LA-isms (As Seen by a Former New Yorker): Part 1 of Infinity
Fruit trees: In New York, we’ve got apple-picking down…we LOVE that shit. Come September, the ritual of pulling a chunky sweater over your head, fighting traffic out to orchard-land, and acrobatically reaching for more non-bruised apples than you’ll ever know what to do with, marks a seasonal changing of the guard. But all the other fruit trees? Hold my hat…I’m talking pomegranates, peaches, oranges, limes, grapefruits, avocados, dates, lemons, and even olive trees are abundant throughout LA. So much so, that people post in neighborhood apps stuff like “COME TAKE ALLLL THE FRUIT!!!” You can go for a walk near home and usually find a couple of fruit-bearing branches hanging over a fence, at which point it’s on public property and free for the taking! Though truthfully, someone’s usually beaten you to it. For now, I’ve got one little margarita tree…lime tree, whatever…growing on my patio.
Strip malls, reimagined: In the outer boroughs of NYC, here’s a rundown of a typical strip mall: nail salon, bagel store, Chinese takeout, tanning salon, pizza parlor, weird old cellphone accessory store, REPEAT. In LA, however, the predictable expectations of despair that a New Yorker has when approaching storefronts smooshed together is shattered. That’s because in LA, strip malls are often home to some of the most ingenious, delicious, destination restaurants and novelty shopping that can be found…some with lines up the wazoo, and deservedly so. If there’s a nail salon at all, you best believe they offer super unique colors and designs. Instead of Chinese takeout, you might find a Daiso which is an addictive Japanese 99c store chain. And tanning salons? The perpetually insistent sunshine says “no comment.” You get the idea…strip malls can be meccas here.
The Green Cross: Before moving to LA, the only kind of emblematic, brightly-colored cross symbol that registered was of the first aid, international disaster-relief variety. You know the one. But out here? It’s the green cross that steals the spotlight. They’re everywhere…sometimes it’s emblazoned an otherwise blank building. Others are prominently displayed on billboards throughout the city. Either way, the meaning is the same: your friendly neighborhood cannabis dispensary is HERE. Dispensaries come in every variety, ranging from a converted old trailer in a random parking lot, to ones that mimic a high-end zen spa. Inside, “Budtenders” sell everything from discount schwag to spiked tortillas. Prepare to have your imagination blown away at the sheer variety.
