He's exceptionally easy to talk to, friendly, and helpful. If I stayed longer, I would have enjoyed watching reruns with him and asking for his insight. He has a genuine appreciation for good writing - I could tell when he was sharing about the tv series Taxi. He's sharp yet open-minded. Sees from multiple viewpoints. We had good talks throughout the week I stayed there.
He shared about the local food joints. Per his suggestion, I tried Noah's Bagels. Hands down, my favorite food while I was there! I know my bagels - these are legit!
Neighborhood is clean, safe, and super dog-friendly. It's a UCLA residential area - high rises line up the main road but back roads are almost all single family homes.
It's very close to the restaurants and coffeeshops (TONS of coffeeshops!). I walked through the quieter back roads, and it took me a brisk 5 minutes to get to the heart of all the shops along Westwood.
There's a cute farmer's market on Thursdays! The food is really good here - TLT, Tomodachi, Noah's Bagels, Neckter Juice Bar... There's a Target, Whole Foods for salad bar, Trader Joe's.... extremely walkable.
It actually took me longer to drive and try to find parking. But if you do drive or don't mind the trek, check out Eataly - also Matt's suggestion. I've only been to the one in NY. Had a yummy salad and cannoli there! I gained like 5 pounds in one week. Food was so good...Another reason to walk. Weather is good too.
Also, there are so many electric scooters - I recommend this over driving. Parking is a hassle and the money adds up.
Anywho, I think the location was key. It was safe yet super close to food joints & coffee. Parking is available if you need it though!