A few days ago a commenter noted that s/he would like to see more talk on SCVTalk about interesting and perhaps not-well-known things and activities in the SCV. I aim to please and I'm always open to new ideas, so after a few days of thinking, here's my list.
But first, a word about how the list is organized. The way I see it, if you read SCVTalk, you're already invested in this place more highly than people who simply rest their heads here at night. So I'm going to list activities and things that elite SCVers know about but that normal, run-of-the-mill SCVers might be ignorant of. Enough of that, let's get to the list (and I encourage you to add your own items:)
Elite SCVers go to CalArts Library: A lot of my readers think libraries are a thing of yesteryear, a by-gone institution that has no place in our modern, always-connected world. Not me. I really love libraries and in the SCV, you'll find no better library than the one in the 2nd sub-floor on the CalArts campus. Not only does it have a decent collection, but it's probably the quietest library in all of the SCV. People here just don't talk. It's whisper quiet, a great place for study, reflection and even a stolen nap. During the school year, it's opened late, later than anything in the SCV except the Saugus Cafe: midnight on some days. And what's more, you can come in your jammies because that's how most of the students come. Hell you probably don't even have to shower. No one will notice. And they don't check for parking permits. A win all the way around.
Normal SCVers go to: Barnes & Noble: If you're just a normal, run of the mill SCVer and you want to read or study, you'll probably end up at Barnes & Noble in Valencia with all the other sheeple. It's loud and bustling, but at least they offer coffee and wifi and are open late. Ho hum.
Elite SCVers go to Do It Center: In years past, the obvious elite choice for SCV do-it-yourselfers would have been Newhall or Holiday Hardware, but since those two institutions went the way of the do-do (peace be upon them), I've found Do It Center on Valencia Blvd to be a worthy stand-in. Most of the men who work there have leathery skin from long hours working construction projects outdoors; their hands are rough and ragged from working with them all their lives. They are friendly and offer real, down-to-earth advice about your project. They have personally saved me time and money. Talking to one of theirknowledgeableworkers is like talking to my dad about DIY: it's reassuring, funny, and a bit humiliating all at once.
Normal SCVers go to Lowes or Home Depot: Hey, if you're happy with the advice you're getting from some tweenager about 90 degree elbow plumbing pipes, go to Lowes or Home Depot. If you consider dodging fork lifts with huge pallets fun, go here. They're not all bad, of course -who hasn't needed to go to Home Depot late on a Sunday night- but we're after an elite, SCV-insider only experience here, not some generic big box experience you can have anywhere. Right?
Elite SCVers go to Video Depot: Ahhh, Video Depot. The last of the old privately-run video rental stores. Yes, I'm tragically behind the curve on movie rentals; though I do love Netflix streaming, it doesn't offer everything, so when my wife and I need a movie to watch, we head over to Gina at Newhall's Video Depot. Gina is a petite Korean woman who has run Video Depot since before I moved here. No one knows her age, but everyone knows she will outlive all of us, so healthy is her constitution and so athletic is her lifestyle. She's always inappropriately nosy ("Why you no have baby yet, Jeff?") but that's part of the charm of Video Depot. She's also very forgiving with late fees, which, you know what? I don't even mind paying so long as Gina is still renting videos at Video Depot.
Normal SCVers go to Blockbuster: You poor souls.
Elite SCVers go to Hart or Summit Parks: We'rejustifiablyproud of our park system here in the SCV, but there are two parks in particular that stand out and that, from my own park-going experience, are under-appreciated. That would be Hart Park in Newhall and Summit Park in Valencia. These parks offer the quintessential American park-going experience, with huge shade trees you can just doze off under, lots of open space and things to explore, and even little trails you and your family can hike on. At Hart Park, for instance, you can walk uphill a bit and see William S. Hart's mansion, plus some great views of Newhall. And in Summit Park (behind the YMCA on McBean), there's a trail system that goes way back in the hills through a beautiful meadow where I've snapped many pictures. Do be aware that you are in the elite Valencia Summit neighborhood, where crazy open warfare between neighbors has been known to occur over things like children's swim teams.
Normal SCVers go to Central Park: Not that there's anything wrong with Central Park, of course, but I need fully grown, leafy trees to scratch my park itch. And the little saplings dotting Central Park offer no protection from the sun. Give it 20 years and I'm sure it'll be the jewel in the SCV's park system.
Elite SCVers go to Newhall Bikes: If you're in need of a new bike or a simple tune-up of your old one, Roger at Newhall Bikes will take care of you in his quirky little shop on Main Street. An SCV-native and former bike racer, Roger enjoys blastingreggae-a distinctively un-SCV sound- in his shop, and he's been known to host summer reggae parties with free beer. Yes, open air keggers in the SCV.
Normal SCVers go to WalMart: Don't do it. Please. Buy your kid's bike from one of the fine local bike stores, not Walmart. Not only will you be supporting local business, but you'll get a bike that was put together by someone who actually knows how to work on bicycles.
Elite SCVers go to Mexican Taquerias: Want some real carne asada? Are you courageous enough to see what real Mexican food is all about? Then you owe it to yourself amigo to check out some of those hole-in-the-wall taquerias around town. Places like Las Lomas or Tortas Ahogadas in Newhall, or the taco place on Soledad & Sierra Highway, where you can find delicious meals for a good price, while watching some Mexican futbol coverage.Bonus points if you shop from the back of one of those produce trucks or cruise the narrow aisles of Tresierras in Newhall.
Normal SCVers go to Baja Fresh or Taco Bell: I admit, I partake regularly.
These are just a sample of under-appreciated activities and places in the SCV. Missing from this list is an authentic SCV coffee shop. So what say you? What are some under-appreciated activities or places in the SCV you enjoy?
Under-appreciated SCV
But first, a word about how the list is organized. The way I see it, if you read SCVTalk, you're already invested in this place more highly than people who simply rest their heads here at night. So I'm going to list activities and things that elite SCVers know about but that normal, run-of-the-mill SCVers might be ignorant of. Enough of that, let's get to the list (and I encourage you to add your own items:)
Elite SCVers go to CalArts Library: A lot of my readers think libraries are a thing of yesteryear, a by-gone institution that has no place in our modern, always-connected world. Not me. I really love libraries and in the SCV, you'll find no better library than the one in the 2nd sub-floor on the CalArts campus. Not only does it have a decent collection, but it's probably the quietest library in all of the SCV. People here just don't talk. It's whisper quiet, a great place for study, reflection and even a stolen nap. During the school year, it's opened late, later than anything in the SCV except the Saugus Cafe: midnight on some days. And what's more, you can come in your jammies because that's how most of the students come. Hell you probably don't even have to shower. No one will notice. And they don't check for parking permits. A win all the way around.
Normal SCVers go to: Barnes & Noble: If you're just a normal, run of the mill SCVer and you want to read or study, you'll probably end up at Barnes & Noble in Valencia with all the other sheeple. It's loud and bustling, but at least they offer coffee and wifi and are open late. Ho hum.
Elite SCVers go to Do It Center: In years past, the obvious elite choice for SCV do-it-yourselfers would have been Newhall or Holiday Hardware, but since those two institutions went the way of the do-do (peace be upon them), I've found Do It Center on Valencia Blvd to be a worthy stand-in. Most of the men who work there have leathery skin from long hours working construction projects outdoors; their hands are rough and ragged from working with them all their lives. They are friendly and offer real, down-to-earth advice about your project. They have personally saved me time and money. Talking to one of theirknowledgeableworkers is like talking to my dad about DIY: it's reassuring, funny, and a bit humiliating all at once.
Normal SCVers go to Lowes or Home Depot: Hey, if you're happy with the advice you're getting from some tweenager about 90 degree elbow plumbing pipes, go to Lowes or Home Depot. If you consider dodging fork lifts with huge pallets fun, go here. They're not all bad, of course -who hasn't needed to go to Home Depot late on a Sunday night- but we're after an elite, SCV-insider only experience here, not some generic big box experience you can have anywhere. Right?
Elite SCVers go to Video Depot: Ahhh, Video Depot. The last of the old privately-run video rental stores. Yes, I'm tragically behind the curve on movie rentals; though I do love Netflix streaming, it doesn't offer everything, so when my wife and I need a movie to watch, we head over to Gina at Newhall's Video Depot. Gina is a petite Korean woman who has run Video Depot since before I moved here. No one knows her age, but everyone knows she will outlive all of us, so healthy is her constitution and so athletic is her lifestyle. She's always inappropriately nosy ("Why you no have baby yet, Jeff?") but that's part of the charm of Video Depot. She's also very forgiving with late fees, which, you know what? I don't even mind paying so long as Gina is still renting videos at Video Depot.
Normal SCVers go to Blockbuster: You poor souls.
Elite SCVers go to Hart or Summit Parks: We'rejustifiablyproud of our park system here in the SCV, but there are two parks in particular that stand out and that, from my own park-going experience, are under-appreciated. That would be Hart Park in Newhall and Summit Park in Valencia. These parks offer the quintessential American park-going experience, with huge shade trees you can just doze off under, lots of open space and things to explore, and even little trails you and your family can hike on. At Hart Park, for instance, you can walk uphill a bit and see William S. Hart's mansion, plus some great views of Newhall. And in Summit Park (behind the YMCA on McBean), there's a trail system that goes way back in the hills through a beautiful meadow where I've snapped many pictures. Do be aware that you are in the elite Valencia Summit neighborhood, where crazy open warfare between neighbors has been known to occur over things like children's swim teams.
Normal SCVers go to Central Park: Not that there's anything wrong with Central Park, of course, but I need fully grown, leafy trees to scratch my park itch. And the little saplings dotting Central Park offer no protection from the sun. Give it 20 years and I'm sure it'll be the jewel in the SCV's park system.
Elite SCVers go to Newhall Bikes: If you're in need of a new bike or a simple tune-up of your old one, Roger at Newhall Bikes will take care of you in his quirky little shop on Main Street. An SCV-native and former bike racer, Roger enjoys blastingreggae-a distinctively un-SCV sound- in his shop, and he's been known to host summer reggae parties with free beer. Yes, open air keggers in the SCV.
Normal SCVers go to WalMart: Don't do it. Please. Buy your kid's bike from one of the fine local bike stores, not Walmart. Not only will you be supporting local business, but you'll get a bike that was put together by someone who actually knows how to work on bicycles.
Elite SCVers go to Mexican Taquerias: Want some real carne asada? Are you courageous enough to see what real Mexican food is all about? Then you owe it to yourself amigo to check out some of those hole-in-the-wall taquerias around town. Places like Las Lomas or Tortas Ahogadas in Newhall, or the taco place on Soledad & Sierra Highway, where you can find delicious meals for a good price, while watching some Mexican futbol coverage.Bonus points if you shop from the back of one of those produce trucks or cruise the narrow aisles of Tresierras in Newhall.
Normal SCVers go to Baja Fresh or Taco Bell: I admit, I partake regularly.
These are just a sample of under-appreciated activities and places in the SCV. Missing from this list is an authentic SCV coffee shop. So what say you? What are some under-appreciated activities or places in the SCV you enjoy?