There was plenty to see as well as eat that night, with our pop-up shop showcasing goodies from San Francisco artists and designers as well as from our SoCal counterparts, and our traveling art show (which was so big they almost didn’t let us bring the crate on the plane). As far as the gallery goes, I personally loved these bearded dudes on the right.

On our second balmy night in town, we pulled out some American Tripps’ Berlin-style ping-pong. It didn’t take long for Los Angelinos to catch on to the rules, and we got rousing games going with an eclectic selection of competitors, ranging from stylish artist types to bros from the awesome beer garden down the street to American Tripps founder Allan Hough’s skilled sister (who kicked ass many times). 

It was great to cruise around an up-and-coming part of LA (an area covered with seriously great graffiti), drink at the lively Cole’s (my new favorite old-timey watering hold down), and try and get a read on what the neighborhood we were staying in was all about. We rented a couple gorgeous lofts through Air BnB (with views of the skylines as well as of the film crews shooting down below) and took a break from the heat in the rooftop pool. Down below, the streets were a mix of blinged-out clubgoers, cracked out trash-talkers, and tattooed dudes with dogs. (Everyone on our block seemed to have at least two pooches). To really get into the downtown LA spirit, we also had an impromptu late night screening of the classic LA dystopian flick, They Live, which inspired Shepard Fairey’s OBEY campaign (and which was filmed around the corner from our pad). 

All in all, we had a fabulous weekend filled with lots of LA friends, many of whom now beat us in ping-pong. We really appreciate everyone who was involved in Bold Rush LA and everyone who came out to drink, dance, and play with us. (Facebook photos are here) We’ll miss you Ted and Angie! 

Now on to the next adventure in the NW ...