This Ugly Beautiful Newsletter is a reader support newsletter and companion piece to This Ugly Beautiful City. I couldn’t do what I do without your support. Thank you!
Welcome friends!
(Thank you to the 100+ new subscribers who found me on Threads in the last month.)
Every month, I think of a theme for the newsletter, and the word I keep coming back to is layoffs. In the last month, over 2,000 tech workers, over 100 journalists, and over 500 JPL employees and independent contractors are now starting over in the Los Angeles area. This is just as eviction moratoriums have been lifted.
I remember being laid off a year after living in Los Angeles. I worked for an advertising agency that, um, unfortunately, solely specialized in housing developments. It was 2008, and we know what happened that year. (For the younger friends, the housing market crashed, and we had the Great Recession. )
In my last act as the office manager, I was tasked with a file cleaning project–nothing sinister–getting rid of old mock-ups, long reconciled billing, etc. (Also, we did everything on paper.) I started the project on a Monday and then, as soon as I finished on Wednesday, I was called into the office, handed a check, and was told I was being laid off. It was lame–they could have saved me the paper cuts if they let me go two days earlier. What followed was a frustrating four months and 100+ applications. I was often called for interviews after business hours when I thought it was safe to let go of my phone—like when I saw a 7:PM movie at the Los Feliz 3.
At the end of my unemployment, my one regret was that I didn’t enjoy Los Angeles more. It didn’t go to the beach, hike, or visit museums for fear of missing calls. It was a shame because I missed out on the downtime I needed to figure out my life–like leaving a bad relationship and finding a career that fulfilled me. Instead, I was a machine, filling out applications and endlessly surfing job boards because I needed to pay the bills. I should have given myself some space.
If you were laid off…
If I can offer one piece of advice, carve out some time to figure stuff out, explore, and find a community. You never know where your next job will come from. We are seeing a resurgence of community building in post(?)-pandemic Los Angeles. From the old school sites like Meet-up to newer groups like Los Angeles Fun Events, L.A. In Common, Usal, and the community that I am building around This Ugly Beautiful City. (If you were laid off, email me—laguide@thisuglybeautifulcity.com.)
Also, don’t forget that I have a list of over 100 things to do that are $15 or less, which could help stretch any severance or savings you have. The Hammer, for example, is free every day and has free wifi to work on that resume and see some art between revisions.
If your friend was laid off in Los Angeles, forward my newsletter to them.
What I hope for Los Angeles
What I hope happens from this month of layoffs is that new game studios start that bring new voices and perspectives to the game industry, and the new media outlets that feature BIPOC voices get the credit and subscribership they deserve.
I’m not paywalling this issue because I think it is bad form to ask people to upgrade with the topic of this newsletter. Paid subscribers will receive a chat from me tomorrow. Everyone can comment on this newsletter. (BTW: Substack will put an upgrade notice at the end, but I can’t stop them. If I get paid, they get paid.)
In this issue
Updated Posts
L.A. Votes
Los Angeles Randomness
Art on the E Tour
Best things I ate or drank
I have been working on opening my new self-guided itinerary shop, so I haven’t added anything new to the website. I will let you know when that reopens.
Updated posts
My top advice for travel & food websites is to take some time to update your content. I periodically read This Ugly Beautiful City to see if places have closed. Here are some posts that are now current again.
Palm Springs Guide–Perfect for those going to Coachella.
Los Angeles on a Budget: Entertainment–more things to do for $15 or less. Classic Cars at Bob’s Big Boy. Venice Fest is back on! It also looks like Local’s Night at the Pier no longer takes a break in the colder months.
L.A. Votes
Primaries and judges and measures oh my!
On March 5th, we will vote again as we ramp up for more voting. I vote in every election because the smaller races matter. If you are confused by all of the boxes you have to tick, I recommend these voting guides:
Making a Neighborhood on Substack has cheat sheets for LAUSD and several district races.
Los Angeles Randomness
There were two big stories this past month.
Of course, the atmospheric river giving way to an earthquake on the anniversary of an earthquake.
The big story of the month is the physical graffiti black book that is Oceanwide Plaza, the long-abandoned project just sitting in the skyline with no future plans. I want to thank the graffiti community for raising this to Los Angeles News. (I have mixed feelings about how much $ it will take to remove if plans are to open it up to the housing we desperately need.)
Metro Guide–When I learn that people have not taken the LA Metro, I share this guide with them.
Speaking of the metro guide…
I have a few spots left on My Art on The E Tour. See the details and itinerary, and sign up at the link below.
FYI: Each person needs to fill out the form individually. If you want someone to join you, forward this newsletter. I am limiting this tour to 15 people.
Best things I ate
Tacos Surtidos at Villa Moreliana in the Grand Central Market—As I was researching for my Art on The E tour, I decided to stop at the GCM to try something new—to me. I’ve been guilty of stopping at the same stand for the past year +, Shiku, because I love it. In the name of research, I needed to try something else to be a well-rounded recommender of things. I am glad I did, because holy #$%^ these tacos are good! I got the surtido because it is a little bit of carnitas everything—meaty, crunchy, fatty, tender, etc. At first, I thought it was an overconfident move not to have salsa, onions, and/or cilantro, but I was wrong. They don’t need it. I also can’t wait to have them again in a week and a half, and again every time I go back.
The Goat at Stay. (Zero Proof)—I featured the mocktail lounge in last month’s issue and wanted to try it. The bar is very cozy with couches set up living room style and the historic details still intact. (Don’t forget to see the gallery of L.A. Punk memorabilia.) The drinks are named after Chinese Zodiac signs; I chose the Goat, an infused hot tea with floral foam. It was delicious and fun—what I want from a zero-proof cocktail.
Paid subscribers, be on the lookout for a chat tomorrow.
xoxo-Kristen