re planning to visit Tokyo sometime soon!

JapanLA
7320 ½ Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90046
(323) 934-5201

Thursday nights at dusk starting in June, California State University, Northridge is hosting Summer Movie Fest: outdoor summer movie screenings of recent cinema favorites, including Beauty and the Beast, Moana, La La Land, and Doctor Strange. Bring your children and leashed-pets, pack a picnic (or grab a bite from one of the many food trucks), blankets, chairs, and beverages and sit back, relax, and enjoy the free movie.

CSUN
18111 Nordhoff St.
Northridge, CA 91330
(818) 677-2477

Gourmet nibbles, rock and roll vibes, and of course wine, wine, and more wine are the highlights of this early summer attraction. Presented by WineLA, Tasting Panel, Somm Journal, and Los Angeles Magazine, Rock Stars of Wine offers 100 top quality vintages for the wine enthusiast who wants to celebrate “the superstars of the wine industry.” Come for the wine, leave feeling wonderful having also bid on silent auction items benefiting the T.J. Martell Foundation.

Leica Store and Gallery
8783 Beverly Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90048
(424) 777-0341

American DJ and animal rights activist Moby opened Little Pine Restaurant to represent the things he cares about: community, veganism, and architecture and design. Savor a tasty “mediterranean inspired california cuisine featuring 100% plant-based produce and ingredients” and see why this neighborhood gem is winning accolades and the hearts of non-vegan eaters alike!

Little Pine
2870 Rowena Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90039
(323) 741-8148

Search #StoneViewNatureCenter on Instagram and one is presented with images of butterflies, happy and healthy-looking folks of all ages, and pickled fruits. What you see is what you get. Located near Baldwin Hills, the Stoneview Nature Center offers visitors a chance to focus on “health, art and the environment” in a tranquil urban garden sanctuary. Wander the grounds of this five-acre park while snacking on free-to-harvest sublime fruit grown by Fallen Fruit, a local art collective responsible for planting a variety of yummy treats including avocados, blackberries, blueberries, figs, grapes, lemons, and oranges.

Stoneview Nature Center
5924-5950 Stoneview Dr
Culver City, CA 90232

Now in its 33rd year, the wildly popular Twilight Concerts showcases the best R&B, indie pop, reggae, rock, dance, Americana, Latin, and indie rock music. Free jams are provided every Thursday at the Santa Monica Pier from June to August (except July 6). Pack a dinner, shoes you can easily kick off in the sand, and a blanket for this premier Westside summer concert tradition. Sway in the sunset to War Paint or dance all night to Eric Burdon, one of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's most distinctive voices. Whoever you choose to see perform, you'll be one in a wave of thousands, so enjoy!

Birdwell Beach Britches
“Quality is our gimmick” is the company slogan and we’re stoked to support Birdwell Beach Britches, a multi-generational family endeavor (now owned by local partners) that supports buying better and buying less because of it! Where else can you pick up a pair of boardshorts with a lifetime guarantee? Want to custom build your jackets, totes, or beach wares? Visit the flagship shop in Manhattan Beach and friendly staff will help pick fabric colors, patterns, patches, and button colors to customize goods.

Birdwell Beach Britches
1300 Highland Ave
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
(310) 545-1471

Baseball. Hot dogs. Fireworks. Enjoy America's favorite pastime presented as a home run experience by the Los Angeles Dodgers on this special holiday. Celebrate our Nation's Independence by watching the Dodgers play against the D-backs. And at the end of the all-American extravaganza, be wowed by an extraordinary patriotic pyrotechnics display. What could make this day more special? How about an exclusive game ticket and souvenir Dodgers' Independence Day t-shirt too?

Dodger Stadium
1000 Vin Scully Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(866) 363-4377

Presented by the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, dineL.A. is a 15-day eating extravaganza that showcases L.A.’s premier dining destinations with a focus on the city’s diversity and love of ethnic eats. With hundreds of participating restaurants, this is truly the only time when your eyes are bigger than your stomach. With so many menus to scan, it’s going to be difficult scheduling lunch and dinner daily and still have time to include the mandatory accompanying beach workout. Bon appetit, again and again!

Citywide

Located in North Hollywood, Tonga Hut is celebrated as the oldest Tiki bar in Los Angeles. Since 1958, the neighborhood watering hole has been enchanting visitors with its Polynesian fountains, broken-in booths, and perfectly crafted mid-century cocktails. Drop in and let modern life worries melt away. And while you’re sipping on a flaming scorpion bowl, have a drink for Dottie, a patron who visited the bar every day for 49 years!

Tonga Hut
12808 Victory Blvd
North Hollywood, CA 91606
(818) 769-0708

Break out the sunscreen and join hundreds of world class athletes at the Vans US Open of Surfing, America’s largest pro surfing competition. Taking place in Huntington Beach south of Los Angeles, this event attracts half a million extreme sports lovers for a free 9-day celebration of surfing and the Southern Californian lifestyle. Hang with top surfers, skateboarders and BMX riders at this family-friendly event featuring, "sponsor exhibits on the sand, free outdoor movie showings, art installations, over 20 sponsors, retail store, athlete meet & greets or autograph sessions, and musical acts".

Huntington Beach

Don't be the music lover who missed last year's performance by Nas at the Annenberg Space for Photography. Be the person dancing as if nobody's watching. This season's Sound in Focus, taking place on Saturdays at the park, launches July 15 with Grammy-winning musician, Miguel; Brooklyn-based instrumentalist Gabriel Garzon-Montano; and DJ Stretch Armstrong. A festive attitude and good dancing shoes are a must. Admission is free - however, RSVP is required.

Annenberg Space for Photography
2000 Avenue of the Stars #10
Los Angeles, CA 90067
(213) 403-3000

3.1 Phillip Lim
Whether one needs new threads in the spirit of back to school, decor for your domain, or carefully curated artists’ books and ephemera, this recently opened concept space in the Downtown L.A. Arts District is native son Phillip Lim’s masterful attempt at one-stop shopping. Partnered with Patrick Parrish Gallery, M.Crow, Apparatus Books and Li, Inc Studio, these creative communities have been brought together to sell limited edition and one-of-a-kind pieces alongside Lim’s men’s and women’s collections.

3.1 Phillip Lim Los Angeles
734 E 3rd St
Los Angeles CA 90013
(213) 246-2588

Offering the "freshest seafood on the coast", Malibu Seafood is a mostly locals-only restaurant and fish market that's a mandatory rest stop for weekend warriors cruising up and down PCH. Savor the tastiest fish and chips in Southern California, clam chowder, or an oyster sandwich on one of three spacious outdoor patios overlooking the ocean. And if you're lucky, dolphins might be frolicking in the waters right in front of this well-established seafood shack! Don't be discouraged by the long line, it moves quickly.

Open daily
Malibu

Created by “world-traveling chef, mama, sustainable lifestyle leader, and passionate food educator,” Amanda Chantal Bacon birthed Moon Juice for people interested in “a new way of living” and considers the holistic haven to be, “a cosmic beacon for those seeking out beauty, wellness, and longevity”. Explore the pantry and apothecary and pick up Spirit Dust to “help combat the effects of stress to expand peaceful awareness”. When you're in the land of peace and love, do as the locals do.

Moon Juice
Locations in Venice, Silver Lake and West Hollywood

Summer in L.A. isn't complete until you’ve had a chance to drop in and tune out. Happening at the Hammer Museum every Thursday from 12:30 to 1 p.m., instructors from the UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center will lead sessions that guide visitors to practice mindful awareness meditation — the process of being physically, mentally, and emotionally present. Come as you are and stay for as little or as long as you'd like. Free to the public, this weekly gathering is an essential part of your summer self-care routine.

Hammer Museum
10899 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 443-7000

Every Wednesday afternoon from 1-3 p.m., The Huntington Library invites guests to relax and enjoy traditional Chinese music in the Garden of Flowing Fragrance, one of the largest Chinese-style gardens outside of China. This cross-cultural garden was designed to promote Chinese culture and traditions, while maintaining the artistic and scholarly vision of Henry Huntington.

The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens
1151 Oxford Rd
San Marino, CA 91108
(626) 405-2100