On LA

A love letter to the city of sunshine, subcultures, and contradictions—forever inspiring, even from afar.

Los Angeles.

It's so intimidating to me. There is this pioneer spirit, a rugged individualism, an ability to hike (ha) that I don’t have. The vast skies seem endless. There are swimming pools. And yeah, there are movie stars. There are massive freeways that require mad skills. I have always been awed by its scale and natural beauty.

The way the light shifts around 3 pm in Santa Monica. Running on the beach. Mohawk General Store. Melrose. Undefeated. Abbot Kinney. Gjelina. My workouts before production days at Yas or Circuit Works. The Viceroy—so many nights at the Viceroy. Another time. Another world.

People are afraid to merge on freeways in Los Angeles.

Subcultures. Motorcycles. Rawk. Metal. The music: Pet Sounds. Joni. CSN. X. LA Beastie Boys. Van Halen. The Go Gos.

Bret Easton Ellis. Star gazing at the Brentwood Country Mart. A beautiful vapidness. Emptiness. Loneliness. Repo Man.

The old Wabi Sabi. Hama in Venice. SUGARFISH. The solo dates I’d take myself on during breaks from work at Shutters: a huge salad, a glass of chard, and an ocean view. Or a canyon view. Or a mountain view. Or a breakfast burrito.

Topanga. Malibu. That drive along the PCH.

Cantor’s. The old Fred Segal—omg the old Fred Segal on Melrose. Beverly Hills. Nate and Al’s. The Ivy. Margs and Mexican food. The ice cream sundae at the Sunset Tower. People watching. The pleasure. Fast times. THE ROSE BOWL FLEA MARKET.

The sense of possibility. Dreams. Reality. Eternal sunshine mixed with desolation.

I will never not feel inspired by LA, though part of me knows I could never live there. I don’t dare to live somewhere THAT big (and I’m a New Yorker). That driving. That fitness level. The quest for perfection can be unnerving, but the sunshine helps. And the temperature. And that breeze. And a good chopped salad.

One of my favorite things about LA is watching the news/weather in the morning. I marvel at how one city can have many climates: the west, the east, the mountains, and the valley. Nobody walks in LA.

I happened to be in LA for the Malibu fires a few years back, and I remember thinking, as the evacuations were coming into my hotel with dogs, toddlers, and very little more than the clothes on their backs, that people who live in the City of Angels are tough motherfuckers. As a New Yorker, the comparisons are always inevitable, but the natural disaster bit and parched Earth are way more deadly than anything we have here. And we’ve seen that this week, and I am so sad about it.

Big, beautiful, bizarre LA. These are the things I love, but sure, so many of you have your own LA stories to tell.

Because although I have never lived there, it’s a place I return to so often for work, life, and that gorgeous sunshine I love. I’ve met incredible people there who are like family. I have had the best times driving through the canyons with my dear friend at the helm, looking out on the obscenely beautiful view and feeling like we were on another planet. LA and Cali, in general, have always felt that way for me—otherworldly, prehistoric, and futuristic all at once.

My heart breaks for you—for all of you there. It’s been a horrible week, and this girl from the 212 is sending great, big, crazy love to the 310. What happens next is so uncertain for so many, and it’s not simply about “things” vs. running for your life with the shirt on your back. Losing a home is just incredibly traumatic, and my mind can’t even comprehend the pain.

I love cities where people go to make dreams come true. In my daydreams, I often live in Laurel Canyon or Topanga, in my little la la land, with all the other hopers and dreamers. It doesn’t always work out, but that energy has always invigorated me. Here in my town, in places like Nashville and, of course, Los Angeles. May this nightmare turn into the stuff of sweet dreams. I’ve been so impressed by the resolve, strength, and humanity I’ve seen. And if you wish to help, here are some meaningful ways to contribute locally and anywhere around the globe. The list below is a great resource.

And finally, I didn’t make this playlist, but it’s fun to listen to, remember all the good, and think about what will be great again. Here’s hoping. XO