Guidespot: Guides by GillianS

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GillianS

I'll save you from yourself.

Neighborhood
Los Feliz
Where I'm From
Boulder, CO
Occupation
Freelance Social Critic
Website

About Me

Favorite Food: Sashimi Favorite Cocktail: Old Fashioned Favorite Cheese: Brie Favorite Bar: Open Favorite Film/Dog: Annie Hall Favorite Pastime: Not Getting Pregnant Favorite Fake Band: Alison and the Autistic Lesbians Favorite Spot: G

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Do Fun Things That Are Horrible For You

By GillianS
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Updated 11/03/2008
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(8)

Categories:

Humor; Eat & Drink

In the words of (sometimes) wise man Woody Allen: "Everything our parents said was good is bad. Sun, milk, red meat... college." In the words of (rarely) wise chick, GillianS: "Who listens to their parents? Things that are bad for you are totally the most fun!"

"We Met Online": A Guide to Internet Dating in Los Angeles

By GillianS
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Updated 10/27/2008
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(3)

Categories:

Dating & Relationships; Geek

I turn to the internet for just about everything. I buy cheap books from Amazon, expensive purses on eBay and free couches on Craigslist. But the one thing that I keep searching for in cyberspace continues to elude me: true love. Still, I have been on many an internet date and learned a thing or two about the proper way to approach this delicate area (as well as whatever other delicate areas might come with it…)

Superstars and Wannabes: Your Guide to Karaoke Personalities

By GillianS
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Updated 10/22/2008
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(3)

Category:

Entertainment

I have a love/hate relationship with karaoke. One the one hand, I love drinking until I'm not embarrassed to act like an idiot in front of strangers. On the other hand, I usually end up wayyyy past that threshold every time I get near karaoke. Still, I've managed to find myself at a number of Los Angeles' finer "drink & sing" establishments and have narrowed down the types that hang out there to a choice few. Can you spot yourself amongst these?

Kiss Me, Stupid: A Guide to Public Displays of Affection

Started by GillianS
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Updated 10/18/2008
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(3)

Category:

Dating & Relationships

In general, I loathe Public Displays of Affection, particularly when I am part of the public and not part of the affection. However, I have been known to involve in this kind of self-involved display on occasion, so here are some of the places where I deem it to be acceptable. Please add yours so I can be sure not to go there.

Stop Singing! Live Music Pet Peeves

Started by GillianS
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Updated 10/15/2008
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(4)

Category:

Entertainment

I personally am not someone who goes to a lot of concerts. I have to really really really like a band to spend a bunch of money, brave traffic, parking and opening acts and then stand around and wait for them to play a lacksadasical version of their new songs when I just want to hear my obscure favorite from 1995. But sometimes I do go and I am invested in enjoying myself and then one or many peope insist on doing something COMPLETELY ANNOYING. So, what do music fans do that make you think...

Sunset Junction: Shop, Dine and Drink Amongst L.A.'s Finest Hipsters

By GillianS
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Updated 10/03/2008
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(1)

Categories:

Eat & Drink; Shopping

For years , Silverlake has been touted as the "cool" neighborhood that's un-LA, urban, hip and ultimately the place to be for young, skinny white people in Los Angeles who are more likely "artists" than "actors." I mean, it's mentioned in a Deathcab for Cutie song for god's sake. Anyhow, Silverlake's hill Sunset Junction is admittedly on the downslope of the cool, what with the gentrification and the influx of too many wannabes. But it still doesn't have a Target, or a Starbucks so I'm g...

I Had A Terrible Meal at These Los Angeles Restaurants

Started by GillianS
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Updated 09/19/2008
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(0)

Category:

Eat & Drink

Please Note: Inclusion in the guide does NOT mean the restaurant is BAD. As a matter of fact, I LOVE some of these places (like HOME), but sometimes you just get something sucky -- a bad meal or bad service or what have you. Anyway, maybe this guide can help you to avoid some of my mishaps.

Feel Bad About Yourself on the Westside

By GillianS
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Updated 09/08/2008
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(6)

Category:

Entertainment

You'd think that spending a day pampering yourself - getting a massage, maybe a haircut, a manicure or indulging in some shopping or cupcakes - would make you feel great, right? Energized, confident and ready to weather the harsh UV rays of your everyday life! Well, in most places you might be right. But venture west of Fairfax in L.A. and you'll find a plethora of businesses that will happily take wads of your hard earned cash and still make you feel completely inadequate!

Workout Video Stars: The Good, The Bad and the Sweaty

Started by GillianS
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Updated 09/04/2008
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(3)

Category:

Fitness & Health

At some point, nearly everyone gets the ridiculous idea that it's time to get "in shape." I am no exception and as such, have sampled many different fitness regimes including a vast sampling of the Home Workout Video type. I do have a gym membership, but sometimes (espcially in the L.A. landscape) you would just rather sweat and jiggle in private. I've spent money on too many of these videos myself, so maybe my reviews can help someone avoid similar infomercial-induced mistakes. I bet I'm...

L.A.'s Cahuenga Corridor: Difficult to Pronounce, Even When Sober

By GillianS
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Updated 08/26/2008
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(1)

Categories:

Eat & Drink; Entertainment

The Sunset Strip. Hollywood Boulevard. Sunset Junction. Westwood Village. What do these areas have in common? Besides all being named after major thouroughfares (at least vaguely) they are all a great place to go bottoms up any night of the week and plenty of people, even outside of Los Angeles, have heard of them. The Cahuenga Corridor is an up & coming hot spot in the heart of Hollywood. Hard to pronounce, even harder to remember in the morning.

Pirates, Jazz and a Bunch of Artsy Crap: Downtown Los Angeles is Awesome

By GillianS
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Updated 08/26/2008
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(0)

Categories:

Entertainment; Eat & Drink

Though previously dismissed as a cultural sink and waste of time, in the past 5 years, downtown Los Angeles has begun to flourish once again. With an influx of artsy young professionals has come cafes, restaurants, fun bars and an overall aura of cool. Check it out.

Pretend You're in an Actual City Without Leaving L.A.

By GillianS
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Updated 08/26/2008
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(4)

Category:

Entertainment

A frequent complaint of L.A. 'transplants' (I'm not sure when that moniker goes away - I think as soon as you shut up about how terrible L.A. is) is that our fine city isn't actually like a city : it's too sprawling, no one takes public transportation, there's no real downtown, etc. This doesn't really bother me, I normally will just ignore these people, but it turns out it's not actually that difficult to do the whole "urban" thing in L.A.

Tip Top Tapas in Los Angeles

By GillianS
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Updated 08/26/2008
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(3)

Category:

Eat & Drink

There are a lot of things to love about tapas: besides being terrifically tasty, they're also terribly tiny which means you can eat yummy things without feeling guilty (because it's tiny, so even if it's deep fried in suet, it's not really that bad),

Pretty People With Dogs

By GillianS
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Updated 08/26/2008
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(5)

Categories:

Family & Pets; Entertainment

People in L.A. love dogs. People in L.A. are also unequivocally pretty. Luckily, there are a lot of places around where pretty and dog-having overlap. So leash up your best friend, lace up your Chuck Taylors and meet some new pals - furry or otherwise.

The History of Cinco de Mayo (and where to get tequila and nachos in Los Angeles)

By GillianS
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Updated 08/26/2008
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(2)

Categories:

Jobs & Education; Entertainment

Cinco de Mayo is great. I love margaritas, tequila, salsa and getting drunk on a specific day of the year (also known as holidays). Even though I'm sure they tried to teach me in Spanish class, I have no idea what Cinco de Mayo is. So here it is: a guide to getting drunk on a Monday (in 2008) and a history lesson, wrapped up in one like an educational burrito.

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