Monday, November 21, 2011

#220: jAdis


Entry fee $100. 99% Off with Cash, reads the sign on the door. Good thing I had cash on me! Next to that sign read another one that said "Knock First." Brad and I followed the directions, and a man greeted us at the door. Welcoming us in, he exclaimed that since we knocked, we got half off our entry price. We happily paid the dollar admission and were instantly transported into an inventor's wonderland.


If the interior of jAdis on Santa Monica's Main Street seems familiar, you've likely seen its props in many movies (eg. Superman, Wonder Woman, Wild West, The Prestige, The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus).  From the genuine Tesla generator sitting near the entryway to the large model rocket ship with a man moving inside, everything in jAdis brought out the wide eyed kid in me. If you're so inclined, you can even buy some of the items to take home.


jAdis is hard to define. It's part prop rental business, part museum, part curiosity shop. The owner of jAdis, Parke Meek, passed away in January 2010. His life story is one of the most unique and inspirational I have heard. Parke Meek left school with a 6th grade education, but his vision was way beyond anything that school could teach. He was always curious about how things worked, and by observing the world, he made mental connections that most people are blind to. Even at a young age, he was already thinking like an inventor. Meek wasn't afraid to speak his mind, yet he never made an enemy in his life. He became great friends with Charles and Ray Eames and worked at their firm for 25 years. He also befriended Frank Lloyd Wright, Howard Hughes, and other prominent figures of the time. 


To learn more about Parke Meek and see his collection for yourself, be sure to drop by jAdis on Friday-Sunday from noon to 5 pm.   Bring a dollar, and don't forget to knock ;)

Monday, November 7, 2011

L.A. King's Giveaway Winner


Congratulations to April A. for winning the Barry's Ticket's L.A. Kings Giveaway! April, an email has been sent to you with your tickets.  Thank you to everyone who entered. Stay tuned for more giveaways in the future :)


Friday, November 4, 2011

L.A. Kings Giveaway!

photo from wallpaperpimper


Woohoo! Time for another giveaway! Barry's Tickets is generously giving away a set of 2 tickets to the L.A. Kings hockey game this Tuesday, November 8 at the Staples Center! These are great seats too--I looked them up and they're selling for about $100 for the pair. Act fast because the winner will be chosen in less than 48 hours. 


Barry's Tickets is one of L.A.'s best resources, with tickets to sports, concert, theater and exclusive events around the city. With no service fees24 hour customer service, and a 200% guarantee, you'll be hard pressed to find a better ticket distributor. The Lakers, Katy Perry and Disney on Ice are just a few of the events that look awesome coming up. Check out their site--you'll be impressed!

*This giveaway is closed*

Thursday, November 3, 2011

#219: The Schindler House (aka Kings Road House)


Tall people better be prepared to duck because this house is made for shorties! The Schindler House is a must-see for fans of modern architecture. The house is tucked away on a quiet residential Kings Road in West Hollywood. Walking past it, you'd never guess that it houses the MAK Center for Art and Architecture.  


The house was designed by Rudolph Michael Schindler, who was friends with other architecture heavy weights such as Richard Neutra and Frank Lloyd Wright.  After overseeing the construction of Wright's Hollyhock House (#64), Schindler set out to build the Kings Road House, which became one of Schindler's most important works. Construction of the house completed in 1922.


There's currently a small exhibit running till January 8th titled Sympathetic Seeing: Esther McCoy and the Heart of American Modernist Architecture and Design.  It focuses on the architectural historian Esther McCoy through photographs, drawings, texts, videos and audio interviews.  Admission is $7.


Finally, a word of caution. The bathrooms in the house are for you to use, but beware! The toilet refused to flush, and as Brad fiddled with it, one of the tubes came loose and started whipping around, soaking our clothes and getting us both in the face a couple of times. It was like a scene from Three Stooges. Nyuk nyuk nyuk. Pretty embarrassing, especially when I had to inform the front desk about it, utterly drenched. :P

 Short doors for short people

The driveway

Have you been to the Schindler House? What did you think of it? Leave me a comment below!