A Tale of Two Cities. (Northridge vs. Santa Barbara)

This post should be pretty un-biased since I'm from neither of these places. I do live in Northridge, but I am fully aware of its cons as opposed to its pros. 

Simply put, Northridge is a city located within the San Fernando Valley, otherwise known as "the valley". Quintessential suburban lifestyle resides here. An endless sprawl of In-N-Outs, Medicinal Marijuana Depots, Wal-Marts, Costcos, and a "cookie cutter" layout of neighborhoods. In my opinion this just spells: bland. Even though there is no culture, there is a culture. Valley culture. 

I've come to realize the comfort of having a 7-Eleven on every other corner. Believe me, late night 7-Eleven runs are definitely life savers. Unfortunately mass transit can't even compare to New York's vast and expansive Bus and Subway system. It serves its purpose, it is not there to wow you but to just get you from point A to point B (hopefully in a timely fashion.) 

A new experience for me is the mountain view. I lived in a valley back in New York but it cant compare to the landscape of the SF valley. I have fallen in love with looking out of my window and seeing a mountain; pretty cool and definitely something that natives take for granted. 

There is a definite car culture here. In general, California is drive first, walk last. There's a song called "Nobody Walks in LA". This definitely rings true in Northridge. Some of the loneliest sidewalks I have ever seen can be found in Northridge. Culture-shock. Walking anywhere is a chore and finding partners to walk with is even more of a chore. 

Me: Hey, I'm gonna walk to the mall to go get some applications. Wanna Join? 
Friend: Dude, how far is the mall from here? 
Me: Uhhhh.. about 2 miles or so. It's only a 30 minute walk. 
Friend: Hell no! Are you serious? That's too far! 

^^^They wouldn't survive a day in NY with that attitude. On a good day I walk 30-40 blocks in the city. My record is 70 in a day. 

I absolutely love the variety of food available in the valley, I've tried so many new things. From Mongolian BBQ to Italian, Vietnamese to Mexican, there's never a dull eating experience to be had. 

I'm pretty confident that nobody is going to argue with me on this. Northridge does not have much of a party scene, dorm parties are.... well, they are dorm parties. Parties off campus end pretty quickly with the ever vigilant Northridge Police Force knocking at your door at 10pm saying "Clear out, party's over."  


Theres not much stuff to say about Northridge. It really is Suburbs: Personified. 


Northridge is an interesting change from my life in New York. There are pros and cons but on an overall level I have made the most of my experience. 

  

 SB. A nice coastal area with beautiful vistas from cliffs, an air of relaxation, a sub-culture of free-spiritism (is that even a word?), and a get away from the hustle and bustle of LA. Cool temperatures year round and cool vibes. What could be wrong with this place? 

I'm going to take this comparison to the community of Isla Vista, some may know this place by the initials: IV and others may know it because of the University of California: Santa Barbara campus. To me this is like the total opposite of Northridge. A different level of what is considered normal. 

Cars aren't really needed within the city, in fact, the pedestrians rule the streets. J-Walking is tame in comparison. Walking in the middle of the streets at night is normal and the cars are cautioned. Another popular mode of transportation, is the bicycle. Never have I seen so many bikes in my life. An incredible sight to say the least. Even though SB may not have a very developed mass transit system, you won't be stranded without a car. Stores and restaurants are in close proximity to the school and apartments/houses.    


The PREMIERE party scene in SoCal is up at UCSB. I'm sure that many people will argue their school is better, but I'm pretty convinced this is one of the best.  When a small community can have thousands of people come to party for Halloween weekend, it says something. It gets pretty insane, my first time wasn't as crazy as prior years but for my first exposure it was intense. You'd be surprised how easy it is to mistake drunken hoards of horny half-naked college students as a group of zombies. When I tell you that people party here.. there is no understatement. 

Many of the parties take place on one street. Del Playa. Many of the houses and apartments have balconies which hang over a steep cliff that leads to the beach. Now that spells danger for many drunk people. Yah. Cliff dives are not uncommon here. In my second visit to the area I witnessed the aftermath of a guy who fell over a balcony head first, one story, to the balcony below. Forehead completely skinned off and swollen, he was so numb from inebriation he felt no pain. He walked away with the help of a few people. That was just a taste! 

On a lighter, less serious note, food here is pretty healthy and organic and open LATE! A feature that Northridge lacks severely. It is Americanized to a degree and a little less authentic but most places are mom & pop establishments and the community has been able to stave off commercialization for a long time. 

All in all. If one were to choose the better place to live. I could not tell them to pick one over the other. It really depends on who YOU are as a person. Like parties? SB is for you. Like a more urban yet suburban environment ? Northridge is for you. 

Or just flip a coin and surprise yourself, perhaps you'll notice something I didn't. 

-TLG/MFTZ 

Tastes Like Romance.

Romance. One of the most powerful influences in the universe. Romance can make you feel amazing, like a cool breezy drive down the 405; yet in the same breath it can make you sick even to the point where food doesn't taste the same. Romance can make you feel rich and whole, but on the other hand people become broke (literally and figuratively) chasing the wrong ideal or person. Romance can put you in this viscously amorous haze that clouds your judgement, yet it just feels so right. Your friends are useless to these great powers of romance. The force of a thousand freight trains speeding towards you cannot be stopped. Everyone is susceptible to romance, so theres no use in fighting it. But this is not going to be a post lamenting on the downsides of romance and falling in love. We're gonna stay positive today. 

In my opinion, romance is one of the most important concepts that humans have the ability to grasp. Once in awhile, there are couples that genuinely exude happiness. Couples that bring out the best in each other. Couples that trust each other, embrace their flaws, and understanding each others shortcomings. 

Yesterday, I had the privilege to photograph two very dear friends of mine, a beautiful couple, one of my favorite couples actually. I had this concept in my head for the longest time, I really wanted to find a street completely lined with palm trees and take pictures in the middle of the street. But what street in LA would i choose? There are so many. I decided on 6th ave in Leimert Park. (It's directly adjacent to the Crenshaw neighborhood of LA.) 

 Exactly as I pictured it. 

It just so happens that one of my friends is a native of the area, she was down to take a trip and take some pictures with my roommate, coincidentally, her boyfriend. Perfect. 

 Just starting their walk, on the journey of life. 

 Believe it or not, I had dreams about taking this photo, for over a month leading up to the day of the shoot. It came out pretty nice. 

 Quite possibly the best picture of the day. I don't think I've ever captured a more genuine emotion than the one they're expressing right now. They were great models. BIG UPS!!!

 Another genuine emotion. Seriously, most people have never seen him cheese that much. Just more evidence of a great day in the hood. 

 A candid embrace. 

 At the end of the shoot, I just needed to take a seat. A nice end to another beautiful afternoon in Sunny LA!

Before I close out, I want to leave everyone with a little something something I've come to realize. 

Take a break from going crazy, from your frantic work life, and all of your drama. Sit down and think about the happiest moments of your life. Some people will find that their happiest moments are shared with people they love, care about, or feel deeply for. Think about that for a second. Then ask yourself what you really want out of life and figure out the ways to achieve and attain it. Let's face it, we can never be happy 24/7, but what if we could be happy for at least 5-10 minutes out of every day? Do you have that one person that makes you feel whole on the inside? If not, maybe they're already searching for YOU. Sometimes we go looking for love and romance in all the wrong places, but what if we just worked on being ourselves, or figuring out what makes us... US! Then we wouldn't have to exert so much energy on people that weren't even worth the trouble anyways. Instead, the people, most compatible to you, will stand out the most. 

Enjoy life and all of its awesome minute details and nanoseconds of brilliance. That's all I'm saying. 

-TLG

Life is Good...On the Westside.

"I've always wanted to go to California!! Oh, man what's it like?" These are usually the comments I get from my friends in NY. 

My response: "First of all, I think everyone should see California at least once before they die." To answer the second question its really hard to make it not sound like a fantasy land. 

Which brings up an interesting phenomenon for New Yorkers and Californians. Before I had ever lived in California, I harbored a specific idea of what California was like. Valley Girls, Surfers, Beaches, Endless Rows of Palm Trees, Free-Spirited People, and Perpetual Sunshine. A fantasy land. But on the coldest days in January during senior year, the warm thoughts of California kept my feet moving down the icy hill called Elm Street. And let me tell you, that walk home from school was not easy, especially in the winter time. It was these dreams that kept me alive on the inside. California Dreamin'.

Now that I live in California, I can no longer say it is a fantasy land, IT IS REAL. I never thought I would wake up every morning happy, but It became my reality. Come visit this state. Seriously.

For Californians who have never been to NY, it's the same thing. To them NY is : Subways, Great Pizza, Crowded Streets, Mean People, Tall Buildings, Times Square, and Cold Winters. 

Having lived in New York for 18yrs, It's all of this and more. But one must visit both places to actually find out the truths, lies, and misconceptions. 

Now every time I come back to California, it's like I'm experiencing it for the for the first time. Yesterday was one of those days. Chillin in Santa Monica and Westwood with the homies is just what the doctor ordered. 

 

The Pacific. See what I mean?

 Twilight (no. not the vampires.) in Westwood

 Diddy Riese. A staple in Westwood. Freshly baked cookies and Dreyers (or for the East Coasters, Edy's) Ice Cream. This right here is two Oatmeal Raisin and Walnut Cookies with scoop of strawberry ice cream wedged in between. For a buck fifty, the price is right!  

 Brotha from anotha motha, Justin, sporting his Nikon. A good day for photography. 

 The Fox Theater in Westwood with a typical California sunset backdrop. Established in 1931; another staple in the neighborhood.

 The drive back on the 5 freeway to cap off the day. 

There's a place for everyone in this world. Never settle for mediocrity. Make the moves to change your life, anyone can do it. It is not easy, but then again life is hard. However at the same time, life.. is... good.

-TLG