Los Angeles

E-Bicycles in Los Angeles

On a breezy April afternoon in downtown Los Angeles, Calvin Phuong, a 32-year-old Marina del Rey resident who recently purchased an electric bicycle kit, was riding his new bike around a parking lot, demonstrating its speed and handling.

“One day my wife and I stopped by an Izip store in Venice and rented a couple electric bikes for the day. We had so much fun, we didn’t want to return them,” Phuong said with a smile.

In the last couple of years, electric bicycle shops such as Izip, Hollywood Electrics, and Pedego have popped up around Southern California trying to tap into the alternative transportation market. Popular consumer stores such as Best Buy, Wal-Mart and Costco have also begun selling e-bikes nationwide. (more…)

Continue ReadingE-Bicycles in Los Angeles

Safaris and Celebrity Sightings

Originally published Jan. 25, 2012

I’ve never been on a safari, but I feel like I already know what a wild animal expedition would be like. I live in Los Angeles, far away from the Serengeti, but I experience exotic encounters all the time. My sightings just happen to come in the form of celebrities.

What I imagine a safari would be like, Photo courtesy of Safari

During an expedition, people venture out into the untamed landscape and hope to discover exciting and exotic wildlife in their natural habitat. When adventurers are lucky enough to encounter something out of the ordinary, they usually just admire and quietly observe it from a distance.

I do this all the time in the wild concrete jungles of L.A.

My most recent time was just a week before Christmas.

I was visiting a friend who is recuperating in a small health care home in North Hollywood. He was involved in a terrible, life-altering car accident last summer. But enough about him; he’s not a celebrity. (more…)

Continue ReadingSafaris and Celebrity Sightings