California, Here I Am
Not too long ago, there was a show on T.V. called the O.C. I watched this show with and loved it. The opening credits began with a tune that went, “California, Californiaaaa, here we come!” Like most things in my life, I couldn’t imagine i’d be here in California. Even stranger, I live about twenty minutes from where they filmed the O.C. Life is full of twisted turns.
I’ve been in the LBC for about a month; there are a lot of cool things about this area. My neighborhood is called the Belmont Shore. Its pretty much the Southwestern corner of LA county. The neighborhood is comprised of homes and small apartment buildings. The streets are sandwiched between the beach, a harbor, downtown Long Beach and PCH—Pacific Coast Highway. Running through the heart of The Shore is 2nd Street. I’m happy with live within walking distance of this Main Street. Its dotted with restaurants, bars, post office, shops and pretty much anything you’d need. It keeps life simple and walkable.
I’ve had a chance to experience a few spots. The sushi joint, Yen, is good but too expensive. Babbets Feast is delicious and serves huge breakfasts. Dinner at Vints is top class and a little highbrow. Once, I ate early Open Seasme. You need to in order to beat the rush. Their Lebanese food is tasty, light and filling. Taco Surf is the spot for Fish Taco. Its so fresh! So far, my favorite is George’s. Its authentic Greek. I keep it simple with Gyro and fries. I like waiting for take-out because they have an amazing bottled Greek beer. This is a smooth transition into the bar scene. Happy Hour has been fun at Belmont Station. They feature $1 tacos with cheap drafts. Legends has huge beers, but its just American light beers. Ripleys has huge mugs and a cool outdoor patio with great seats in the sun. I’ve only been to Quinns one time, but I am routing for this place to be my spot. Its a small Irish Pub with a great atmosphere, cool people, digital jukebox and a good tap selection that includes Peroni. They have PBR on tap happy hour—now their speaking my language.
Right after we got to Long Beach, Teresa and purchased Beach Cruisers. Its the first bicycle I’ve enjoyed in years. In Baltimore, I commuted on bikes, but they were from the Goodwill. My new cruiser is a single gear with wide handle bars and a laid back attitude. Its my primary means of transportation. Out on the beach, there is a concrete path for bikers and runners. Teresa and I cruise in the evening. Its really awesome to smell, hear and enjoy the ocean on a regular basis. We also use the bikes to get vegetables. On Sundays, we head south through Naples to a Farmers Market at Alamitos Bay Marina. The roads are intertwined with harbors, canals and beaches. Its an awesome way to grab food for the week. Just past Alamitos Bay is Orange County. That is right, we ride to the O.C. The first town is Seal Beach. Its smaller and quieter than The Belmont Shore. However, it has a cool street with boutiques, bars, restaurants and yogurt. My favorite bar is near the corner of Main Street and Ocean. I can't remember its name, but it features the same large glasses as Ripleys. These guys are even cold frosted. There is a sweet German place, Abbey's, with awesome sausage and Paulaner on tap. Slice of New York has it by the slice and its perfect. Finally, there is an amazing yogurt place. Its real yogurt that has been frozen. Its rich and full of flavor. I like to add mango. The best part of these adventures is the ride. Having a Beach Cruiser is too much fun.
Since there is so much to do, you can’t be limited to walking or a bike. I’ve had to jump in the car a few times. One Friday night, Teresa and I rode up to West Hollywood. Its like visiting another country. It was my first trip into L.A. We rode down the Sunset Strip to the House of Blues. We had tickets for Xavier Rudd. This street is packed with fancy cars, people dressed expensively and lots of brew-ha-ha. It is a different than anything I’ve scene. The venue was really cool. Its very small, but has good sound. We were able to snag a spot between the bar and VIP area stage left. Xavier Rudd brought down the house. He is up on stage without shoes, slamming away on drums, playing a Didgeridoo and singing about Mother Earth. Right in front of me, guys in expensive sport coats are dancing with plastic girls. It was a weird mix. I saw more real life fake boobs than ever before. All that mess aside, the show was awesome. Xavier Rudd is all high energy. He transforms his beautiful songs into a foot stomping, percussion driven good time. It was a memorable show, just plain different. Different, at least for me, seems to be the theme.
One Sunday afternoon, Teresa, myself and our friends Lela and Nancy went to Laguna Beach. Ya know, that T.V. on MTV? Its gorgeous. Sea Cliffs meet Pacific with beaches nestled in between. The PCH runs right through it all and makes for a spectacular drive. Its a sweet spot. We spent the afternoon lying on the beach. It is much cleaner and enjoyable than Long Beach. We finished the afternoon at a local pub. Here is the rub, Miller Lite was $6 on tap. Its an expensive yet gorgeous spot.
I know, I’ll be here for sometime. I’ve got a lease until next summer, so that is longer than I spent in Oregon. In all seriousness, it feels like a spot I could live. My reservations aren’t too strong. They’re more general relocation reservations. I still really miss my friends and family on the East Coast. Maybe I’ll miss fall, but we’ll see what happens in time. I am happy for the people. I’ve meet a lot of good ones. People make the community, and it seems to be good here.
