🌊 Places to swim, Disney movies, and a Nic Cage party.

Welcome to your weekly Valley update! Today is Thursday, August 22, 2024.

In today’s NoHo Nick:

• 📱 Cell phone bans at LA schools

• 🎉 Nic Cage-themed National Treasure party

• 🎥 Free Disney movie screenings

• 🇹🇭 New Thai street food restaurant

Who’s more famous? Goku or Tina Turner?

Apparently, Goku.

At least according to a cashier at my Trader Joe’s.

Ms. Turner echoes across the store, “What’s love got to do with it?”

A customer in the checkout line shares that they love this song, pointing upward to the speakers.

The cashier responds, “I don’t know who this is.”

We love a checkout line conversation.

“You don’t know who Tina Turner is?!” the customer exclaims.

The cashier replies, “I don’t. And I bet a lot of people don’t. Is she more famous than someone like, say, Goku?”

I told my mom this story. She said, “What’s a goku?”

Simply the best.

Here’s what’s happening this week:

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News

🍪 Famous Amos, the iconic chocolate chip cookie maker, passed away. Amos originally worked as a talent agent at William Morris, baking cookies to entice celebrities to join his roster. After leaving the agency, he borrowed money from Marvin Gaye to start a full-time cookie business. In 1975, he opened his first cookie shop in Los Angeles. And the rest is sweet history. [NPR]

🔈️ “Turn it down!” say Inglewood residents. Loud noise complaints flooded in after the Hard Summer Festival, a two-day electronic music festival at SoFi Stadium’s outdoor plaza. The noise was so disruptive that all future outdoor concerts have been banned at the stadium. The festival’s headliners included REZZMAU5 and Cloonee. And I said “who?” Am I old now? [CBS]

📱 A cell phone ban is coming to LA public schools in January 2025. Students won’t be able to use their phones or social media during the school day. Teachers, administrators, and parents are finalizing the details. Do kids still play TI-83 calculator games? [LAist]

🗣️ AI voice replacement technology took a big leap forward. SAG-AFTRA’s deal with Narrativ, a voiceover marketplace, sets a standard for AI voiceover work. Actors can maintain control over their digital voice replicas and get paid for AI-generated work. [Variety]

🚄 North America's first self-powered, zero-emission train arrived in San Bernardino. The train, powered by hydrogen and batteries, emits only water vapor. Riders will soon be able to travel between San Bernardino and Redlands, a 10-mile stretch, on this new train. [San Bernardino Transportation Authority]

Food and Drinks

🇹🇭 Thai street food (Sherman Oaks) at Dek Sen’s. A new restaurant from the owners of Rustic Spoon (Toluca Lake). If you’re craving spicy and flavorful Thai food, this is the spot. Authentic Thai and Asian fusion. Their curries and pad Thai are affordable and filling. Full dishes for less than $15. Lunch is even cheaper. Open 11:30 AM to 8 PM daily.

🥟 Chilean empanadas (Van Nuys) at Donde Cristian. Soft and savory empanadas, Chilean style, stuffed with beef, onions, cumin, and oregano. These sell out before sunset. Plus, imported South American snacks and drinks. Open 6 PM to 12 AM, Monday through Saturday.

🌯 Breakfast burritos (Burbank) at the hole-in-the-wall Corner Cottage. Perfect for your morning commute or a lazy, hungover Sunday. Packed with eggs, cheese, potatoes, and your choice of bacon, sausage, or steak. Served with their signature salsa. 40+ years in business. Cash only. $8 burritos. Served until 11 AM.

Things to Do

😆 Comedy and beer at Brews Brothers (North Hollywood) every Thursday. The Bear Knuckles comedy night features 8 local comedians doing 10-minute sets. Hosted upstairs at a local brewery. Free to attend, but be sure to buy at least one drink. August 22 at 7:30 PM.

🎉 Nic Cage-themed fundraiser and National Treasure watch party (North Hollywood). Hosted in the back of a dog spa. Film screening, scavenger hunt, Cage-cocktails, photo wall, and silent auction. All proceeds support a local theater production of What the Constitution Means to Me. $20. August 31 at 7 PM. Limited space.

🚚 Weekend night market (Mission Hills) every Saturday. The 818 Night Market showcases new local food, art, fashion, and musicians every week. Come hungry. Plenty of local food trucks featuring classics like tacos and burgers, as well as homemade cookies and ice cream sandwiches. Free. August 24 at 5 PM.

🏊️ Find places to swim with LA City Pools. They track all of the open swimming pools, programs, and admission fees for the city’s swimming facilities.

🎥 Watch Coco and Elemental for free. Coco is playing at North Hollywood Park. Elemental will be screened at Warner Center Park (Woodland Hills). Both are family-friendly events hosted by the Valley Cultural Foundation. Free. August 24 at 8 PM.

👨‍🎤 Aerosmith tribute concert at Warner Center Park (Woodland Hills). “Aeromyth” has been performing globally for nearly 20 years. Stellar costumes and an uncanny resemblance to the original rockers. Performing all the hits. Free. August 25 at 5:30 PM.

LA By the Numbers

🌲 $352 million in funding for 6 more acres of green space and parking in Exposition Park. As part of Olympic planning, California is supporting the development of better parks and public spaces in LA.

Random

🧠 Free business growth classes for 50 small and micro businesses. Hosted by LA County. Application required. Live workshops and coaching on website design, SEO, social media management, and building a digital footprint. The County hopes to level the playing field for minority-owned and women-owned businesses.

See you next week!

NoHo Nick

Corrections

Last week, I shared a wine bar called Tabula Rasa in North Hollywood. It’s now called Haley’s Wines and is under new management.

I also mentioned that Disneyland was opening an Avatar land in 2024. Sadly, there is no opening date announced yet.

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