Los Angeles is Always a Vacation

LA is always a vacation.

Sometimes, living here the locals take it for granted.  Not M&F.  We try to be thankful and remember each and every day that this place is paradise.  LA might be home, but this is the place that everyone else in the world dreams about visiting on vacation.  This is your life, every day. Smile, Los Angeles~

This sticker of a dude rolling with a suitcase on Fairfax seems to capture how LA is always a vacation.

Stay up, Los Angeles!

Livin in LA - Vacation in Carlsbad

Carlsbad has arguably become M&F's favorite local vacation spot near Los Angeles.

Perhaps it is the blend of the chill beach town community vibes mixed with good friends like Snyder, but Carlsbad is the ultimate vacation spot nearby Los Angeles.  (M&F enjoys Carlsbad so much we have fantasies about moving there!).  But for now, Carlsbad is just a rad vacation destination~

Pictured above, Snyder has an ongoing battle with some neighborhood crows, and the above shot is a mock shot of Snyder stomping a crow.  Of course, Snyder would never actually hurt a crow and found it in this flattened condition, but Snyder does love to huck a water balloon or a few at a noisy murder of crows.

Click the jump for a huge pictorial view of M&F's vacation in Carlsbad.

Pictures of LA from an Airplane - This City is Amazing!

Another segment in M&F's ongoing series Livin' in LA - Vacation in LA~

Here are some awesome aerial pictures of Los Angeles.  These shots were taken from an airplane as M&F was leaving the city to go on vacation, and they really capture a different side of the city, and how LA is an urban jungle nestled into a fabulous, and rather stunning natural environment.

Like this pic above--it captures a gorgeous lake tucked away in the Hollywood Hills.  You can see the rows of big buildings in the background, but take a moment and imagine this environment with no structures of any kind.  This natural environment would be pretty enough to earn the cover of National Geographic.

LA is a beautiful place, and even though she has many different looks, each one is flattering and incredible in its own right.

Click the link to check out more pics of LA from the sky down

Livin' in LA - DON'T Vacation at Red South Beach Miami

Even though it is located on Miami Beach, Red South Beach has all the charm of real Miami.  Basically, one never really wants to go to Miami itself.  Sure, there might be nice suburbs or private gated areas, but as for the city of Miami itself, it is an angry, poor, crime ridden city with all the charm of Compton or South Central.

We know what the authentic 305 is like because we lived in a studio apartment in a slum house in downtown Miami for 3 years.  If you want to vacation in Miami, (and want to have a good experience) you probably want to stay in Miami Beach.  If you want to be in the center of the action, you will stay in South Beach.  And while this hotel bears the title of 'Red South Beach', it is not technically located in South Beach, and, more disappointingly M&F found this hotel to have all the 'charm' of real Miami.  Check out the sarcastic review below:

At Red South Beach, you can experience the exciting growth in this city from the multiple surrounding construction zones all around the hotel.  The noise by the pool is a slice of authentic Miami as you try and talk over banging cranes, hammers, and drills from the nearby construction sites.  Check out the view in the pic above!

The 'real Miami' experience is no less authentic inside the hotel.  The experience is raw, like living in Little Havana.  Come home at the end of the night and get welcomed to your red room by a chirping fire alarm with a low battery.  Please call the front desk, and even though it is 1 AM please understand that it will take a half hour for the alarm to be serviced because the only other person at the hotel not at the front desk is currently parking cars.     

After finally falling asleep, enjoy getting woken up the next morning at 7AM by the maids fighting outside your door in real Spanish.  It doesn't get more authentic than that!  And as you try to drift back asleep in the morning, try not to notice the crashing footsteps from the person a floor above.  After all, it is not the person's fault.  It is the terribly poor yet 'authentic' sound insulation in this building that also allows you to hear so well that you can be serenaded by the musical liquid sounds of the person above you pissing in the toilet.  And you will always know someone is approaching as you hear every single sound in the hallway.  Yes, even though you might technically be on Miami Beach, Red South Beach offers all the charm of Real Miami.  

Speaking of getting technical, not to nit pick but it seems that Red South Beach is not technically in South Beach.  Red South Beach is located at 3010 Collins in Miami Beach.  Most of the real action from South Beach is below 20th street, while the hotel is 10 blocks above that.  And while driving from the hotel to the heart of South Beach on Lincoln, drivers will pass a sign that says 'Welcome to South Beach'.    Aside from the construction, it is a nice area.  However, to make a comparison, for folks familiar with LA, would you want to stay in a Hollywood themed hotel and end up in Korea Town?

So why name it Red South Beach?  Why not Red Miami Beach?

Don't mean to be too critical of the place, but regardless of the name, this really was a rough place to vacation.  The construction theme seemed to carry on inside as the handle fell off the sink in the room, and the towel rack literally fell apart off the wall when touched.  The classic red phone is charming, but the charm wears off when you have to use it to repeatedly dial the front desk to find out when they are going to fix the beeping fire alarm at 1:30 in the morning.

And the restaurant was another disappointment   Apparently, the restaurant is not formally connected with the hotel, however, when you check in, there is a 'Hospitality Fee'.  The Hospitality Fee is in addition to the hotel room fee, and it is supposed to cover the cost of wifi, beach towel rental, and it also comes with a free drink from the bar. Well, it was a bit insulting that the 'free' drinks were served in one of the tiny cups from the hotel--like the ones you find next to the bathroom sink.  Furthermore, you couldn't even choose your drink, it was 'bartender's choice'.  This was the only place we stayed with these restraints on the drinks, and other places we didn't mind paying, but at Red South Beach it made the hospitality fee seem not so hospitable.

The next morning at the restaurant was even worse.  After sitting at a table for literally 15 minutes without the waitresses coming by (still puzzled by this because they walked by us many times without saying anything), we walked to the counter and picked up a menu ourselves.  M&F is trying to eat vegetarian, and the breakfast menu did not offer any appetizing food without meat.  We walked back to the counter and asked if we could order a ham and cheese breakfast sandwich for $8.50, and substitute eggs for the meat.  It seemed simple enough, but the waitress explained that she would have to charge for the ham and cheese sandwich, and then charge for the eggs too, and then some other charge to special make it, and they could do it, but the final cost would be $14.  What?!  Uh, no thanks.

So we tried to find another place to eat, but because Red South Beach is on Miami Beach and is not on South Beach, the hotel is surrounded by condos and constructions sites.  There were no easy restaurants nearby, and so we returned to the restaurant at Red South Beach.  We ordered a bagel with cream cheese for $5.50 and a bowl of cereal for $4.50.  We also explained to the waitress that we were in a hurry, and added a tip in advance.  And then we sat there.  And sat there.  10 minutes went by and we asked the waitress if it was ready.  She said not yet and kept folding stuff behind the counter.  Another 10 minutes go by.  We ask again and teasingly joke about what takes so long to make a bagel and the waitress disappears to the kitchen.  After waiting yet another 7 minutes she comes out with a bagel.  It was untoasted and with one packet of cream cheese (not enough to cover half of it).  Seriously, waiting a half hour for an uncooked bagel?!  Good thing we didn't order any hot food after all.  Probably takes over an hour for that.

If there was a silver lining, the workers at the front desk were always nice, helpful, and pleasant.  They were the best part of the staff, but everyone else from the valet (who yelled at us for parking a scooter next to another scooter aside the hotel--a spot it later turned out was fine to park it) to the workers in the rooms seemed really unhappy and it felt like many would glare at the hotel visitors.  If you want to experience the best part of Red South Beach, just walk through the lobby, and walk back out.

But honestly, it was an awful, unrelaxing experience to the point of causing exhaustion from staying at the Red South Beach.   We checked out of the hotel tired and hungry.

This was the 4th hotel in Miami and the 5th in Florida, and the first one hotel that we would not return back to.  Quite honestly, the night had more problems than the slum studio apartment we rented on the edge of Overtown and Wynwood.  And the restaurant downstairs at that place was better.

The Red South Beach gets four thumbs down.  Do not stay at Red South Beach, unless you want to experience real Miami, and authentic Miami is probably more real than you want to get.

Livin in LA - Vacation at the Bentley Hotel South Beach

The Bentley Hotel was by far and away M&F's favorite hotel that we vacationed at in South Beach.

As if it was a sign of good times to be on the sign, there was a sticker from The Good Life out front on the Valet sign out front of the Bentley.  Inside, the open spaces and accommodations were absolutely luxurious.  Everything was absolutely plush, and polished, and just about perfect.  We especially loved how each room had its own private deck.

The hotel location couldn't have been better, located in the heart of South Beach, and right across the street from the beach itself.  Our room did not have an ocean view, but the lobby offered some picturesque viewing.  Meanwhile, M&F did get entertained by a homeless man jacking off in public with baby oil.  It was horrifically hilarious.

M&F is still dreaming about the day when we get a chance to return to the Bentley Hotel in South Beach.  If you get a chance to visit Miami, we highly recommend staying here.

Pics of all this--and more from M&F's vacation at the Bentley Hotel South Beach down below.

Livin' in LA - Vacation in Orlando, Florida

M&F has always had a strong relationship with the environment.  That relationship is one big reasons that led to the founding of this blog.

Orlando, Florida is M&F's home town.  And as we see these pics of Orlando, the places in the city and the accompanying memories jump out.  Orlando is a city where no one is from, so it is making its own history instead of living it out, like most places.  Orlando is a rough, raw, edgy city in the middle of endless suburbs and with Disney nearby, next to the most manufactured happiest place on earth.

Coming back is like jumping into a pool of nostalgia.  Perhaps everyone feels a similar way about returning to the place where they are from.  As the saying goes, "Never trust a man who doesn't love his home town. . . "

M&F has now moved onto Los Angeles and fallen head over heels in love with the city.  But we still have strong feelings for O-town as our home town, and returning back sure pulls on the memory strings.

Livin' in LA - Vacation at The Penguin Hotel South Beach

***Another feature in our ongoing series Livin in LA - Vacation in LA***

^You can tell this place is money by the ceilings!

The second place M&F stayed in South Beach was at The Penguin Hotel.  The Penguin is the sister hotel to The President, and the backs of each building sit up next to each other.  So The President faces Collins Ave., while the Penguin has an even better view overlooking the ocean and facing Ocean Drive.

The location was fabulous, right in the heart of the South Beach night life, and a walk across the street to the ocean.

At The Penguin, the rooms were tastefully done, and the full wall prints of nature were really amazing. Once again, our only complaint is that the drain was completely clogged in the shower.  It was the same problem at both hotels, leading us to think that it might be an overall plumbing problem at The President and The Penguin.

Hopefully, the plumbing issues have got fixed by now.  M&F had a great stay and would definitely recommend vacationing at The Penguin Hotel in South Beach~

Livin' in LA - Vacation at The President Hotel South Beach

***Another feature in our ongoing series - Livin' in LA - Vacation in LA***

M&F had a great time vacationing in Miami.  When visiting Miami you want to make sure and stay in Miami Beach, and the first place we stayed was at the rooftop suite at The President Hotel in South Beach.

M&F got set up in a pimped out rooftop suite.  It boasted an awesome glow in the dark round bed and a gorgeous deck overlooking famous Collins Avenue.

The President was fabulous and M&F loved our stay here.  The only complaint would be that the drain in the shower was clogged up, but everything else about the stay at the hotel was smooth and the hotel provided a relaxing stay.

If you visit South Beach, definitely stay at the rooftop suite at The President Hotel South Beach.

Livin' in LA - Vacation in Florida?

The entire reason that M&F initiated the ongoing series Livin' in LA - Vacation in LA was to showcase all the awesome spots within driving distance of Los Angeles.  M&F didn't intend for the series to branch out further, but after 2+ years of blissful life on the left coast, M&F finally set foot on soil outside of California.  Here is the first outside of California feature, while M&F takes a vacation to our home state of Florida.

Florida is M&F's home state, and Miami is the area that fist sparked our insatiable love for the street art genre.  There will be more upcoming features detailing the influential places, artists, and periods in M&F's development.

On a personal level, it is a fascinating experience returning to Miami while experiencing a decade of  growth from being a humble fan to having personal relationships with many of the biggest artists in the world.  Now, it is not just the art, but also the personality.  This can be a good thing and a bad thing, and it is difficult to articulate, but it is a strange feeling returning with an expanded mind set to the place where it all started for M&F.

As for the street scene, Miami is still a hungry place with an insatiable graffiti scene.  It is kind of like Los Angeles where there is a big graffiti scene that extends to all areas of the city.  And, like Los Angeles has the Melrose and Fairfax area art district where the locals along with the biggest artists in the world come to showcase their stuff, Miami has the Wynwood district which lights up every December with new art during Art Basel.  The funny thing was, visiting the Wynwood Arts District in Miami was like an East Coast Los Angeles.  It felt like home away from home as the area was packed with art from LA artists.  Quite seriously, LA runs Miami and there was more art from LA artists in Miami than artists from all other corners of the world, combined.  It just goes to show how strong the LA street art scene is, even beyond LA.  More on that, and the pictures to prove how LA runs Miami yet to come . . .

M&F took a 10 day vacation to Florida and the Bahamas.  Leaving Los Angles for Miami felt kind of like cheating on your current lover by hooking up with your ex-girlfriend.  And even if your ex girlfriend has grown up to be one of the sexiest street art hot spots in the world, once you hook up with her again, you remember how crazy she is.  And, you realize how lucky you are to have such an awesome girlfriend.  If anything, M&F returned to Los Angeles even more in love with LA than ever~

Check out some general shots of Miami down below, and stay tuned for more features bridging Los Angeles and Miami~

^Biscayne Boulevard is one of the main streets in Miami, and a area that M&F used to haunt.

^The American Airlines Arena in Miami.  Where the Heat play, and sitting at a beautiful location right on Biscayne Bay.

^Picture of the cruise ships lining up at the Port of Miami.  Taken from the 5th street bridge.

^A rooftop view of the Miami Beach Skyline.  Love the blue building.

^The view of downtown Miami.  This shot is taken from a cruise ship looking back at land.

^Lots of people say that Miami has a whole nother world on the water.  Here is a pic of the Miami skyline from Biscayne Bay.

^Sunrise in Miami over smooth beautiful water.

^View from the cruise boat pulling back into dock at the Port of Miami.

^This picture shows the road to Star Island in Miami.  This area is one of the most expensive and prestigious locations in Miami.  Star Island is home to big name stars like Madonna, Gloria Estafan and Will Smith.  Also dig the mirrored reflection of palm trees in the pic.

^Miami is an extremely flat place.  The only way to get a view is to be on something that has been built higher because the natural terrain is so flat that there are literally no hills or mountains in South Florida.

^The water tower from the city of Hollywood, Florida.

^Eh, a pic from the airport for fun.

^Miami - Palm trees and ocean~

^Here is a multi-million dollar home on the Miami Beach Canal.

^A look up the Miami Beach Canal.

^Last shot of the freeway leaving the city of Miami.

Livin in LA - Vacation in Carlsbad

It is impossible for M&F to think of Carlsbad without Snyder.  Two years ago we'd never even heard of the place, and when we got our first email from Snyder saying that he runs a website called Carlsbad Crawl, at first we assumed that Carl was some sort of alter-ego, and that the website was a chronicle the drunken misdeeds and debauchery that Carl would crawl into.

The more we got to know Snyder we were continually impressed with his level of 'street art awareness', despite being from a small town.  But what really caught our eye about Snyder is the way that he used street art to engage with and develop a relationship with his hometown of Carlsbad.  From listening to Snyder, the place seemed ideal.  Snyder made Carlsbad sound perfect, and honestly, after visiting the ocean front community, it pretty much is.

Carlsbad is the 2nd city south of Orange County, and there is a huge swath of military base called Camp Pendleton separating the areas.  In fact, if there is one draw back to living in Carlsbad, it might be the background noise of the bombing on Camp Pendleton, and the day that we visited we heard nearly 10 big explosions (it sounds like booming thunder).  But Carlsbad itself is a strange mix of artists and military personal, strange because it all seems to flow together so nicely.

There is a different, slower pace in Carlsbad.  Once we arrived, Snyder informed us that the best way to travel would be on a skateboard or bikes, which we did--and it truly is an enjoyable lifestyle and way to get around.

Snyder is a home town hero in Carlsbad.  Everywhere we went people would be calling out to say hello to Snyder, and when the five of us (plus one dog on a bike!) rolled up to a local sandwhich shop, the owner called out a gleeful welcome of  "Team Snyder!"

The arts play a huge role in Carlsbad.  Right in the heart of downtown, on the main street is a community art studio compound.  In most cities, the studio district is on the outskirts of town, near the industrial area.  In Carlsbad, the arts occupy the prime real estate.  And it is clear from traveling around that Carlsbad is a very art focused community--and that shows.  The place is very pretty, and it has great energy.

As for the local street art scene, it was truly surprising how much activity there is for such a small place. The Carlsbad scene is bumpin' like a big city.  This is largely due to Snyder, who has single handedly transformed street art in Carlsbad from an outlaw activity of police lights and bandanas, to a community celebration of paint parties and scavenger hunts.  There didn't seem to be much vandal-oriented graffiti or street art, and the street art that does get put up rides for a good amount of time and seems to be enjoyed by the community.

Snyder was the ultimate host, and perhaps because of that, Carlsbad has been our favorite place to vacation in LA~

^Even though it was the day before St. Pattie's, the pub run was well underway in Carlsbad.

^Snyder pumping up the tire on the sketchiest bike in the world.  Yes, your foot will hit the tire when turning, but plus side, you don't have to lock it up because no one will steal it.

^Many of the fire hydrants and electrical boxes are beautifully painted in Carlsbad.

^The gates at a Carlsbad graffiti/street art yard 'The Pit'.  We had to lift Shasta over this fence! (more on that to come!)

^The owners of this yard decorate some unruly cross dressing mannequins for each holiday/season.  (more pics below)

^Snyder ballin it up outside his studio.  We left the game of horse at H-O, but we always do! (internet humor for those who get it)

^Shasta geting ready to tour Carlsbad in her padded basket tricycle.  Another Snyder invention.

^Snyder walking us down to the beach, explaining life in Carlsbad.

^The beautiful Carlsbad beach~

^The boardwalk above Carlsbad.

^One of our favorite pictures of Shasta--ever!  Chillin in her basket at night, this girl rode all around town in Carlsbad!

^Even the 7-11 sign is picturesque in Carlsbad.

^More custom painted electrical boxes.  These are decorated with some fun & cute doggies~

June Gloom in March?

June Gloom made an unusually early appearance in Los Angeles this morning with a deep marine layer settling in over Hollywood even though its only March.

The marine layer has since lifted to reveal sunny skies, but the fog did offer some cool shots of the area.

Kind of looks like LA might be after the apocalypse. 

Sunset in Summerland

Despite the rainy weather today in Los Angeles, these gorgeous shots of sunset in Summerland provide a reminder why those of us who call this place home choose live in Southern California~

Click the jump for more juicy pics