Friday, November 19, 2021

Steven Taylor on LA Getting Back on its Feet

 


Times have changed. Steven Taylor can still remember it like yesterday, when everyone is out in the open, having fun and enjoying all the great things that the city of Los Angeles has to offer. And then, in the blink of an eye, the COVID 19 pandemic happened. As hundreds were rushed to hospitals because of the virus, those who didn’t wish to get the disease had no choice but to remain inside their homes. Cities all over the world were placed on lockdown, including Steven Taylor’s beloved home city, the city of Los Angeles. 

 

2020 was the year where the world witnessed how terrible the pandemic was. The economy took a turn for the worst, supplies became increasingly expensive, and offices were forced to close down. By the time the year ended, things were so bad in LA that it was thought the city would become the epicenter of the spread of the virus. 

 

Even Steven Taylor also felt the effects of the pandemic. Because of the lockdown, there were lesser opportunities for Taylor Equities to build and talk business. Everyone is simply trying to survive both this health and economic crisis. Steven Taylor’s office staff also had to work at home because of the lockdown. But it certainly wasn’t all that bad. 

 

The pandemic kept families stronger. With Steven Taylor working at home, he now has enough time to discuss and keep in touch with his family. The same also goes for millions of people who are forced to work at home; the pandemic is literally rekindling the closeness of friends and family, as people began to miss each other and they would use different methods of communication just to keep in touch 

 

The hope for a new normal came when vaccinations were finally ready for the millions of people living in the United States. In the state of California, around 24.3 million people are vaccinated against COVID, which makes up around 61.6 percent of the state’s total population. Nowadays, Los Angeles is getting ready to start vaccinations for its younger citizens. The city is hoping that before the end of this year 2021, the entire population will be vaccinated finally against COVID 19. 

 

Of course, the government of Los Angeles is constantly reminding its citizens to be vigilant and to always practice social distancing. Just because the city of Los Angeles is now on its way to the new normal status, it doesn’t mean that its citizens can just frolic and have fun in the city. Besides, the vaccinations may keep doing well against preventing the further spread of the virus, even a vaccinated person is still going to contract COVID 19 if he/she is not wearing a face mask or is observing social distancing.  

 

Right now, the city also waging a war against misinformation. Steven Taylor believes that everyone should do their part by only talking about information that came from the local government and to stop spreading misinformation! 

 

Always remember to keep a good distance away from another person and to always wear your face masks! 


Originally published at https://steventaylorlandlord.com on November 19, 2021.




Tuesday, November 16, 2021

Steven Taylor on LA: The City of Angels 50 Year Ago

 


All things have a beginning.  

 

That can be said to Steven Taylor, who once started from scratch while working to establish my family. Steven Taylor also can’t help but think about the time around what Los Angeles looked like 50 years ago. This was probably a time when everything was still simple and less noisy, probably. But to make it sounds authenticSteven Taylor decided to write an article about it so we can all get nostalgic and talk about the good old days of LA. 

 

If one were to calculate correctly, 50 years ago would mean 1971. Even during the earlier years, Los Angeles was already making some noise because of its rich history and culture. Not to mention, the La Brea Tar Pits are still surviving and it is probably the oldest surviving landmark of Los Angeles.  

 

It’s because of the La Brea Tar Pits that Los Angeles’ museums have some fossils to show off to the public and to scientists for research. But still, Steven Taylor’s already leading to a different topic, so don’t worry and Steven Taylor will gladly talk about the La Brea Tar Pits soon. 

 

At this time, the city of Los Angeles is already an established city with thousands of people living in the area thanks to the past glorious days of Hollywood and the industrial revolution that opened many businesses in the city.  

 

But for now, it’s time to head back to the magical 1971 and list down all the important events that played out in this wonderful City of Angels: 

 

1971 - The famous Los Angeles Convention Center finally opens in Downtown LA. It is also the same year that Magic Mountain opened to the public for the first time. Today, the venue is now known as Six Flags Magic Mountain.  

 

1972 - Biking enthusiasts would forever remember this date when Los Angeles finally inaugurated the South Bay Bike Trail. This linked the Pacific Palisades to the rest of the beaches towns, such as Santa Monica, Venice, and Marina Del Rey 

 

1976 - The Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites open in Downtown LA. The 35-story hotel would become a famous city landmark and is featured in the movies ‘True Lies’ and ‘In the Line of Fire’. 

 

As time passed by, more and more familiar landmarks would open in Los Angeles. Landmarks such as the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Hammer Museum, a new airport terminal in the Los Angeles International Airport, and the Japanese- American National Museum. Several important world events would also happen in Los Angeles during these times.  

 

Such events were the 1984 Summer Olympics, Pope John Paul the 2nd’s visit in 1987, Nelson Mandela visiting Los Angeles in 1990 as part of his world tour, and the 1994 FIFA World Cup.

Thursday, November 4, 2021

The Complete Beginners Guide to LA from Steven Taylor


New in the City of Angels? Well, don’t fret. You can’t imagine how lucky you are, visiting the biggest city in the state of California and the second-largest city in the United States. You should already have a list of things that you’d want to do while visiting LA, right?  

Well, if your answer is no, then that is also not surprising. Los Angeles is quite the big city and with so many places to visit and activities to choose from, it can be intimidating and somewhat taxing to identify which places you’d want to visit first. For that reason, we compiled a list of the best places to visit for those who are enjoying their first time in Los Angeles. 

 

First of all, you’d want to know the basics: 

 

City: Los Angeles 


State: California 

 

City Nicknames: City of Angels, La-la Land, Tinseltown, L.A 

 

Population: 3.9 million

 

Locals are known as: Los Angelino, Angelino 

 

The nearest body of water: The Pacific Ocean 

 

The city is famous for: Hollywood, beaches, movie stars, sports, museums 

 

Annual number of tourists: 50 million tourists as of 2019 


Getting Around LA 

 

From the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), you can take a cab to take you wherever you need to go. After that, you can take your pick between taking the cab, going Uber, or simply renting a car so you can drive wherever you need to go. There is one thing you need to remember though; always be aware of traffic and parking signs when driving. LA is a city where they take parking tickets very seriously. And it’ll really show on the price too!  

 

When driving around LA, here are some very important facts to help you get from one place to the other: 

 

  • LA is huge, so having your own car in the city is truly an advantage. Rent a car to save money or you can also go with Uber. 
  • To get from San Diego to LA, take 1-5 North for 120 miles all the way up to Los Angeles. The drive should take about 2 hours, even without any incidents or the usual traffic. But be prepared for long travel hours because heavy traffic is always a thing in a huge city like L.A. 
  • From LA to Hollywood, the drive is usually around 30 minutes to 1 hour. Of course, the driving experience is still dependent on how much car traffic is present. 
  • From San Francisco to Los Angeles, driving takes around 5 hours and 30 minutes. Just take the 1-5 South road and you should be good to go. 

What to Do while in LA? 

 

For first-time visitors, LA is overloaded with all sorts of activities and fun places to choose from. You have beaches, amusement parks, museums, sports centers, and especially Hollywood, the movie and entertainment capital of the world. 


For first-timers in LA, you need to add these things to your bucket list: 

 

  • Hike a dusty trail to the Hollywood sign 
  • Shop like there’s no tomorrow on Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills 
  • Watch the amazing California sunsets at Santa Monica Pier 
  • Take a walk and enjoy the culture and art of Venice Beach 
  • Watch a live Talk show or Gameshow 
  • Tour a movie studio 
  • Explore Hollywood, from the TCL Chinese Theater to the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame 
  • Cruise around Mulholland Drive 
  • Explore the Griffith Observatory 
  • Enjoy the sights and sounds of Downtown Los Angeles 
  • Work on your tan at Santa Monica or in any of the popular Los Angeles Beaches 

Where to Eat in LA? 

 

Los Angeles, being the modern city that it is, is full of people coming together from different cultures. Therefore, it’s a great melting pot of delicious food ready to be served to hungry patrons. 


For first time visitors in Los Angeles, some of the best restaurants to check out are the following: 


Hollywood 

  • Salt’s Cure 

  • Pizzeria Mozza 

  • Musso & Frank Grill 


Beverly Hills 

  • Maude 

  • The Grill on the Alley 

  • The Cheesecake Factory 

  • Spago 


Downtown LA 

  • Cole’s French Dip 

  • Sonoratown 

  • Wurstkuche 

  • Nickel Diner 


Where to Stay in LA? 

 

Since it is the biggest city in the state of California, first-time visitors can already expect a good number of hotels and motels in Los Angeles. For those who are traveling in style and have a good amount of money to spare for their accommodations, then you can head over to the Kimpton Everly Hotel for a comfortable stay in the city. 

 

For those who are traveling on just the right amount of budget, consider the Loews Hollywood Hotel. It’s not as fancy as the Kimpton Everly hotel, but it is near Hollywood and the price per room is just about right. 

 

Finally, for first-time visitors who are on a tight budget, your option would be to book a room at the Hotel Hollywood. For just $100 per night and with free complimentary breakfast, it’s the best hotel near Hollywood that’ll give you a bang for your buck. Steven Taylor, LA