About Local Tourist

I’m Jessica Hamlin, a freelance writer who was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley. Yes, I’m like, a bonafide Valley girl. But despite my local roots there is still much I have yet to explore in L.A. and the surrounding areas. I’ve traversed multiple countries yet haven’t been to the Griffith Observatory since its multimillion-dollar renovations. I know, it’s a crime.

This blog will document my journeys to the new–L.A. Street Food Fest–and the new to me–The Edison, etc. Sometimes I may just share a favorite place I’ve savored for years, like the Getty Center, which I think is the best deal in L.A.

I feel like most locals anywhere take their surroundings for granted and tourists tend to experience more famous and unique sights. It wasn’t until college, about 2001 and beyond, that I slowly began exploring more and getting out of my comfort zone. Sometimes. My visits to L.A. hotspots were still fairly few and far between, mainly due to fear of my Directionally-Challenged Disorder and my view of L.A. as a snobby, velvet rope scene that I didn’t feel like entertaining. And I grew up attending The Oscars. Go figure.

But my inner foodie and explorer have kicked into higher gear the past year and a half or so, and despite the traffic, my DCD, crazy/expensive parking situations, and possible snobbery, I am determined to experience more of the area I call home. Not only because it is so rich in culture and cuisine, but because when I explore a new place (even in a city I’ve been around my whole life), I am a tourist. I am out of my daily routine–the roads I travel, buildings I see and people I interact with. I don’t know what is around the next corner. And I love it.

I now live in the Pasadena area and have become quite familiar with that beautiful city while writing for publications like Pasadena Weekly and Pasadena Magazine about local food, art, events and personalities. For a while I stayed in my Pasadena comfort zone, and I still enjoy the lack of hassle involved for a night out in Old Town, but the Downtown Art Walk and Little Ethiopia beckoned me. And I’m glad I answered the call for a local adventure. No Lonely Planet guide required.