🚗 Tesla taxis, bike paths, and Chappell Roan.

Welcome to your weekly Valley update! Today is Thursday, September 19, 2024.

In this week’s NoHo Nick:

• 🏢 Costco apartments

• 🍻 Oktoberfest

• 🚴 New bike paths

• 🥙 New Middle Eastern restaurants

Did you know that Chappel Roan also wrote a verse for Pink Pony Club about North Hollywood? It was removed before the song came out.

God, what have I done?

Turning on Lankershim

Where it cuts over Vineland, help me

I'm not having fun, when you don’t hold the wheel

Of your new Cybertruck, just off of…

Magnolia

Not quite past Tujunga

Down from Superba

Just west of Cahuenga

Down in North Hollywood

Five-way intersections

Never bring any good

Bring any good

Here’s what’s happening this week:

News

🤖 A new Tesla robotaxi prototype was spotted at Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank. Reports say Tesla has been testing a new car on the backlot after hours. The car is camouflaged to keep its shape and design a secret. (Teslarati) Or maybe, this is what the new Cybertruck will look like.

🚴 A 10-mile bike path was completed between Sylmar and Burbank. New construction added four miles of additional paved lanes, safety lighting, and a bridge. Mayor Karen Bass and other officials praised the path for enhancing commuting options and creating greener communities. (KTLA) Just in time for the weather to cool off.

💉 Free COVID-19 vaccines are available for uninsured Angelenos through California’s new program starting in October. The initiative comes as federal funding ended for free vaccines. To find a free vaccine location, visit myturn.ca.gov. It’s $200 at CVS if you don’t have insurance.

🏗️ Costco apartments in South L.A started construction. Costco broke ground on a new mixed-use development. The store will feature fresh produce, a pharmacy, and delivery services. It will also have an 800-unit apartment complex on top of it. (KTLA) If rent is as cheap as the hot dogs, I’m moving. 

🏈 LA Rams football clinic brought fitness and fun to Magnolia Science Academy in Reseda, with over 150 students learning the basics of football. The event, led by LA Rams coaches and cheerleaders, aimed to inspire young athletes, especially girls, to get involved in sports. The initiative promotes play equity and highlights the importance of school sports programs. (Valley News Group)

🌱 Kevin Hart’s vegan restaurant chain suddenly closed all locations this week. Launched in 2022, Hart House offered accessible plant-based options to vegans and meat eaters. It shut down its restaurants in Hollywood, Westchester, Monrovia, and University Park. The closure was announced with a heartfelt message to the community. (CBS)

Food and Drinks

☕ YALA Coffee (Studio City) is a new coffee shop in the Valley. They offer a unique Mediterranean coffee experience with traditional hot sand brewing. Try the latte with house-made cardamom cream and brown sugar syrup. It pairs perfectly with their pistachio croissants. WiFi and a relaxed vibe. Start your day with YALA.

🇮🇱 Big Daddy’s Shwarma (Studio City) is a new Israeli kosher restaurant. Falafel, pita wraps, creamy hummus, and traditional charcoal-cooked meats. Casual grab-and-go service by day and family-style dining by night. Future locations are planned for Thousand Oaks, Calabasas, and Malibu. Late-night hours and kosher dining options.

🇬🇷 Pasadena Greek Festival (Pasadena). Enjoy authentic Greek food, live music, and traditional folk dancing as you immerse yourself in Greek culture. Gyros, feta fries, calamari, baklava, and mouth-watering moussaka. Tickets include access to entertainment and a free shuttle service to a nearby parking lot. Tickets are $5. September 20-22 at noon.

🍺 Oktoberfest Celebration (San Fernando) at San Fernando Brewing. Giveaways, limited-edition branded glass steins, and pretzels from West Coast Pretzels. Plus, don't miss out on the special small-batch Hefeweizen release—grab some before it's gone! Poppa Joe's Kitchen will serve fresh tacos and bar snacks all day. September 21. All day.

🍷 Wine-Tasting Flights (Pasadena). Enjoy $20 wine flights at Agnes, a restaurant, cheese shop, and wine bar every Wednesday. Curated wines and snacks each week. Add a cheese board for $15.

🍰 Coming soon—French vegan bakery and wine bar (Pasadena). French-trained pastry chef Romuald Guiot is opening a bakery, ID-Eclair, which will feature French pastries with a focus on eclairs paired with wines at the adjacent wine bar, La Cave.

Things to Do

🎶 Opera in the Park (San Fernando) Watch Madame Butterfly, a classic Italian opera, at El Cariso Community Regional Park. See the movie on the jumbo screen with English subtitles. Gates open early for family-friendly activities, food trucks, and local performances. Bring a blanket and enjoy a magical night of opera under the stars. Free. September 21 at 4 PM. The opera starts at 6 PM.

🧠 Big Happy Trivia (Burbank). Test your nerdy pop culture knowledge at Roguelike Tavern’s Tuesday trivia nights. The winning team grabs a $50 bar tab. The best team name gets mystery shots—but beware, the worst team name faces a Malort shot, a disgusting Chicago liquor! Every Tuesday. 8 PM. Arrive early for a table.

☕️ Best Coffee Shops to Work and Study From (General LA). Check out this Instagram account that curates the best coffee shops for working and studying in LA.

🐾 Fur Fest (North Hollywood) Pet festival with free microchipping for the first 100 pets, vaccines while supplies last, and plenty of giveaways. Join the fun at the park and bring your leashed dogs or cats in carriers for this pet-friendly event. Learn about adoption and pet support services in North Hollywood—September 21 from 10 AM to 2 PM.

🎪 Circus Vargas (Woodland Hills) is back soon with Jubilé! An Epic World Celebration. This family-friendly two-hour circus show features daring feats and thrilling acts in a traditional big tent. $25. Opens September 27.

Cute Home Alert

🏡 Storybook Cottage (Burbank). This 2-bedroom, 1-bath, 846-square-foot cottage offers high beam ceilings, an original stone fireplace, and whimsical details. Remodeled kitchen with ample storage. The sunroom and plant-filled patio can be used as indoor-outdoor space. It has polished concrete floors and a 2-car garage. Near Verdugo Park, Griffith Park, and Burbank studios. $795,000

Random

🎾 Want more pickleball courts? Sign this petition to bring more courts to Woodland Hills by repurposing existing public tennis courts.

🍎 Go apple picking this fall and winter at these great apple orchards around Los Angeles.

🚗 Californians don’t like Tesla as much as they used to. Tesla sales in Silicon Valley dropped 22% this year. Once the leader in EVs, Tesla is losing market share to competitors. Many buyers are now choosing alternatives, citing Musk’s controversial behavior.

See you next week!

NoHo Nick

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P.S. Check out Popsy. They curate cool events in East LA. Yoga meetups, backyard movies, and group walks. Women founded and run.

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