RIP, Pip (2004-2007)

Pip!, originally uploaded by Atwater Village Newbie.

Pip was a small little bird
with a big voice and a big
personality. He was a great
father and friend to our
other little birds.

-- Mrs. Newbie

All About the New Viet Noodle Bar

FROM OUT OF NOWHERE comes the new media darling of central Atwater Village, only a few blocks down from former media darling Canele. At 3133 1/2 Glendale Blvd., it's Viet Noodle Bar: Eat Drink & Be Merry - We headed towards a non-descript brick building with no signage, and only orange lettering on the window identifying the establishment. We found ourselves surrounded by tall white walls in a long and narrow cavity. There were two, long communal-style, wooden tables that extended from the front to the back of the restaurant. Old, beaten-up book lined the right side of the wall – over 250 books. Daily Candy LA - Sometimes it feels like you have to travel to the Far East to get a good bowl of bun chay. Or at least trek to Atwater. Eater LA - Offshoot of Silverlake's Soy Cafe opened today. Eating LA - The new shop will concentrate on noodles, particularly bun and northern style pho - which apparently has flat noodles, no basil, and will come in chicken and vegetarian varieties. Conversations starting on Chowhound and Yelp, too. Viet Noodle Bar is open 11:00am to 3:00pm, 5:00pm to 11:00pm.

I Am Banned from Circuit City Burbank

THIS BUSY SHOPPING weekend I got banned from the Burbank location of a $12.43 billion consumer electronics retailer. A Circuit City employee, identifying himself as the "store director," told me in no uncertain terms that I should take my business elsewhere. Even if my business was asking the company to honor its guarantee for car audio installation. (My left rear speaker works off and on.)

His uncertain terms: "Get the fuck out of my store," and, "If you ever step foot in my fucking store again I will call the cops and report you for trespassing" and, fists raised, lunging at me, "I will take you down."

I wonder if this is what Merrill Lynch means when they report "most customers looked frustrated" at Circuit City stores this weekend. Yes, Merrill, I may have looked that way. But you should've seen how Burbank's store director looked as he chased me out the back.

I called Circuit City's 800 number - five times - to report the incident. Lots of forwarding and disconnecting. I could email Circuit City executives, or file a report with Glendale police. But why bother? That's one Southern California Circuit City store down, 47 to go. Get your banning fists ready!

UPDATE: Circuit City closed for business in 2009.

Atwater Chatter: Pre-Thanksgiving Edition

THE LAST REMNANTS of pre-holiday business for our little corner of northeast Los Angeles: On the Market: Whole Food for Life - $4.7 million ($479.69/sq.ft.) for Los Feliz Blvd. building shell sans inventory [Curbed LA] Scenes from Arthur Magazine's LA River Beautification Meeting - Music performance by NO AGE [Nature Trumps] Neighborhood Walkthrough of DWP Lights in Griffith Park - Wednesday Nov. 21, 6:30pm [AV News] Four Vacancies on AVNC Board - Deadline to apply is Thursday Dec. 6, 5:00pm [AV is for Lovers] Rent Check! $1,800, $2,500, $2,800 [Craigslist]

Pico and Sepulveda: The Song

THIS WAS THE SONG running through my head nearly all day, 15.6 miles of it, down the length of Pico Blvd. I shot about 500 photographs and am busily assembling the Flickr set.

Favorite Pico Guy

Favorite Pico Guy, originally uploaded by Atwater Village Newbie.

ONE (OF MANY) photos to come from the walk on Pico Blvd. Stay tuned.

I'm building my set on Flickr now.

Meantime, enjoy 165 photos from Wildbell.

I've Been Training for It All Week

BY WALKING FROM my cubicle to the office kitchen. And back. What else could prepare me for tomorrow's leisurely stroll, more than 15 miles, along the most culturally diverse boulevard in the most culturally diverse city in the US? From downtown Los Angeles to the Pacific Ocean, Pico Blvd., here we come.

Walking the Village

ONE WISE NEIGHBOR'S opinion on the most walkable neighborhood in Los Angeles, from Curbed LA: Gotta say Atwater Village. Where else can you pass 3 coffee spots, a cuban place, two vietnamese places, a taco place, a dive bar, five or six galleries, a water store, a check cashing joint, two banks, multiple new hipster clothing stores, recording studios and a Christian Discount store in three blocks? Seriously.

Mural Dedication: Tuesday

Vince's Market, originally uploaded by Atwater Village Newbie.

THE DONE DEAL. Nov. 13, 1:00pm, Vince’s Market, 3250 Silver Lake Blvd.

Atwater Chatter: Post-Diwali Edition

INDIAN SWEETS (and spices) found their way into our home this weekend. We hope they did yours too. Some news from in and around this banana-shaped hood in northeast Los Angeles: Mistrial on Fate of Convicted Killer - Atwater Village gang leader Timothy McGhee will still do time, but this jury couldn't decide how long [LA Daily News] New Noodle House! New Hipster Shop! But where's the new wine bar? [MilesThink] Yes, People Live Down There - Tour of residences along garbage islands of Los Angles River [Nature Trumps] Heckuva job, LABSM, Bike Path Still Dark - Is there a single crooked metals-buyer somewhere in Atwater Village who knows exactly what's going on...? [Metroblogging LA] Happy Diwali to All - First LA City Council presentation marking festival of lights for Hindu new year [CD13 Garcetti]

The Pico Walk: We're In!

View Larger Map

The entire length of Pico Blvd., nearly 16 miles from downtown LA to the sand in Santa Monica, Saturday Nov. 17, 9:00am. More at greatwalkla.com.