With the weather in Washington, DC, threatening to be full of thunderstorms and plunging temperatures this afternoon and tonight, I like to think back to where I was less than two weeks ago. As I mentioned before, last week, I was in southern California for a surgical meeting. While I was there, I happened to have an afternoon free, during which time I wandered over to Amoeba Music (my all time favorite new and used CD store), where I indulged one of my few vices and bought up a bunch of music. I also had enough time to take a side trip over to another of my haunts when I find myself in the L.A. area, Venice Beach. Sadly, there was some sort of construction going on, and parts of the beach were closed off. Even worse, my favorite place there, the pier where I took some cool pictures of a pelican last year was also closed. While there, I found what has to be the ultimate SF/fantasy geek house. It looked like just the place for me to retire, given its decor and its proximity (one block) from the boardwalk and the beach. Here are some photos.
First, here are a couple of shots of the place from across the street. You can see how this place got my attention. There I was, just wandering around aimlessly, when I came across this:
Yes, those are dragons on the side of the house, along with gargoyles and suits of armor.
Cool.
And a closeup of the entrance and doorway:
Inviting, no? Who wouldn’t want gargoyles welcoming one home every night after work?
And, if you want a balcony where you can sit out in the evening, people-watching and sipping a beer, what could be better than this?
There are flowers there and everything!
And, of course, who wouldn’t want a dragon on the side of one’s house?
Or a demon:
Sadly, this will probably never be. If I move anywhere from the East Coast, it won’t be to L.A. but rather back to the Midwest, closer to family. Never mind that my wife would probably not appreciate the attraction of such a place, other than the nearby beach. (Yes, she has taste.)
Given its outward appearance, though, I still would have loved to see what the decor is like inside. I bet it’s consistent with the outside…
