Halloween special: Haunted Silver Lake

My neighborhood takes Halloween very seriously. Lots of artists and art directors make the 'hood feel really creepy. Beware!

Downtown L.A.: Nickel diner on Food Network

I'm a new but enthusiastic fan of the Nickel Diner in Downtown LA: I've been there three times this month, first to taste the house-made, maple syrup and bacon-topped donut (above) and now I'm a fan of the breakfast choices like the huevos rancheros and egg scrambles accompanied by baked polenta. Lots of prep and fresh ingredients goes into these dishes. The restaurant closed for a day a couple months back so Guy Fieri of the Food Network's Diners, Drive-ins and Dives could capture the secrets to the above donut and fried catfish with brussels sprout hash. Watch the show and you'll be on your way downtown in flash--just don't go on Mondays as the restaurant is closed. Bring change for the parking meters--street parking is now $3/hour.

Silver Lake: Canada Geese make an appearance.

Earlier this week, more than five dozen, plump honking Canada Geese* made a migratory pit-stop on the cement shores of the Silver Lake Reservoir. They prefer to graze on fields and lawns and have made themselves at home --this week anyway--on the northwest corner of non-bird ball-topped reservoir.

*Thanks to the reader who corrected the name. Seem to have flown off to warmer climes in any case.

The Scenesters: Fun poster art

I interviewed the creative team behind this film who are part of The Vactioneers comedy troupe known for "The Googling" (Google it to find their youtube clips). Most of the independently made film was shot in and around Silver Lake/Los Feliz. More info @ TheScenstermovie.com. Movie plays Sunday @ The Arc Light. Hope it comes to the Vista too!

Silver Lake: John Marshall High School's new football field

After 78 years John Marshall High School gets a regulation-sized football field today complete with electronic scoreboard, a Mission-style pergola entrance, newish stands (looks like they just moved and rehabbed the old ones) and poles for lights (but no lights). Surrounding the astro-turf field will be one those nice cushy running tracks; for the dedication and homecoming game tonight it's asphalt. Go Barristers! Tour with Councilmember Tom LaBonge @ 4p.m. Dedication at 5 p.m. Varsity football game (no lights!) is at 6 p.m.

*Updated: Football Hall of Famer Mike Haynes (center) was on hand along with council member Tom LaBonge and various LAUSD officials to dedicate the new field. Still to come: boys/girls bathrooms, a proper concession stand, a long jump and the synthetic running track. Marshall won both games on the new field! The kids were all super-excited and really energized.

Silver Lake: Library to open Nov. 16

Exterior Silver Lake Library

15th Annual Music Box Steps Day this Saturday 10/17/09

An event that melds movie history and Silver Lake's public most famous 133-step staircase is this weekend. From council member Eric Garcetti: The Silver Lake Improvement Association will present the 15th Annual Music Box Steps Day on Saturday, October 17. SLIA, which founded the annual event, will also be celebrating its 20th anniversary. The Silver Lake Neighborhood Council Arts and Culture Committee is an event co-sponsor. Come join the fun from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Laurel and Hardy Park (between 923 and 935 Vendome Street). There will be free food, Laurel and Hardy look-alikes, live entertainment, a raffle, and a screening of the 1932 Oscar-winning short, The Music Box.

The master of California light: Wayne Thiebaud at Pasadena Museum of California Art

Vibrant and still painting every day, Wayne Thiebaud is one of California's best painters. A 70-year career retrospective of his drawings and paintings just opened at the Pasadena Museum of California Art that includes early student work to recent beach and seascapes. A professor at U.C. Davis for more than 40 years, Thiebaud was patient when answering questions regarding his techniques and work habits. Some paintings take 10 years, others a day, he revealed. He and his wife divide their time between Davis and a studio on San Francisco's Portrero Hill. His colorful cityscapes are a mix of real and imagined San Francisco--several large canvases that capture the city's crazy angles are included in the exhibition. His more well known works elevate the ordinary--cupcakes, bakery cases, fruit--to almost monumental status. All without irony, contends exhibition organizer Dr. Steven Nash. The exhibition runs through January 31, 2010. Don't miss it!

Wayne Thiebaud, Two Kneeling Figures, 1966, oil on canvas, Collection of Paul LeBaron Thiebaud, © Wayne Thiebaud/
Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY