First thought, “Ugh, I should have gone to Hillhurst”

Ann Whatever
Nov 7 · 3 min read

It’s a seasonal 94-degree midweek October heatwave just an hour shy of approaching noon. I’m checking out the Starbucks Reserve (SBR) on La Brea Ave. This stretch of La Brea is what I call furniture row, design rooms featuring high-end Italian modern to traditional antiquities to that one store with the Skymall-esque mega chair out in front. All these stores are going out of business and have been going out of business for as long as I’ve been living in LA proper. Business is doing just fine, I guess *shrug emoji*.

As La Brea is an artery between WeHo and Mid-city traffic is always heavy. Sure, you could walk La Brea if you’re living a block or two away in one of the rent-controlled one-bedrooms on a nearby residential street. But this walk can’t be fun since La Brea is a sunshine high beam tunnel set to burn your retinas and singe your skin. And in this seasonal 94-degree midweek October heatwave, let’s just drive down La Brea and validate for parking.

All iced tea, not enough shade

But I took the bus and walked a block full-frontal facing the sun in a heatwave to the corner of 4th and La Brea where Starbucks set up this siren beacon. This SBR feels tight, compact. The communal table is at full occupancy and so is the indoor lounge seating. I prefer to sit outside anyway but the patio leaves everything to be desired like a patio, like shade.

What we’re calling a “patio” is a converted sidewalk concrete galley facing directionally East in full sun and UV rays. Planters provide an inadequate decorative shield from the cars and trucks driving down La Brea because that’s what we do in LA. We drive down La Brea. The outdoor seating is a musical-chairs between the sun’s direction and shadow placement from the umbrellas. It’s a 94-degree midweek October heatwave just an hour shy of approaching noon. We’re having SoCal fires and I’m getting my monthly allowance of car exhaust.

But hey, I got a Grande Matcha Lemonade for free after redeeming 150 of my 260 Star Rewards. If I was a wise person, I would have ordered a Venti. But Ventis seem so ridiculous to me and I just can’t drink that much.

My first time to this SBR and I think it will be my last. I’ll take the long trek to the Reserve on Hillhurst. I get more steps in that way.

Location: Starbucks Reserve, 4th and La Brea

Order: Grande Matcha Lemonade, light ice

Star Rewards: Pre-visit 260 stars. Redeemed 150. Post-visit 110 stars. Zero stars earned on this visit

Remote Workability: 💻💻💻 out of five laptops

Public Transit: 🚌🚌🚌🚌 out of five buses

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