Tag: losangeles

Spice Up Your Night With Virtual Events

Enjoy a taste of tiki, go hog wild at Hogwarts, or experience a magical candlelight concert – all from the comfort of home. Virtual experiences are bigger than ever, and the choices are almost limitless! Everything from online cocktail classes and craft fairs, to amusement park rides – and even a haunted house – are right at your fingertips – literally! Just grab your favorite digital device, pour yourself a nice beverage, curl up on your comfy couch, and get ready to spice up your night with virtual events.

Natural History Museum First Fridays Connected

First Fridays is connecting NHM and L.A. to you live, directly into your home. Dive into timely discussions and rock out to music right in your living room. Grab your own cocktail, put on your best home attire, turn up the volume, and get ready for an amazing Friday. This event is free, but reservations are required. End times may vary. One reservation per household/device. Zoom and YouTube Live links will be emailed to you when you register.

Renegade Craft Virtual Fair

Every Friday & Saturday in May For two hours each day at the Renegade Craft Virtual Fair, dive into artists’ portals and connect with creatives from all over the world. Look forward to behind the scenes demos, studio and home tours, Q+A’s, fireside chats, tutorials, meditations, performances, how-to’s, DJ sets, and much more! Renegade Craft is a curated marketplace of makers, designers, doers, and dreamers. Established in Chicago in 2003 and growing through steady, organic support, Renegade has become the broadest reaching craft showcase in the world, hosting over 3,000 artists at 20 events in 10 cities, and attracting over 300,000 attendees annually.

Los Angeles Beer Festival Digital Edition

May 9 Los Angeles Beer Festival is going digital this year as they bring the beer straight to you while you stream the tastings with different breweries, guests, games, and band performances. A case of 10 special release beers and brewery swag can be picked up at select locations. The case features beers from 10 different local and regional breweries. A video link will be sent to all guests and on Saturday May 9th at 7pm, so you can enjoy the guided tastings of each beer from their distinct brewmaster or ambassador in the comfort of your own living room. There will also be band performances and interactive games. Cheers!

Candlelight Concerts

May 10 This candlelit evening, let the elegant strokes of piano keys take you on a journey through time, from Beethoven to Gershwin. You’ll transition from the worlds of Classical to Popular as soloist Serene expertly carries the music from her piano to your living room, all while bathed in the gentle glow of candlelight. This special edition will be hosted by a Master of Ceremonies, who will accompany you this magical evening, informing you about the music in question and providing you with information about the composer. A concert pianist of unique talent, Serene has followed anything but the conventional path to the forefront of her field. Her repertoire is vast, displaying her love of composers from Bach to Ligeti to Stravinsky.

Virtual Tiki Cocktail Seminar from the Acey Deucey Club

May 15 & 22 Enjoy a taste of tiki from the comfort of your home. The Acey Deucey Club invites you to join a virtual cocktail making seminar. Meet two characters from this pop-up submarine-themed tiki bar. This virtual event will deliver a tiki cocktail kit to your home with all of the ingredients needed for double servings of two cocktail creations. Not a pro bartender? Don’t stress. Live assistance from the Engineers, the resident cocktail experts, will guide you through crafting two cocktails that will get you in the tiki spirit.

Virtual Comedy Tour

Various Dates Meld your love of couch surfing with stand-up comedy. Professional comedians from all over the country share a barrel of laughs with you during this comedy-necessary time. Spice up your routine with jokes and escape from the abnormal norm.

Experience Your Favorite Amusement Park Rides

Virtual experiences are bigger than ever – and now that includes amusement park rides. During their visits, park-goers have spread their experiences on YouTube by filming the rides as they go on them. From Disney World‘s “Frozen Ever After” to Universal’s “Harry Potter & The Forbidden Journey,” and Disneyland’s “Pirates of the Caribbean Ride,” and “Indiana Jones Thrill Ride,” viewers at home now get to witness the narrative rides as though they’re actually there.

Winchester Mystery House Horror Tour

The Winchester Mystery House® is an architectural wonder and historic landmark in San Jose, California that was once the personal residence of Sarah Lockwood Pardee Winchester, the widow of William Wirt Winchester and heiress to a large portion of the Winchester® Repeating Arms fortune. What started as an eight-room farmhouse can only be described as the world’s longest home renovation, prompting speculation that Sarah was haunted by the ghosts of those felled by the “Gun that Won the West.” The Winchester Mystery House is offering guests unprecedented access to the world’s most bizarre mansion with an all-new Winchester Mystery House Immersive 360° Tour. This virtual experience allows guests to independently roam each level of the mansion, while exploring many rooms previously inaccessible on standard Estate tours.

Photo credits:

Photo #1: Universal Studios Hollywood

Photo #2: Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

Photo #3: Renegade Craft Virtual Fair

Photo #4: Los Angeles Beer Festival

Photo #5: Candlelight Concert

Photo #6: Acey Deucey Club

Photo #7: Virtual Comedy Tour

Photo #8: Universal Studios Hollywood

Photo #9: Winchester House

Take a Virtual Tour of UNESCO World Heritage Sites

What do Stonehenge, the Taj Mahal, Château de Versailles, and Machu Picchu all have in common? These breathtaking monuments have all been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, selects World Heritage Sites based on cultural, historical, scientific, or other form of significance judged to be important for the collective and preservative interests of humanity. Today there are 869 cultural World Heritage Sites around the world.

Now you can visit some of the most popular UNESCO World Heritage Sites with virtual tours from Google Earth, Google Arts and Culture, and other digital platforms – all from the comfort of home! To access your virtual tour, tap or click on each monument’s name which appears in bold below.

Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal is an immense mausoleum of white marble, built in Agra between 1631 and 1648 by order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife. The Taj Mahal is the jewel of Muslim art in India and is considered to be the greatest architectural achievement in the whole range of Indo-Islamic architecture.

Great Sphinx of Giza, Egypt

The Great Sphinx of Giza, commonly referred to as the Sphinx, is a limestone statue of a reclining or couchant sphinx (a mythical creature with a lion’s body and a human head) that stands on the Giza Plateau on the west bank of the Nile in Giza, Egypt. The face of the Sphinx is generally believed to represent the face of the Pharaoh Khafra.

The Pyramids of Giza, Egypt

In ancient times, the Great Pyramid of Giza was considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Today it is the last standing wonder of the ancient world, as the other five were destroyed by fire or earthquakes. The capital of the Old Kingdom of Egypt is known for its extraordinary funerary monuments, including rock tombs, ornate mastabas, temples and pyramids.

Château de Versailles

Listed for the past 30 years as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Palace of Versailles constitutes one of the finest achievements of French art of the 17th century. The former hunting lodge of Louis XIII was transformed and extended by his son Louis XIV who installed here the Court and the government of France in 1682. Up until the French Revolution, a line of kings succeeded each other, each taking his turn to embellish the Palace, The Hall of Mirrors, the King’s Grand Apartments, and the gardens. The Palace of Versailles is one of the most visited cultural sites in the world today.

Stonehenge 

Take an interactive tour of Stonehenge with 360 degree views from inside the monument, courtesy of English Heritage. Located in south Wiltshire, Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites are home to some of the most famous megaliths in the world. The significance of these prehistoric monuments is still being explored and understood. English Heritage cares for over 400 historic buildings, monuments and sites, from world-famous prehistoric sites and grand medieval castles to Roman forts and a Cold War bunker. 

Machu Picchu, Peru

Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca citadel in the Eastern Cordillera of southern Peru perched on a 7,970 ft mountain ridge. It is located in the Cusco Region, Urubamba Province, Machupicchu District, above the Sacred Valley, 50 miles northwest of Cuzco. The Urubamba River flows past it, cutting through the Cordillera and creating a canyon with a tropical mountain climate.

Archaeological Areas of Pompeii, 79 CE, Italy

The impressive remains of the towns of Pompei and Herculaneum and their associated villas, buried by the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79, provide a complete and vivid picture of society and daily life at a specific moment in the past that is without parallel anywhere in the world.

Angkor Wat, 12th century CE, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Angkor Wat is a temple complex in Cambodia and the largest religious monument in the world. It was built by the Khmer King Suryavarman in the early 12th century in Yaśodharapura, the capital of the Khmer Empire, as his state temple and eventual mausoleum. The temple is at the pinnacle of the high classical style of Khmer architecture, and has become a symbol of Cambodia, appearing on its national flag and is the country’s prime attraction for visitors.

Basílica de la Sagrada Família, Barcelona, Spain

The Basílica Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família is a large Roman Catholic church designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí that has become the symbol of Barcelona, Spain. Although incomplete, the church is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and in November 2010 Pope Benedict XVI consecrated and proclaimed it a minor basilica. Construction of Sagrada Família had commenced in 1882 and Gaudí became involved in 1883, taking over the project and transforming it with his architectural and engineering style, combining Gothic and curvilinear Art Nouveau forms. Gaudí devoted his last years to the project.

The Great Wall of China

The China Guide is offering armchair travelers the chance to take a virtual hike on the Great Wall of China. As China’s most famous attraction, the Great Wall of China is an essential stop on all China tours. Commonly considered a wonder of the world, the Great Wall boasts a history of over 2,000 years and stretches more than 3,000 miles across several provinces of northern China, making it one of the most impressive ancient structures on the planet.

Photo credits:

Photo #1: English Heritage

Photo #2: Google Arts and Culture

Photo #3: Google Earth

Photo #4: Google Maps

Photo #5: Château de Versailles

Photo #6: English Heritage

Photo #7: Google Arts and Culture

Photo #8: Google Arts and Culture

Photo #9: Google Earth

Photo #10: Basilicadela Sagrada Familia

Photo #11: The China Guide

Expand Your Horizons with Online Classes from the Masters

What do MIT, MoMA and Martin Scorsese all have in common? Top universities, cultural institutions, and world-renowned experts in their field are offering online classes that you can access from the comfort of home. Digital platforms like MasterClass, Coursera and edX offer a vast range of courses from business to law, science, arts & entertainment, technology, humanities, and more. Some institutions and apps offer degrees and certifications, and many are free. Whether you’re working from home or just spending more time in, now’s the perfect opportunity to expand your horizons and learn online with the masters.

Free Online Classes from MoMA

Immerse yourself in ideas and see your world in new ways through art. In MoMA’s free Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) on Coursera, you will hear directly from artists and designers, look closely at works in our collection and exhibitions, and join a community of learners unlike any other. Enroll any time and complete the course at your own pace. Click the course below or visit coursera.org/moma to enroll. Online course learners can take the full online course and access all content for free, or they can choose to pay for a certificate of course completion, issued by Coursera. 

Coursera

Coursera is an online learning platform founded in 2012 by Stanford professors Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller that offers massive open online courses (MOOC), specializations, and degrees. Every course on Coursera is taught by top instructors from world-class universities and companies, so you can learn something new anytime, anywhere. Hundreds of free courses give you access to on-demand video lectures, homework exercises, and community discussion forums. Paid courses provide additional quizzes and projects as well as a shareable Course Certificate upon completion. Coursera collaborates with 190 leading universities and companies including CalArts, Canegie Mellon University, Duke University, Georgia Tech, Stanford University, IBM, Amazon, Google, Johns Hopkins, and more.

Class Central

Class Central is a search engine and reviews site for free online courses popularly known as MOOCs or Massive Open Online Courses. Discover thousands of free online courses from top universities around the world, including the eight Ivy League schools – Brown, Harvard, Cornell, Princeton, Dartmouth, Yale, the Columbia universities, and the University of Pennsylvania. HERE are 450 Ivy League Courses you can take online right now for free.

MasterClass

MasterClass is an online education platform where students can access tutorials and lectures pre-recorded by 80 + renowned experts in their respective fields. Categories include business, politics & society, science, design & photography, arts & entertainment, culinary arts, sports & games, and more. Instructors are a veritable who’s who of some today’s greatest luminaries such as Annie Leibovitz, Martin Scorsese, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Malcolm Gladwell, Anna Wintour, Bill Gates, Gordon Ramsey, Kelly Wearstler, Frank Gehry, Carlos Santana, and Serena Williams, to name a few. MasterClass currently has a special offer – buy one annual MasterClass and share one free. Classes are available anywhere, anytime on all your devices.

Free Online Courses from edX

Free online courses from edX is a non-profit created by founding partners Harvard and MIT, bringing the best of higher education to students around the world. EdX offers MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) and interactive online classes in subjects including law, history, science, engineering, business, social sciences, computer science, public health, and artificial intelligence (AI). 

Duolingo

Learn a new language for free with Duolingo. You can learn online or with their easy-to-use app. The bite-size lessons feel more like a game than a textbook, and that’s by design: Learning is easier when you’re having fun. But Duolingo isn’t just a game. It’s based on a methodology proven to foster long-term retention and a curriculum aligned to an international standard. Lessons focus on a real-life goal – for instance, ordering at a restaurant, going to the bank, home life, or travel. Learners develop the vocabulary and grammar needed to achieve that goal through varied practice in reading, writing, listening, and speaking.

Grasshopper

Grasshopper is a free iOS and Android app that teaches you how to code through JavaScript puzzles that you have to solve in order to progress. Move through progressively challenging levels as you develop your abilities and graduate with fundamental programming skills for your next step as a coder. Grasshopper was created by a team of passionate coders from Google’s workshop for experimental products, Area 120. Coding is becoming an essential skill and Grasshopper makes it possible for everyone to learn, even when life gets busy. 

TED Talks

Discover 3300+ talks to stir your curiosity. TED is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or less). TED began in 1984 as a conference where Technology, Entertainment and Design converged, and today covers almost all topics – from science to business to global issues – in more than 100 languages. Meanwhile, independently run TEDx events help share ideas in communities around the world.

Photo credits:

Photo #1: edX

Photo #2: MoMA

Photo #3: Coursera

Photo #4: ClassCentral

Photo #5: MasterClass

Photo #6: edX

Photo #7: Duolingo

Photo #8: Grasshopper

Photo #9: TED Talks

Earth Day Turns 50: Celebrate With Virtual Tours & Live Streaming

On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans made their voices heard for a healthy, sustainable world and the modern environmental movement was born. Celebrate by communing with nature online. Some of the most beautiful gardens and parks are offering virtual tours and live streaming, including Huntington Botanical Gardens, Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, and Theodore Payne Foundation. Google Earth has breathtaking virtual tours of 31 National Parks in the U.S. You can even watch live animal cams and get a glimpse of Aurora Borealis Northern Lights, all from the comfort of home.

Huntington Botanical Gardens Virtual Tours 

Locate and learn about thousands of flowers, plants, and trees in over 120 acres of stunning gardens with The Huntington Botanical Gardens virtual tours. Explore the Rose Garden, Chinese Garden, Camellia Collections, Japanese Garden, Conservatory, Dinosaur Plants, Mediterranean Plants, and Children’s Tour. Each tour is chock full of gorgeous photos, detailed docent narratives, maps and site plans.

Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve Live Stream

Each spring, the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve comes alive with the seasonal surprises of the Mojave Desert Grassland habitat. The wildflower season generally lasts from as early as mid-February through May, with a variety of wildflowers creating a mosaic of color that changes daily. Encompassing more than 1,700 acres, poppy blooms carpet the property’s undulating hills, and the reserve has captured its peak via live camera so you can enjoy the flower show at home! 

Theodore Payne Foundation Native Plant Online Garden Tour

Theodore Payne Foundation’s Native Plant Garden Tour is a two-day festival featuring tours of some of the most beautiful gardens in the greater Los Angeles area. This year the festival has gone digital! Through videos and photography, the foundation has captured the season in all its glory and uploaded the content for everyone to enjoy. Virtually visit 42 gardens, including strolls through the landscapes of private homes in Santa Monica, Del Rey, Long Beach and more.

Watch Cute Animal Cams

You don’t have to travel very far to enjoy the benefits of some animal observation. Watch giant pandas, bears, puppies, otters, jellyfish, giraffes, and other critters frolicking on animal cams from major zoos and wildlife parks. Check out these 10 live cams.

View the Aurora Borealis Northern Lights

Welcome to nature’s most amazing light show. Located at the Churchill Northern Studies Center in Churchill, Manitoba, this live cam is located directly underneath the aurora oval – one of the best places on earth to watch the aurora borealis, the spectacular atmospheric phenomenon better known as the Northern Lights. Late winter and early spring are the best times for the aurora, so be sure to stop in now.

Photo credits: 

Photo #1: National Zoo, Washington DC

Photo #2: Huntington Botanical Gardens

Photo #3: Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve (Courtesy of California State Parks, 2019)

Photo #4: Theodore Payne Foundation

Photo #5: Seattle Aquarium

Photo #6: Churchill Northern Studies Center

Major Arts Organizations Offer Live Streaming & Access to Digital Archives

The Culture Beat goes on! Major arts organizations, including LA Phil, LA Opera, The Met, Hammer Museum, and The Broad, are offering free live streaming and access to their digital archives! Ordinarily, you might have to pay a hefty fee for some of these services, but in the spirit of healing through art, these institutions are throwing open their virtual doors and sharing their treasures with the world. In these unprecedented times, please consider making a donation to your favorite arts organization to keep our culture beat alive and thriving!

LA Opera@Home

Opera is bigger than just a stage – that’s why LA Opera is bringing it directly into your home. Enjoy all kinds of opera from the comfort of your couch, regardless of your previous experience or knowledge of opera. Whether it’s live Living Room Recitals, broadcasts of old performances, or how-to’s with some of your favorite artists, there are a ton of ways you can #LAOAtHome.

LA Phil At Home With Gustavo

Gustavo Dudamel has partnered with KUSC in Los Angeles and KDFC in San Francisco on a new radio show that he’s recording in his home. Tune in Tuesday-Friday at 6pm and Sunday at 7pm to hear Gustavo Dudamel’s broadcast on KUSC and KDFC, both on the air and online. You can also explore LA Phil’s archives online including videos, music, podcasts, interviews, and more.

Berlin Philharmonie Digital Concert Hall

The Berlin Philharmonie is closed for now, so they will come to you. The Digital Concert Hall is now free for everyone. Redeem the voucher code BERLINPHIL and receive free access to all concerts and films. The Philharmonie Berlin has been the musical heart of Berlin since 1963. Located at the periphery of West Berlin when it opened, it became part of the new urban center after the fall of the Berlin Wall. The distinctive tent-like shape and eye-catching bright yellow color makes it one of the city’s most beloved landmarks. The unusual architecture and innovative concert hall design initially ignited controversy, but it now serves as a model for concert halls all over the world.

The Metropolitan Opera Nightly Opera Stream

During this extraordinary time, the Met hopes to brighten the lives of their audience members even while their stage is dark. The Metropolitan Opera is offering free Nightly Opera Streams on their website – performances that show off opera at its most thrilling, thought-provoking, and uplifting. Each day, a different encore presentation from the company’s Live in HD series is available for free streaming, with each performance available for a period of 23 hours, from 7:30 p.m. EDT until 6:30 p.m. the following day. The schedule will include outstanding complete performances from the past 14 years of cinema transmissions, starring all of opera’s greatest singers.

Geffen Stayhouse

Geffen Stayhouse, presented by the Geffen Playhouse, is sharing exclusive, original content every Wednesday from some of their wonderful Geffen alumns and favorite theater artists. You can also watch full-length productions of Geffen Playhouse shows on BroadwayHD, including Long Day’s Journey Into Night, featuring Alfred Molina and Jane Kaczmarek; Thom Pain, featuring Rainn Wilson (The Office); and Benjamin Scheuer’s The Lion. And as a special treat, Benjamin is presenting an exclusive performance of “Weather the Storm” from The Lion all the way from Wales, UK, where he’s hunkering down with his family.

Hammer Museum Watch & Listen

Art has the power to transport us and to give insight into pressing cultural, political, and social questions. The Hammer’s lectures, symposia, film series, readings, and performances aim to spark meaningful encounters with art and ideas. Many of these programs were recorded and you’ll find selected highlights on their website. Find more on their YouTube channel. You can also watch interviews with Hammer artists.

The Broad From Home

While The Broad may be temporarily closed, they’re still committed to inspiring and fostering an appreciation of contemporary art. Through their new digital initiatives, they are offering ways to experience #TheBroadFromHome. Find inspiration through music, videos, poetry, and conversations (from a distance!). Check out the Infinite Drone Series, a new, contemplative way of experiencing The Broad’s most popular artwork, Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrored Room—The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away. 

GRAMMY Museum at Home

The GRAMMY Museum Exhibits at Home and Programs at Home allow you to access exhibits and watch conversations with musicians and industry professionals from their archives. The GRAMMY Museum seeks to educate and inspire all Museum visitors and members as to the enduring qualities and cultural significance of all genres of music.

LACO at Home

Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra’s LACO AT HOME allows people everywhere to engage and listen to spellbinding performances with “America’s finest chamber orchestra” — no subscription, sign-up, or payment required. We may not be able to gather together to share music in person, but current circumstances will not prevent LACO from providing you with exquisite, enduring, personal musical experiences. LACO is happy to announce that their musicians have generously volunteered to share a wide variety of audio and video options during this time. All broadcasts can be live-streamed and streamed on-demand.

Photo credits: 

Photo #1: LA Phil

Photo #2: LA Opera

Photo #3: LA Phil

Photo #4: Berlin Philharmonie

Photo #5: The Metropolitan Opera

Photo #6: Geffen Playhouse

Photo #7: Hammer Museum

Photo #8: The Broad

Photo #9: GRAMMY Museum

Photo #10: LACO

Motivation Station: Online Apps & Classes for Working Out At Home

Spending more time at home is a great opportunity to up your workout game. All those hours you would have spent commuting or just racing around town can be transformed into a fresh new fitness routine that you can practice anytime, in the comfort of your own abode. Whatever your favorite form of fitness, there’s an app for that – many with no equipment necessary. If you do want to gear up, we found some handy tips on how to set up a home Pilates studio, along with apps to keep you on track. Welcome your Motivation Station – and discover online apps & classes for working out at home.

Yogis On The Move

Your favorite Yogis On The Move classes are now available on Zoom, so Circa residents can participate with their normal class and instructor. Circa classes are scheduled for Saturdays @10am. Reach out to Jessica Kang at Yogis On The Move yogisonthemove@gmail.com or building management for Meeting ID#s. Yogis On The Move is a mobile yoga studio bringing convenience to busy professionals living in the urban jungle, with a mission is to break down the walls of urban life, and help neighbors connect in the convenience of their own residential community. Yogis On The Move has highly trained and experienced teachers with minimum 500 hour Teacher Training Certification, 5 years minimum of self-practice along with continued practice, and 3-5 years of teaching experience.

Pilates Anytime App

With the Pilates Anytime iOS app, you can easily stream videos on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV. Your subscription includes access to the Pilates Anytime website, plus, download up to 10 videos for offline viewing. With over 3,400 Mat and equipment classes for any experience level, you can fully customize your Pilates journey with filters for any duration, level, equipment, prop, or special need. New classes are added every week, so you will always have fresh new videos to try.

5 Minutes Pilates App

See what you can achieve in 5 minutes a day. 5 Minutes Pilates means quick and regular pilates practice can become a reality. No special equipment is required – just a soft floor or mat. All exercises have clear descriptions and 3D animations making it ideal for beginners. The app comes with a timer function which ensures workouts take less than 5 minutes. 5 Minute Pilates is free to use but they also offer an optional premium level accessed via auto renewing monthly or annual subscription.

Set Up a Pilates Home Studio

To set up a simple Pilates home studio, start off with a good mat, such as the Fitness Mad Core Fitness Mat. Other accessories to consider include ThereBand Resistance Bands for strength and flexibility; Hugger Mugger Pilates Bolster for exercises that require more support; URBNFit Standard Exercise Ball for spine stretches, planks, hundreds and roll-ups; ProBody Pilates Pilates Rings, also known as the Magic Circle, these rings do wonders for improving balance and activating and resistance training; and Stott Pilates Mini Pilates Ball, which is great for activating the muscles that we often don’t get to utilize during regular workouts. Unlike a treadmill or other large piece of equipment, your Pilates gear can be easily stored in a closet or stashed behind a screen in your bedroom. HERE are some great ideas from Forbes.

Seven – 7 Minute Workout

Join the movement of 30 million and see results with just 7 minutes a day. Getting fit has never been this easy – or this much fun. Seven’s workouts are based on scientific studies to provide the maximum benefit in the shortest time possible. With personalized workout plans, Seven also makes sure you get the most out of your training. Want to get fit, lose weight or get strong? Just set your goal and fitness level, and let Seven take care of the rest.

8fit Workouts & Meal Planner

8fit offers custom no-equipment workouts ranging from 15 to 20 minutes long, along with nutrition guidance, meal plans, and other healthy eating tools. Workouts, including Tabata high intensity interval training, yoga, and boxing, meet you at your level and are designed for long-term results. Exercise is only one part of the wellness equation, so nutrition has an equally important role in the app. Get customized meal plans including vegan, paleo and pescetarian. You can also hone your cooking skills with 800 nutritionist-approved recipes.

obé Fitness App

obé Fitness, the world’s most immersive digital fitness experience & community, offers live and on-demand fitness classes at home. Get unlimited access to daily live and 4,000+ on-demand classes for less than the cost of one studio fitness class. Feel the energy of a live class with a talented team of motivated instructors who will keep you inspired to reach your personal best. obé’s signature 28 minute classes fit into the busiest of schedules. In a time crunch? They’ve got you covered with the 10 minute express.

Alo Moves Yoga App

Alo Moves is the ultimate yoga app, offering yoga anywhere, anytime with some of the most inspiring teachers in the world. Access thousands of videos including workshop-level yoga series and single classes encompassing Power Yoga, handstand workshops, meditation and everything in between. New classes and workshop series are added daily. $20 monthly. Available on three platforms: phone, tablet & web.

Sworkit

Sworkit daily workout is one of the top fitness apps for iPhone, Android, or web users. The workout plans are designed to help you reach your fitness goals faster and simpler, whether your goal is weight loss, muscle gain, improved flexibility, increased endurance, weight maintenance, or toning. Whether you’re an absolute beginner, intermediate, or advanced, Sworkit makes it simple to get in shape and stay that way.

Photo credits:

Photo #1: obé Fitness

Photo #2: Yogis On The Move

Photo #3: Pilates Anytime

Photo #4: 5 Minutes Pilates

Photo #5: ProBody Pilates Rings

Photo #6: Seven 7 – Minute Workout

Photo #7: 8fit

Photo #8: obé Fitness

Photo #9: Alo Moves 

Photo #10: Sworkit

DTLA Restaurants & Bars Are Offering Pick Up and Delivery!

Step up to the plate! Your favorite DTLA restaurants and bars are now offering home delivery and curbside pick-up. From your breakfast coffee to a luscious lunch, delicious dinner, and even wine, beer and cocktails – they’ve got you covered! Many LA restaurants and bars are also stepping up to the plate by providing benefits for their staff during these challenging times. Please support your local eateries and drinking establishments, and consider buying gift cards for friends and family as well.

Bestia

Both Bestia and Bavel are offering takeout family-style menus so that they can continue to provide health insurance benefits for their staff. Chef Ori Menashe and Genevieve Gergis will be creating new menus weekly, specifically meant to be enjoyed at home. Prepaid orders will be available for curbside pick up 3-8pm Wednesday through Sunday. Bestia is a multi-regional rustic Italian restaurant focusing on a “from scratch” approach, offering house-made charcuterie, in addition to handmade pastas and pizza made in an Acunto oven. On the pastry side, Gergis’ desserts focus on a clean and simple approach to create a daily changing menu that is centered on the freshest, most local ingredients possible.

Bavel

Located in Downtown Los Angeles’ Arts District, Bavel is a Middle Eastern restaurant from Bestia’s Chefs Ori Menashe and Genevieve Gergis. With family roots in Israel, Morocco, Turkey, and Egypt, Ori and Genevieve always wanted to open a restaurant that showcases the cuisines of their family lineages, bringing together the flavors and dishes they grew up with. The name Bavel stems from the story of Babel, from the original Old Testament. The story of Bavel is from a time when the Middle East was one. The people of Babylon came together to build a tower to heaven, but God didn’t want the tower to succeed. He gave the people different languages so they could no longer communicate and work together. When Ori and Genevieve read this story, the word Bavel resonated with them, because it was written during a time when everything was one.

Zinc Cafe & Market

Zinc Cafe & Market is offering take-out and delivery services. Breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner are available, and their marketplace has an abundance of prepared foods such as salads, entrees, appetizers and desserts to enjoy at home. Please call the store to place a take-out order or use the EZ Cater link to order family size meals for delivery!

Go Get Em Tiger

Stock up on staples at Go Get Em Tiger, sister shop to G&B Coffee. Go Get Em Tiger has defined itself naturally by the way in which coffee, food, and community intersect fluidly. They are offering take-out and delivery of coffee and pantry items such as Clover Whole Milk, Oatly Oat Milk, ranch farm eggs, a variety of rice and dried beans, breads, granola and more.

Red Herring LA

DTLA’s Red Herring is offering takeout, curbside pickup, and delivery from 11am to 9pm daily. Founded by husband and wife team Chef Dave Woodall and Alexis Martin Woodall, Red Herring offers Refined New American cuisine with global influences. They are currently accepting phone orders at 213-375-3290. Food delivery app services are still underway, but they recommend checking their Instagram page for more info.

Faith & Flower

Faith & Flower is a contemporary Los Angeles restaurant located in the Watermarke Tower in DTLA’s South Park district. The restaurant’s name pays homage to the two major Renaissance periods  – the 1920s and modern day – that have fundamentally shaped the Downtown Los Angeles community. “Flower” refers to the street on which the restaurant lies today, and “Faith” for the street’s alleged name during the early 1920s. Inspired by a global influence of flavors and techniques, complemented by the use of a wood-fired oven and pristine raw bar, the menu redefines Californian rustic cuisine. Brunch, lunch & dinner menu items are available for delivery and pick up. Call 213-239-0642 or email info@faithandflowerla.com

Barcito

Barcito is an entrepreneur-owned and operated Argentine-style bar & eatery offering small plates and cocktails, located on the corner of 12th & Grand in Downtown LA’s South Park just 3 blocks from Staples Center. Barcito is currently open for takeout/delivery, offering full menu, pantry goods, natural wine, and craft beer.

Free Delivery from The Pie Hole

Get your comfort food fix from The Pie Hole – delivered right to your door! Just place your order on their website or with one of their delivery partners to claim your sweet deal. Curbside handoff is available at the Arts District and Hollywood locations. The Pie Hole bakes sweet and savory pies from scratch, by hand, using only the highest quality ingredients. Pie is served by the slice, individual sized savory pies, and whole pies to order, along with their signature, specialty coffee program.

LA Cafe

LA Cafe offers all day and all night delivery in Downtown LA. Call (213) 612-3000, or order online. LA Cafe strives to give you the freshest and best experience for your health and enjoyment. They use organic ingredients whenever possible, and all natural meats, roasted in-house. Soups, sauces and salad dressings are made from scratch. Vegan and gluten-free options are available.

Here and Now

Here and Now is offering food, beer and wine delivery through their partners at Postmates. Voted one of the Best Bars in America in 2019 by Esquire magazine, Here and Now is a lively eatery and bar with train-style booths, swank travel-inspired drinks, and a playful small plates menu. Click HERE  to order directly through their point-of-sale for pickup and delivery. 

Photo credits:

Photo #1: Bestia

Photo #2: Bestia

Photo #3: Bavel

Photo #4: Zinc Cafe & Market

Photo #5: Go Get Em Tiger

Photo #6: Red Herring LA

Photo #7: Faith & Flower

Photo #8: Barcito

Photo #9: The Pie Hole

Photo #10: LA Cafe

Photo #11: Here and Now

Virtual Museum Tours! Visit the World’s Greatest Institutions in the Comfort of Your Own Home!

Staying in doesn’t mean you can’t get your culture fix! Thanks to Google Street View and the Google Arts & Culture site, you can virtually visit some of the world’s greatest museums from your cozy couch or favorite chair. Google Arts & Culture is an online platform through which the public can access high-resolution images of artworks housed in the initiative’s partner museums. In all, Google Arts & Culture has compiled over 500 virtual tours of museums around the world. HERE are 10 top museums you can explore right now. More exciting news – the Hollyhock House in LA’s Barnsdall Art Park and the Louvre in Paris offer online tours on their websites. So curl up, treat yourself to a nice beverage, and visit the some of the world’s greatest museums in the comfort of your own home!

To access your virtual tours, tap or click on each museum’s name which appears in bold below.

Hollyhock House Virtual Tour

The newly renovated Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece, Hollyhock House, was recently named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This virtual tour explores the building’s exterior and interior, with pop up notes and optional audio narration by a docent. The virtual tour was originally developed as a Virtual Accessibility Experience (VAE) to increase access to the monument, and to create immersive and inclusive experiences for visitors of all abilities.

Musée du Louvre, Paris

Visit the museum’s exhibition rooms and galleries and contemplate the façades of the Louvre. Come along on a virtual tour and enjoy the view from the comfort of your own home.

Musée d’Orsay, Paris

Once a Beaux-Arts railway station on the bank of the Seine, the Musée d’Orsay is now one of the largest art museums in Europe. Take a virtual tour of the impressive Art Nouveau building and admire a vast array of French art from 1848 to 1914, including masterpieces by Monet, Cézanne and Gauguin. 

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York

The unique corkscrew design of New York’s Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum means that visitors can journey up its spiraling ramp and view its collection of art in one continuous, unbroken journey. The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed building is home to a constantly expanding collection of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and Modern and Contemporary Art.

Pergamon Museum, Berlin

Berlin’s famous cultural hub, Museum Island, is where you’ll find the Pergamon Museum, one of Germany’s largest museums. Explore the ruins of ancient monumental buildings excavated from around the world, such as the Pergamon Altar (where the museum got its name), the Ishtar Gate of Babylon, and the Market Gate of Miletus.

Uffizi Gallery, Florence

The Uffizi Gallery is the legacy of the collection of Florence’s Medici ruling house. The U-shaped building contains works by Renaissance Old Masters such as Michelangelo, Leonardo, Botticelli, and Titian. The building was originally constructed to house the administrative and judiciary offices – uffizi means offices in Italian.

Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam houses the largest collection of artworks by Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) in the world. The permanent collection includes over 200 paintings by Vincent van Gogh, 500 drawings and more than 750 letters. The museum also presents exhibitions on various subjects from 19th-century art history.

The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles

The J. Paul Getty Museum provides a backdrop of dramatic architecture, tranquil gardens, and stunning views of Los Angeles for its art collection. It houses works dating from the 8th through the 21st century, including European paintings, drawings, sculpture, illuminated manuscripts, decorative arts, and European, American and Asian photographs. 

National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul

Since opening its door in 1969, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) has established itself as a representative institution of Korean modern art. The museum’s four branches carry out MMCA’s commitment to the art and culture of Korea by enriching the first-hand cultural experience of the viewing public. Through its various locations, MMCA intends to function as a cultural platform that encourages communication and cross-pollination of contemporary art with other various disciplines of art, science, and humanities. 

National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City

Explore this museum and you’ll find at its center at huge pond underneath a vast square concrete structure supported by a single pillar known as el paraguas, or the umbrella. Around this are 23 exhibit rooms displaying treasures, including Mayan civilization artifacts such as the Stone of the Sun and giant stone heads that were found in the jungles of Tabasco and Veracruz.

MASP, São Paulo

This architectural landmark in São Paulo was designed by Lina Bo Bardi and is Brazil’s first modern museum. The floating design is mirrored in its internal art displays, with its collection of artworks suspended in perspex frames that create the illusion that the canvases are hovering above the ground.

Photo credits: 

Photo #1: Musée du Louvre

Photo #2: Hollyhock House

Photo #3: Musée du Louvre

Photo #4: Musée d’Orsay

Photo #5: Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

Photo #6: Pergamon Museum

Photo #7: Uffizi Gallery

Photo #8: Van Gogh Museum

Photo #9: The J. Paul Getty Museum

Photo #10: National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul

Photo #11: National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City

Photo #12: MASP, São Paulo

March Madness! LA’s Best Food Fairs, Festivals, and St. Paddy’s Day Bashes!

According to ancient tradition, the expression March Madness referred to the erratic, tempestuous weather of the season, and the phenomenon of hares getting frisky in the spring. Lewis Carroll nods to this bunny cliché with his characters the Mad Hatter and the March Hare! It wasn’t until 1939 that March Madness became associated with mens basketball. Today, March marks the beginning of Daylight Saving Time, the Vernal Equinox, the first day of Spring and St. Patrick’s Day – one of the biggest party days of the year in Los Angeles! There’s plenty of March Madness in store for you – with LA’s best food fairs, festivals, and St. Paddy’s Day bashes!

St. Patrick’s Day Get Lucky Festival Pershing Square 532 S Olive St. Los Angeles, CA 90013

Mar 14 Grab your shillelagh and get ready for some green beer! The Get Lucky Festival, DTLA’s largest St. Patrick’s Day party, is back! Luck is in the air with beer, food, multiple bars, games & prizes, live music, and more! 

St. Patrick’s Day Pub Crawl & Beer Garden LA Biergarten 750 S Broadway Los Angeles, CA 90014

Mar 14 & 15 St. Patrick’s Day is one of the biggest party days of the year in Los Angeles! Dress in green, rally up a group of friends and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with hundreds of others bouncing from bar to bar for the annual St. Patrick’s Day pub crawl, with access and drink discounts at over 10 different venues. Your St. Patrick’s Day pub crawl kit includes drink coupons, free welcome shot vouchers and a map of all participating Downtown LA bars and nightclubs. Check-in any time from 2 pm to 6 pm at the massive LA Biergarten, with 100 beers on tap, and enjoy a free welcome shot.

PaleyFest 2020 Dolby Theatre 6801 Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood, CA 90028

Mar 13-22 PaleyFest is the premier television festival in the country – a must-attend entertainment event produced by The Paley Center for Media that brings you together with the talent behind your favorite TV shows. Join in at the world-renowned Dolby Theatre, as the hottest stars delight fans with exclusive behind-the-scenes scoops, hilarious anecdotes, and breaking news stories. Enjoy a screening followed by a discussion with your favorite stars live onstage, capped off by a Q & A with the audience. Named for William S. Paley, founder of CBS and The Paley Center for Media, proceeds from PaleyFest support his mission to serve as a nonprofit cultural and educational resource in television, radio, and new media.

Bravo’s Top Chef Food & Wine Festival Universal Studios 100 Universal City Plaza Universal City, CA 91608

Mar 19 & 20 Sample a menu of delectable culinary tastings inspired by Bravo’s hit series Top Chef that will hit the spot for any craving. Enjoy a wide selection of fine wines, craft beers and cocktails specially curated for the festival. Experience a live Quickfire Challenge featuring Top Chef Cheftestants from Season 17 – All Stars LA as they whip up all-new unexpected dishes and gather for a special panel featuring Top Chef Alums as they dish on the making of the show, their favorite foods, and why they cook to live and live to cook. Snap a photo at iconic Top Chef-themed photo ops located throughout the event and shop for exclusive Top Chef branded merchandise from chef aprons to tote bags.

Whiskey Festival California Science Center 700 Exposition Park Dr. Los Angeles, CA 90037

Mar 26 Take a deep dive into the world of whiskey at Los Angeles magazine’s annual Whiskey Festival. Meet master distillers, sip the finest spirits, learn fresh cocktail recipes and experience new brands as you enjoy hors d’oeuvres, live music and unique experiences that will complement the bespoke tasting atmosphere.

Latin Food Fest Los Angeles State Historic Park 1245 N Spring St. Los Angeles, CA 90012

Mar 28 Spice up your weekend at the 8th annual Latin Food Fest, the West Coast’s ultimate Latin culinary extraganza. Your ticket includes all food, beer, wine, spirits, music performance, michelada and margarita tastings, contests, chef throwdown and awards, and cooking demos by cele chefs y mas!

First Fridays Natural History Museum 900 Exposition Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90007

The Future is Now! First Fridays is back, so get ready for an awesome night ahead! Engage in dynamic and timely discussions, enjoy a craft cocktail with dinosaurs, dance to live music and DJs in the mammal halls, wander through exciting exhibitions after-hours — including Natural History of Horrors — and so much more! Performances include Wajatta (featuring Reggie Watts and John Tejada), French Vanilla, and Café Molly.  Resident DJ Novena Carmel is joined by Guest DJ Josh Peace in the DJ Lounge.

LA Beer Fest LA Center Studios 450 S Bixel St. Los Angeles, CA 90017

Apr 4 Mark your calendar for LA Beer Fest, LA’s largest craft beer festival, featuring over 80 breweries, food trucks, live music and much more! The 12th annual LA Beer Festival follows last year’s sold out event, and this year’s promises to be even better. The event will feature dozens of international and domestic beers, over a dozen food trucks (food sold separately), as well as live entertainment. Admission is for only one session, so make sure to coordinate with friends before buying your ticket. You GA tickets include unlimited beer tastings with food sold separately.

Masters of Taste Rose Bowl Stadium 1001 Rose Bowl Dr. Pasadena, CA 91103

Apr 5 Masters of Taste is a premier food and beverage festival on the field of the iconic Rose Bowl. This year, the 5th Anniversary event features Vanda Asapahu from Ayara Thai Cuisine as Host Chef. Join over 2,500 food and beverage enthusiasts and walk the Rose Bowl field while enjoying delicious, unlimited tastings from LA’s top Master Chefs and restaurants, craft cocktail bars, wineries and local breweries. Enjoy lifestyle activations, live entertainment and much more. 100% of event proceeds benefit Union Station Homeless Services, a 501(c)(3) organization. 

Photo credits: 

Photo #1: Latin Food Fest

Photo #2: Get Lucky Festival

Photo #3: St. Patrick’s Day Pub Crawl & Beer Garden

Photo #4: PaleyFest

Photo #5:Bravo’s Top Chef Food & Wine Festival 

Photo #6: Whiskey Festival

Photo #7: Latin Food Fest

Photo #8: First Fridays Natural History Museum

Photo #9:  LA Beer Fest

Photo #10:  Masters of Taste

2020 Interior Design Trends: Get the Looks You Love in DTLA

Spring is in the air! Time to spruce up your space with a fresh new look! One of the top 2020 Home Decor Trends is eye-popping color– such as Pantone’s Color of the Year – Classic Blue. 

A solid dependable hue we can always rely on, Classic Blue provides an anchoring foundation, as well as boundless color evocative of the vast and infinite evening sky.

My Design Agenda showcases some of the hottest interior design trends from Maison et Objet Paris 2020. Sleek modern styles continue to prevail, articulated with gold and silver metallic accents, and sculptural lighting. Other major trends include minimalist Scandinavian influences, curved shapes, plush velvets, vintage pieces, raw materials such as rattan and reclaimed wood, and lots of texture. Watch for warm pastels; soft neutrals, earth and organic tones; rich saturated blues, greens, and grays; bold monochromatics; and black and white color stories.

Whatever your decoration goals, DTLA is the ultimate destination for the best Interior Design Trends of 2020!

A + R Row DTLA 777 S Alameda St #100 Los Angeles, CA 90021

A+R stands for Andy and Rose: British ex-pat Andy Griffith, a former film editor and self-avowed design junkie, and Rose Apodaca, a pop culture and style journalist and author. From sofas to stools, clocks to carafes, tables to lightning, A + R’s oeuvre is design that charms, functions and inspires. Need some style advice? A + R has a knowledgable team in-store and behind the scenes who will share their enthusiasm for design, bound by the pursuit of aesthetics and innovative ideas.

Hammer and Spear 765 N. La Cienega Blvd. Los Angeles, Ca 90069

Launched in 2013, Hammer and Spear is a showroom and full service multidisciplinary interior design studio, with a team of interior designers, architects, and product designers. Located in a historic brick building in the heart of the Arts District, this dual-functioning environment lends itself to a creative atmosphere, which permeates both the retail and design settings. Founded by husband and wife Scott Jarrell and Kristan Cunningham, Hammer and Spear presents a sophisticated array of home furnishings, accessories, art objects, and lifestyle products.

The Good Liver 705 Mateo St Los Angeles, CA 90021

The Good Liver is a modern day version of a general store that sets out to inform, inspire and ultimately suggest a better way of living through a conscientious collection of enduring, quality goods from around the world. Motivated by the simple things in life, The Good Liver strives to provide high quality, functional products with aesthetic appeal – the unification of design and quality! The store offers a carefully selected range of objects from international brands and makers, showcasing the history, philosophy and craftsmanship behind each of our items. Helpful staff share stories of the how and why behind each product’s creation, illustrating the thoughtful curation of The Good Liver and their dedication to the good life.

HD Buttercup

Since opening their doors in 2005, HD Buttercup has become a favorite resource for home furnishings and décor. Defined by bold and imaginative pieces from around the world, HD Buttercup has become the destination for distinctive collections, from sleek mid-century designs to vintage accent pieces. Eliminating the middleman, they work directly with factories and iconic designers to provide a wide variety of high quality, well-priced pieces. HD Buttercup By Appointment offers a bespoke personal shopping service in a friendly and intimate in-store environment. Whether you are refreshing your house or fitting out a new abode, their team has the styling skills and in-depth brand knowledge to help you find what you need, adapted to your individual style.

Photo credits:

Photo #1: HD Buttercup

Photo #2: My Design Agenda

Photo #3: My Design Agenda

Photo #4: A + R

Photo #5: Hammer and Spear

Photo #6: The Good Liver

Photo #7: HD Buttercup