Yup. I'm actually back.

August 18, 2008 11:43 AM

Hello L.A. peeps. Fancy a meetup?

I'm still unpacking... but hey, let's have a cocktail together, shall we?
P.S. -- Moving sucks and I never want to do it again as long as I live.

posted by miss lynnster to MetaFilter Gatherings at 11:43 AM (79 comments total)

Hark! O, Miss of Lynnster. If thou wilt not suggest a time and vicinity for this merry meet, there will upon this place be mayhem and bickering of tongues! Cries of "Whither the fuck shall we meet, y'all?" will be heard unto the heavens, and the heavens will rain down thunderous confusion. Sorrow from the easterners! Wrath from the westerners! Apathy from the valley! I pray thee. Suggest. Suggest.

(It's my lunch break, so I had some time to kill.)
posted by katillathehun at 12:55 PM on August 18, 2008

Yes, let's have drinks. Can this wait until after Burning Man?
posted by mullingitover at 1:16 PM on August 18, 2008

I am down anytime before September 2. I'll be coming up from the depths (the depths, people!) of the distant, mysterious lands of the 949, will drive anywhere, and can pick up people (up to four seats if you're small!) who live roughly between me and the meetup, wherever it ends up being.

Since this is MetaTalk I'll probably get flamed for being nice.
posted by mdonley at 1:18 PM on August 18, 2008

Well, I've been gone for 4 years so I was hoping someone could suggest a cool place I have yet to be. I will be out of town the first weekend of September but otherwise I am pretty dagnabbed open. What's worked here before? Weeknights? Weekend? Enlighten me and I shall do my best to plan the time and vicinity for this merry meet. All righty?
posted by miss lynnster at 1:20 PM on August 18, 2008

If it's right after Burning Man I won't be able to go, as I'll be out of town at a trade show the whole week of the 1st. Is the 12th too far away?
posted by contraption at 1:22 PM on August 18, 2008

Miss Lynnster, what part of Los Angeles are you habitating at the moment? It's a big city, after all, and I'm sure we can find somewhere to drink in your little slice of heaven.
posted by Parasite Unseen at 1:22 PM on August 18, 2008

W00t! Miss Lynnster walks among us!

I'm snowed under till Labor Day weekend (and then, after that, am only available on Sept. 4 because: Sept. 2 and 3 = PAUL WELLER AT THE WILTERN!!!! and Sept. 5 = leaving town for a week). I can also get together after I get back on Sept 12.

People should feel free to disregard my fussy schedule, though, if something else is better for y'all.
posted by scody at 1:25 PM on August 18, 2008

Rage, Goddess, sing the rage of Eastside's son, Argyle, murderous, doomed, at a cost of countless parking tickets, and traffic on the 10.

For nine long meet-ups did the Eastsiders endure the the arrows and taunts of Westside from their high walls.

Could crafty kattilathehum find a way to breach the defenses and end the long conflict?
posted by Argyle at 1:27 PM on August 18, 2008 [1 favorite]

How about Canter's Deli? I'm pretty sure this does not meet your stipulation of 'cool place I have yet to be,' but it's certainly worth revisiting. Open 24 hours for our late-night enjoyment, plenty of space for everyone, good food, bar, central location. We've had successful weekend and weekday meetups, I don't know if there's a preference for either but I'm sure the interested parties will chime in.
posted by mullingitover at 1:28 PM on August 18, 2008

If it is an evening I could go, though, I'll toss out the suggestion of the Roost (on Los Feliz Blvd., just where Los Feliz turns into Glendale) -- we met up there a few years ago when Jessamyn was in town and a splendid time was had by all (cheap drinks, good jukebox, and a post-meetup 'do at Jumbo's Clown Room).
posted by scody at 1:28 PM on August 18, 2008

(And the Roost is good for eastsiders and we Valley Girls, no?)
posted by scody at 1:28 PM on August 18, 2008

Ooh, the Dresden might also be a good spot.
posted by mullingitover at 1:33 PM on August 18, 2008

The last time I went to the Dresden, it was so crowded there was no place to sit, and it was difficult to hold a conversation with two other people, let alone a dozen. I don't know if it's like that every night or if that particular Saturday night was just crazy, though.

I've never been to this Roost place, but if it's convenient for Easties (who never get any meetup love) and Valleyites (which includes me), I'm in.
posted by katillathehun at 3:00 PM on August 18, 2008

Love the Roost. The West Side is less feasible for my poor asstank, but if everything goes to plan I'll be out that way often enough anyway. So I guess this is another vote for 'hash it out youse particular folks and I'll see what I can see when you come to a decision.'
posted by carsonb at 3:30 PM on August 18, 2008

In my experience, the Roost also gets crowded later on the weekends (slumming hipsters, begone!), but is generally fine during the week and on the early side (7-ish) on the weekends in terms of being able to get tables and carry on conversations.
posted by scody at 4:15 PM on August 18, 2008

(And lo! A suggestion presents itself on a spider's gossamer thread! If we do this thing on a weekend, the Westerlanders are more likely to go along with it. Just a trick I've learned on my travels. My... internet travels.)
posted by katillathehun at 4:17 PM on August 18, 2008

Oh, and one more important note about the Roost: CASH ONLY. They are not impressed by your silly credit or debit cards. For those who fail to come with a pocketful of pretty green, there's an ATM at the gas station across the street.
posted by scody at 4:17 PM on August 18, 2008

I'm up for it, and my only preference is for having it on a weekend, especially with my nerdy plans to watch the convention.
posted by Bookhouse at 4:54 PM on August 18, 2008

Check me out and my USC orientated ass. I'll be in LA hither and thither with a frequency.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 5:29 PM on August 18, 2008

Well, I'm residing in a very kickass little place that um, happens to be, um, in the Valley and I'm happy to attend at any central locale, really. Marty & Elayne once knew me by name (and now that I've been gone, by face) so I've had my fill of the Dresden. The Roost sounds good to me. Other than the weekend I'm at Photoshop World, I'm very open. Just spending my time try to dig myself out from under packing boxes right now.
posted by miss lynnster at 5:50 PM on August 18, 2008

no need to whisper about enjoying the Valley, MissLynnster! Well, actually, the only reason to be quiet about it is to keep word from getting out that whole chunks of it are actually totally awesome.

NOTHING TO SEE HERE, LOS ANGELES PEOPLE. YOU CAN REST ASSURED THAT THE VALLEY SUCKS! YEP, IT'S A WHOLE VALLEY-WORTH OF SUCKAGE. NO, DO NOT EVEN BOTHER COMING OVER THE HILL TO SEE FOR YOURSELF! IT REALLY DOES SUCK! PLEASE TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT AND STAY IN YOUR WONDERFUL ENCLAVES OF ELSEWHERE!

*crosses fingers*
posted by scody at 6:17 PM on August 18, 2008 [1 favorite]

As one who spent approximately 50% of my life in "The Valley", I must attest that it has a surprisingly diverse bioculture with significant pockets of genuine non-suckitude while other parts suck in nearly all the different ways that a place can suck. But finding a good area is a serious gamble (that I lost in 3 of my 6 addresses there, and I'm a near-native). I'm just glad to see that both scody and miss lynnster have found nice places there and are making the nice places even nicer since I moved away. I need to go down there to take care of business sometime but my current state of health rules out the time window proposed for this meetup (unless you find a place that is SO handicapped accessible that there's room to roll me in on a gurney). So feel free to drink a toast to the wendell and do lots of condescending pity-shout-outs.
posted by wendell at 7:25 PM on August 18, 2008

We had a valley meetup not long ago at the Sportsmen's Lodge (which, btw, is not closing. Phew!)
posted by mullingitover at 7:41 PM on August 18, 2008

...and it was awesome, if I may say.
posted by katillathehun at 8:44 PM on August 18, 2008

Dammit, I thought you were talking about Lower Allston.
posted by not_on_display at 9:06 PM on August 18, 2008

Lower Allston - it's dot com!!
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 12:03 AM on August 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

Okay, sooooo The Roost it is. I looked back and the Muddy Moose meetup (yay alliteration!) was on a Friday night. Now, I know that choice of date was because of the band though. Sooo here's my question: what day of the week is good? I'm seeing some people say weekend, but what say maybe a Thursday night? Like the 28th? No? Yes? Talk to me people. Help me help you and we can nail this puppy down.*

*No puppies will actually be harmed in the planning of this meetup.
posted by miss lynnster at 7:32 AM on August 19, 2008

I am currently communing with the loons (ah family), but I will be back in LA on Sunday and am up for meeting. Maybe I'll have a little contest where you try to guess how many bug bites I acquired in 10 days of woodsy living.
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 7:45 AM on August 19, 2008

I don't know about anybody else, but I'm way more in favor of a Friday than a Thursday if we're talking about weeknights as opposed to weekends. Meetups on a work night seriously limit The Fun TM for some of us.
posted by katillathehun at 8:16 AM on August 19, 2008

you need minions for moving. look to jessamyn. she didn't even look sweaty in her moving pics.
posted by krautland at 8:45 AM on August 19, 2008

Okay, so Friday the 29th? At the Roost?
posted by miss lynnster at 8:48 AM on August 19, 2008

That works for me.
posted by mdonley at 10:22 AM on August 19, 2008

THE ROOST THATS OVER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF TOWN I CANT MAKE IT I HATE YOU ALL
Actually, Amy and I leave for a week in Michigan on the 30th, so we're unlikely to make it. If I do roust my ass to do anything, it'll probably be to see Negative Approach, since they're playing an early show for F Yeah fest, and their later performance will be the last one ever [so they say] and they're one of those awesome old hardcore bands that I've wanted to see for years.

We were thinking about trying to get folks up for some Olympic Foursquare this weekend though…
posted by klangklangston at 10:35 AM on August 19, 2008

I might be up for cheering on the foursquare teams if you do that.

So should we sidebar it for The Roost on Friday the 29th? All in favor say aye.
posted by miss lynnster at 11:17 AM on August 19, 2008

Aye!

What time?
posted by katillathehun at 11:43 AM on August 19, 2008

miss lynnster writes "Okay, so Friday the 29th? At the Roost?"

Alas, I'll be out of town partying my face off until the following Tuesday.
posted by mullingitover at 12:08 PM on August 19, 2008

Assuming I haven't utterly collapsed in a heap after sprinting to the finish of my book deadline that very day, count me as an aye!
posted by scody at 12:25 PM on August 19, 2008

Alas, I'll be out of town partying my face off until the following Tuesday.

Probably best since faceless people scare me.

Okay, so how about... like 7:30?
posted by miss lynnster at 12:32 PM on August 19, 2008

Miss Lynster moved to LA?

Man, keep an eye open for a job for me out there, would you? I'm a-getting antsy to move back to my old stomping ground.
posted by Astro Zombie at 1:06 PM on August 19, 2008

Damn! One meet up that I thought I could make (I've never been to one before!) having just moved to LA and all, but I'm away in Italy until Sept 5th. Is anyone crazy enough to want to have a meet-up in downtown LA sometime after that?
posted by ob at 1:51 PM on August 19, 2008

I'm sure it could be arranged, ob. :)
posted by miss lynnster at 1:57 PM on August 19, 2008

I still want to have a meetup at The Edison. It's downtown ;)
posted by mullingitover at 2:00 PM on August 19, 2008

I have other, birthday-type plans on Friday the 29th. Send me birthday shouts-out!
posted by Space Kitty at 2:47 PM on August 19, 2008

Fantastic! I'm a big fan of The Edison. It's a great space, the drinks are fantastic and it's only a few blocks from my place! So may be an Edison meet-up in early September then?
posted by ob at 3:04 PM on August 19, 2008

We could do an Edison meet-up earlier on some night that The Smell has a good show, as I only recently put it together that they're neighbors.
posted by klangklangston at 5:08 PM on August 19, 2008

Sounds good. I've also never heard of The Smell even though my better half and I have tried to visit every bar in downtown L.A since moving here last month. So, good to know. I'll start a new meet-up thread.
posted by ob at 6:19 PM on August 19, 2008

Well that was painless. I'll have to see what work throws at me and if I can drag Bookhouse away from the convention (it's for his own good). Perhaps we'll see all of you there, or at the inevitable splinter meetup at the Edison.
posted by Thin Lizzy at 6:26 PM on August 19, 2008

Drat, I sidebarred this meetup, but somehow managed to create a link specfically to ob's comment about starting a new thread for a downtown meetup.

Admins, please hope me! This is what happens when I try to juggle my metafilter life with editing a freakin' 464-page book.
posted by scody at 6:34 PM on August 19, 2008

d'oh. I will be on an airplane flying far, far away on August 29th. Maybe next time! Unless next time is before September 15th in which case it will have to be next next time.
posted by Justinian at 9:02 PM on August 19, 2008

YES, THE EAST VALLEY SUCKS SUCKS SUCKS!!!! ;-P
posted by brujita at 8:01 PM on August 20, 2008

I've also never heard of The Smell even though my better half and I have tried to visit every bar in downtown L.A since moving here last month.

Last time I was there, the Smell was most certainly not a bar, so that may be the reason for the unfamiliarity. It is still an amazing place, nonetheless.
posted by kidbritish at 12:39 PM on August 21, 2008

Okey doke... looks like I'm booked for work this coming week but I will get to The Roost as close to 7:30pm on Friday night as possible. It's an entertainment design client and I'm sure you probably know how those workaholics are with their crazy slave-driving... but I shall do my very best to clarify and establish my personal lifestyle boundaries in order to escape and meet y'all in a timely fashion. :)

P.S. -- Probably won't be wearing glasses, but according to DaShiv I look something like this.
posted by miss lynnster at 7:15 PM on August 22, 2008

I'm new-ish to both MeFi and LA, and the past two times I've tried to hit up the meetups, I've ended up bailing because I couldn't (read: was too chicken to approach random groups and ask if they were MeFites) find the group. Well, actually, at the SF Saloon I thought I figured out who you guys were, that table was huge (and full). I also tried to hit up last month's Eastside specific meetup at Barragans, but couldn't pick out the group.

I want to be social, I'm just not good at it. Any chance you could wear signs? Or announce some distinguishing marks?
posted by hwyengr at 7:54 PM on August 23, 2008

"I want to be social, I'm just not good at it. Any chance you could wear signs? Or announce some distinguishing marks?"

I got a pretty woolly beard.

(Part of the fun of meetups is that everyone has the story about getting up the gumption to say, "Hi. Are you from the internet?")
posted by klangklangston at 1:00 AM on August 24, 2008

(I mean, people at WEST SIDE meetups have that fun. At EAST SIDE meetups, they all hang around and drink the blood of babies and kick puppies, so that's pretty much all they want to talk about.)
posted by klangklangston at 1:02 AM on August 24, 2008

Yes, but it does tend to make them easy to spot.
posted by scody at 1:12 AM on August 24, 2008

I totally perv people's profiles before meet-ups. Many of the folks in this thread have links to their photos online or pics of themselves in the profile. Previous meet-up threads have links to photo sets. Peeking at those makes The MeFi Table easier to spot (can't rely on the puppies and blood thing 'cause, really, who isn't anymore?) and transfers any awkwardness from 'do I know you from the internet?' to 'I know you from peeping all your profiles online.' Which, you know, is a little easier to overcome.
posted by carsonb at 1:05 PM on August 24, 2008

I guess I have to redye my hair so the noob can spot me. Yeah, that's it. Commence repinkening!

So, scody's like twelve feet tall, I hear, klang's The Human Shrub and I resemble some kind of feminist rodeo clown. That help?
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 9:13 PM on August 24, 2008

It's time I told the truth: I'm Naomi Watts. The picture in my profile? It's a gosh-darn lie.
posted by katillathehun at 9:29 AM on August 25, 2008

I'm really only ten feet tall; the camera always adds a couple of feet.
posted by scody at 10:43 AM on August 25, 2008

You should all wear coordinating outfits! That would be cute. I wish I could make it since I am new to Los Feliz. But I have to work until ten on Friday, and I am afraid that would be too late.
posted by thesiameseffect at 12:15 PM on August 25, 2008

That'll do nicely, thanks. I'll just try not to be the first to show.
posted by hwyengr at 3:37 PM on August 25, 2008

First meetup for me. Look for the shirt with the robot and the pithy saying on it.
posted by infinitewindow at 10:47 PM on August 25, 2008

Dangit, I thought maybe since I couldn't make it y'all would have cancelled in disappointment.
posted by Justinian at 9:20 PM on August 26, 2008

Justinian and I won't be there, because we're having a secret meetup at my place.

(A no-pants meetup)
posted by klangklangston at 9:22 PM on August 26, 2008

Oh, you boys and your lodge meetings! *bettyrubblegiggle*
posted by katillathehun at 11:39 PM on August 26, 2008

Arg!!!! Okay so I planned this thing and I'm GONNA be there. But here's the deal... I get off work at one client's at 6pm, then I have to run over to 3rd & Curson to pick up something from *another* client. So then I have to drive to the Roost from there. I might not make it at 7:30 but I'll get there as soon as I can. Promise. And I'll be wearing old jeans and a purpley-pomegranate colored long-sleeved shirt.
posted by miss lynnster at 9:13 AM on August 29, 2008

And my hair will probably be in a ponytail.
posted by miss lynnster at 9:14 AM on August 29, 2008

I didn't think this through. Thin Lizzy is in rehearsals tonight and will have our car, so I need to find alternate transportation. Anyone in the West Hollywood area going who wouldn't mind me hitching along? I don't drink, so I can drive on the way back if need be.
posted by Bookhouse at 10:46 AM on August 29, 2008

I wouldn't sweat it, Miss L. Hardly anyone makes it on time to these things. (This is LA, after all.)
posted by katillathehun at 11:55 AM on August 29, 2008

thesiameseffect, meetups tend to go on for a few hours, so depending on how late you arrive, we may still be there. I'll be arriving a bit late as well.
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 1:28 PM on August 29, 2008

Okay, well it's not an issue now. My schedule unexpectedly loosened up and I've arranged to meet with the client earlier. So now I'll probably be able to get there closer to 7:30. Looking forward to meeting you all! :)
posted by miss lynnster at 1:41 PM on August 29, 2008

I just can't make it tonight, what with my flying solo (contraption's way the fuck up in Arroyo Grande) and not feeling 100% myself. Next time!
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 3:54 PM on August 29, 2008

Praise jebus, my book is FINALLY done... all 464 pages of it, exactly 12 months after I received the first essay to start editing. W00t!

So what this means is that I'm very much inclined to come out and celebrate, but having just walked in the door, I also suddenly feel very much inclined to collapse. So consider me about 50/50 for actually making it.

And don't forget: cash only!
posted by scody at 6:35 PM on August 29, 2008

Setting off from scenic halfway-to-Mexico south Orange County now. Let's hope I'm there around 8:00.

And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.
posted by mdonley at 6:41 PM on August 29, 2008

Yay, that was fun! Good to meet everyone!
posted by mdonley at 12:24 AM on August 30, 2008

Good times! Thanks for coming everyone! The discovery of a place that serves $4 drinks has made any doubts about my relocation completely disappear. I'm so easy to please, lush that I am. :)

Alas, nobody brought a camera so we have no incriminating images of a pants-less the_bone dancing on tables (whilst rubbing popcorn all over himself) to post. But hey, maybe next time...
posted by miss lynnster at 12:59 PM on August 30, 2008

Any movement on meeting at The Smell? My golden day is now Wedseday, I got out of grading papers for "Professor" Leonard Maltin.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 11:28 AM on September 4, 2008

I don't think weekends have been ruled out, have they? If it's a weekend I can make it too. Weekdays are a crapshoot.
posted by contraption at 6:53 AM on September 7, 2008