“My first job was in this area, so I used to come here a lot after work or with friends. I’ve had some of my best conversations and memories at these tables.”
Carrie • Samovar Tea Lounge
“This one month I was super depressed and didn’t know what to do. And my boyfriend and I had talked about coming here. We did like, the whole thing — the rain forest, the aquarium below, we did this whole thing .. and right at the end we walk up to this tank and I look in, and there’s Claude. And he was just laying on his rock, not moving, and I had this moment where—like, just look at him, he’s amazing, he looks like a dinosaur—and I had this moment where I was like, it’s amazing we live in a world where something like this exists. And the second thing was just, like, Claude was just there. He was just hanging out. He’s got this crazy reptilian brain, and he’s probably not thinking of anything right now, he’s just existing. And I was just so taken by this being that is completely at peace. “
Tessa • California Academy of Sciences, Claude the albino alligator
“I love all the murals around BGC but this one is my favorite. It always makes me happy when I pass it.”
Mei Ann • 25th & 6th, Bonifacio Global Center
“I used to go up on the walls every day after school to watch the sun set. On one end it has a view of the Manila City Hall, on the other it’s of the Manila Hotel. It’s beautiful up there.”
Barny • Walls of Intramuros
“I’ve liked noodles since I was a kid, it was afternoon food after I got home and I was tired or when I felt sad, I’d also eat it. When we moved to a condominium come high school I started browsing ramen places around me. This is the closest to my place and it’s sort of my way to wind down from stress and just forget everything for a while. When I’m there everything else seems to blur away except for the ramen I order. “
Gabriel • Ajisen Ramen
“The city is great but I love being near the water. It’s so open – no buildings, no trees, just me and the sky.”
Saba • Half Moon Bay Beach
Kathy • Bernal Hill
“The Alameda shoreline is my happy place because it reminds me how beautiful nature in the bay area is. Most of the time I hear people describing the Bay they’re talking about rent prices and software companies, so it’s awesome to have this nearby reminder of what I love about this place.”
Emily • Alameda Shoreline
“This rooftop is my favorite place in LA because when I’m up there, I feel free whether I’m with friends or alone in a moment of introspection. I love to drink in that view of the expanse of Hollywood day or night and the delicious contrast of the buildings and billboards flanked by the hills and trees. It’s romantic in the most authentic way.”
Betsy • Apartment Rooftop
“It’s not exotic, but my happy place is my own backyard. With a couple lemon trees, a couple orange trees, and an explosion of kumquats, it’s a constant reminder of everything that’s good about living in Los Angeles. I don’t spend nearly enough time in my pool, but I love knowing that it’s only steps away from my computer, which I spend far too much time on. Best of all, it’s the stomping grounds for my two crazy boys who are always building, battling, excavating or collecting bugs and manage to turn a little bit of dirt and citrus into a new world every day.”
David • Home
“Though I do love it here, my favorite place is actually my old elementary school, but it’s 45 minutes away and I wanted food.”
Vivien • Café Brasil
“It’s peaceful and gorgeous up there. I go for runs and walks and picnics, and I’ve seen deer, turtles, squirrels. People walk their dogs there too. You can drive in and get happily lost, wander the trails and read the gravestones. I like the idea of saying aloud the name of someone who died a long time ago, their presence resurrected for just a moment, their existence acknowledged by a stranger.”
Caterina • Mountain View Cemetery
“Whether it be to grab a coffee during the day or have a drink at night. The people you come across, regardless of the time, seem to enjoy every bit of life. Every perception and direction is positive.”
Janeisy • Downtown Square
Clara • Produce Section, Park Slope Food Co-Op
Travis • Flushing Chinatown