Save Windward Farms, Celebrate Hama Sushi!

Hi there. I MISS you all. Life has been nuts, and really hard, battling to keep my mother in good care in Minnesota. I meant to post this on Monday, but in all the mayhem going on in my life, it's happening today.... have a great and safe weekend, please!


It's even harder to be away from Venice when so many of our favorite haunts are disappearing. Canal Club closed while I've been away, Surfside closed, Kifune closing, Baja Cantina closing ... but the heaviest hammer so far was the news that our neighborhood grocer would be closing ... Windward Farms had their rent increased 120%, making it impossible to stay open and be able to charge their customers their always reasonable prices on their great food.

Then, to rub salt in the very deep community wound, it was announced that Great White would be taking over the space, and they let everyone know with an open letter that was right up there with the audacity of Adidas' absurd claim that they were "Defining Venice". Great White thought that they created the vibrancy to the corner of Windward & Pacific, and they had caused locals to return to the area. What?! Uh, no. Hecho En Venice creator, Oscar Galan, had his first surf shop right where Great White now is, and I promise you that you don't get any more local than that.

Windward Farms has ALWAYS been for locals, and you knew you would always run into someone you knew while you were stopping in for some basics, or for an excellent smoothie, quesadilla, or chicken salad (my jams). You could zip in to grab a bottle of wine to enjoy with your meal up the street at Venice Cucina. You could go get that quart of milk or thing of flour you forgot for your recipe already underway at home (me more than once).

It was a true neighborhood institution, and everyone that came out to show their love and support for Windward Farms when they heard the news was right. Greed IS ruining Venice.

The outpouring of love - and total outrage - means that there has been a reprieve given, and Windward Farms is still open for business as of now. They are apparently renegotiating the lease, and obviously everyone hopes for the best. Especially me, who does not want to have missed out on one more smoothie! Venice needs Windward Farms, and that's that.

On a happier note (but sad for me), I also missed the 40th Anniversary party of Hama Sushi! FORTY YEARS of sushi in Venice, there in the Windward Circle in the shadow of the Venice sign, that was lit up in Hama colors for the occasion!

There was a block party with live music and cool cars and all the Venice friends and customers mingling over sushi and sake happily - realizing there are still some local institutions that are thriving and not going anywhere. Thank God.

Congratulations and love to Windward Farms for still being open, and for getting to know how very beloved you are! Congratulations to Hama Sushi, Esther Chaing, and all of the staff for the wonderful milestone of your 40th year in Venice!

WE LOVE YOU BOTH!!!! And I sure do miss you.

*Windward Farms photos by Ray Rae/Venice Beach Photos

*Hama photo one from John Vester, two from Todd Van Hoffman

The Doors Of Venice

It's no wonder the band, The Doors, came up with their name in Venice. They were talking about The Doors Of Perception (by Aldous Huxley), but they could just as easily have been talking about the actual Doors in Venice. Just about every block has a house with some kind of a cool door, and that's one of the things that I've always loved about our little beach community - its creativity!

This one is tucked away on a dead end street near the beach, and I just love its little painted plants and sense of whimsy ... by someone called Luis P. Door. Adorable.

One of the few new homes following this fun precedent is on Rialto, and has a kind of desert oasis vibe ...

Then there's the one that looks like a gateway to a Balinese paradise ...

This little entryway in the Oakwood neighborhood made my day one day ...

And you have to have the Mosaic House in any conversation about doors ...

Though just a random sample of the cool doors around Venice, there are probably enough to make a cool book - just another of my million ideas that I hope to make happen one day. I hope that more homeowners will join in, as it's such an easy way to welcome people in a fun way! I also recently learned about embroidery on screens, so let's hope soon every door and window in Venice is a good time to look at.

 I love the famous quote from Joseph Campbell ...

Follow your bliss and the Universe will open doors where there were only walls. 

Feel free to send me shots of the doors you love - or your own when you follow your bliss and finish it!

Help The Helpers!

So ... yesterday, like a mere hour after I posted my Help Yourself story about the lovely person putting food out for our people living on the streets, I randomly met the lovely woman walking down Lincoln. "Momma Eileen", a Venice elder and longtime resident, stopped me on the street as she recognized me from social media postings. She had no idea I had just posted about her humanitarian efforts, and when we got to talking (after she hugged me close knowing what I've been dealing with in regards to my Mom's hospitalization), I figured out that she was the benevolent party telling people to "Help yourself!" She was upset. Neighbors had complained, and asked her to put away her food. WHAT?!

In the food's place, there is now a new chalk message, apologizing to our homeless, and urging them to seek help at St. Joseph's. Her jerk neighbors (Developers, of course) complained that the food would attract rats - which to them I assume means human beings that need food. All of the food was in sealed packages, aside from fruit that grows in nearly every Venice yard - that rodents already know about. If it's in a tree or on a fence makes no difference. The only difference here is in the size of the hearts in the parties we're talking about.

I'm seething mad about this, and in that kind of mood where no one should get in your way because you can't take much more. What is WRONG with people, that they would complain about someone helping others? Momma Eileen was even concerned with backlash, and that these heartless wretches would target her in some way if she didn't comply with their complaints to take the food away. Let them try. Not on my watch. The good news is that she gets to keep being her wonderful self, while those fools have to live with their rotten souls, not to mention their karma.

It's time to vote out any and all parties from the Developer/Nimby camps in the upcoming Venice Neighborhood Council elections. It's time to take a moment to examine your own biases and agendas, and come to the realization that we're all in this together, and cruelty gets no one anywhere. It's time to look out for each other, and reclaim our beautiful - and strong - Community for the creative, humanitarian, artistic vortex bubble we've always been proud to be a part of. It's time to join people like Momma Eileen in sharing what we have, no matter what some dickhead neighbor says. If EVERYONE joins in on efforts like hers, the few remaining selfish parties' complaints will cease to matter, because they will be look like the petty, lost souls that they are.

Help the Helpers ... before it's too late (and by that I mean a brewing class war that no one wants, and that no one can win). Thank you, THANK YOU to people like Momma Eileen for trying to make the world a better place every day. I have your backs, and celebrate your very existence.

You're Not Beer

I've been pretty busy this week with deadlines for stuff I'm working on, and didn't get much of a chance to be out and about as much in Venice (plus it's freezing!) to have its stories to tell, but this morning I had at least two things make me smile, so thought I'd share with you to wish you a happy weekend. I needed a breakfast burrito from Hinano, so cruised over there to procure it. The sign outside cracked me up:

"Stop trying to make everybody happy ... you're not beer!" Excellent (but you can still try!). Then I headed over to the Venice Farmer's Market after scarfing my burrito on the sand, and just look at these blue orchids the orchid guy had!

Impressive. Stunning. Beautiful. That, along with my favorite beverage in the world - Polito Farms blood orange juice - pretty much made my day. And I haven't even been to the first Art Crawl of the year yet! That's tonight, mostly on Abbot Kinney (try to ignore First Friday stuff), and I hope to see all of you lovely people there.

Cheers to beers!

Once In A While You Get Shown The Light ...

In keeping with yesterday's theme of Venice offering up the message you need when you need it ... today I was heading back from the Farmer's Market on a brisk but bright and sunny morning, and there it was. Another sign. This time on a fence, that caught my eye because of the happy little yellow flowers peeking out from underneath of it, like, "Look here!"

More truth. "Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right." Yes, you do. And a little "Scarlet Begonias" quote from the Grateful Dead is always fine. And right after I saw this yet another sign from the Universe, I had a meeting where some light was shown to a project of mine, from a source that I hadn't thought of at all. I hope I'm looking at it right, and that it all works out, but either way, it reinforced the notion that being shown the light often happens in unexpected ways, from unexpected - often surprising - sources. Especially if you're open to it - wide open.

Take this sidewalk wisdom with you as you launch into the weekend, and if you're also looking for some light on a subject, I sure hope you find it! Best of luck!

*A great place to find light - at least lightheartedness! - will be at tomorrow's Venice Mardi Gras celebration! We meet at the Rose Avenue parking lot at the Boardwalk at noon, and parade from there to party at Surfside. Hope to see you out there letting the good times roll!

Journey Well!

Beach walks happen rain or shine, so this morning when I was checking out the day, I cut down the Boardwalk instead of the usual sand and saw this groovy pad all painted up in positivity, and it made me smile. This is what you want to see on the homes of Venice, California when you visit ... a declaring of peace and love in vivid color!

Angel Starlove is also a name that you'd want someone living in Venice (in "Vortexland"!) to have, and when I looked it up, sure enough, she's a groovy hippie chick, just like you'd want to see frolicking about on Ocean Front Walk. I don't know her (yet), but I appreciate her color and vibes, especially on such a cold and gloomy day. I was feeling pretty bleak, about the world at large, but also personal stuff that you don't talk about publicly. When I looked up from dodging puddles and noticed that someone had taken the time to wish everyone well, it honestly made me feel a little better about things. Everything is about attitude and outlook, and Angel Starlove helped mine improve ... so Thank you! And to everyone going anywhere today, even just on a walk to the beach ... Journey well!

Wish!

I'm leaving bright and early tomorrow morning for the North Country, and so had to go greet the ocean this morning as I'll miss it while I'm home for Christmas. The waves are huge and it's like fireworks watching them, oohing and aahing at the majesty. I do the same thing when it's snowing, so I'm good most anywhere, but they're both their own kind of special. On the way back to get packing, I cut through the canals and crossed the "Wish" bridge, as it had been too dark to really read the wishes on the night of the canal parade.

The idea of putting your best wishes out there to flutter in the wind, in the hopes of them being granted ... I find it lovely. The majority of the hand written wishes were big ideas, like for the world, not the individual and that was nice to see. I'm a big fan of adventures and memories over stuff, so wishing for material things hasn't been my thing for a long time - not when we live in the world we do. Wishes need to be bigger and better ... for the whole humanity picture at this point.

That's why I zeroed in on the wish below ... that "Humanity would realize the beauty they are ... to truly be in their full potential ...  to love freely ... to find the warrior of light within." Man. I couldn't have wished any better myself. Times have gotten so mean and snarky and selfish and greedy ... that it brings you to tears when someone posts a video of someone else doing some sweet, little thing that should just be automatic. We all have it in us to be kind, to be humane ... to be giving of ourselves. There's no material thing out there that can give you the same feeling of kindness without expectation, and knowing that you made someone else feel happier, even if just for a moment. To me, that's what this season is all about. I bet if we all wish for these things together, it will just BE.

I read a great quote from Paul Klee this morning on my word a day page, and it said, "Art should be like a holiday: something to give a (wo)man the opportunity to see things differently, and to change (her) his point of view." Yes. Let us take this opportunity of this beautiful holiday to see things in a new, more humane way, not to just change our point of view, but to change this world. It can be done. With love.

So, I WISH you all a wonderful holiday! I'm going on hiatus for Christmas break back home, but I can't wait to share all of the good stories that are coming in our new year ... in our new world that we wished for. Christmas love to all!

Your Christmas Carol , CJG

Wabi Sabi Gutted In Early Morning Fire On Abbot Kinney

I got a text from my dear friend Troy this morning that Wabi Sabi (It's always Wabi Sabi to us) had gone up in flames early this morning. The news spread like wildfire itself, with the whole Venice community gasping and wondering what happened.

The fire is suspected to have been caused by an electrical issue, and the only good thing about it is that no one was hurt and it happened when it was empty. The buildings on either side (Tasting Kitchen and Gorjana) seem to be fine, and all three were probably saved by the fact that the atrium in the middle of Wabi has ventilation for the flames to go up and exit through. I talked to Troy and some other employees and they hear that the popular and beloved Venice eatery on Abbot Kinney will be reopened by New Year's - at least the bar part. That seems mighty optimistic based on the photos they sent me, but I'm all for optimism.

The holidays always make me a little nervous about fires, with dry trees and lights and candles and drinking and all of that, but electrical fires seem like they could/should be avoided. The extra sad part about all of this is that it IS the holidays, and now there are a whole bunch of people without work. Here's hoping that insurance will pay them while the place is being rebuilt ... and/or that neighboring businesses will offer them to pick up some shifts with them, as has happened in the past in other circumstances. The hospitality industry is pretty good about looking out for each other, so I feel good about that being the case.

Wabi Sabi has been a neighborhood hang for a good long time now, and an excellent member of our community. They host local artists to show their work all of the time, complete with receptions for the aritst. They donate to community events, and even gave a gift card for my own silent auction for our 90291: VENICE UNZIPPED documentary. It's one of the few places on Abbot Kinney that you will still see old school locals, especially after the original Hal's closed. The Wabi folks are good people, and they care. It is my hope that the community responds in kind now that Wabi could really use it.

I walked by a while ago, after the flames had all been doused, and it doesn't look as bad from the outside. I was told that the hot kitchen is fine, and that the bar was still fairly intact, so they may be able to open that part sooner than the rest, which could just be walled off while being fixed up. I hate to think of all those beautiful plants hanging in the atrium all ablaze, but that little zone is really most likely what kept it from being far worse. Wabi Venice will rise again - and we'll all be there to support them and celebrate the Venice spirit that will not keep them down. A sad day for Wabi and those who love it ... but also yet another reminder to support and care about the people and places you love WHILE you have them.

We love you, Wabi! We'll be there right when you open those doors once again.

Venice Does Halloween '18 Right!

It feels like Halloween started like a month ago, but the real deal was last night, and it was so fun.
After all the parties and Electric Bike Parades and school Halloween events and theme parks and hay rides happening the last couple of weeks, Venice had the Halloween spirit down all over town, with yards and homes decked out with a ton of fake spider webs, lots of cemeteries, and ghosts, goblins, skeletons, and monsters of all shapes and sizes.

 

People were walking around in costume all day, at their jobs, in their cars ... folks were feeling it. It was a perfect day for trick or treating, nice and balmy even after the sun went down.

 It's always the cutest to see little ones out for their first Halloween trick or treat, and Miss Magnolia was out as a little lamb. The most darling little lamb ever, I mean, with her Chef mom brandishing a meat cleaver, for good Halloween measure (not pictured, but hilarious).

 A lot of people like to take their kids to the walk streets for trick or treating, but my favorite Halloween zone in Venice has always been Rialto Avenue.

Though a lot more sparsely decorated this year, it was still the best. Our headquarters was our longtime friends, Russ and Harry's house, where cocktails were served and we passed out candy to all the little kids out having a blast.

A highlight every years the Haunted House at Dillinger's house, and this year was the best one yet. I actually screamed a blood-curdling scream after one good jump-scare from a terrifying werewolf that jumped out at me (Hi Dillinger, if that was you!). Excellent work.

The Haunted House corner was kind of the main hub of activity for Rialto this year, as the street filled with kids and their adults in one costume better than the next. Baby Trump even made an appearance!

I didn't get a picture that turned out of the cutest little costume of the night ... a baby chick that was so tiny you couldn't stand it. That kid should wear that outfit every day, they could write their own ticket. This one little Hulk cracked me up - because look at him (or her) - but also because it had big mitts on that made it nearly impossible to get the candy out of the bowl without a little help. That kid kept on trying though!

Old friends and neighbors greeted one another up and down the block, even if sometimes you had to be told who was who, so well-costumed were many of the usually familiar faces. Like Dennis as Little Boy Peep.

Russ and Harry were kind of Eyes Wide Shut beaked creatures that were pretty scary, especially if you're a toddler. I love that they have their open house every year, keeping this Venice tradition alive. It was one friend's kid's first Halloween on Rialto, and I wanted them to see the house that turns into a big dragon every year, but I was sad to be told that they had moved away. I guess they didn't share the drill with the new people, because that whole end of Rialto closest to the post office was completely dead - and not in a Halloween way, but in a non-participating way. Lame.

Kids got so much candy that their bags were nearly bigger than them ... which soon meant meltdowns and tired parents. Once it was bedtime, the grownups got down to socializing over on the walk streets, which were also pretty decked out.  While hanging out over on Nowita, I got a call from my brother, who had an extra ticket to see Thee Oh Sees downtown at the Teragram Ballroom. I was in.

We raced downtown, in time to see Thee Oh Sees shred it up for a bunch of costumed moshers. I laughed every time I looked at the drummer (there's two) who was dressed up as Macho Man Randy Savage, fake muscles and all. The Smurf on bass was pretty good too.

Sweaty, spent, and fully rocked, we made our way back to Venice, with another excellent community Halloween celebration on the books! Good job, Venice ... you're the best.

Two Sides Of Venice

There are a lot more than two sides to Venice, really, but when I was out walking to my friend's house yesterday, I saw two examples of some stark differences right by each other. The first was natural beauty that was so stunning, you simply had to stop and stare. I love a hibiscus, and this one was among the top ones I've ever seen. Pink and orange and perfect there in the sunshine, it made you think about how almost heartbreakingly beautiful Venice can be.

Then, right around the corner I saw a trash can out for pick up, and the people had written on its side just exactly how they feel: We do what we want. We don't care ... Fuck the System. It's hard to disagree with ... and kind of how I've always thought of Venice. We do what we want ... we don't care what others think ... and most of us moved here because we don't agree with the system everywhere else. Only now it's starting to BE like everywhere else here a bit ... and that's why I think people get so upset, and so protective, and so argumentative ... because you're either feeling the uniqueness of Venice slipping away - or among the ones making that happen. Both are at odds. And the new ones that are trying to make Venice like everywhere else just don't get it. There's a long history of beauty, and art, and rebels, and music makers ... and the dreamers of dreams who want to live somewhere special, like nowhere else. In our Venice. In our COMMUNITY of like-minded friends and neighbors.

Beauty. Rebellion. That's my Venice. For as long as we can make it so.

KCRW's Summer Nights Backyard Party With Jim James!

I finally got to see the new KCRW Headquarters in Santa Monica on Saturday night when they held their Summer Nights Backyard Party in the courtyard of their super impressive new digs on Pennsylvania Avenue. The bonus to seeing the new space was that it was for a Jim James (My Morning Jacket) solo gig, and I'll go see that dude anywhere.

It was a perfectly gorgeous evening for an outdoor concert, and the line for the first come, first to get in line stretched around the block for this really fun - and free - event. The crowd was very KCRW Westside Liberal, with friends and families out for a lovely neighborhood jam under the stars. DJ Liza Richardson warmed up the proceedings, spinning popular tracks while people got their buzz on with delish lavender lemonade or spicy tequila drinks - or beer. Food trucks were there, per usual, and a whole lot of schmoozing going on. So much so that when Mr. James took the stage, it was kind of subtle, like he was just all of a sudden there singing "Rainbow Power". "America needs Rainbow Power" is sung truth, and James had the crowd in his hands from then on (aside from the very chatty scenester girls that always seem to be standing near me).

"All In Your Head", "I'm Amazed", and "Just A Fool" were thrown down back to back to back, as James wove his spells among a backdrop of projected art done by Future Lighting that served up a trippy atmosphere that went perfectly with his 70's rock vibe. Backlit with hair blowing in the summer breeze, slinging a red, glittery guitar, James could have been there from a Zeppelin-era time machine. And we were all loving it.

"Throwback" was therefore an apt track to be played, and "Changing World" was straight from now. James sang about living in the now, which was crazy, because I had just run into Rocky Dawuni (another KCRW favorite, the reggae singer from Ghana) earlier and we had talked about exactly that. Living in the moment, as it's all we really have. And these moments were good ones to be living in. Glancing around, everyone seemed happy, and all cares seemed to have been forgotten, at least for the moment.

It's kind of amazing when just one guy with a guitar and no backing band can hold such a big crowd's attention (by now the place was jam packed), but James sure did. "Here In Spirit". "No Secrets". "Too Good To Be True." All awesome. James didn't talk too much, but when he did, he urged everyone to go out and see Blackkklansman - "The most important film in our lifetime". Whoa. That's a pretty hefty claim ... but now I'm going tonight. James sings about things I agree with, so I'll take this as a solid film referral (and get back to you).

"I'm excited to be here to break in this wonderful new space, what a cool place to gather, I'm honored to be here with you tonight," James addressed the surroundings, and I think we all felt the same way. James brought it home with "A New Life", "Rome", "Over And Over", and finished the set with Brian Wilson's "Love And Mercy" with its great line, and great show-ender, "Love and mercy, that's what you need tonight, Love and mercy to you and your friends tonight." How lovely - and we'll take it.

There was no encore, and after the applause died down, DJ Chris Douridas took over the turntables to spin until the party ended ... though no one wanted it to. What a delightful first visit to the new KCRW Campus! If you haven't yet checked it out, there's another Summer Nights Backyard Party next Saturday - this time with Henry Rollins! Yessss!

Bu-huuuut, Oh! Those Su-hum-mer Niiiii-iiiiiights! See you there.

*Photos courtesy Everett Fitzpatrick for KCRW.

Jack Prichett Photo Exhibit Opens At Hal's - Night Vision: The City After Dark

Hal's Venice was jam packed last night for the opening of an exhibit of photography by Jack Prichett. A longtime capturer of Venice images, Prichett was showing work from his series called Night Vision: The City After Dark, which were all metal plate images of Venice and L.A. proper.

Guests mingled and schmoozed in the main room at Hal's on Abbot Kinney, as our favorite waiters walked around with trays of nibbles, like sliders and little shots of tomato soup. Yum.

Other Venice artists were on hand, like the wonderful Amy Kaps (fresh from her performance at Red Cat!), who introduced me to Mr. Prichett, who amazingly I'd never met before.

That's a cool thing about living in Venice ... you think you know just about everyone, and then you go to something, and you meet a whole new crew of wonderfully talented folks whose paths you just haven't crossed yet. A new friendship around every corner.

It was a BIG weekend, so my Hal's visit was brief, but I left having seen more cool art in Venice (on display at Hal's Abbot Kinney for the next month), and with new friends to boot.

Thanks again, Venice. XO