The final destination, Los Angeles, California!
We rolled into Santa Monica just in time to watch the sun slip below the horizon before heading to dinner at one of my favorite LA spots, Cassia. We said goodbye to our beloved Volvo and checked in to the Hollywood Proper Residences. Before I moved to Provence I had anticipated ending up in L.A., an easier lifestyle than New York but still full of creative types doing interesting things. Well.. that didn’t happen because I fell madly in love with France. But I still wanted to know what it might feel like living in L.A. so I didn’t want to stay in a hotel. I tried a new private apartment / home booking service called Oasis which blurs the line between AirBnB type home rentals and a hotel. The apartments are meticulously curated so you don’t have to look through hundreds of listings to find a gem, and you know when you show up it’s going to be nice with fresh towels and linens. You have a 24-hour concierge they call sidekicks and upgrade options to welcome you, from a stocked bar to arrival snacks. They also partner with hip local businesses to offer you discounts at places like gyms or exclusive reservations at recommended bars and restaurants. They are in cities all around the world and I loved the entire experience. If you are a loyalty programs person, you can earn Hyatt points when you @staywithoasis!
Most of the time I spent in L.A. was full of meetings. My managers are there, many of my friends, book agents and gallerists as well. I tried as many new L.A. eats as possible and hit up some of my old favorites which is all been updated in this food guide to L.A.
I think my favorite new discoveries, however, are Arcana Books with an impressive collection of art books, cocktails at the back bar at Cafe Stella, and sushi hand rolls especially at Sugarfish and KazuNori. Oh… and drinks on the roof at sunset of the Hollywood Proper are what movie star dreams are made of….
