In Los Angeles and Orange counties, real estate prices fell 8.8% year-over-year, in the Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller composite index.

Nationwide using a sample of the 10 major US metropolitan areas home prices declined an average of 6.7% from a year earlier, the biggest decline since the index was started in 1987. This is the biggest decline since April 1991 decline of 6.3%.

The San Diego area suffered the fourth-worst decline, with an 11.1% fall from last year. The only higher declines were in Miami (12.4%), Tampa (11.8%) and Detroit (11.2%).

The Los Angeles real estate market peaked in September 2006.

My daughter lives with her dad up in the Bay Area and visits me once a month, so I consider myself a sort of “airport connoisseur” as I am there picking her up or dropping her off 25 or more times a year. Of course, I have never seen this perspective of the field, as I am driving there, but what I love about Burbank Airport is how easy it is to get in and out, especially compared to the nightmare that is LAX.

photo courtesy of PilotAge.com

The cops in front of the terminal are kind of grouchy and they don’t have a lot of patience with the pick-up scene, so my daughter and I have worked out a little system that I will share with you, because it’s been working for us. I probably should keep my mouth shut.

A side note: Here are some photos and the mission statement from the Burbank Airport Police website (!)

Their stated mission is: “…to provide a courageous, professional and courteous law enforcement response…”. OK, I get the professional and courageous part, but the courteous, well, maybe not so much. But then again, I guess standing outside in the heat and cold, telling people to move on is not that much fun.

Back to my smooth sailing technique: Right across the street from the terminal’s South entrance on Empire Ave. is the Amtrak Station. They have a small pull-in parking area there and that’s where I sit in my car and wait for my daughter’s (usually delayed) plane to land. Once her plane touches terra firma, she calls me from her cell and I swing my car into the terminal. On weekends (when she usually flies), there is often a terrible wait to even pull up to the terminal, so even though she’s on a Southwest Air flight, I have her walk beyond that first terminal, where all the crowds hang out, south to the end of the airport and wait for me there. I can usually just glide in, toss her bags in the trunk and screech out before any of the world’s grumpiest police officers can blink an eye!

Let me know (in the comment area) if you have any better tricks!

Just as an FYI, here are the airlines that currently are flying out of BUR: Alaska, American, America West, Delta, Jet Blue, Southwest and United.

If you are going out of town for a while, the long-term parking is pretty reasonable. The cheapest parking lot is across the street on Thornton and the bus ride is about three minutes. Don’t you just love it! Here is a handy parking rates chart.

burbank-parking-rates.pdf

ok, gotta run,

see you on the freeway!

jessica

If I can’t make it to “Little Saigon”(Westminister), Alhambra or El Monte for this delicious soup. Than I go to local Pho’ restaurant near where I live. Pho 2000. They have several locations. The one I would frequent moved due to the high rise condos being built on Western and Wilshire. So I go to Pho’ 2000 other location which is on Vermont and 7th. It isn’t as busy as the Western and Wilshire location when it was opened. But nonetheless, is a good place to get a deceint bowl of your favorite type of Pho’.

Pho’ is a basic broth and noodle soup. One may have ox tail, steak or seafood as the meat of choice. When the bowl of soup arrives to you at the table, you smell the fragrance of the broth, meat, onions, anise seed, ginger and nuc mum(fish sauce). You may add some additional things that the waiter/waitress brings to your table. Usually, you may fresh sweet basil, green chile and bean sprouts. Some others may offer cilantro and thinely sliced onions as well. As far as condiments go, one may hoisen(a sweet thick soybean sauce), nuc mum(fish sauce) and siracha chili sauce. My favorite Pho’ is the Pho’ Tai, than the Pho’ Chicken, than the Oxtail.

I also do like ordering on ocassion the egg rolls with romaine lettuce and nuc mum dipping sauce.I also like ordering the “Bun Thit Nuong and Cha Gio”. Which is grilled pork chop, egg rolls and vermicilli noodles. For those who are crazy about coffee, I would recommend drinking the cafe’ su da. Which is the Vietnamese Iced Coffee. Patience is the key with this drink. It is recommended to order the coffee at the time of your pho’ order. By the time you are finished with the soup, the coffee would have finished dripping into you coffee cup from the Vietnamese coffee maker. At the bottom of the cup is a spoonful of condensed milk. Once you have the amount of coffee. Stir and add the coffee mixture to your glass of ice and stir again to get the full taste.

Having Pho’ is a wonderful dish to experience. If you ever get a chance to sample or eat some. Go for it. It is worth the taste and experience.

The Pershing Square Ice Rink is open every day from Nov. 15, 2007 to Jan. 21, 2008. Admission is $6 and skate rental is $2.

Pershing Square Ice Rink
532 S Olive St
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 624-4289

Greetings, friends and welcome to the newest addition to HomeTurfMedia‘s growing list of city sites!

My name is Jessica Duquette and I am a professional organizer/lifestyle management consultant and adventurous person, lover of the quirky, the fiery hot, the heartfelt and of delicious food and passionate art in whatever form. As long as the inspired one is coming from their heart, it works for me!

InvisibleLa is a blog about the city I was born in, was not raised in, but currently (happily!) live in: Los Angeles. No, it’s not just another LA blog, it’s my mission to ferret out the cool, the weird, the freaky, the marginal and the touching, in people, events, architecture, food and fun. I will be asking regular guest bloggers to add their talents and insights to the blog each month and I always love to hear from you, the reader, on what you think and feel about what you see here. Let’s get this party started!

Even if you don’t live in LA, I hope you will come back and visit to see what’s going on here!

see you on the freeway…

jessica

PS please come visit It’s Not About Your Stuff, my blog about the reasons people find their lives cluttered and stuck and what we can do about it.

Candidates dropping out like flys after some heavy losses in Florida. It is expected that Former New York City Mayor to drop out and not participate in tonights Republican debate. Former North Carolina Senator John Edwards has dropped out and will not particpate in Thursday nights Democratic debate. There are some political analysits are saying that quite possibly that Romney will win the Republican debate and I think it will be a toss up between Clinton and Obama for the Democratic debate.

From what I see, that the following candidates will participate in the Republican Debate will be:

Senator John McCain

Representative Ron Paul

Mitt Romney

Mike Huckabee

For the Democratic Debate:

Senator Hillary Clinton

Mike Gravel

Barack Obama

I know that many of the presidential candidates even have Myspace profiles. Anything to get their faces and agenda’s out to the younger votes. Something to the effect of what Rock The Vote did in the 1990’s which helped register over 2 million voters. Rock The Vote organization was organized in 1990 in Los Angeles. Another way to reach out to the public and the younger vote is to implent questions from voters who post them on Youtube. You may find the Rebulican Debate page as well as the page for the Democratic Debate page at YouTube.

The final outcome of who be the final two candidates to battle it out for the November 2008 Presidential elections will be decided at the Parties Conventions. The Democratic Convention will take place in Denver, Colorado from August 25- 28, 2008. The Republican Convention will take place in Saint Paul, Minnesota, September 1 -4, 2008.

The California Primaries will take place on Tuesday, February 5, 2008.

Barack Obama is holding a town meeting at Los Angeles Trade Tech meeting(LATT) on Thursday, January 31, 2008. Doors open at 8:00 AM in the morning and is by personal invite only. My first thought about the town meeting being at LATT was about an racial profilling incident that happened late last year(Fall – 2007) on campus. A LATT student caught the incident on his cell phone and taped it. LATT Racial Profiling. But I am sure that is not the main reason that Barack Obama is having a town meeting there other than to answer questions in a Los Angeles community area.

J. Paul Getty Museum
Neighborhood: Brentwood
1200 Getty Center Dr.
Los Angeles, Ca 90049
310-440-6810

The J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center in Los Angeles houses pre-20th-century European paintings, drawings, sculpture, illuminated manuscripts, decorative arts, and European and American photographs. A small selection of Greek and Roman antiquities can be seen in the Classical Connections gallery in the North Pavilion.

Admission
Admission to the Getty Center is FREE—no tickets or reservations required for general admission. Parking is $8.

Museum Hours:
Tuesday–Thursday and Sunday
10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
Friday and Saturday
10:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.
Closed Monday and on January 1, July 4, Thanksgiving, and December 25.

Getting There:
Parking – There is Parking On Site and Paid Lot. Parking is $8.
Public Transportation – Metro Rapid Line 761 or call (800) COMMUTE

Garden Terrace Cafe
Smaller cafe offering coffee, lunch, and snacks in an outdoor setting overlooking the Central Garden.

Hours
Tuesday–Thursday: 10:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Friday: 10:30 a.m.–8:30 p.m.
Saturday: 11:00 a.m.–8:30 p.m.
Sunday: 11:00–5:30 p.m.

Restaurant at the Getty Center

Neighborhood: Brentwood
1200 Getty Center Dr.
Los Angeles, Ca 90049
310-440-6810

The Restaurant at the Getty Center is located atop the hills surrounding Brentwood offering a magnificient view of the Los Angeles Skyline. The Restaurant at the Getty Center is inside the Getty Center museum complex. Classic California-Mediterranean cuisine with a touch of class. The perfect place to enjoy the views and get away from the crowds.

Lunch Hours
Tuesday–Saturday: 11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
Sunday: 11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Dinner Hours
Friday and Saturday: 5:00–9:00 p.m.

Reservations are recommended. Call (310) 440-6810. Limited same-day reservations may be available at the door or at the Museum Information Desk.

Hollywood Sign! shot from Griffith Park

Hey you LA people, wanted to get entertained for free. Well, if your answer is yes then here is the solution. Just go for studio tapings. It is always on the top budget options to being the part of a live studio audience. It is for free and its also great fun to be there and seeing all the stories going “behind the scenes”. People find it amazing choice to spend some time in watching the filming of a TV show without paying anything.

Tickets for these TV shows are free of cost.

Tickets for these TV shows are free of cost. But there are some charity events or award shows which may charge some fee. These free tickets are offered 30 days before the actual show date. The tickets are offered online. These free TV shows provides you the opportunity to see your favorite stars in person especially for the television viewers and the fans find it as a unique opportunity. It is of great fun to attend a hit network show.

The shows offered are from various stations like FOX, CBS, NBC etc. Many times the tickets for the Pilots, award shows and for some special events are also offered. Pilots are the new shows.

The shows are mostly filmed at the studios located in the Los Angeles area like Hollywood, Burbank and Culver City. Some of the shows available with free tickets are “Jimmy Kimmel Live”, “The Tonight Show”, and “The Price Is Right”. These shows are very much popular among audiences.

If you want to book tickets for a group of 10 or more, you can easily do this also just by registering yourself with the details on the websites, like www.audiencesunlimited.com. There are some age restrictions which vary from show to show. These age restrictions are set up by the producers and are applicable to all the ticket holders.

Elephant Rides at Santa Ana Zoo Photo By: Stephen Zopf

The zoo has a lot of exciting rides and activities that will keep children very interested. One of the best rides that children and adults enjoy within this park is the elephant rides. As you all know elephants are large species of animals and they can carry you on their back easily. This is one of the best attractions of the place. The elephants are well kept and fed by the zoo keepers, so they are always ready for fun and action. These elephants are very lovable and they love people, because they are trained with people around, so they do not panic especially when there are lots of people watching them. The zoo keepers ensure that these elephants are safe around lots of people.

The Santa Ana zoo that was located inside the Prentice Park at Santa Ana, California is about a 20-acre zoo, so it is really perfect for the whole family. You kids can personally pet the animals and learn about real farm life. This is the best way for you to teach your kids how to care about animals and other species around them. If you want something that will keep your family busy this weekend, then why not visit the Santa Ana zoo for a change.

Aside from the elephant rides, your children can also enjoy all miniature rides, the Crean family farm and the children zoo. If you are already tired strolling the park. You can rest and relax for while at the garden while the kids enjoy climbing on the play area and the snack bar. This is the best way for all parents to introduce their child to all the wonders inside the zoo. They will learn to care and appreciate animals and their environment.

The whole visit to the Santa Ana zoo will take you about three to four hours or more. The more time you spent inside the Santa Ana, the more your children will surely enjoy. If you are looking for real fun and excitement for your children, then Santa Ana Park is worth visiting. The parking is for free and the admission to the zoo is very affordable for the whole family. The place is both for the little ones and for the grownups, so both children and adults will surely enjoy the place. You can give your children the best weekend every without the need to spend huge money from your monthly budget.

Riding Zoo Elephants
Adults and children pay $5 for an elephant ride at the Santa Ana Zoo from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. The rides are available from October through April.

Santa Ana Zoo Information
Zoo Address: 1801 East Chestnut Avenue, Santa Ana, CA 92701
Zoo Office Phone: (714) 836-4000
Recorded Zoo Information: (714) 835-7484

General admission is $8 for adults, $5 for children ages 3-12, and children under 2 are free; visitors age 60 and older pay $5. After 2 p.m. on weekdays (non-holidays), the entrance fee is half price. Free admission for Santa Ana residents is on the third Sunday of every month.

For more information on directions to and from the Santa Ana Zoo, visit http://www.santaanazoo.org/visinfob.htm

For more information on public transportation to and from the Santa Ana Zoo, visit www.octa.net.

I have been into the CBS Studios several times for several shows. It is a great experience to view live TV shows. I have seen such shows for free such as “The Price is Right” with Bob Barker, The Hollywood Squares and Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher. And if you are a big soap opera fan of “The Young And The Restless” and “The Bold and The Beautiful” you may get a peek at a few of the stars going and out or just hanging out in the back for small time chatter.

All the tickets are free to get to see the shows. There are several ways to get free tickets. One way is to drive to the CBS studios on Beverly and Fairfax and walk to the ticket window. The ticket window is open 5 days a week from 9 AM to 5 PM. You pick the show, the date and what time(several shows do several tapings per day). Another way to get free tickets is of course to do a search via the net, there are many services out there that you can order tickets from. Or you can call directly to the studios, which is: 1 – 323 – 575 – 2458. And if you are a local of the Los Angeles area, many studios hire temporary agencies or firms to hire what many call in the industry as “Audience Paticipants”. Yes indeed they do get paid. You may not know who they are in the audience because one of the rules is they can not tell others they are there to fill seats and to get paid.

If you want to see a listing of the television shows that are not affected by the 2007 – 2008 writers strike. Here is the listing as of January 21, 2008. Reports are coming in that some studios are actually closing in on deals with the writers union. Many believe the strike will relatively end at the end of January 2008. Here is some information about CBS television show dress code, parking, arrival time and attending the show.