An HBO show for the east side freaks.
Plus a crazy space in Silver Lake, Vanity Fair's hiring in LA, and Gold's Gym is dead.
Happy Halloween, everyone. On Monday I finally hit Bub & Grandma’s Pizza in Highland Park. For those of you who’ve asked, I was a bit disappointed — it wasn’t bad, per se, but there’s much better pizza in LA. Last night I had drinks at Real Charmer, which was great. Also, my costume for this weekend’s festivities is….not going to arrive on time. If anyone has a great last-minute idea, let me know.
In today’s issue: the most east side-coded new series in years, a crazy space for rent in Silver Lake, a Korean gastropub debuts in Highland Park, Vanity Fair is hiring in LA, signage is (finally) up at Goop Kitchen, and the city of Pasadena is selling homes.
An HBO show for the east side freaks.
At long last, Rachel Sennott’s I Love LA arrives on HBO (and HBO Max) this Sunday. The show is set on the east side, shot on location on the east side, and if you’ve left your house or braved the internet in the past few weeks, you’ve likely seen the east side plastered all over the show’s marketing materials.
In the show’s key art, Rachel perches on a sinking swan boat in Echo Park Lake. In one poster, she has her hands down Josh Hutcherson’s pants in line at Courage Bagels. In another, cast members recline in the LA River. If you go to Canyon Coffee today — which the show shut down for filming a few months back — you can order a special I Love LA flash brew (I wish I knew what the shop got paid).
The pilot also features a scene at the Silver Lake Reservoir (as Rachel told the Hollywood Reporter this week, “I love to walk the res and yap with my girls, so to get that in the pilot was awesome”) and became the first TV series ever to film inside an Erewhon (an honor!). I’m always thrilled to see productions shooting in town, Rachel’s a genuine talent, and a lot of real-life east siders worked on this one. I’ll be watching, but I’m most curious to see real east siders’ reactions to the show — if you send me your most intelligent thoughts, I might publish a roundup next week.
I also think it’d be kind of fun to get a group together for an impromptu watch party. If you want to watch the I Love LA premiere at a bar with other east siders…..DM me.
📅 Mark your calendar…
Saturday, 11/1 & Sunday, 11/2: Brother Vellies creative director Aurora James is hosting an extremely cool yard sale and block party in Silver Lake to benefit Hurricane Melissa relief in Jamaica. Guests will have the chance to shop the closets of so many incredibly chic Angelenos, including Aurora herself, Jamie Mizrahi, Mia Moretti, and good friend of the Rag Lauren Sherman. It’s all happening from 10am-4pm this Saturday and Sunday at 1840 Hyperion Avenue.
Sunday, 11/9: Next Sunday from 3-7pm, Karla Subero Pittol’s beloved Chainsaw is hosting a grand opening party for its new location in Melrose Hill (5022 Melrose Avenue). They’ll be taking over the whole block in front of the restaurant; expect music from DJ Sensitive Geezer, brews from Skyduster, a killer dessert spread, and a healthy sampling from the restaurant’s permanent menu.
🍽️ And now for some table scraps…
From the tip line — there’s a crazy commercial space for lease in Silver Lake. I’ve passed this building more times than I can count, but I never knew what was inside until a reader reached out this week with the brochure. The cavernous interior — a nearly 40,000-square-foot open space — has 36-foot high bow-truss ceilings and was originally built beginning in 1928 to house Grosh Backdrops & Drapery, an early powerhouse in Hollywood set design. It’s directly on Sunset and a stone’s throw from Erewhon; let’s hope it attracts a very cool tenant.
After popping up in the old Bar Moruno space last year, the Korean gastropub Yi Cha just opened a permanent location in Highland Park. If Debbie Lee’s hotly anticipated restaurant feels like it’s been “coming soon” for years now, it’s because….it has. The restaurant was initially supposed to open in 2023, but various hurdles led to extensive delays, the Sunset Junction pop-up, and now — finally — the real-deal location on Figueroa Street. Expect bar bites inspired by the offerings at the street carts found around South Korea, plus an inventive cocktail program from Senga Park.
The new season of American Horror Story might actually be zeitgeisty again. Ariana Grande will lead the season 13 cast, which also includes AHS royalty (and all-around icon) Jessica Lange for the first time since 2018 and Sarah Paulson for the first time since 2021.
From the tip line — the Goop Kitchen in “Silver Lake” finally has real signage. The fact that Goop Kitchen has branded this as being in Silver Lake is honestly crazy; it’s solidly in Echo Park — to the degree that it’s much closer to downtown than it is to Silver Lake. Regardless, the temporary banner that hung outside for months has finally been replaced by permanent signage. This is exactly the kind of niche news that sustains me; please continue to send all the weird tips.
Vanity Fair is on the hunt for a new LA-based Hollywood correspondent. Per the listing, whoever gets the job will write a regular column with “wit,” “insight,” and “authority,” as well as appear onscreen as a talking head across Condé Nast video franchises, media partnerships, and in-person events. They’d like candidates to have at least five years of experience at a major publication, but I can think of several people with less traditional media backgrounds who’d be great for this (that said, those people probably make too much on their own to consider the $115k-$200k salary Condé is offering for this).
The city of Pasadena is selling thirteen historic homes it bought decades ago as part of a doomed effort to extend the 710 freeway. I’m glad these houses weren’t ultimately torn down, though they’ve been vacant for the better part of 50 years and require significant restoration work. Most of the homes are more than a hundred years old, and they’re extremely charming. You can snag the cheapest one for $750k; the biggest and most expensive one is asking $1.75mm.
All of the Gold’s Gym locations in Southern California are rebranding. The chain sold its locations in the region to Eōs Fitness, and they’ll all be reopening under the Eōs name. Somehow…it doesn’t quite hit the same.
I really like this cropped, garment-dyed button-down from Abercrombie — and it’s ~25% off today.
Here’s a two-bedroom in the heart of Silver Lake for $695k. It’s got great light, I’m kind of into the stainless steel cabinetry, and it’s walkable to everything down on Sunset. I do wish it had outdoor space, but….then it wouldn’t be $695k.
And this house in Mount Washington is a great get for just under $1.7mm. The pegged hardwood floors, the (multiple) fireplaces, the original built-ins in the den, and the funky blue tiles in the primary bathroom are all things I love. I really don’t love the turf in the backyard, so if you buy this please rip that out immediately.
Have a great (Hallo)weekend everyone, I’ll see you Monday <3
I'm biased but I enjoyed Variety's review of "I Love LA" from Eastsider Alison Herman: "Is Formé a magazine? A clothing company? An experimental art project about the depravity of late capitalism? Your guess is as good as mine!"
Bub and Grandma's was SUCH a disappointment