Fun! Fun! Fun!

movies | museums | beaches | hollywood

Movies and Claremont-area "Night-life" The best movies are at the Edwards/Regal Cinema in LaVerne right up Foothill. Cheap restaurants are close by as well.  It will save you gas and the crowd at Ontario Mills. You can do dinner and a movie for $20. The CGU mailroom offers passes for $6 and $7 to Regal Cinemas; if you don't have a pass, the LaVerne Edwards offers a discount with student ID. The new movie house in town is the Laemmle's Claremont 5 in the "new" village. Tickets are $10, $7 before 6 pm M-F and before 2 pm on S-S. The Laemmle also offers a discount with student ID. Check out the concerts ... at Rico Coffee in La Verne... (next to Von’s at Foothill and Fruit). It’s a locally- owned family business, a great place to study, and has open mike nights as well as live music on many nights.   The Pomona Art Colony Arts Walk - every 2nd Saturday of the month in downtown Pomona. It's fun and free!  top of page Museums  Huntington Library and Garden (San Marino, CA) - some good collections, especially for Religion students, and the gardens are just a hoot. The Norton Simon Museum (Pasadena) - actually a good collection with some famous works. The Claremont Museum of Art - Because it's local and just opened in April/May 2007 and who doesn't like hanging out in a restored lemon warehouse? and don't forget the many museums on the Claremont Colleges campuses!   top of page Beaches If you feel like driving, I recommend Huntington Beach over the others because it is much cleaner and quiet.  Go to Santa Monica just to see lots of people, but it's way too crowded. Redondo Beach  has a lot of great beachside restaurants, but not much sand Santa Monica and Venice are both fun for people watching, shopping, and accruing audience tickets for local tv shows. Playa del Rey is a little better in terms of actual beach time, and you've got all the airplanes flying overhead since it's near LAX.     top of page Hollywood Find a Saturday to take the Metrolink downtown to Union Station, switch to the Red Line, get off at 7th Street/Metro Center or Pershing Square and follow one of the do-it-yourself online guides to Los Angeles' architectural and historical sites. A good one to follow is the "Angels Walk" - outside of the buildings there is information provided by the city of Los Angeles. If you're making a day of it, you can also get back on the Red Line and go out to Hollywood and Vine stop, then walk West to Hollywood and Highland so you can see some of the classic Hollywood monuments. Follow the LA Weekly website as it will provide information on some of the most interesting things transpiring in the Los Angeles basin from week to week. If you're interested in seeing authors who read their works or speak in the area, also check out the LA Times' calendar (there are links for other types of activities and information as well). My favorite place to see LA locals is Hollywood and Highland.  There is a mall, hotel, clubs and lots of things to do.  The bars in the hotels are not for drinking, but for meeting LA locals.  Its fun and someone will always buy you a drink.  top of page