Well, summer is officially here. In case we had forgotten, Mother Nature was kind enough to remind us with a blistering heat wave. As I sit in my apartment, enjoying a lovely, relaxing 80+ degree evening on the couch, I once again shake my fist at builders of days gone by. It seems that in many parts of Los Angeles, builders operated under the grave misconception that our climate is so perfect, no one really needs air conditioning. My apartment has complete central heating. The ducts are there, why not just plunk an AC unit next to that heater? It seems so simple.
Since I am untrained in AC installation, I must resort another method to ease my suffering - disguised loitering. Here is a list of some of the best AC’ed places where you can pass the hottest hours of the day…because you can only stand in the Vons freezer aisle for so long before you start to look suspicious.
- Barnes and Noble or Borders: You could spend all day in these mega bookstores and no one would bother you. You could even read a book and then put it back, although I do not condone this, as it seems somewhat unethical.
- LA Public Libraries - Until recently, I hadn’t stepped into a library since I did a fourth grade report on Juan Ponce de Leon, but I’m now currently rediscovering their greatness. Here, you’re actually supposed to read books and put them back. They’re peaceful and quiet and they have free internet. Some, like the brand new one in Santa Monica, even have cafes, because no one should be forced to look up a Dewey Decimal number without some caffenation.
- The Beverly Center: Most malls in LA are largely outdoors; this is one of the few that comes to mind that isn’t. People-watch at one of the many tables with something cold to drink. There’s also a pet store here that always has tons of puppies in stock (that sounds terrible to say). If you pretend you’re interested they’ll let you hold one and play with it. Be forewarned, though, that you’ll probably leave sad that you can’t buy them all.
- MOCA or LACMA: A cool stroll to art-gaze is one way to beat the heat.
- Ice Rinks: It isn’t quite loitering, but seeking colder temperatures can’t get any more literal than hanging out on a massive sheet of frozen water. Check out Van Nuys Iceland, Culver Ice Arena, and Pasadena Ice Skating Center for a start.
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2 responses so far ↓
1 Kendra // Jun 22, 2008 at 8:16 pm
great post! i like roaming the aisles at rite aid too. good times.
2 chris // Jun 23, 2008 at 7:34 pm
Enjoyed this one Devon.
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