⛈️ Rain, Black Friday, and AMC Theaters

Welcome to your weekly Valley update! Today is Thursday, November 21, 2024.

In this week’s NoHo Nick:

• 🕊️ LA sanctuary city status

• 🤑 Black Friday

• ⛈️ Rain

• 🎄 Holiday events

California’s first big storm of the season is here.

A powerful “bomb cyclone” began on Tuesday in Northern California.

Heavy rain, high winds, and snow are expected around the state this week, and rain is guaranteed in LA.

Q: What do clouds wear under their clothes?

A: Thunderwear.

Q: How do raindrops cheer themselves up?

A: They shower themselves with compliments.

Q: Why do Angelenos drive poorly in the rain?

A: They don’t. They’re auditioning for Fast & Furious: Slippery and Confused.

Here’s what’s happening this week:

LA News

🎥 AMC is making upgrades (Burbank): AMC Theaters is investing hundreds of millions of dollars into renovations, such as luxury seating, laser projection, and wider movie screens. High-grossing locations, including Burbank, have already begun seat upgrades. (Deadline) We come to this place for magic.

🔥 Strip mall fire (Hollywood). Last weekend, a massive fire on Highland Ave. destroyed an AutoZone and heavily damaged Fat Sal’s Deli and Sushi Ajito. The blaze caused street closures and is believed to have started with a faulty car battery inside AutoZone. No injuries were reported. All three businesses are expected to reopen soon. (KTLA) Maybe someone wanted their sandwich extra toasted?

🕊️ LA becomes a “sanctuary city.” Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved a sanctuary city ordinance. This prevents local resources from aiding federal immigration enforcement. Supported by Mayor Karen Bass, the measure aims to protect immigrant communities ahead of Trump’s proposed mass deportations. (Associated Press)

🌉 The world’s biggest wildlife crossing opens (Agoura Hills). A new wildlife crossing spanning the 101 freeway is now open. Set to be fully completed in 2026, the $92 million project reconnects mountain lions, bobcats, and black bears' habitats while supporting native plants and insects. The project aims to serve as a global model for urban wildlife conservation. (Discover Wildlife) “An understanding of the natural world is a source of great curiosity and fulfillment” -David Attenborough. -Michael Scott -NoHo Nick.

Valley Weekend Weather

Is this sweata weatha?

FYI, The rain forecast is changing daily.

Food and Drinks

🍻 Happy Hour at 818 Brewing (Canoga Park): Great happy hour deals. $5 draft beers. Also, $5 off pizza from Osborne Pizza next door. When happy hour ends, there are rotating $5 craft beers. Every Thursday from 3 PM to 5 PM.

🇬🇷 Athenian Grill (Reseda): Fusion of Greek, Mediterranean, and American. Three generations of chefs. Made fresh to order. Gyros, sizzling kabobs, and hearty breakfast. Finish with baklava or a creamy milkshake.

🍴 Grand Opening of Palma Ristorante (Burbank): Chic new restaurant with oysters, steaks, fresh pasta, and cocktails. Celebrate the opening with a live band, champagne tower, and a red carpet. It's a great date night spot. Some proceeds from the opening weekend will go to the Burbank Arts & Education Foundation. Friday, November 22 to Sunday, November 24. Reservations start at 7 PM.

Things to Do

🎄 Holiday in the Park (Burbank): Burbank’s annual holiday celebration. Photos with Santa, caramel apples, and a 48-foot Ferris wheel. Over 100 stores, exhibitors, food trucks, live music, a kid zone, a car show, and more holiday fun. Friday, November 22, from 5 PM to 9 PM.

🎲 Local Game Night (North Hollywood): Test your debating skills at a lively game night for adults. Play the hilarious "Change My Mind” game at Idlehour, debating silly topics with strangers. For instance, “Would you rather fit a pogo stick or wine bottle up your butt?” Meet new people and enjoy a burlesque performance after the games wrap up. $7. Thursday, November 21 at 7 PM. Reserve a spot at the link above.

👗 Anti-Black-Friday Clothing Swap (Echo Park): Free clothing swap promotes sustainable fashion. Bring up to 10 gently used items (clothes, shoes, bags, jewelry) and swap them for pre-loved treasures. You can also learn about hosting your own sustainable swap. Leftovers are donated to the Chinatown Community for Equitable Development. Free. Thursday and Friday, November 21st and 22, from 3 PM to 7 PM.

🎨 NoHo Plaza Grand Reopening (North Hollywood): Celebrate the revitalized NoHo “People Street” Plaza on Lankershim Blvd. and Magnolia. Designed for community events and meetups, it features new murals by local artists and upgrades like fresh landscaping, furniture, and art installations. Free. Friday, November 22, from 5-8 PM.

🎶 Record Store Day Black Friday (Burbank): Love music and vinyl records? Celebrate Record Store Day at Run Out Groove Records. Enjoy coffee and breakfast from Blvd Cafecito next door. Expect exclusive vinyl releases from your favorite record labels and artists. Stock is limited and unpredictable. November 29 at 8 AM. No camping overnight.

🎄 LA Christmas Market (Downtown LA): Experience the holiday spirit at the upcoming LA Christmas Market. Activities include letters to Santa, a scavenger hunt, light displays, outdoor movies, ornament painting, and chocolate dipping. Free on-site parking. $16. Open Friday, November 29 to December 24.

🚂 Holiday Lights Train Ride (Griffith Park): Magical 10-minute train ride through festive, light-filled scenes at Griffith Park & Southern Railroad. Other holiday kiosks and photo opportunities, too. Open nightly. All ages. $7 for general admission. $12 for priority. Open Friday, November 29 to January 3.

🎄Burbank Holiday Decorating Contest

Light up your Burbank home or office for the holidays.

Winners will receive a gift card and get featured in the local news.

• Application: Friday, November 22 until Friday, December 6 (or until 50 entries are received)

• Judging: Wednesday, December 18

• Winners Announced: Friday, December 20  

Volunteer Opportunity

Looking for ways to make a direct impact in your community?

The ASPCA is seeking kitten fosters in LA.

Take care of baby kittens by feeding, playing, and nurturing them until they’re old enough to get adopted.

Kittens’ best chance of survival is a safe, predictable home. Shelters are particularly busy at this time of year.

Cute Home Alert

🏡 Cozy Panorama City Home: Well-maintained 3-bedroom, 1-bathroom home featuring a living room with a fireplace, dining area, and modern updates like dual-pane windows and copper plumbing. Central air and heating, a detached 2-car garage with remote access, and a private backyard with automatic sprinklers. $685,000

Random

🚢 A cruise company is marketing a four-year global voyage to Americans seeking an escape after the recent presidential election. The “Skip Forward” program includes stops at over 425 ports across 140 countries. Starts at $255,000.

🎸 Next week, a new Beatles documentary from Martin Scorsese will be available on Disney Plus. It’s about the Beatles' first visit to America.

👨‍✈️ Nearly 50% of men believe they could land a plane in an emergency.

Trivia

❓️ Only two “megacities” worldwide have wild big cats, such as mountain lions, within city limits. Los Angeles is one of them. What’s the other one?

Last week’s question: How many abandoned Prohibition-era tunnels are underneath Los Angeles? In the 1920s, they were used to move alcohol between speakeasies and unlawful bars.

Answer: Supposedly, 11 miles of tunnels are under Los Angeles from Prohibition. They connected 400+ speakeasies with hooch after the USA outlawed it.

See you next week!

NoHo Nick

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