Everything Glendale

Filed Under: City Services, Green Living, Hazardous Waste

I have a large container of antifreeze that's been sitting in the trunk of my car for, like, years, and I've been meaning to get rid of it. (I mean, I'm no scientist, but after a certain amount of time doesn't that stuff release deadly toxins in the air? I don't know.) But I'm environmentally conscious enough to know that I shouldn't just pour it down the drain. However, I've never really looked into how to dispose of it properly.

Well, I just stumbled across Glendale's Household Hazardous Waste Program, which encourages residents to take waste such as paint, oil, chemicals, pesticides, and batteries to the city's Environmental Management Center. Here are the details:

Household Hazardous Waste Program

Wednesdays and Saturdays
9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Environmental Management Center
780 Flower Street
Glendale, CA 91201
818.548.3862
www.ci.glendale.ca.us/public_works/hazardous_waste.asp

Serves residents of Glendale and La Cañada. The service area also includes the Glendale annex communities of La Crescenta and Montrose, households that pay their utilities to Glendale Water and Power. ALL participants are required to bring a proof of residency or a copy of their utility bill. Call for a pre-recorded message on types and quantities of waste accepted as well as who is eligible to use this city service.

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

Last month, I was but one of the thousands lucky enough to get into The Americana at Brand to witness its first Christmas tree lighting. It's amazing how they were able to close the "doors" to an outdoor event, but they did—and without any riots.

The Americana was packed full of people, so I squeezed my way to the front of Pacific Theatres, which was relatively empty, given how there was a line of Glendale's Finest nearby. I staked out my piece of wall, plugged in my earbuds, and settled down to wait for my husband.

Unbeknownst to me, he was on the other side of a line of security guards, unable to get in. So I waited for more than an hour, getting thirstier and thirstier. But I was hesitant to move from my plum spot—not only because this was where I told my husband I would meet him, but also because I didn't want to lose my piece of wall.

So, unwilling to venture forth through the crowd in a quest for icy cold water, I got thirstier and thirstier. By this time, I had been there for an hour and a half.

But then, what did I see? Angels coming forth from the theater, bearing gifts of bottled water!

Theater employees came out and passed water out to several of us and didn't even charge us! Which they could have, because by this time I was willing to pay up to $10 for a bottle. An employee also let me borrow his cell phone so I could call my husband and let him know where I was.

These simple, kind, and generous gestures inspired me to admit something I rarely do: I guess all people don't suck! Thank you, Pacific Theatres at The Americana. You have won a loyal fan.

The fact that Santa later floated down to light the Christmas Tree while harnessed to a giant white balloon was just icing on the cake. Santa's all right, but the real Christmas Spirit was at Pacific Theatres.


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Filed Under: Downtown Glendale, News, Shopping, The Americana

I'm going to kick off another week with yet another post about The Americana at Brand (I know, I know!) because I just read an article on a U.K. news site that covers the rise and fall of "lifestyle centers" and focuses on Glendale's $400 million complex. It amuses me to no end that U.K. readers would be interested in my little corner of the globe, but I suppose The Americana is such a lavish display of American consumerist showboating that everyone's probably heard about it by now.

Anyway, the article gives a short history of The Americana, criticizes developments such as this, and gets into the recent fireworks controversy. The most interesting stuff, though, is a side story that has to do with a man who lived in the Providence Place Mall in Rhode Island for four years!:

There are cheaper ways to live in a mall than spending $2 million on a condominium at The Americana. Take Michael Townsend, 37, an artist from Providence, Rhode Island. He used breeze blocks to build a fully furnished 750 sq. ft. apartment in the parking garage of the Providence Place Mall - using the public lavatories to get running water. He managed to live in the place rent-free for four years before the security guards noticed. “I was surprised at what he was able to accomplish,” admitted the local police chief, referring to Townsend's sofa, TV and PlayStation. “But what he did was clearly criminal. The mall is private property.”

To me, this sounds like an invitation by the Times Online for people to squat at The Americana. If I were younger and less paranoid, this is something that I would definitely do because how fun would it be to shower in that fountain?

Read the entire article here.



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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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