Everything Glendale

Filed Under: Bamboo Panda, City Politics, City Services, Community Happenings, Events, News, The Americana

I was having dinner at Bamboo Panda (an okay Chinese restaurant run by, I believe, Koreans on Brand Boulevard) a couple Saturdays ago when the sky started exploding. When I got up and peeked outside, I saw that it wasn't some apocalyptic byproduct of the then-raging wildfires, but an elaborate fireworks display at The Americana that was set off to celebrate the shopping complex's tree-lighting. (The event, by the way, really cheesed off City Council members, who said going ahead with the proceedings in a time of emergency was "dumb-headed" and "ill-advised.")

There will be less controversy, I'm sure, at the Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony at City Hall on Wednesday—unless, of course, I decide to streak around the tree. Here are the details:

Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony

Wednesday, December 3, 2008
7:00 p.m.

Glendale City Hall
Perkins Plaza
613 E. Broadway
Glendale, CA 91206

This holiday celebration features choral music, lighting of the City Hall tree, and a special visit from Santa Claus! Free parking is available in the Civic Center Parking Structure (enter off of Wilson). Hot chocolate and candy canes will be served. In case of rain, the event will be cancelled.

Or maybe I'll try to pants Santa. Dare me to?


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Filed Under: Downtown Glendale, Pacific Theatres, Shopping, The Americana

[Read Part 1 if you haven't done so already. The following post continues my fascination with The Americana, and was originally posted on Bamboo Nation, right after the shopping complex's grand opening in May 2008.]

As you know, The Americana at Brand, that bastion of America's consumer hopes and dreams, just opened in my backyard this past weekend. I am happy (or sad?) to report that I have already visited there five times—count 'em, FIVE TIMES!

My second trip was Friday night with Loren, Gabriel, and Donovan, and we could barely walk through the complex because EVERYBODY IN THE ENTIRE SAN FERNANDO AND SAN GABRIEL VALLEY WAS THERE! It was insane. But we did get to watch the awe-inspiring fountain show, choreographed to Bobby Darin's "Beyond the Sea."

"You know," Donovan remarked, "that's someone's job. Fountain Choreographer."

I had never really thought about that before, but whoever it is deserves to make ONE MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR!

On Saturday, I took my mom. She looked through the windows of all the fancy shops and declared, "Everything's so expensive! I'm scared just looking! Is there a Ross here?!" THERE IS NO ROSS THERE, MOM!

We went to the multiplex to see Young @ Heart, a funny and moving documentary about seniors singing rock songs, but the best part of it all was that popcorn only cost a dollar. It was a special week-long promotion. Did you hear me?! POPCORN WAS ONE DOLLAR! I said to the concessions guy, "THAT'S AMAZING!"

On Sunday afternoon, I took Brent, and he was fascinated by the idea of the trolley running though The Americana. But I don't really think anything like this could really impress him—after all, the man works at Disneyland and gets to shoot hippos on the Jungle Cruise. A little train that takes you to The Cheesecake Factory must seem petty by comparison.

You know what did have an impact though? A slight breeze during the fountain show blew several gallons of water directly above our heads. We got so completely soaking wet that it was pointless to even move out of the way—we couldn't have gotten any wetter. So we just stood there to let the show run its course and to allow the world to witness our idiocy.

Sunday evening, it was Loren, Gabriel, and Brent again, this time for Iron Man and MORE ONE DOLLAR POPCORN!

Anybody who's been around me during the past few days knows that The Americana is ALL I WANT TO TALK ABOUT! Be warned.




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Filed Under: Downtown Glendale, Shopping, The Americana

[The opinions about The Americana at Brand are as diverse as this city. I definitely come down on the "love it" side because I'm able to give into its grandeur and cheesiness. Others are not so generous. Here's a post I wrote on my Bamboo Nation blog on May 2, 2008, right after The Americana's grand opening earlier this year.]

The moment I stepped onto the premises of The Americana at Brand this afternoon, a $400 million upscale outdoor shopping center and residential development, I started to cry. I immediately called up Loren and declared, "It's like heaven exists, and they decided to put it my backyard!" You see, The Americana is a scant four blocks away from my apartment, and, although I am by no means a spend-happy consumer (I rarely shop), I have a deep appreciation for what this decadent display of mass consumerism and excess represents—it's like America's hopes and dreams in physical form. Seriously. So that's why I cried. Seriously.

"I have to get off the phone now," I told Loren, "so I can wipe away my tears." And I also wanted to give The Americana, which had its grand opening on Thursday night, the full attention that it deserved. As I took it all in, I thought to myself, "I now know how all those immigrants felt when they passed through Ellis Island."

Aside from the 70+ shops and restaurants, 100 luxury condos, and 238 apartments, The Americana boasts an 18-screen movie theater (I just squealed in delight), a lavish fountain and waterfall (complete with a ridiculous fountain show every half hour), tacky bronze sculptures (public art—gotta love it), and trolleys (just in case you don't want walk around the 15.5 acre development). (And why would you want to? This is L.A.! The Los Angeles Times described it as "The Grove on steroids.")

What's even more ridiculous (and lovable) about it all is that The Americana opened up right next to the Glendale Galleria, one of the biggest indoor malls in the Southland. Out of all the people I've talked to so far, only Loren has truly displayed the excitement necessary to match the cheesy awesomeness of The Americana. So tomorrow I'm bringing my mother. And when her jaw drops at the sight of it all, I will ask her, "Is this how you felt when you first came to America?"

[This post continues at "Ooh, Heaven Is a Place on Earth, Part 2; or: Visiting The Americana at Brand, Part 2."]





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Filed Under: Miscellaneous

Remember that song, "People in Your Neighborhood," from Sesame Street? Of course you do! And I bet now it'll be stuck in your head for the rest of your day. Don't try to resist it—don't run away from your childhood! :)

You know what I realized recently? I have a bunch of friends, but I don't know too many people in my actual neighborhood. In fact, I don't know all that much about the city I live in—Glendale, California—even though I've been a resident for three years (as of this writing).

Now Glendale is not huge compared to some other cities, but it's big enough that there are restaurants, shops, and areas that I have never set foot in. So I decided to start this blog to get to know Glendale better, and maybe in a decade or two I'll be an expert on the town that I spend practically every day of the year in.

This blog will cover restaurants and shops; gather event information; profile celebrities and other people from here; and post fun facts and figures—all from the perspective of Glendale residents. Other locals will be recruited within the coming weeks to post reviews and give additional insight. I don't want this blog to be some generic site about a city, so you'll see the personalities of Everything Glendale bloggers come through in their writing.

I hope that by default this site will also serve as a valuable resource to other residents of Glendale and to people who like to visit; I'd like to create a cool online community where we can share ideas about the city, hot restaurants and shops we want each other to know about, and other things that locals should be talking about. We're not going to focus too much on crappy establishments around town, but alerting you to places we're excited about. And your feedback about this blog will help shape its direction; you can help out by giving us tips and suggestions in the comments section of any post or by e-mail.

I'm one of the people in your neighborhood! Who are you? How long have you lived here? What else should I know about you and your city?

Oh, and, in case you have no idea what "People in Your Neighborhood" is, here you go:




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City Links

• City of Glendale, California
• The Glendale Historical Society

Green Living

• Coalition for a Green Glendale

Libraries

• Glendale Central Library
• Brand Library & Art Center
• Casa Verdugo Branch Library
• Chevy Chase Branch Library
• Glendale College Library
  
• Grandview Branch Library
• Library Connection @ Adams Square
• Pacific Park Branch Library

Media

• El Vaquero
  
• Glendale News-Press
• GTV6

Movies

• Glendale Movie Showtimes
• Mann Glendale Marketplace 4
• Mann Glendale Exchange 10
• Pacific Theatres Glendale 18
  

Music Venues

• The Scene

Parks (by Area)

• Central & South Glendale
• East Glendale
• Foothills
• North Glendale
• West Glendale

Performing Arts

• Alex Theatre
• Luna Playhouse
• A Noise Within
• Glendale Centre Theatre
• Glendale Civic Auditorium
  

Public Transportation

• Beeline
• Dial-A-Ride

Schools

• Glendale Unified School District
• Glendale Community College
• Glendale University College of Law

Shopping Areas

• The Americana at Brand
• Brand Boulevard of Cars
• Downtown Glendale
• Farmer's Market
• Glendale Fashion Center
  
• Glendale Galleria

Miscellaneous

• Wireless Internet Access Hot Spots

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