wandrlust – discover the undiscovered

For even the layperson, Omaha has a reputation for its great steaks (a reputation that is probably subconsciously derived by the frozen mail order steaks of Omaha Steak ). When you are an asshole who thought he could get some sleep on a flight from LA to Omaha that left at 12:50 am and arrived at 11:30 am with connections, you hope that the meal you have been starving for — after attempting to gorge yourself with pretzels — will be one that will satisfy that starvation and make you forget a sleepless flight of refusing to watch Alvin and the Chipmunks.

That being said, I went straight from the airport to Johnny’s Café. The only thing I knew about Johnny’s was that it was the “oldest steakhouse in Omaha” , Established in 1922, but what I didn’t know is that I was about to be blown the fuck away.
Continue reading ‘Johnny’s Cafe — Omaha, NE’

I am extremely picky about the content I am choosing for this site, if anything I am trying to write almost specifically about things that aren’t readily found on the internet (or anywhere for that matter), curiosities that only have small mentions or blurbs on other websites — which you can find a certain amount of depth on here and here only.

Despite that fact — it’s time, mainly because I am currently at a loss in terms of what to write, to deviate from the regular type of content and write about a record that has snuck up on me and what I now view as the best and most overlooked record of 2007; The Sleeping States – There the Open Spaces.

I didn’t come across this album during 2007, I started listening to it around January, but since its first spin, it has not left any player on my computer, home, or car since. This is saying a lot for an album that is as spare and simplistic as There the Open Spaces. An evocative album of lo-fi bedroom pop, its quiet dissonance reverberates off the walls of what feels like a confessional album in responses to the alienation of city life — its people and dwellings.

Continue reading ‘Sleeping States — London, UK’

This here video, The Oakridge Estate, is Wandrlust’s inaugural post for what should be a myriad of pleasant video content that will be found exclusively here at Wandrlust… through the You Tube…

You know what I love? I love spending all this time editing some HD footage so I can turn around and make it look like absolute ass on You Tube. That isn’t to say that this inaugural video for this here Wandrlust doesn’t have it’s own share of flaws within its hopefully brisk 5 minutes and 41 seconds.

The video above can be enjoyed without context (hopefully), but instead of making it 2 minutes longer and less interesting, I will provide the context within these texts. I will also provide some links here that will give a very thorough overview of the contentious situation regarding the Oakridge Estate. For those of you who are not as thoroughly invested I will summarize:

Continue reading ‘The Oakridge Estate — Northridge, CA’

Those unfamiliar with the anonymous UK based street artist Banksy can familiarize yourself with his work at his website. For the rest of you, Banksy as you know, is, in today’s art world, the closest equivalent to a Picasso or Dali. I say this not because I do/or do not feel his artistry is comparable but more so because of the amount of fame and notoriety allocated to his public persona — as well as his art — even with that persona being one of anonymity.
Continue reading ‘Banksy in Bisbee? — Bisbee, AZ’

On paper, the Venice Room sounds like one of Los Angeles County’s great hidden gems. A red-boothed dive bar reminiscent of type of establishment frequented by the likes of the Rat Pack in its 1960’s heyday — or the cast of Mean Streets in its more current state. Similar to the superior Turf Supper Club in San Diego; at the Venice Room you cook up your own steaks to perceived perfection on a communal grill.

Located in Monterey Park, the Venice Room is an unlikely destination for those outside of East LA or the San Gabriel Valley, but those within distance can find a place completely removed from Los Angeles and possibly your perception of reality.
Continue reading ‘Venice Room — Monterey Park, CA’

Phoenix, as a city, suffers from it’s youth. In 1914, Arizona was last of the 48 contiguous states to be included into the union. Because of this, Phoenix lacks a clear sense of history and an aimless sense of progress which is more in line with developers then it is with building a cohesive city. Although recent projects like Phoenix’s new light rail are beacons of hope — attempting to spearhead progress and unity within its sprawling mass, the majority of the city is marred by homogeneous development and the eradication of the few monuments the city has to offer.

As of now, if a building wasn’t built today, a developer is looking to level it for a condominium project with imaginary wrought iron windows. This is best represented in the recent demolition of Washburn Piano to make way for a poorly stuccoed AT&T strip-mall or the planned development of the Chase Bank property on 44th and Camelback which, thankfully for now, has been denied by the city. Continue reading ‘Mystery Castle – Phoenix, AZ’