Okay, let's imagine we've finished our workout or left the theatre after the matinee ended or humped it down from UCLA to Westwood Village to find ourselves enjoying a cup of coffee at Alfred's while sitting on a seat at the window. Alfred's is located at the north-east corner of Westwood Boulevard and Lindbrook Drive. This historic building was originally a Ralphs Market. During my time at UCLA, the Bratskellar, a restaurant and bar, occupied the space. A huge roaring fireplace dominated the restaurant and the foyer had a telephone booth I used regularly. During rainy weather, this proved to be an excellent choice for drying out and getting wet (hehehe). Prior to this Alfred's incarnation, a Peet's Coffee rested here. Some say there's a link between Alfred's and Peet's, but I hear contradictory stories. Who knows?
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Anyway, sitting at this window on a rainy day in Los Angeles, people watching (one of my favorite hobbies) can be a pure delight. I'm posting this video twice, once in real time and once in fast speed. You can decide which version works for you.
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My favorite sequence in this video is watching a driver park his HUGE SUV in the red zone in front of the store, put on his hazard lights, walk into Alfred's, order a coffee drink, and finally return to his illegally parked vehicle. What's AMAZING to me is that he didn't get a ticket. Westwood Village has ALWAYS been a tough place to park and the traffic police are legion. Good for him! I hope he enjoyed his afternoon coffee. I did mine. (Black, no sugar or milk.)
If you enjoy this for people watching, ASMR, or meditation, or for just zoning out, ENJOY YOURSELF! This is another little bite of human history. Just think: a hundred years from now someone might watch this to get a glimpse of life in 2024. History is bad ass!
