Category: AIA Archive

Lets do a speed run through historic Virginia City, Nevada. This former mining boom town from the 1860s was once home to the largest silver load in U.S. history and historic figures from American history. Samuel Clemmens got his start as “Mark Twain” while working at a Virginia City newspaper. Today it is home to…

I visited Shibuyala, a small chain of stores that models itself after the cosmetics/gift stores found in Tokyo. Shibuyala, an amalgam of “Shibuya” and “L.A.”, sells an unusual mix of Japanese cosmetics, snacks, toys, and stationary. In the Shibuya store is a store within a store: a Gashapon site. Coin-operated vending machines selling random capsule…

I visit the “Bugs” exhibit at the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park. This traveling exhibit was created by the New Zealand Museum in partnership with Weta Workshop (the film and SFX studio that created “The Lord of the Rings” series). The exhibit is a lavish experience in light, color, and sound. The…

I had a rare opportunity to visit an apartment that overlooks Ghiradelli Square and the Aquatic Cove. This advantaged me with a clear bridge-to-bridge view of the July 4th fireworks.