A random selection from the site

  • Citizens Bank Building from “The Sting”

    Citizens Bank Building from “The Sting”

    ‘ Upon landing my new gig writing for Los Angeles magazine’s CityThink blog, I comprised a list of iconic SoCal locales to spotlight in my weekly column, one of which was the Santa Monica Pier Carousel from 1973’s The Sting.  The only problem was that I had never actually seen The Sting.  Neither had the…

  • Johnie’s Coffee Shop Restaurant on Wilshire

    Johnie’s Coffee Shop Restaurant on Wilshire

    ‘ Because I encountered so much filming location misinformation while researching my post on Bob’s Big Boy Broiler in Downey last week, I decided that I just had to write a blog about the place’s sister eatery, the now-defunct Johnie’s Coffee Shop Restaurant on Wilshire Boulevard in the Miracle Mile District of Los Angeles, which…

  • The Southern Hotel from Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” Music Video

    The Southern Hotel from Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” Music Video

    ‘ The Grim Cheaper often accuses me of beating a dead horse.  While I typically don’t agree with him, today’s post is pretty concrete evidence that he’s right, because here I am yet again with yet another article about the diner from Michael Jackson’s 1983 “Beat It” music video.  Today actually marks the fourth time…

  • Dolly Green’s House from “Eye for an Eye”

    Dolly Green’s House from “Eye for an Eye”

    ‘ Taking a break today from my many Gossip Girl posts, I thought I would write about a residence that I stalked with fellow stalker Chas, from the It’sFilmedThere website, way back in mid-July.  While he was in town for a little Southern California stalking vacay, the two of us, along with his super-sweet mother,…

  • Jefferson Market Garden

    Jefferson Market Garden

    ‘ Another Sex and the City  location that I re-stalked while in New York last month was Jefferson Market Garden, the spot where the series’ ever-present cynic Miranda Hobbs finally married long-time boyfriend Steve Brady in the Season 6 episode entitled “The Ick Factor”.  I first stalked this location back in December of 2006, but…

  • The Real Clark W. Griswold House?

    The Real Clark W. Griswold House?

    ‘ I absolutely love Christmastime! Halloween may be my favorite holiday, but the weeks leading up to Christmas are definitely my favorite time of year. Each November I start looking forward to the red and green decorations lining city streets, the twinkle lights adorning houses and store windows, Starbucks eggnog lattes, carolers, the general goodwill…

  • The “Rain Man” Convenience Store

    The “Rain Man” Convenience Store

    ‘ Back in February, while doing research on the Hollywood Hills apartment building where Charlie Babbitt (Tom Cruise) lived in 1988’s Rain Man, I came across a September 2004 article on the Palm Springs Life website titled “Quiet on the Set” about filming in the Coachella Valley.  And, let me tell you, I just about…

  • Jen’s House from “Dead to Me”

    Jen’s House from “Dead to Me”

    ‘ The Grim Cheaper and I admittedly become obsessed with a lot of shows.  But it is a rare occasion (at least as of late) to find ourselves consumed by a series filmed entirely in L.A. (Bosch and Brooklyn Nine-Nine notwithstanding).  Darn runaway production!  So I was ecstatic to discover the thrilling, hilarious AND locally…

  • Bing Crosby’s Palm Desert House – Where JFK Trysted with Marilyn Monroe

    Bing Crosby’s Palm Desert House – Where JFK Trysted with Marilyn Monroe

    ‘ Last month, shortly before I headed off to Switzerland, my dad loaned me the book Killing Kennedy, which he had just finished reading. Because there was a chapter devoted to my girl Miss Marilyn Monroe, he thought I might enjoy it. And enjoy it, I did. I could hardly put it down! The chapter…

  • My “Sex and the City” Bachelorette Party

    My “Sex and the City” Bachelorette Party

    ‘ As I mentioned in Tuesday’s blog, this past weekend I headed up to Northern California to celebrate my final days of singlehood with a bachelorette party in San Francisco.  My friends Nat and Kylee planned the entire celebration and until I actually arrived at the party site, I had absolutely no idea of what…