#apartments in downtown long beach ca

[long-beach-ca-near-me]

Apartments With Residence Amenities You Will Love

One of the residential amenities at 200 West Ocean you'll love is the floor-to-ceiling windows. Floor-to-ceiling windows maximize the amount of natural light entering a room, improving mood, enhancing productivity, and creating a sense of well-being. They also let you enjoy unobstructed views of the surrounding environment. Go to 200 West Ocean for apartments near Long Beach with amenities designed to satisfy its residents. Their spacious studios, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom units also have motorized window shades, quartz countertops, custom closets, and Italian cabinetry. In addition, they come with stainless steel appliances and an in-unit washer and dryer. They also have penthouse units for an ultimate luxury lifestyle.

The Climate in Long Beach, California

Winters in Long Beach are mild and relatively dry, with average daytime temperatures during winter months ranging from the mid-60s to the low 70s Fahrenheit. Summers are warm and mostly dry, with average daytime temperatures ranging from the high 70s to mid-80s Fahrenheit. Long Beach experiences most of its rainfall between late fall and early spring. The wettest months are usually January and February, with average rainfall ranging from 2 to 3 inches. The rest of the year tends to be relatively dry, with minimal rain. The city enjoys an average of over 300 days of sunshine annually, contributing to its pleasant climate and outdoor recreational opportunities.

El Dorado Nature Center

The El Dorado Nature Center is situated within El Dorado Regional Park, encompassing 105 acres of natural habitat. Despite being located in a suburban area, the nature center provides a peaceful and serene environment, with its trails winding through wetlands, forests, and meadows. It features several nature trails that meander through different habitats, allowing you to observe and appreciate the local flora and fauna. The courses are well-maintained and offer a variety of lengths and difficulty levels to accommodate different fitness levels and interests. Along the trails, you may also encounter a diverse range of wildlife, including birds, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals.

Police Shoot Horror Spree Suspect

The colloquial phrase "horror spree" typically refers to a series of horrifying incidents or crimes committed by an individual or group within a relatively short period. It is characterized by a rapid succession of violent events that cause fear, panic, and distress within a community or society. Many individuals who engage in horror sprees may have underlying mental health issues. These can include conditions such as untreated or undiagnosed mental illnesses, personality disorders, feelings of isolation, anger, or a distorted perception of reality. Efforts to prevent horror sprees require a comprehensive and multifaceted approach involving mental health support, community engagement, early intervention, responsible gun control measures, and addressing societal issues such as social isolation, discrimination, and extremism. Click here to read more.

Link to Map

Driving Direction

El Dorado Nature Center

7550 E Spring St, Long Beach, CA 90815, United States

Get on I-405 N from E Spring St and N Studebaker Rd

6 min (2.4 mi)

Continue on I-405 N. Take I-710 S to W Shoreline Dr. Take exit 1C from I-710 S

11 min (10.5 mi)

Continue on W Shoreline Dr. Drive to W Ocean Blvd

4 min (1.7 mi)

200 West Ocean

200 W Ocean Blvd, 

Long Beach, CA 90802, United States

[200west-ocean]

Fitness Focused Living

Staying fit is key to feeling good and living a healthy lifestyle. If you’re looking to make fitness a priority, apartments for rent Downtown Long Beach area, like 200 West Ocean, offer some great perks. You’ll be greeted with scenic views of the SoCal coastline and Catalina Island, giving you a serene backdrop as you work on your health goals. The state-of-the-art fitness center has everything from free weights to cardio equipment, making it easier to stick to your routine. After your workout, you can unwind in the pavilion, a perfect spot for relaxation. With all these amenities right at your doorstep, staying fit becomes both convenient and enjoyable.

The Transportation System in Long Beach, California

Getting around Long Beach, California, is pretty straightforward, thanks to its solid transportation options. You can hop on the Metro A Line, which connects you to downtown Los Angeles and beyond. Biking is a breeze here, with dedicated paths along the beach and through the city. If you prefer driving, the freeway access is convenient, and parking isn’t as stressful as in some other cities. The Long Beach Transit buses are reliable and cover most of the area, making it easy to get where you need to go without a car. For something different, there’s even a water taxi that gives you scenic rides across the harbor. Long Beach makes it simple to get from point A to point B.

Rosie's Dog Beach in Long Beach, CA

Rosie’s Dog Beach in Long Beach is the perfect spot if you’ve got a dog that loves to run free. It’s one of the few places in the area where dogs can play off-leash, and you’ll see pups of all shapes and sizes splashing in the waves or chasing tennis balls. The vibe is super friendly—both for the dogs and their owners—so it’s easy to strike up a conversation while your furry friend makes new buddies. The beach itself is clean and well-maintained, with plenty of room to spread out. There’s parking nearby and even water stations to keep your pup hydrated. Whether you’re a local or just visiting, it’s a great place to spend a laid-back afternoon with your dog.

Fairmont Breakers Debuts In Long Beach, CA

The opening of Fairmont Breakers Long Beach is exciting news for the city. The hotel’s rich history, combined with modern luxury, makes it a unique addition to the area. It’s great to see such a historic building being restored and revitalized, especially when it’s as iconic as this one, with ties to Hollywood stars like Cary Grant and Elizabeth Taylor. The new amenities, like the luxury spa, rooftop bar, and event spaces, add a level of sophistication that could elevate Long Beach’s reputation as a destination for both locals and tourists. However, with all these high-end features, the real question will be whether it can blend seamlessly into the community without overshadowing the charm that made Long Beach special in the first place.

Link to map

Rosie's Dog Beach 5000 E Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90803, United States Head southeast toward E Ocean Blvd 0.1 mi Turn left onto E Ocean Blvd Pass by 7-Eleven (on the right in 0.5 mi) 0.6 mi Use the left 2 lanes to turn left onto E Livingston Dr 348 ft Continue onto E Ocean Blvd 2.7 mi Make a U-turn Destination will be on the right 371 ft 200 West Ocean 200 W Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90802, United States

[randolphloft]

One-Bedroom Apartments in the Historic Core District

Randolph Lofts is a premier community in downtown Los Angeles, offering pet-friendly, high-end apartments in the Historic Core District neighborhood. If you're seeking a one-bedroom apartment in the Historic Core District, the Randolph Lofts are an excellent choice. The apartments are perfect for professionals, students, families, seniors, and others. Choose from studio, one-, two, or three-bedroom options, each with a stylish open-concept design. Select units come with an in-unit washer/dryer, making them a perfect home for everyone. The community is close to high-end restaurants and boutique local stores. For inquiries, call (866) 536-3055.

Los Angeles, CA, Stunning Beaches

Los Angeles County boasts an impressive stretch of over 70 miles of stunning coastline, offering beachgoers a diverse range of experiences. From the bustling, lively shores of Santa Monica and Venice Beach, perfect for people-watching and sightseeing, to the idyllic, more secluded beaches of nearby Malibu, there's something for everyone. Additionally, with its equally picturesque beaches, Orange County is just a short and convenient car or train ride away, making it a must-visit destination for beach lovers. It's a beautiful place and it's nice to live here.

Hollywood Sign

When you venture to the vibrant city of Los Angeles, California, you'll immerse yourself in a rich tapestry of attractions catering to various preferences. Among these, Hollywood is a quintessential destination, especially for avid film enthusiasts. As you explore this iconic area, you can meander along the world-famous Hollywood Walk of Fame, adorned with countless celebrity stars, offering a glimpse into the illustrious history of the entertainment industry. Additionally, you can embark on a tour of the prestigious Dolby Theatre, where the prestigious Oscar ceremony unfolds, providing an insider's look at the glitz and glamour of Hollywood's biggest night. To top it off, hiking to the revered Hollywood Sign presents an awe-inspiring panoramic view of the city, making it a must-do activity for visitors seeking an unforgettable experience in the City of Angels.

Hostage Taking ended Peacefully in LA.

A SWAT standoff in Long Beach, California, ended peacefully after an armed suspect held a resident hostage overnight. The Long Beach Police Department responded to the 2000 block of East Ocean Boulevard around 10 p.m. Wednesday, and when they arrived, they saw the suspect flee and run into a residence before forcing himself into a nearby home. The suspect held the hostage in the residence on the 1600 Block of East 1st Street for several hours while negotiations were ongoing. Video from the scene showed the resident at the doorway appearing to be directed by the suspect from behind.

Link to maps

Hollywood Sign Los Angeles, CA 90068, United States Get on I-5 S/Golden State Fwy from N Vermont Canyon Rd, Los Feliz Blvd and Riverside Dr 14 min (3.4 mi) Continue on I-5 S/Golden State Fwy. Take CA-110 to W 6th St. Take the 6th St exit from CA-110 10 min (5.9 mi) Continue onto W 6th St Destination will be on the left 4 min (0.6 mi) Randolph Lofts 215 W 6th St #1004, Los Angeles, CA 90013, United States

[best-longbeach-ca]

Apartments Near Long Beach

The 200 West Ocean is an excellent apartment near Long Beach. I like this apartment because it offers beachside beauty and elegance. Living in a home like this offers a relaxing everyday living. Plus, the convenience of all the available amenities. It's perfect for you and your family. Then, the locations are just perfect. Plenty of shops and restaurants are nearby, and the convenient access to Downtown Long Beach Station makes it easy to take quick trips to Downtown LA, Santa Monica, Pasadena, or Hollywood. Explore popular destinations such as The Pike Outlets and Victory Park. Experience the beauty of Alamitos Beach, where the sparkling ocean and breathtaking Pacific coast views await you. Enjoy a day of fun in the sun and create unforgettable memories that last. For inquiries, call (844) 949-3898.

Long Beach, CA, attractions

Long Beach offers a variety of attractions for visitors, including the farmers' markets, hiking, biking, brunch, and visiting haunted sites. The city's 11 miles of sandy shoreline are perfect for exploring unique proposal spots. The annual festival attracts visitors with its vibrant colors and diverse food and beverage stalls. Shopping in Long Beach includes stores like Restoration Hardware, H&M at The Pike Outlets, and Shoreline Village, which features specialty shops selling Turkish ceramics, towels, and lamps. Other popular shopping areas include 2nd Street in Belmont Shore and nearby malls like Marina Pacifica Shopping Center and 2nd & PCH. 

Catalina Express

Catalina Express offers more than just transportation to and from Catalina Island. In Long Beach, you can enjoy a meal at nearby restaurants, go souvenir shopping, or even go whale watching before boarding. If you have extra time, you can explore Long Beach itself, visit the Aquarium of the Pacific, or rent bikes to explore the downtown area. Upon arrival in Avalon, you can wander through the charming town, relax on the beach, go on a scenic adventure, or indulge in water sports. You can also enjoy cultural experiences by visiting museums or watching a live show.

Long Beach mayor addresses crime and housing problems

Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson addressed the city's rising crime rates, growing homelessness, and housing crisis in his State of the City address. Richardson emphasized prioritizing homelessness and affordable housing, particularly after declaring a state of emergency over homelessness in 2023. The city has already addressed the issue, placing families in permanent housing and creating new shelter beds. Richardson also announced the addition of 100 new police officers to improve public safety and support local businesses affected by vandalism. Economically, the port of Long Beach has successfully moved more cargo than any other port in the US, and the expansion of aerospace company Jet Zero is expected to create 500 new jobs. 

Link to maps

Catalina Express 320 Golden Shore, Long Beach, CA 90802, United States Head west on Golden Shore 0.4 mi Turn right onto W Ocean Blvd Destination will be on the right 0.5 mi 200 West Ocean 200 W Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90802, United States

[best-losangeles-ca]

Journey to Wellness

Engaging in exercise is vital for overall well-being. It improves physical health, boosts mental clarity, enhances mood, and reduces the risk of chronic diseases, leading to a more fulfilling and active life. When it comes to Downtown Los Angeles apartment rentals that present a fitness haven beyond compare, choose Park Fifth Tower. Its state-of-the-art fitness center, equipped with cardio machines, a weight room, and fitness-on-demand options, caters to diverse workout preferences. Residents benefit from a holistic approach to well-being, with opportunities for strength training and cardiovascular exercises. The dedicated yoga and Pilates studio adds a touch of tranquility, promoting mental and physical balance. This unparalleled fitness infrastructure enhances the residents' overall health and fosters a sense of community.

The Transportation System in Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles, California, navigates a sprawling urban landscape through an extensive and evolving transportation system. The city has a car-centric culture and is dominated by a network of highways and freeways, including the iconic Interstate 405. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) provides bus and rail services connecting various neighborhoods, including the Metro Rail and Metro Bus lines. The Metro Rail comprises multiple lines, such as the Red and Purple Lines, offering an alternative to the notorious traffic. Rideshare services and a growing network of bike lanes contribute to mobility options. While the city continues investing in public transit expansion, challenges persist due to the vast geographic expanse and the reliance on automobiles in Los Angeles.

Santa Monica Pier

The Santa Monica Pier, an iconic symbol of Southern California, beckons visitors with a vibrant mix of seaside amusements and stunning coastal views. Stretching into the Pacific Ocean, the pier boasts a classic amusement park featuring a solar-powered Ferris wheel, a historic carousel, and various family-friendly rides. Beyond the thrill of the attractions, the pier offers picturesque views of the coastline and serves as a lively gathering spot for locals and tourists alike. The bustling boardwalk hosts street performers, eateries, and shops, creating a lively atmosphere. Whether enjoying a ride on the Ferris wheel or simply relishing the sea breeze, the Santa Monica Pier is a timeless destination blending entertainment, relaxation, and scenic beauty.

Learning Cursive in School, Long Scorned as Obsolete, is Now the Law in California

Learning cursive writing holds importance beyond its aesthetic value, fostering cognitive and developmental benefits. Cursive mastery enhances fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and dexterity, which are crucial for overall cognitive development, especially in younger learners. It engages different brain regions than print writing, promoting neurological connections. Cursive proficiency can improve reading skills as individuals often find it easier to transition between print and cursive texts. Moreover, historical documents and personal notes may be written in cursive, making it a valuable skill for comprehending and preserving cultural heritage. While digital communication dominates, cursive remains relevant, ensuring individuals can read and produce handwritten materials, maintaining a connection to tradition, and enhancing communication skills.

Link to maps

Santa Monica Pier 200 Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica, CA 90401, United States Continue to CA-1 S/Palisades Beach Rd 3 min (0.3 mi) Take I-10 E to 4th St in Los Angeles. Take the 4th St/9th St/3rd St/6th St exit from CA-110 N 18 min (15.2 mi) Continue on 4th St. Drive to W 5th St 3 min (0.6 mi) Park Fifth Tower Apartments 427 W 5th St, Los Angeles, CA 90013, United States

[cool-in-longbeach-ca]

Long Beach, CA, is a comfortable climate

Long Beach has a comfy climate, a high demand for housing, and a high income level. It offers a diverse culture with many activities to enjoy. The city has decent schools and colleges and a job market with many good jobs for highly qualified individuals. Long Beach is known for its beautiful beaches and nature reserves, and its public infrastructure is decent, although public transport still needs to be improved. The city is known for its tolerance and has decent nightlife, although there are not as many bars as in Los Angeles. With a total population of 467,763, Long Beach offers a diverse and enjoyable lifestyle.

Apartments in downtown Long Beach, CA

200 West Ocean is the No. 1 apartment in downtown Long Beach, CA. It's located at 200 West Ocean, and you can experience the epitome of luxurious beachfront living. Within these apartment homes, you can select from diverse residence options, each uniquely designed to cater to your every need. Choose from lofts, studios, and one- or two-bedroom apartments, or even indulge in the lavishness of penthouses with private atriums. Indulge in the elegance of Italian cabinetry and spacious floor plans, which provide adequate room to move around comfortably. Not to mention, each residence is fitted with floor-to-ceiling windows or private balconies that provide you with breathtaking panoramic views of the city and the ocean. For more information, call (844) 949-3898.

Apartments near Long Beach

200 West Ocean is a luxurious resort-style pool and spa apartment near Long Beach. This downtown Long Beach apartment featuring multiple lounge areas and deck space for sun lounging is perfect for you. The pool is elegant and refreshing, with plush seating options and lounge areas. The resort deck offers an expansive outdoor area with alfresco dining, BBQ areas, community-wide Wi-Fi, and beautiful landscaped features. The lounge features a bar and kitchen, and the unique flex space has large glass doors for dynamic indoor/outdoor flow. The apartments for rent in Downtown Long Beach offer a state-of-the-art fitness center with professional-grade equipment and amenities. For more information, call (844) 949-3898.

Queen Mary

The Queen Mary, a magnificent and iconic ocean liner launched in 1936, is a popular tourist destination in Long Beach, California. Its rich history and remarkable legacy have made it a must-visit attraction for people from all walks of life. Visitors can indulge in a diverse range of activities, including guided tours that provide an in-depth look into the ship's fascinating past, exploring the Art Deco Museum that showcases the ship's intricate and stunning interiors, attending entertaining shows, enjoying a delicious meal at one of the various restaurants, or even spending a night or two in the grand hotel rooms. The ship's interiors are adorned with breathtaking murals, sculptures, and other forms of artwork, which are a testament to its exquisite craftsmanship. The Queen Mary is also well-known for its star-studded sightings and eerie, haunted reputation, adding intrigue and mystery to its fascinating history.

Hurricanes in Long Beach can bring severe rain

Hurricane Hilary, a Category 4 storm heading towards Southern California, is expected to bring heavy rainfall to parts of the state as a tropical storm after hitting Mexico. Although it is expected to weaken as it approaches, the remnants could still bring several inches of rain and potential flooding. Hilary could dump over a year's worth of rain in parts of Long Beach, causing a rare high risk of excessive rainfall, Level 4 of 4, for parts of California. This is the first time a high-risk warning has been issued for the area. In 1978, Hurricane Norman's remnants landed near Long Beach, but the storm had been downgraded to a tropical depression. Read more. 

Link to maps

The Queen Mary 1126 Queens Hwy, Long Beach, CA 90802, United States Take Queens Hwy to I-710 Spur/Queensway Dr 3 min (0.3 mi) Take Queens Hwy to W Ocean Blvd 3 min (1.4 mi) 200 West Ocean 200 W Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90802, United States

[better-burton-way]

Thoughtful Services

At 8500 Burton Way in Los Angeles, CA, one and two-bedroom apartments for rent in Beverly Hills offer an elevated living experience. Residents benefit from various convenient services, including gourmet meal delivery from Emilia restaurant, catering to their culinary desires. Grocery delivery services provide added convenience, ensuring essentials are readily available. Pickup and delivery for dry cleaning add a touch of luxury to daily life. Moreover, complimentary airport runs offer seamless travel experiences for residents. Valet parking services are also available for both residents and guests. These thoughtful services enhance the comfort and ease of living, catering to a sophisticated lifestyle in the heart of Beverly Hills.

The Livability of Los Angeles, California

Whether Los Angeles, CA, is a good place to live depends on individual preferences and priorities. The city offers a lively and diverse culture, world-renowned entertainment and arts scene, numerous job opportunities (especially in entertainment, technology, and various industries), and a mild climate. It's home to iconic landmarks, beautiful beaches, and a mix of cultural influences. However, there are also challenges to consider. The cost of living can be high, particularly in terms of housing. Traffic congestion is a common issue, and the public transportation system might not be as extensive as in some other major cities. Air quality can sometimes be a concern, and city areas can experience various crime levels. Ultimately, deciding whether Los Angeles is a good place to live depends on your lifestyle preferences, career aspirations, and how well you can adapt to the city's unique characteristics and challenges.

Staples Center

The Staples Center, now known as Crypto.com Arena, is a popular and dynamic destination in Los Angeles, making it a good tourist spot for various reasons. As a major sports and entertainment venue, it hosts NBA basketball games (home to the LA Lakers and LA Clippers), NHL hockey games (home to the LA Kings), concerts featuring top artists, and other high-profile events. Its central location in downtown LA also makes it easily accessible. The arena's modern design and state-of-the-art facilities enhance the overall experience. Whether you're a sports fan, a music lover, or simply interested in experiencing a vibrant event atmosphere, the Staples Center offers a range of entertainment options that cater to diverse interests.

Southern California Cleans Up Damages From Storm

The aftermath of storms and hurricanes can be extensive and destructive. Flooding, landslides, and infrastructure damage can result from strong winds and heavy rain. Storm surges can seriously erode the coast and cause flooding in coastal communities. Homes and businesses can be destroyed, leading to displacement and economic losses. Power outages, communication breakdowns, and disrupted transportation networks hinder relief efforts. Health risks arise from water contamination and disrupted medical services. Long-term effects include psychological trauma, prolonged recovery, and increased vulnerability to future disasters. Effective disaster management, preparedness, and community resilience are essential to mitigate the devastating impact of storms and hurricanes on human lives and infrastructure.

Link to maps

Staples Center STAPLES Center, 1111 S Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90015, United States Take I-10 W to Cadillac Ave. Take exit 7A from I-10 W 10 min (6.8 mi) Take La Cienega Blvd to Colgate Ave 10 min (2.6 mi) 8500 Burton Way Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA

[merrock]

CHARACTER INFORMATION

face claim: Madelyn Cline

full name: Kaia Adrian-Saylor Waverly

nickname(s) / goes by: Kai or Kaia

pronouns & gender: she/her; cis woman

sexuality: Bisexual

birth date: August, 25, 1996.

birth place: Avalon, CA.

arrival to merrock: 2 weeks ago

housing: apartment in Historical Downtown

occupation: Treasure Hunter / Malibu & Co Surf Employee

work place: Malibu & Co. {treasure hunting is freelance}

family: mother & father { divorced }

relationship status: Single-Pringle

PERSONALITY

Kaia is extremely fortunate in the fact that she has dumb luck. It's usually this dumb luck that helps her get out of last-second obstacles. Kaia is also good with thinking outside the box; this makes her able to catch onto things that many others may not have thought about, or quickly brushed over. Another aspect that helps her with her line of work is that she knows a little about a lot; Kaia grew up with the ability to quickly get the hang of a new skill or activity, and thus she was easily bored - but, due to this she knows a wide range of info at a scale that can pertain to numerous topics. She's athletic, having had her fair share in sports growing up; soccer, volleyball, softball along with surfing and dance. She's always looking for new experiences and adventures, and is definitely someone who holds some pretty interesting stories. Kaia can easily build connections with others, but is used to keeping people at an arm's length due to the dangers of her job as well as the constant traveling. Her main goal in life is to experience and learn as much as she can about the world around her; as well as just to have fun and live every moment to the fullest. Kaia is super impulsive with her decisions, and this is due to the fact she is easily bored. She has good intentions, but is honestly chaotic in her actions. Is secretive by nature, and good at calling another's bluff; though she doesn't give the impression she's being secretive. Just overall, very fun-loving and here for a good time; always a 'why not?' type of vibe. She's just got her guard up cause of her past with her dad as well as her job.

WRITTEN BY: Noelle (she/her; any), est.

BACKGROUND / BIO

triggering / sensitive content: passive neglect.

For as long as Kaia could remember, she was living a double-life. Originally from Avalon, CA - the girl was always split from her mother's condo in Sydney AUS, and her father's shack in Tamarindo CR. Whilst with her mother, Kaia's days were filled with spa treatments and art galleries. With her father, Kaia was always fighting against his job for his attention. The only times she's genuinely "won" was when the activity took them to the shore.

It was through her father that Kaia learned how to dive and boat; also gaining vast knowledge of the ocean and its inhabitants. The love for the water grew to be a constant in both places; both her parents loving to surf. It was amusing to her, that the one thing that ever brought her parents together was the only thing that made her feel centered; like she could breathe.

It was high school when her father ultimately stopped with the beach trips. His job just fully took over, but there was a rift that grew between them. As Kaia grew up, she started to see the extremely hard-to-reach side of her father that drove her mother away; the expectations too high for Kaia to reach in order to gain any sort of attention from him. By the time she graduated high school with high honors, she was used to her father not showing up. He didn't care for her full ride scholarships, or that prestigious colleges wanted her.

Instead of cutting ties and giving up like her mother did, Kaia tried to reach him by delving deep into his work. It was so much so, that she specialized in marine archaeology as well as oceanography in her studies. It was through her research for her thesis, when she stumbled upon a forum regarding an old map for Pirate Benito Bonito's treasure in Cocos Island. Her thesis then surrounding the lost treasure. Maybe it was how her father scoffed, or maybe it was the discouragement from her preceptor that really had her drilling her life into solving the mystery after all. What was taking years for experts, only took Kaia about two weeks to solve and track down.

The amazing part wasn't having earned her father's attention or proving anyone wrong. It wasn't even how other doors began opening up for her in Costa Rica due to donating the treasure to the CR National Historic Society and Museum. It was the thrill and how similar solving the mystery was to how Kaia could breathe on a surfboard.

Since then, Kaia has been accepting quests from the wealthy, only to turn around and give it all to the museums and researchers. Recently, Kaia was caught straying from the original plan and running off with an artifact she feels is the key to a map she's been separated from. Due to this, she has been on the run and has decided to lay low in Merrock; taking on a cover job and assimilating to the small beach town way of life, to keep up the charade.

[cool-in-long-beach-ca]

Job Opportunities in Long Beach, CA

This city, located in southern California, offers beautiful beaches and an array of industries that provide employment to its residents. The job opportunities in Long Beach, CA, offer an array of possibilities for individuals seeking employment. This vibrant city's diverse economy ensures many job prospects across various industries. Long Beach, CA, boasts a thriving job market with a myriad of opportunities in various sectors. From healthcare to manufacturing, hospitality to technology, Long Beach presents diverse job options for individuals with varying skill sets. The job prospects in Long Beach, CA, are abundant and diverse. This city offers an array of opportunities across various industries. The vibrant employment scene in Long Beach, CA, is waiting to be explored by enthusiastic job seekers. If you're looking for one, try living in an apartment first, the Shoreline Gateway is the best choice.

New Shoreline Apartments

Shoreline Gateway offers a luxurious lifestyle in this new Shoreline apartment with a range of amenities to suit every need. The property features three-floor terraces with ocean views, the tallest pool, and spa on the West Coast, an outdoor lounge with an EVO grill, luxurious chaise lounges with umbrellas, a $1 million+ public art program, and complimentary yoga and fitness classes. The 34th level features a custom bar and lounge with an 8K TV, beer and wine dispensers, and unobstructed views of the OC coastline, Catalina Island, Downtown Long Beach, and LA. The fitness center includes a yoga room, modern cardio equipment, and a cold water bottle filling station. The pet washroom provides baths, handheld shower heads, and drying stations. For inquiries, call (855) 968-3922. 

The Queen Mary

The Queen Mary, a famous ocean liner built in 1936, has a stunning Art Deco design with luxurious amenities and is over 1,000 feet long. Originally named RMS Queen Victoria, it made her maiden transatlantic voyage in 1936 and played a crucial role in World War II. Known as the "Grey Ghost," she outrun German U-boats due to her exceptional speed. The ship features 12 decks, including the Grand Salon, Observation Bar, Queen's Salon, and the Bridge, offering various dining options. The Queen Mary was rumored to be haunted, with the most famous ghostly inhabitant being a sailor who tragically died in the engine room during a routine operation. Visitors can take ghost tours and explore areas said to be haunted, adding an element of mystery and intrigue to their visit. Overall, the Queen Mary is a true marvel of engineering and design, transporting visitors back to the golden age of ocean travel.

Crews Extinguish an Electrical Fire

A fire in an underground electrical vault Downtown caused a brief power outage and interrupted bus and train service for 30 minutes. Southern California Edison quickly cut power to the vault to confirm the flames didn't spread. Power and transit operations were restored by 10:30 p.m. The cause of the fire is unclear, but similar incidents often occur when a vault is overloaded. Long Beach is experiencing a heat wave, which may strain the electrical grid. Southbound Pine Avenue remains closed to traffic as Edison assesses the damage. According to the Long Beach Fire Department, an underground electrical fire caused a brief power outage Downtown on Saturday night and interrupted bus and train service for about 30 minutes. The fire broke out around 10:00 p.m. in an underground electrical vault on Pine Avenue between Ocean Boulevard and First Street. Read more. 

Link to maps

The Queen Mary 1126 Queens Hwy, Long Beach, CA 90802, United States Take Queens Hwy to I-710 Spur/Queensway Dr 2 min (0.3 mi) Take Queens Hwy and W Ocean Blvd to E 1st St 6 min (2.0 mi) Continue on E 1st St to your destination 2 min (0.2 mi) Shoreline Gateway 777 E Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90802, United States

[kaiwritesgood]

“Object” Assignment

               My parents met on the Washington D.C. Metro – the Orange Line train. Years later, my brother and I would become accustomed to spending 24 hours on an Amtrak train headed from D.C. to West Palm Beach, Florida. In my teens, I forced my friends to pick me up and drop me off at the appropriate Metro station. I had a dormant license as my dad provided me with an endless supply of SmartTrip cards.                I learned at a young age that cars were expensive, insurance was just as expensive, and teenagers could not be trusted behind the wheel. I would grow tired of arguing that, and I’d quickly run out of sources and statistics to support my point, which was that I could be trusted, and I was deserving. My friends were not good drivers. And my classmates frequently got into accidents, documented on the local news.                My 16-year-old-self had no idea I would not receive my first car until age 23, nine months into the first year of the pandemic.                By 2020, I had been living in Pittsburgh for six years, and I relied on the Port Authority (now Pittsburgh Regional Transit) to get me anywhere and everywhere. I had enough practice. And the system was smaller than the one I was used to. But I would soon find that this bus system was riddled with problems.                The bus was frequently late and often a no-show. Sometimes, and infuriatingly, it would come too early. There was only one downtown location for obtaining and refilling a bus pass.                When the pandemic came, I feared these buses more than usual. I refused to use them unless necessary and relied on my boyfriend and his Kia Forte to get me around.                Then my mom called one afternoon.                “Ron’s upgrading his car,” she said. I felt my face light up.

               Wait, I thought. I don’t know shit about cars.                Two weeks, and $5,000 later, I had a black, 2016 Honda HR-V parallel parked in front of my apartment. My first few trips were to the craft store. After that, the grocery store, then my friend’s places, then to the mall, then to restaurants, and even across the state and back. I started to enjoy traveling on my own schedule, picking up my friends, shopping at odd times, even sitting in drive-thru’s became almost “fun”.                But when school and work resumed, I’d soon realize that I really don’t like to drive.                By the end of the first year of ownership, I had been in two accidents, collected a wide range of parking tickets, fell behind on insurance payments, spent a fortune on gas, locked my keys in the trunk, then lost the set of backup keys. Having a car was starting to feel like having a child.                The car provided me with only a level of privacy money could buy and at the same time, it exposed me to a world of new dangers. Being behind the wheel makes me think of all the many auto-related ways people die that I had never thought of before. A moment never went by where I didn’t miss and long for the train.                The car operated on so many extremes; it expanded and limited the places I could go, it was safe and dangerous at the same time, and it felt like it either went very fast or very slow. I felt conflicted about this realization though because I had been asking for a car since I got my license at 17. I almost felt like my complaints had a tinge of privilege in them. I owned one car that was completely paid off, it was even black inside and out like I preferred. I had access to two cars, if you included my boyfriend’s. And in today’s economy, I knew a two-car household was considered a luxury to many people. Here I was, complaining, about having too much.                Even though the act of driving irritated me, I recognized the importance of the car. And after owning it for only two years, I can’t imagine not having it. And maybe the reliance on it is what I resent – the conditions that forced me into driving. America was built for cars and planes, not trains. To an adult who grew up on trains, and religiously watched Thomas the Train, this was heartbreaking.                But I love my car. It’s my first car. And I’ll never have another first car. I’ve customized it. I’ve stuck pins in the upholstery, stickers on the sun visor, and hung keychains from the rearview mirror. I slapped a Maryland crab magnet on the back next to the holographic license plate frame I bought for it from Walmart. There’s French Toast Crunch pieces lodged under the backseat, and a dent in the driver’s side I got when a lady hit me on a side street in Rosslyn, Virginia. My prized collection of fast-food napkins and masks stuffed in the glove compartment, expired library books in the passenger storage pocket, and my Animal Crossing keychain dangling from the rearview (it’s Blathers). It’s one-of-a-kind, an extension of myself.                I can’t tell you how fast it goes, or how many miles are on it without starting it first. I’m not sure what kind of gas it takes, I just know it’s not diesel. It’s taught me a lot about the sanctity of life, and how important it is to be patient, and what people truly mean when they say, “DRIVE SAFE.”                Every day, I remind myself it is a privilege to drive, although it’s treated as a right. There are (not enough) consequences to unsafe driving and the road is a communal space. It is to be shared, not ruled.                Every day, I miss the freedom of the train and not having to worry about parking. Nowadays, I only drive three days a week. And that is more than enough for me.

[red-weiland]

Stone Temple Pilots — The SIN Magazine Interview

Stone Temple Pilots live at SOMA, 1992

The comparisons are inevitable. With only a casual listen, they might even be justified, but it's hard to give The Stone Temple Pilots simply a cursory listen.

No gloss, no glitz, just honest music that matters. The band is not from Seattle. They are from the Southland,{ie. Los Angeles and San Diego}. Their debut album "Core" on Atlantic has attitude and aggression. SIN Magazine had the opportunity to chat with lead singer Scott Wieland and drummer Eric Kreiz on the corner of Market Street and Union Street in downtown San Diego after their soundcheck at Soma.

SIN: What is a Stone Temple Pilot?

SCOTT: We had to change our name from Mighty Joe Young which was our previous name. I'm happy now because we were getting associated with that horrible band Ugly Kid Joe. If course we did not appreciate the mix-up. We were thinking of names and had different names for different days.

One day I got the image of the STP oil-treatment logo in my head, right next to your picture of KISS on the wall, you would have a big ole STP sticker, hanging up there or on your skateboard. I was thinking that was such a cool thing. [talked to Dean {guitarist and roommate} about it, he also thought that it was cool and asked what could we call it?

Figuring that we couldn't completely go by STP because we might get sued. It seemed like every time we came up with a name we were getting threatened by a lawsuit or something. Dean said 'how about Stereo Temple Pirates?' I said year, that's kind of cool, but Pirates [I got horrible visions of this horrible looking Glam rock band]! After thinking, we came up with Stone Temple Pilots, which really doesn't mean anything.

SIN: So how did the band come together?

SCOTT: Robert (STP's bassist) and I met in Long Beach, CA at a Black Flag show at Fenders Ballroom. We ended up taking over this girl's apartment who we were both seeing (which we kind of found out about when we first met at the Black Flag show). This girl had warrants; so she had to split and go back to Texas to avoid getting arrested. She got these eviction notices and the apartment was rent-free for three months, so we took over the place. Anyway, we started writing some songs in his home studio.

ERIC: Is that where you guys wrote that song "Dr. Lymph Nodes?"

SCOTT: Uh-huh, we used to write crazy little commercials, sick and twisted jingles. We ended up deciding that it would be cool to put something together because we were from different musical backgrounds. We were in the Long Beach area at this time and hadn't really gotten to the stage of putting ads in the papers because there are a lot of morons who answer your ads in the paper.

We were kind of hoping to see some people play and we ended up seeing Eric (drummer) play with this band who were jamming informally at the time. He really played loud over the rest of the band. He stuck out and we talked to him after the show and decided to jam together.

Since we were staying at this apartment that wasn't under our name, we would go there and play live. We didn't have to worry about being evicted because it wasn't our place anyway.

SIN: Did it cause any bad vibes between you and Robert because you were dating the same girl?

SCOTT: No, no, it wasn't a serious girlfriend thing. We were just "seeing," if you will, the same girl.

SIN: So how long did it take to get Atlantic to notice you and sign the band?

SCOTT: We were playing around for two years when we got signed. The way we got noticed was when we were playing a gig at an underground club in L.A. called The Club With No Name. Don Muller at Triad saw us play there and dug the show and called up his old college school chum Tom Carolan in A&R at Atlantic. Tom called our manager up, got our tape, dug it and they wanted to sign us. We were really wary of signing with Atlantic or any major label because we were thinking of putting out our own record or going with one of the Indies that were looking at us.

When Atlantic came to us, it was kind of a surprise. Danny Goldberg had been managing underground bands like Beastie Boys and Nirvana as well as others. Around the same time they wanted to sign us, he was coming on to head up the West Coast Division at Atlantic and that was the major attraction for us because we knew there was someone there who was into changing the way things were happening and he would understand things. Besides that the people who work at labels now are changing that "old school" train of thought. There are a lot of people losing positions and new people are coming in. The people who are working for them now are people who have grown up in the whole College Radio explosion during the '80s and were weened on better music.

Also, the industry is learning that they can't force-feed the kids of today. The kids today are buying records that they feel are some sort of mirror of what they feel today. It is not the greatest time in American history to be a young person looking at the future. You can't even fuck anymore without worrying about it. That's pretty bad. I think music that's coming out now is a lot more honest and has more integrity than the stuff in the past.

Before getting signed, we started to play shows mainly in San Diego because we choose not to really tackle the whole L.A. thing since most of the bands there aren't into it for the sake of creating art. They are into it for the sake of getting a record deal. It's a lot of posing and posturing phony "I'm a rock star!" watch me strut down Melrose with my whole schict. We really didn't feel like a part of that. We did not feel that is what we are about, so we came down to San Diego and Dean (guitarist) ended up moving here once we got him out of New Jersey. He got to be friends with some of the local bands here, like Honey Glaze and Burning Hands. The whole vibe here was different. It was much more communal like you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. Everyone helps each other carry equipment at gigs.

ERIC: The crowd was more receptive.

SCOTT: The people here are more into going to and seeing shows and taking it for what it is instead of trying to look cool. You don't see as many arms crossed at shows down here. Besides that, the bands down here write for the sake of expression and do what they want to do because there is no huge stinking monster industry here influencing them not to be themselves. We thought that this was a better area for us to concentrate on. We still played the L.A. shows every once in a while.

SIN: What is the "hottest" and most happening style in L.A. now?

SCOTT: Actually there's not much that's hot in L.A. now. There are a couple of bands that are cool like Tool and Rage Against the Machine, but there's not really a lot of great bands that have come out in a long time.

SIN: Do you feel that the label set up any obstacles to your creativity? Did the band have to make any sacrifices in order to please people?

SCOTT: There was only one conflict that we can tiny. It turned out not to be that big of a headache. There was a discrepancy on what would be the first single. There was some talk of the record company wanting one of the songs and we were really firm on "Sex Type Thing" as the first single. We ended up getting what we wanted and everyone at the label ended up being happy about it. The song is doing well now, so I guess we're all right.

SIN: Speaking of that song, what's the message behind it?

SCOTT: "Sex Type Thing" was written in second-person narrative. 'The character it's about has the mindset of the typical American male's sexual outlook towards women and their sexual rights over women's bodies to the point of, "you shouldn't have worn that dress, therefore I have the right to take what I want". It's a good song.

SIN: Do you consider yourself a Rock band, Heavy metal band or a Post Punk band?

SCOTT: I Think a category is really ridiculous. It seems that categories are set up by the Industry to tell kids what they should buy and how they should think of something. Our music is heavy, but in the same respect, it's not always guitars cranked up on "11". Sometimes there and are heavy in an emotional sense. Heavy doesn't necessarily mean loud guitars heavy aggression like Black Flag. Heavy can be John Coletrain which is emotionally intense. Our music as far as where it sits crosses over fairly well. Radio stations that play what people call Heavy Metal to radio stations that play what people call Alternative, or Underground or any different flavors of different things.

SIN: I hate to do this, but I was reading a review of your band in the Trade Publications and I noticed that they immediately grouped you with the bands that are coming out of Seattle. How does that affect your band's identity?

SCOTT: I really don't feel that it affects us. I feel more sorry for the bands that are coming out of Seattle because it actually affects their identity more than a band that is not from Seattle. I wouldn't like to be from Seattle and have everybody say "oh, this is just the Seattle sound.". It doesn't give Mudhoney, Nirvana, or Tad, or any of those bands that singular of identity. It kind of lumps them all into one big thing, I don't think that is the case at all.

Pearl Jam doesn't sound like Mudhoney who doesn't sound like Alice in Chains who doesn't sound like Tad or Nirvana. None of those bands sound alike to me. I think there is good music coming out of there because it's a town that has a good vibe to it, Until recently it has been rather unscathed by the music industry whore.

There was a chance for people there who grew up together as kids listening to the same kind of music that everyone in our generation listened to. For one thing, there are going to be certain influences, but you've got these people being able to write songs playing in bands together with all of each other's friends and so they got to start writing some really cool stuff without thinking "if we write this, we're never going to get noticed by Hollywood". It was written for different reasons.

There is good stuff coming out of there, but I don't think there is any certain Seattle sound. Electric guitars have been around since Muddy Waters. There have been people playing through distorted amps before The Rolling Stones. You've got great heavy bands that are on the "Alternative/Metal" thing all over the country. In New York, you've got Helmet and White Zombie. Hollywood has a band that kicks ass L7.

There are bands all over the place that are - good heavy honest open and completely free to express themselves in their own artistic way. That is what we are about. We are not about any geographic/demographic new vacation spot on the map of the United States.

SIN: Where do you see that "Heavy/Alternative" music scene going?

SCOTT: I don't know, someone asked me this before. Music that came out with in the last few years, is some of the first music in a long time that will be considered classic ten years from now. Actual music that will have a timeless quality to it. It's amazing that it's able to come out on major labels and get the exposure that it's getting. It makes it possible to take your girlfriend out to Sizzler for the All-You-Can-Eat Shrimp buffet once in a while!

[sandiegorealestate124]

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[beaboutitpress]

SONG: LOS ANGELES   BAND: X     PLACE: LONG BEACH YEAR: 1980 by Peggy Morrison

What’s a song that you listen to in order to remember something? That’s what we asked our writers for this edition of Be About It zine, and we are loving the responses we got. Check out this entry from Peggy Morrison!

SONG: LOS ANGELES   BAND: X     PLACE: LONG BEACH YEAR: 1980

I had heard this other kind of music that I was attracted to because it was full of rash, urgent energy I asked this bassist I knew, Steve, where was it? Where could I hear more of it? He told me it was punk and I could hear it every week on Rodney's show; I forget the name of the radio station.   I had an upstairs apartment on the West Side of Long Beach. I met Patti through her boyfriend, Alan. She had platinum hair in a short, asymmetical cut, a swashbuckling way of walking and bold red lips. She needed to get away from her alcoholic mother and I had a two-bedroom place. Patti's friends were a gaggle of buzz-cut teenagers in kilts and leather and safety pins   Punk clubs Long Beach, downtown LA, Hollywood, Redondo Beach I was in the mosh pit jumping in time with the noise; shot tons of pushed tri-x film, published the pictures in local rags and zines and gave them to the bands for the 45 and LP covers   Went to shows or made shows happen and partied after hours I was in the Strong Silent types. We practiced obsessively in a cheap rented rehearsal space. My role was to screech, howl and hum backup choruses to Crystal's deep-voice, epic lead singing, plus, I played the flute, X's album came out: The world's a mess; it's in my kiss   Everybody knew each other. Fast-moving. never planning where to end up or when to go home, It was non-stop. We had to go out almost every night just to be there when our friends played. We were a milling herd   She had to get out, get out get out, get out   I was taking classes at CSULB to get my teaching credential and become a "citizen" -- get my first legit job. I was in the placement office of the university looking at the job advertisements. I wanted to get out of the city and be a teacher in a small town in California. In the back of the big three ring binder there was an advertisement for a teaching job in a school in Guatemala. On a reckless whim, I mailed my resume. She had to leave LOS ANGELES   and when they called to offer me the job in Guatemala, I recklessly accepted. It seemed about as far as you could get from Long Beach, about 3000 miles They sent my plane ticket She found it hard to say goodbye to her own best friend It felt strange it felt strange. It felt sad In Guatemala City, en la zona 9, I would go out of the house at night and walk around in the silence, not knowing what to do with myself, missing the city, missing LA, with Exene and John's dissonant voices ringing in my head   She gets confused 'Cause the days change at night Change in an instant   She had to leave it felt strange it felt sad it felt sad

- Peggy Morrison

Name: Peggy Morrison

Location: Ohlone land, AKA Alameda, CA

Favorite sad song: Never Mind by Nancy Griffin  

Brief Bio:

Peggy Morrison is a California writer who lives and works in the San Francisco Bay Area, enjoying its creative and fertile literary community.  Her poetry has been published in Cloud Woman Quarterly, riverbabble, Poecology, Let the World Wonder, Naked Bulb Anthology, Day Without Art,  DoorKnobs & BodyPaint. She was honored to be part of the United States delegation to the CubaPoesia International Poetry Festival in La Habana in 2017. Peggy is the author of one book of poetry: Mom Says (2020, https://www.amazon.com/dp/1657735192). Along with poetry Peggy is a mom who loves reading, teaching, gardening, music, and backpacking. And she is a bilingual teacher committed to working for social justice.

[philcmena-alt]

NATALIA DYER / DEMI GIRL — don’t look now, but is that philomena carmichael i see? the 19 year old wildlife science student is in their sophomore year and she is a rochester alum. i hear they can be whimsical, patient, apathetic and unpredictable, so maybe keep that in mind. i bet she will make a name for themselves living in garcia row. ( james. 20. est. she/they. )

like this to plot !!

TW CANCER, TRAUMA, DEPERSONALIZATION / DEREALIZATION DISORDER ( ALT. MENTAL HEALTH ) / DEATH / DECAY / MAGGOTS / GROSS ??

a e s t h e t i c s

wildflowers in your hair and bare feet against moss, binoculars and maps, madonna beating out of half-dead speakers in a half-dead van, whipping wind, jumping off cliffs and rolling down hills, a bandaid wrapped around each finger, cryptic bumper stickers and cryptids in the woods, facing the sun and letting the rays hit you, counting stars late into the night, mismatched socks and lucky ribbons, hoarding a box of special treasures, shoplifting and diner-dashing, bleach against roots, pink sweaters paired with ripped fishnets and slip dresses with knock off uggs, willingly wearing crocs, glitter stickers.

general info !!

full name: philomena brontë carmichael

nickname(s): philly, phil, mena, etc.

b.o.d. - april 20th lmao !!

label(s): the amaranth, the halycon, the neophyte, the wanderer, etc. etc.

height: 5′4″

hometown: woodside, ca

sexuality: ??? $500 ebay mystery box. pansexual if you had to label it.

pinterest

stats

biography !!

a middle child belonging to christopher and imogen carmichael - two stanford professors. christopher specialized in british literature whilst imogen specialized in the classics. hence the name.

the order of siblings goes as such: lysander, elektra, juno, philomena, and twins orion & valora. the deal was that everybody had a greek (or in juno’s case, roman) first name and a middle name inspired by a piece of british literature circa 1800s and under. a family of nerds, if you will.

so, clearly - right off the bat, their parents are … eccentric. they’re both in love with their respected topic, and with each other, and with their kids. the carmichael family is a happy family.

they each have their own quirks and whatnot - though philly’s always been particularly dreamy - even as a child, she’d spend hours watching clouds or caterpillars or the leaves blow in the wind rather than play with other kids. she wasn’t a shy kid - she just had her own interests.

hardship doesn’t hit the family until philomena is five and starts having splitting headaches. they’re slow at first - but as soon as she’s seeing spots and unable to walk in a straight line, doctor appointments are made.

it doesn’t take long for them to discover the tumor, though the official diagnosis of malignant ependymoma comes a month later.

it’s grade ii but slow-moving, small enough to not be as much of a threat as worried, but big enough where removal is necessary. philomena earns a scar and brings it in for show-and-tell. for two months afterwards, philly’s at radiotherapy monday through friday.

they’re lucky - philomena’s considered cancer-free by the next year. she’s babied at first - handled delicately, as if she could break if touched - but with five other children … it doesn’t last for too long.

and life continues as normal.

her personality doesn’t shift much over the next few years - she’s awfully independent for a kid, and awfully quiet - when she speaks it’s about faeries and bigfoot, about how the sky is so blue and if you listen quietly, you can hear the leaves whisper their secrets to each other. this is not odd.

she’s close to all her siblings, but she idolizes her older sister - elektra. elektra’s six years older and dyes her hair whatever colors she wants. elektra bought a knife off a seedy guy downtown. elektra threw away all of her heels and renounced god. elektra is god. her music is loud but it’s not heavy - it’s florence and the machine.

they’re opposites - elektra’s boisterous and feels loudly, philomena’s softer and feels…less. when elektra sneaks out, philomena keeps watch. they are a duo.

philomena is smart - but she’s fifteen and hates school. hates sitting inside all day. hates the same routine - day after day - it’s all the same. her parents’ routine is the same, philly feels contained and she wants to live.

elektra’s twenty-one and just bought a brand new spanking (used but not falling apart) 19-something volkswagen … van - using her entire savings account. she says she’s tired of routine, she’s leaving the next day.

naturally, philomena stows away in the back and isn’t discovered until they’re two states away and she’s got to pee. elektra nearly crashes the van in shock.

it’s an argument - philomena vs. elektra, then them vs. their parents, then their parents vs. the school, the state - it’s an ordeal. philomena switches to an online program in the end.

it hurts christopher and imogen - lysander’s not having any of their nonsense, juno’s betrayed and alone - the twins are twins. in the end, it’s alright. the carmichael family is a happy family.

philomena and elektra take their time - it’s not a road trip, it’s their new life, permanently on the road. they stop and explore often - they do odd jobs in whatever town they settle in. they dine-n-dash, they shoplift. they survive in their own way.

during particularly desperate times, they two resorted to identity theft & credit fraud - getting away with it only by ditching the cards once they’ve made it out of state.

she drops out of high school officially when she’s seventeen - they have to drive all the way back to california to deal with the wrath of their parents and to deal with paperwork, but it’s done. philomena doesn’t know what path she wants in life - but it’s not that.

it’s during this time that the episodes occur - philomena’s outside her body, philomena’s wrapped in cotton, her memories are not her own. she’s looking in the mirror and she doesn’t recognize herself. they take shelter in a city for six months, long enough for her brand spankin’ new therapist to figure out what’s wrong with her. she’s diagnosed with depersonalization / derealization disorder - they think it’s stress. philomena doesn’t get stressed. they think it’s trauma. she laughs - she never laughs.

she gets medication, and life is normal.

three years later and her parents want philly to have a higher education - desperate for it, really - worried for her future. it’s a battle that she loses, getting her GED and applying to a local college in a town halfway across the country.

staying rooted pains her - pains elektra, stuck in a midwest state for no good reason. by the summer before her sophomore year, philly deides to transfer to lockwood. elektra can travel up and down the eastern coast and philly goes too, sometimes, on the weekends. it’s a compromise that favors her parents’ wants above all.

school has caused philly’s disorder to flare up - a small rift in her day-to-day life even when she doesn’t realize it.

things were fine for a while - they have to be fine, because philly is always fine - because elektra is always fine, because they’re always fine and happy and content with their situation. but years of negligence had caught up with philly - and now she’s not quite sure what to do.

it began with a phone call from juno - angry juno, hurt juno - juno who has called every week for four years and has only gotten a handful of answers - and many, many handfuls of answering machines. juno who doesn’t understand why philly is like this - when she’s so hurt, all the time - when things are so much, all the time. the call ends with a reminder that they are the same - that they’ve experienced the same thing, the same thing that nobody else in their family had experienced.

juno, of course, refers to the dead body in the woods nine years ago.

to backtrack - philomena was ten and juno was thirteen when they had decided to go on a hike - a nearby trail that had been walked countless times, in a town they’ve always felt safe in. it should’ve been safe - it should’ve been fine. but philomena liked going off the trail, making her own - insisted on it, in fact. she was the one who skidded down the slope first, curiosity drawn to a dirty, fraying red scarf - but juno had been the one who had tripped and fallen, who had landed besides decaying flesh and maggots. philomena had seen the body first - but juno had touched it. juno had touched it.

after the police and the sirens and the years of therapy, juno had always wanted to talk about it - always wanted to address it, vent to the one person who would maybe, could maybe, understand. philly had already blocked it out of her mind.

back in present day - the phone call with juno had attracted elektra, who then in turn called juno and marched away, screaming match from across the country (supposedly). philly, always a little too curious, had only overheard parts of their argument. but she heard the one thing that left her bothered - a rare experience, and a sickening one. elektra had called her a child. just a kid, to be exact.

philly had stopped considering herself a child when she turned eighteen - and she certainly never thought she acted childish. confrontation led to a rift, and philomena determining that they needed time apart - that elektra should go, now, please. and she did. and philly was alone. no elektra, no florence - no more depending on her sister, just philly. alone.

a firm week before dean lockwood was murdered and the rochester students moved to huntington beach, philly had disappeared. run away, if you will. no driver’s license, just a handful of cash and her ‘pets’ set free. she’s just now reappeared, with a van she has no registration for parked outside of garcia row & in front of their new ‘dorm’.

personality !!

she’s quiet but she’s confident - her voice sounds like rustling leaves, if leaves smoked a pack of cigarettes a day.

often underestimated - philly’s petite and looks like she’d fall over if a plastic bag blew too close to her. she’s independent - for the most part. elektra is the only person philly takes orders from.

has always been considered odd - weird, strange. still talks about the trees as if they’re listening, as if they’re old friends. she’s vague and doesn’t elaborate on the things she says.

believes in pretty much any superstition you throw her way. luck is very important to her. if you ask her if the earth is flat, she’ll say probably. believes strongly in bigfoot and the lochness monster. has personally seen aliens, and loves ghosts almost more than herself.

she can be amusing - whether you ‘get’ her or not, her outlook is often bright - she talks about the negatives the same way she talks about the positives. can be seen as naive or gullible, but she’s plenty smart. even if half of her education has come directly from google.

philly doesn’t laugh. a smile, yes - often, in fact - not always reaching her ears, or bearing teeth - but these are not indicators of her happiness. philly is consistently content. she thinks many things are funny - she still will not laugh.

her voice is often monotonous - she doesn’t sound dreary, she sounds far-away. her voice carries. her emotions are often unknown to others.

is apathetic in most situations. she’s hard to bother - she’s incredibly patient and enjoys the company of most - tolerates them at the very least. it’s hard for her to express her emotions, because she feels them so little that it’s very nearly not worth it. her affection is not verbal - it’s small touches and gestures of kindness, love in her own way.

is a fan of knock-knock jokes and bad puns. she won’t crack a smile while telling you them, nor does she expect you to laugh. she just enjoys them.

she owns a motorola razr covered in puffy stickers - hasn’t ever had a smartphone. she’s a fan of emoticons. her favorite is :o)

has a lot of bruises and scratches and scars - she’s often getting herself into pickles. there are always, at the very minimum, three bandaids on each hand.

she has insomnia, so she’s awake often. is often seen wandering town - even when she shouldn’t be, even when it might be dangerous. her intuition is delayed. when she does sleep - her dreams are vivid and fantastical.

keeps a box of memories - sentimental bits and pieces she’s picked up over the last few years. there are a lot of buttons and postcards, but any teeny tiny object will do.

her style changes every week - most, if not all, of her clothes are thrifted. one week she’s baby spice and the next she’s lydia deetz. she combines pieces from different styles often - she looks like a barbie clothed by a child. she feels most comfortable like this.

will either patch-up the clothes that get too worn or reuse them in some way. sometimes donates the clothes she gets tired off - isn’t minimalistic, but she’s learned to keep only a small amount of possessions.

the only consistency is her lucky ribbon - it’s pastel yellow and silky and as thin as a shoelace. she ties it onto her outfit of the day, everyday. if she loses it, she’s lost. elektra has a matching ribbon.

has no problem with minor theft - she only takes bare minimum, puts herself and elektra first and that’s how it’s always been. she tries to be good while in rochester - would hate to make enemies whilst florence is getting repaired.

currently living in audax while elektra stays in their van, florence - sometimes philly stays there during the weekends.

they used to live in motels on the occasion, the cheapest room, and more often than not they’d both go home with strangers for a comfier bed and a hotter shower.

it was a common occurrence - she didn’t sleep with them - but somehow, she weaseled her way into their homes anyway. has come out mostly unscathed, on most occasions. this has been a practice ever since they’ve been on the road.

really, truly - has not slept with anybody, had her first and only kiss at thirteen with a frog. this doesn’t bother her.

will consume a n y t h i n g you put in front of her - isn’t picky.

listens to whatever they’ve picked up along the way but she likes instrumentals the best. her second favorite genre is 1990′s and 2000′s top hits. they’re nostalgic for her.

loves storms - will go out in the rain and will risk her life for it.

owns a pair of roller-skates and is often skating rather than walking. unless she’s on grass - then she’s walking barefoot.

has many hobbies, and gets bored of them often. her favorite hobby is welding. she’s not certified.

also, juggles.

also, accordion.

the kind of girl who’ll do any job you give her. odd jobs are her favorite jobs. babysitting is her least favorite - but she does it anyway. has lost children before. have they ever been found? not by philly.

dyes her hair blonde often and cuts her own hair - bangs included - finds it cathartic, likes the itchiness of bleach.

everything she does is often in pursuit of feeling free, alive, and meaningful.

wanted connections !!

random encounters - she’s new to rochester and doesn’t know many people - if anybody at all, so :-)

alternately, people she’s run into with elektra during their journey. whether they’ve stolen from them or stayed with them somewhere or just, ate dinner with them. anything.

someone whose couch / floor she’s crashed on after a night of whatever - a party, adventure, etc.

people she does jobs for !! people who commission her to make stuff for them. people who need a babysitter.

people who think she’s weird - and those who like it. or those who hate it. people who don’t understand her - people who do, in their own way.

someone trying to get closer to her but she keeps slipping out from between their fingers.

a parental / older sibling figure !! they take one look at philomena and instantly want to swaddle and protect her.

people who take an immediate liking to her. people who introduce her to the music scene. people who show her around town.

someone who catches her stealing or about to dine-n-dash.

late-night walking pals.

a dealer b/c weed ? a thing.

someone who gets into a debate with her about conspiracies or superstitions or anything !! someone who gets frustrated at her apathy.

somebody who just immediately distrusts her for whatever reason.

??? you don’t have a smartphone ??? cue someone trying to teach her how they work - and philly hating it !!

thrifting pals.

m a y b e a hook-up, eventually, but it’s questionable.

something unrequited, likely on their end b/c philly is … a hard egg to crack.

maybe something returned !! eventually. slowly. slow.

god … someone she just tells her entire life story to. like this meme.

i’m rly down to brainstorm and think of anything !!! dnt forget 2 leave a like :)

[yvynyl]

// Letters to YVYNYL //

Guma - Floor Models

/ I’ll be honest. My YVYNYL email account is a mess. Swamped to the brim. I was stoked to find this letter, though! TJ’s story made me happy and his tunes even more so. Mellow, driven, beautiful. Listen to the two tracks he’s released so far before the whole record comes out in a week or so and you’ll share in the majesty of rebuilding his motorbike and crafting songs as strong as these. Let’s support his vision!

Hi Mark,

My wife and I got to Austin, TX a couple years ago with one car between the two of us, and as she was the first to get a job and start using the car every day to commute, I needed a way to get around. For six years in New York City I had been a cyclist, and I was proud of both my physical fitness and my willingness to bike year-round. Austin made short work of that, as it is basically a city of two giant hills that converge at the river that runs through downtown. Coming or going, the hills will get you. As the temperatures crept toward 110F and I showed up to freelance gigs exhausted and smelling bad, I knew that I needed a better way to travel.

We couldn’t afford a second car, so I bought a used motorcycle on Craigslist. It didn’t run. It was nearly fifty years old, had probably sat outside for a good amount of that time, and it was covered with rust and grime. But that was part of my plan: I had no mechanical experience, and the way that I justified the transition from a bicycle to a significantly faster and more dangerous mode of transportation was that I was going to learn how it worked by taking it apart and putting it back together. This would demystify the machine, I thought, and give me the knowledge needed to maintain what is essentially an outdated snapshot of internal combustion technology. In other words, a fifty-year-old gasoline motor is a finicky thing, and if I was going to use it every day to get around while my wife had the car, I needed to be able to understand it.  It took me a week to take the entire thing apart and lay it out in the garage, and I spent the next three months cleaning, painting, greasing, and reassembling.

A strange thing happened during that time: I stopped playing my instrument and writing songs. Instead, I started to dream about the bike. When my wife got up early to go to work, I would get up with her and bound outside with a cup of coffee and a wrench. I’d get lost polishing a piece of aluminum and look up only to find her pulling back into the driveway at the end of the day. I hovered over eBay auctions for used parts and posted questions to small forums of older, mostly male Honda enthusiasts, the kind of online communities where emojis are used haphazardly and— all other options for troubleshooting exhausted— where people would simply post their actual phone number and say “just call me and we can figure this thing out.”

New terminology started to populate my vocabulary. I began to think of objects around me in terms of three-dimensional, exploded-view diagrams. I would space out at work and instead of jotting down lyric ideas, I would scribble color combinations. As the bike came together, I marveled at the increasing amount of three-dimensional space it took up in the garage and the diminishing number of parts in labeled bags on the floor. And this process I would recommend to anyone who has a love of projects and puzzles. With a shop manual printed from the internet and YouTube videos aplenty, building a bike is like following instructions for the biggest and most well-designed LEGO set you will ever see. In the process of reassembly you begin to discern logic and intention; human qualities. Every piece has a function in one of a handful of systems that comprise the whole; many components serve two or more purposes by using forces of rotation and chain linkages to disperse physical energy to different parts of the bike over the course of an eternally recursive 360-degree path. I could go on, but Robert Pirsig has already written quite effectively to these points and others. 

I was also aware that I was inhabiting a new way of being. Last time I wrote to you about my experiences with depression and the transformative power of traveling alone. I knew that I could never have done this project in New York City. I now lived in a house instead of an apartment, I had a yard instead of a sidewalk, a garage, a long driveway. As the seasons turned and we spruced up our house and adopted some cats, I was aware of a new kind of domesticity that I had not otherwise known.

Domesticity is a big theme in my most recent work. I have always felt most comfortable writing songs from my actual, first-person perspective as opposed to creating characters or inhabiting situations with which I’m unfamiliar. This process takes time and like any other process of self-reflection is a habit that needs to be continually nurtured. I finished the bike in the spring; it looks brand new and runs better, I suspect, than it ever has. When I meandered back toward songwriting, I realized that I had not had any particularly grand adventures to plumb for inspiration and that the most pressing question on any given day was usually, “what do you want for dinner?” But this is a sacred place in which to exist! The truth of your inner experience can be more readily found in this stillness. There are messages in the calmness, a lazy cat on your lap while the sun breaks through the window.

When I felt that I had enough material, it was time to put some money up. There is no greater motivator for me than a deadline and cash at stake. I reached out to Chris Schlarb in Long Beach, CA. His music had found me earlier in the year, and I was struck by what I thought I recognized as another person digging at the same rock that I’ve always dug at. It was a completely unsolicited e-mail and the first line that I cast once I had decided to commit to the project. He wrote back the same weekend, and that was all I needed to kick off.

The album we made at his BIG EGO Studios over the course of three days in May 2018 eventually came to involve more than fifteen collaborators, a far leap from the last record that I made more or less alone in 2016. It was tracked live in a room with two drumkits, two basses, keys, and myself on guitar. The double rhythm section is equal parts men and women. I am proud that it features contributions from people of different genders, sexualities, colors, religions, and nationalities. Not just because inclusivity is attainable even on a shoestring budget and to a largely unknown songwriter (it is), or because attention to social justice should be the foremost mandate for collaboration (it isn’t), but because diversity of people leads to diversity of ideas, and our world is stronger when we create together. This record most certainly is.

I have always loved the so-called “pastoral” albums by the Kinks. Peppered as they are with Ray Davies’ angst about the music publishing industry, they nevertheless ooze this kind of unglamorous daily life. For this and other reasons, Ray gets a name check in one of the tunes. The song posted here references my time building the motorcycle. Other songs are about eating, traveling, sex, the cats; regular things for regular people. It might be a little while before I write another record— when I got back from Long Beach I bought another motorcycle and it’s currently laid out in labeled bags on the floor of the garage.

-T.J. Masters

Guma (2019) is released on March 15, 2019 and is available now on 12” vinyl through a BIG EGO Records 2019 subscription or directly through Bandcamp.

(Photo credit above: Bridgette Miller)

Got a story to tell? Submit them via  Letters to YVYNYL.

(Band photo credit: Devin O’Brien)

[papersandkeyboards]

5/23-30: A Week of Hangouts

35th WEEK, MAY 23-30, 2016.

Seniors at Rainier Beach High School skip so much in general, I thought there would be no Senior Skip Day like in other schools.

Speaking of which—Senior Skip Day, I guess you could say, is some sort of unofficial agreement between seniors to skip the whole school day on an agreed day. And yes—it is indeed a thing, apparently.

But as I said, seniors—if not students in general—at RBHS skip so much, it doesn’t seem like Senior Skip Day would be a thing to be excited about. In my fourth period—which is IB Lang and Lit for seniors—there are suppose to be, like, 24 kids or something, but there are only 10ish students in average every day. One day the number hit 14, Mrs. Shaw got so excited she could’ve cried.

Tuesday, another sparsely populated fourth period. We were in the middle of something when a couple of seniors got into the classroom and handed out papers to us that turned out to be a permission slip to go to Seward Park on Friday.

“...what’s this?” I asked Imi.

“Oh, it’s Senior Skip Day,” she said.

Well—turned out we did have a Senior Skip/Ditch Day. Unless that it was school-approved, chaperoned-by-teacher Skip Day... quote on quote.

Call me a nerd, but I didn’t want to skip first period on Friday. If it were a normal first period I would probably be delighted to skip, but since mid-end May until mid-June, there’s this big event called Seattle International Film Festival, which is one of the most famous film festivals in the world. A whole bunch of films from some one hundred countries around the world, different styles, different genres. One of the films from USA is called “The First Girl I Loved”, and the director was coming to my first period on Friday. The world of filmmaking has always been interesting to me, so no way I would pass this opportunity, although he wasn’t a big block-buster movie director.

So I went to first period. Which I think was worth going. However, on the way to and during second period, I started getting down for not going to Skip Day. I didn’t even turn in the permission slip. I was so ready just to skip fourth and sixth on my own and finish reading The 5th Wave in the library (ok now I really have no defense if you call me a nerd).

I walked to third—Tomchick—and welcomed by his question, “Aren’t you going to Senior Field Trip?”

I shrugged. “I don’t want to miss first period.”

“You can still go. They haven’t even started yet.”

That lit up a speck of light in my face.

I still endured third period, then went to the Activity Center as Tomchick instructed, where he said I would find a ride there. I ran into Mr. Henderson instead—Henderson and Tomchick were the chaperones. I asked him, then he told me to go to the main office since there were also other seniors who would be getting a ride to Seward Park. I met Sadia there, she turned her and my permission slips, then get a ride with her and Naimo to Seward Park.

In front of the park, right at the sign, a white poster that says “RBHS Seniors—follow the balloon!”. There were balloons tied up to road signs along the way, until we found a clearing filled with people.

Seward Park is a really nice park. It’s wide, it has open plains and tree-shadowed plains, benches, a shelter, a big swing set. I saw Mr. Christopholus by the shelter preparing the grill. The tables in the shelter were filled with unopened food, drinks, and utensils, and the benches outside were packed with backpacks. I got out of the car and Price shouted my name... which I totally didn’t expect would happen since we never really talk.

Anyway, I looked around. I saw people in the grassfield, playing frisbee. Some people in the shelter. Some people by the benches playing ping pong and bean bag toss. I put my backpack on one of the benches and slowly joined the others playing bean bag toss. Me, Nina, Alex, Jeremiah, Rony, Mr. Jefferson—the ceramic teacher—and later, Bobby.

Honest opinion—in second period, I was so close to giving up and hoping I won’t miss anything. I thought it would be boring (since when I asked what’s going to be there, Tomchick said “just hanging out”), I thought there would only be people I wouldn’t connect with (baca: anak-anak berandal hits), but it turned out to be really fun. Seriously, it was really fun—it was worth skipping a whole school day for.

(playing this game Tomchick dubbed “Chinese numbers”--which, apparently, is also a game I happen to know later back in Indo, also dubbed “angka Cina”)

Kapan lagi bisa bolos bareng-bareng seangkatan? Kalau niat sih, aku juga bisa bikin ginian di angkatan sekolah Indo. Bedanya 1) bakal susah buat ngerayu semuanya, dan 2) kepsek dan guru bakal marah besar sebesar-besarnya, rapor/SKHU bisa ditahan, seangkatan bisa dijemur seharian pas upacara (which isn’t new to us, hufft), dan beragam jenis kemurkaan guru lainnya. Belum lagi di angkatan memang ada anak yang superduper baik dan santun dan 99% bakalan nggak mau dirayu (mengacu ke poin 1).

Oh, satu lagi. Kalau memang kejadian, aku—sebagai anak AFS dan pioneer ‘hari bolos’—bisa lebih berabe lagi.

Uh. Okay.

I should’ve realized things like this always have an advantage—and one big major advantage that I would totally skip school for is getting to know people. There are people I have the same class with, people that also went on the Salish Sea field trip but were in a different group than me so I didn’t really talk to them, people who were just in the hallways—on this day I got to talk to them if I haven’t, and if I have, I got to socialize with them more (this might sound petty to you social butterflies, but as an introvert, I felt happy with it).

So yeah. Thanks for that.

Aside from that, this week really has been a week of hangouts—referring to the title. With friends, with family, and with myself.

Hey. I love me some me-time.

I wrote about this in the last post(s). Last week, I watched CA: Civil War, but before then, I had an hour to kill, so I went to Barnes and Noble. And I discovered this book, read the back of it, read a few first pages, and just like that, I was hooked.

Since then, I’ve been going to Barnes and Noble just to read the book without actually buying it. (well only three times since it’s a short read) On Monday I went there and finished the whole thing. I was dying. I went home empty-hearted, needing a closure.

(please refer to the previous post)

Not a perfect book, but then again, I’m not a perfect book reviewer, I was mostly just there for the emotions and intense storyline. If you like intense thriller books that wring your soul out of emotion, you probably will like it.

(“why not borrow it from the library?” you might ask—well, it’s a newly published book, that’s why, plus I looked it up on Seattle Public Library website and found jack)

On Wednesday, Kira and Tania and Victoria and I hung out downtown. Mostly because Tania is leaving on June 8th and Tania and Victoria’s school is close to my and Kira’s school so we gotta hang out after school at least once. So we did.

And on Thursday, Livia (this Indonesian girl I met in SCC) and I went to Chihuly Garden and Glass in Seattle Center. A good catch-up session, plus she’s transferring to San Francisco after this summer quarter.

Friday, after that senior skip day, my host parents and I went to Whidbey Island with Tommy and Anna—their friends—and their kids and rent a vacation house for the long weekend (Monday, May 30, is Memorial Day—which means no school and work). We didn’t go there right after my school day, so even though it’s not too long of a ride, we got there at around 9.30pm, where Tommy and Anna and their kids were asleep already.

In the morning, I woke up, went downstairs, and was welcomed by a 4-year-old and 2-year-old running around the house excitedly, stark naked.

“Naked baby!” that’s exactly what they said, over and over, until like an hour later Anna successfully put a shirt on Colin, the 2-y.o.

Cute kids. Typical loud, running-around, cute kids. Good thing the vacation house we rented had a huge sand box as its front yard (apart from the fact that the houses around were facing the beach, where there was... well, sand), plus the pails and sandcastle-making tools and all. There was also a bunch of tree trunks which unexpectedly formed some sort of cave (or maybe people in the past made it on purpose?) in which Colin and Anna liked to play.

It was probably the chillest weekend I’ve ever had. No planned activities, mostly spent walking along the coast, playing with the kids, reading (and finishing) my book, chilling in the front yard under the bright sun but cold breeze, and tagging along with Karen to shop for groceries and other trinkets (<--referring to the time she took me to a quilt shop).

OH WAIT. We also spend the nights watching Lord of the Rings. Hehehe.

Another thing that is the highlight of this weekend was how it has planted the first seed of what would affect my future life decisions since, which I will always be grateful for. But that part shall come later.

---

There it was. A week of hangouts. With fellow seniors, with AFS friends, with Indonesian friend, with my host family, with little kids, and of course, the most important, with myself.

Salam dari pelajar yang bermental main (in my defense, guru aku pernah bilang kalau punya mental main itu penting!),

Nabila Safitri.