The Museum of Jurrasic Technology

I have probably driven by the Museum of Jurrasic Technology at 9341 Venice Blvd 200 times.

The building is understated and the museum often looks closed, so it is easy to miss. From the first time I spotted it, the name perplexed me. "Jurrasic" obviously implies something to do with the Jurassic period or dinosaurs. "Technology" obviously does not. As it turns out, the museum has nothing to do with either. We spent about an hour there on Sunday and I can't honestly say what it is about. If you are going expecting to see a Rembrandt, you will be disappointed. If, however, you are interested in seeing an LED display of the world showing the distribution of trailer parks globally in 1938, this place is for you! The museum seems to house random oddities from a howling fox head in a glass case to a minuature figureen of Goofie on the head of a pin. There are also a number of bizzare videos about obscure historical figures that I honestly cannot say are real or imagined.

Mainly, the museum is quirky and fun. And, very well done. Creator David Wilson was even given a MacArthur Grant for achievements in portraying "life in the Jurrasic" My favorite exhibit was a series of portraits of the dogs that the Soviet space program sent into orbit never to return in the early days of space flight. The portrait of Laika was the feature of the exhibit. I learned that Laika actually became the first animal to orbit the earth (and the first animal to die in orbit) in 1957.

At only a recommended donation of $5 ($3 for seniors), the museum is a bargain. Don't miss the upstairs lounge complete with complimentary cookies and tea. If you go around the corner and up from where the tea is served, there is a lovely rooftop zen garden complete with live doves and seating. When we were there, it looked like people were enjoying this area just to do some Sunday reading.

One note: The Museum of Jurrasic Technology is not actually in Culver City, but directly across the street. Additionally, there is an excellent New York Times article about the museum that is worth a read.

Thrillist's Culver City Cocktail Crawl

Since we visited Peru three years ago, I have enjoyed cocktails with pisco, especially the pisco sour. I was very excited when a friend emailed me about Thrillist's Culver City Cocktail Crawl featuring five pisco cocktails at five bars in downtown Culver City. The event will be held from 3 PM to 7 PM on Saturday, February 25th, with Ford's Filling Station, Seventy7, Rocco's Tavern, Fraiche and City Tavern participating.

Acclaimed mixologists Joel Black, Josh Curtis, Jeremy Back, Gia St. George and Matthew Goldberg will be mixing up the drinks using ORO Pisco. At $25, this a real bargain considering a single cocktail at these places is $10 - $14.

Old Home Update

From doing some research on the internet, it appears the house at 9814 Washington Blvd is called the Paskan House. It was, at some point in the recent past, a doctor's office owned by Dr. Julius Paskan, MD. Dr. Paskan was born March 6, 1915 and died on April 22, 2010. He was a Culver City resident. I assume he may have left the home to the city, as it is currently city owned. A portion has been converted into a staging area for the Kirk Douglas Theater and it will soon be home to the new Jazz Bakery.

Old Home

I took a few photos of the old home located at 9814 Washington Blvd in downtown Culver City (basically right between the Kirk Douglas Theater and City Tavern). This will soon be demolished to make way for the new Gehry designed Jazz Bakery. The Jazz Bakery should be awesome, but it is too bad about this old house. I have done a little research on the web, but have been unable to find out the back story on it. From the looks of it, it must date from the 1920s or 1930s. The fact that it stands as the lone home in this part of downtown Culver City makes me think it must hold some historical importance. I will keep investigating. If anyone knows the backstory on this home, please comment.

Kiefer Sutherland and Jason Patric at Backstage

One of the cool things about living in Culver City (and LA in general), is the fact that we get to see so many celebrities. Laura and I were at one of our favorite Culver City watering holes, Backstage, on Thursday night and were seated next to Kiefer Sutherland and Jason Patric. They were both really cool, fun guys. We talked to them for quite awhile and they were generous enough to take a picture. Good times.

Just Tires

I took my car to Just Tires at 5547 Sepulveda Blvd in Culver City today. I have to say, it was an positive experience overall. The clerk, John, was very knowledgeable about tires and was a friendly guy. The prices were reasonsable, although I am sure you can get a better deal at Costco. One of the benefits is that they are open on Sundays, while a lot of the local auto repair shops are closed on the weekends. Even on a busy weekend day, they had my car ready in about an hour and a half. I would recommend Just Tires Culver City.

New Culver City Jazz Venue

I'm pretty excited about the new Jazz Bakery that will be opening up in Culver City at 9814 Washington Blvd. The Jazz Bakery was a long time Culver City standard at the Helms Bakery complex. Unfortunately, the original closed its doors to make way for a furniture store before we moved to the area.

The new Jazz Bakery, set to open in late 2012, is going to have a 250 seat theater and a cafe. Frank Gehry is designing the facility, so I have to think it will be an architectural masterpiece. He was generous enough to design the building at no cost. Culver City is getting its own little Disney Concert hall of sorts!

The best part is that it is supposed to have a rooftop deck (hopefully, with a bar!). I was commenting to my wife that a wish Culver City had a place with a rooftop deck, and now we are getting one. With 250 performances per year, this should bring a lot of additonal business to the restaurants in the area, as well.

I pulled the attached architectural drawing from Culver City Times which, incidentally, is the best website for information about Culver City, in my opinion.

The only downer is that they are going to have to tear down the old home that currently sits there. Does anyone know the history of this place? I will have to do some research.

Downtown Culver City Parking Fees to Rise

Starting May 1st, parking fees in Culver City are set to rise from $1 per our to $1.50 per hour. Additionally, parking fees will also be enforced on Sundays, which are currently free. $1.50 per hour still seems very reasonable to me, especially when compared to downtown LA and other nearby areas. I am supportive of this change, as it will bring more revenues to the city.

Another parking fee change under consideration is the elimination of the two hours of free parking for the Watseka, Cardif and Ince parking structures. I go to downtown Culver City frequently for lunch, and pop down to pick up dinner at Daphne's, Tender Greens or Honey Kettle. One of the big attractions is the fact that parking is convenient and free. If parking was not free, I would be less likely to visit the downtown restaurants when I am looking to pick up. I have spoken to a few other Culver City residents, and they share my sentiments.

I am hopeful that the Culver City Council will take the potential negative impact that the parking change may have on shops and restaurants. I believe the city will more than make up for the parking fees through increased taxes from successful local businesses.

Culver City: The Heart of Screenland

My wife and I moved to Culver City in February of 2010. Since we moved in, we have been constantly amazed by the wealth of fantastic activities, eateries, historical sites and great neighborhoods in Culver City. I am convinced that Culver City is the best place to live in the LA area, and it continues to get better and better. My goal with this blog is to explore the great things to see and do in Culver City, share my opinions, and hopefully, uncover some unsung treasures. I hope you enjoy the blog.