My Spaces and Places

I got to do something in LA that I never even dreamed of and I was like a kid in a candy store. Literally. In the Hollywood and Highlands Mall there is the largest candy store I have ever seen in my life, Sweets. It has speciality candy boutiques within it’s store. For instance, there is a boutique that is simply marshmallows, just MARSHMALLOWS! That is awesome. I also found a high heel shoe made out of chocolate in one of the boutiques. It was beautiful. There were so many things to see and do that we probably spent over an hour in the store. But I was so fascinated by everything that I probably could have spent all day in there. I mean there were pictures of Harry Potter and Marilyn Monroe made out of jelly beans. JELLY BEANS people! It was very cool. They even call themselves the “candy entertainment” store (http://sweetlosangeles.com/).

There were two parts of the store that really made the user’s experience unique. Their main attraction is the Sticky candy bar. This is where you can watch sculptors create beautiful confectionery. It really is something to see. You can also order custom candy with a logo or message on it (too cheesy for wedding favors?).  

The second one is the “Chocolate Lab” boutique which has an appropriate logo of a chocolate lab dog.  These are my two favorite things in the world: chocolate and dogs. This place knows its way to a girls wallet because there was no way I was going to pass this up. 

As you walk into the boutique someone greets you and they have samples of some chocolate for you to try. As you are enjoying your piece of chocolate there is a viewing window in front of you where you can see the chocolate bars being made. I think the employer could see in my face that I was ready to make my own chocolate bar. She didn’t hesitate asking and we began the process of making our own chocolate bar. 

The first step: picking out your ingredients. There was a whole board full of delicious choices. I went a classic route and chose milk chocolate with peanuts, pecans, caramel and andes mint. My boyfriend went very non-traditional and got white chocolate, mint cream, fruity pebbles, gummy bears, and peanuts. 

Next up: watching our chocolate bars being made. This was cool and awkward at the same time. It really is neat to watch how a chocolate bar comes together but I couldn’t help but feel odd watching someone behind the viewing glass making the bar. You can’t have a conversation with them because they’re behind the glass. And most of the time they are looking down, concentrating on making the bar. It was one of those moments where I felt odd for them. 

The last step: waiting. I’m assuming the chocolate was cooling because after it went through a conveyor belt/oven thing they took it to the back. No one ever said this explicitly but we waited for about 15 minutes before seeing our beautifully wrapped chocolate bars. Yum! 

I think this store excels at user experience and brings out the kid in all of us. I’ll be sure to stop by it again if I ever find myself in Hollywood again. 

It’s December and the holiday season is officially upon us. The time of gift giving and receiving, hot chocolate, nights by the fire, A Christmas Story, Elf, and many, many, many, lines; or for grad school purposes queues. 

I haven’t had to stand or sit in a queue waiting to buy a Christmas present… yet, but I did recently stand in one for the Jimmy Kimmel Live show in Hollywood. Waiting in a queue for a show like Jimmy Kimmel Live is an expected part of a users’ experience and luckily for us we were entertained while waiting (and I don’t mean by all of the crazies that are up and down Hollywood Blvd.). I wouldn’t say it was a “well designed” queue, certainly not to the standards of Disney or even Six Flags, but it did make waiting less of a pain in the butt. 

In the podcast Queue Theory and Design (http://soundcloud.com/roman-mars/99-invisible-49-queue-theory) produced by 99% Invisible, Richard Larson, who is an expert in queue theory, describes two rules to follow when designing queues. The first rule is to keep your customers entertained while they wait in line. For Jimmy Kimmel we had three different queues to wait in: outside queue, security queue, and the inside queue. Entertainment was provided by a street rapper for the outside queue. He had his own boom box which had recorded beats on it and he would ask someone their name and create a rap out of it. Then he would proceed to ask for money. I don’t think it was “entertainment” the Jimmy Kimmel people planned as part of their queue but they did allow him to start at the beginning of the queue and work his way down. I didn’t see any other street act which interacted with the queue. The security line provided no entertainment. No surprise there. But the third queue, the inside one, played videos from previous Jimmy Kimmel shows. The videos were a way to entertain us and get us laughing. If there is one thing I learned from the show, it’s that if you don’t have a great audience, you don’t have a great show! 

The second rule Richard Larson mentions is to manage expectations. He gives the example of getting on a ride after waiting 35 minutes when you were quoted 40 minutes.   This was a rule the Jimmy Kimmel show fell short on. We had no idea how long the wait was going to be. NONE! it was somewhat frustrating but luckily I’m easily entertained so rule number one came in handy. 

 Larson also discusses priority queues which we see a lot of in airports. The Jimmy Kimmel show had one but it wasn’t based on your economic status because the tickets were free. It was based on whether or not you planned ahead time. Also, it didn’t get you out of waiting in the queue, you’re just closer to the beginning of the queue rather than the end. We got our “priority tickets” (that was their name which turned out to be really convenient for this post!) online, printed them out, and followed the instructions. We were supposed to be in line by the time stated on the tickets. If we weren’t there by that time then we would lose our priority tickets and have to go to the end of the general admission line. We made it to the line on time and had a great time at the show! It was so great that I can’t even remember the total time we stood in line.  

p.s. My apologies for no pictures. You weren’t allowed to bring your camera inside. 

So as your heading down the Walk of Fame you are most likely going to find yourself in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre like we did. When I was researching things to do and see in Hollywood, the Chinese Theatre was ALWAYS at the top of the list. And this spot always reminds me of Rush Hour when Chris Tucker’s character walks up to an informant who is standing in front of theatre yelling “STAR MAPS, GET YOUR STAR MAPS!” There are so many tours on Hollywood Blvd. claiming to drive you by the stars’ homes! Our group resisted the temptation mostly because I’m not all the interested in disrupting these people and their privacy. Think about how annoying it would be to have tour buses driving by your house on a consistent basis? That would get old real fast! 

Now if you think anything like the way I do you’re asking, What the heck is a Chinese Theatre doing in the middle of Hollywood Boulevard? Well after some research on the history I still can’t quite tell you. In the 1920’s Sid Grauman wanted to build his dream theatre. I have no idea why his dream theatre was heavily influenced by the Chinese culture but he built it and it became the theatre in Hollywood to have movie premieres. 

Also, the history behind the forecourt, which is adorned with the footprints and handprints of all of our favorite stars, is a bit fuzzy. Grauman claims it was an accident made by him stepping into the wet concrete. However, accounts in the theatre’s souvenir programs states that Norma Talmadge (a famous actress during the 20s) was the culprit who stepped in the wet concrete and inspired the tradition. But there is also an account from the construction foreman at the time, Jean Klossner, who stated it was his signature in the concrete that inspired Grauman with the idea. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grauman’s_Chinese_Theatre) Well whoever it was, they had a genius idea! 

As we walked into the forecourt we immediately saw Harry Potter and the Twilight stars’ handprints and footprints. The Harry Potter crew left imprints of their wands, which I thought was neat. When I saw the concrete imprints though, I couldn’t help but think of the ones that were removed to make room for theirs. Turns out the ones removed are put on the walls of the Grauman Ballroom (thanks Wikipedia!), but we didn’t go there. Also, the space is also not as large as I had anticipated. It holds about 200 handprints and footprints but I haven’t found details on the selection process besides the fact that there is a committee for it. 

Similar to the Walk of Fame and the Hollywood Sign, the forecourt of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre is an iconic place which allows us to connect to the greats of Hollywood. To see the handprints and footprints as well as stand where Shirley Temple (1935), Cary Grant (1951), Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell (1953) and countless others is a unique feeling that you probably will not feel anywhere else in the world.  As far as the characteristics for placemaking, Grauman’s Chinese Theatre is a great example of orientation and connection. 

The space is easy to navigate. But like the Walk of Fame, unless you research before visiting, you don’t know who your going to come across. The biggest surprise for me was seeing Shirley Temple’s. They also amp up the experience by letting you get your picture taken like your are on the red carpet going in for a movie premiere. As cool as that sounds, we passed on it. 

Recently, to cater to the many tourists which visit the theatre, it is now attached to the Hollywood & Highland Mall and the Chinese 6 Theatre. The way the spaces were combined seems to be working out very well. We were proof of that because after we saw all of the handprints and footprints we headed towards our right which led us directly into the mall. We ended up spending the rest of the afternoon there. I would say the element of animation is very strong for the Theatre and it’s surroundings.  

(And yes, the piano stairs make music when you walk up and down them!!) 

Next up on our trip: Hollywood Boulevard and the Walk of Fame! Every time I think of the Walk of Fame I can’t help but think of Pretty Woman when Kit yells “Esther Williams where you belong!” Ha! Love it.  

Again, the Walk of Fame, like it’s cousin the Hollywood Sign, is such an iconic part of Hollywood. It wouldn’t be a trip to Hollywood without seeing the stars. It’s another piece of public art, one that I also think meets the 4 elements of placemaking: orientation, connection, direction, and animation. 

I always assumed that you got a star when you made it big! I didn’t know how they measured “big” but I looked at them as a way of saying to those who received a star as a “You’ve made it!” kind of statement.  I also was under the impression that the stars were only on Hollywood Blvd. but they are actually on Vine Street as well. Of course walking among the stars prompted me to look at the history behind them and how stars actually get one. I actually found this site through the Hollywood Sign one discussed in my last post. http://www.walkoffame.com/

The history of the stars is not as exciting as the history of the Hollywood Sign. It was a very drawn out process full of lawsuits and disagreements but still good to know. The idea for the stars came from E.M. Stuart, the volunteer president of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce in 1953. He didn’t actually think of using stars (a committee was in charge of that) but he did have the idea to commemorate the people “whose name means glamour and excitement.” After going through some leaps and hoops, in 1956 a proposed star was presented and it was also determined that the sidewalks would be black and coral. 

Selecting who would be the first honorees was another story. Four committees were in charge of selecting honorees in the four different parts of entertainment: motion picture, television, recording, and audio. After some legal matters, the Walk of Fame began construction in 1959 with eight honorees already having stars: Olive Bordon, Ronald Colman, Louise Fazenda, Preseton Foster, Burt Lancaster, Edward Sedwick, Ernest Torrance, and Joanne Woodward. It’s funny because I don’t know any of the eight honorees and one of the legal matters was over Charlie Chaplin being honored with a star. He would have been the only one I would’ve known. Shame on you Hollywood (He did eventually get a star). 

It was in 1980, under the leadership of Johnny Grant that the Walk of Fame became an international icon. It was also under his leadership that a fifth category of “Live Theatre” was added. There are about 2 stars added to the Walk of Fame a month and a list of rules and regulations on the FAQ part of the Walk’s website explaining a part of the process one has to endure to have a star. One fact I found interesting on the site is that a celebrity can have more than one star. In fact, they can have a star for each of the 5 categories. The only person to have 5 stars is Gene Autry. 

Orientation and connection are a major part of the experience when walking down the stars. The stars are there to commemorate the contributions these people have made to the entertainment industry. This allows us to connect with the stars by recalling our own memories of them and the meanings they have to our own lives. Also, I stood where Tom Hanks and Christina Aguilera stood. What a neat way to “feel” connected! 

As far as direction and animation, I give the Walk of Fame five stars!! (Ha! See how I did that?!?! I crack myself up).  The stars are clearly visual and definitely easy to navigate. All you do is follow them. The only downside is trying to find a certain star. You’d have to do some research or just hope you come across your favorite star. I was hoping to see Tom Hanks’ star and started getting bummed out because I didn’t think we would find it. But on our last day in Hollywood we got lucky and stumbled upon it. Yay! Tom Hanks is the best!  

(Those must be comfortable shoes. - Forrest Gump)

The Walk is animated with mostly shopping and dining. Which I love to take part in when I’m walking up and down a street.  Also, famous movie characters are brought to life and they walk up and down the Walk of Fame. We saw Batman, Wonder Woman, Spider Man, Iron Man, characters from Star Wars, and characters from Pirates of the Caribbean. This is how these people make money! They dress up in costume and people hand them money to take pictures with them. What?!?! Are you kidding me. I’d really like to know how much they make in a day. I might need to think about making a career change. I wonder what movie character I could pull off? 

We made it to LA!!! We made it through the traffic and to our hotel - The Best Western Plus in Hollywood Hills - http://bit.ly/jOqPzr   and I saw someone famous!! I can’t tell you his name or what movies I’ve seen him in BUT I know I’ve seen him in several movies. He’s played a dad and a crazy person on SVU or one of those shows. Any who, our first stop in Hollywood was of course to see the Hollywood sign. We went to the Griffith Observatory to get some pictures and to see a great view of the city. Wow! What a view! 

Similar to the Arch in St. Louis, the Hollywood sign is iconic to Hollywood - a must see when visiting the city. It’s a unique piece of art and meets the elements of placemaking: orientation, connection, direction and animation. The sign has transformed from simply being a sign to a place of hope, dreams, money, and fame. It’s funny how something so simple looking can have such a profound meaning.  

The history of the sign was something I had to google. The sign is outside which means  there are no pamphlets or signs explaining it’s existence. Why the heck is it there? We probably could have found out by taking one of the sight-seeing tours but we had our own tour guide. A friend of the family lives out there who probably learned just as much as I did about the history of Hollywood, CA. Yay for learning new things! 

According to the sign’s website www.hollywoodsign.org  the sign was established for an ad campaign to aid in selling a housing development called “Hollywoodland.” There is a lot of interesting information on the site about how Hollywood got it’s name and what it looked like before. Also, the story of the “Hollywood Sign Girl” is tragic but interesting. That information is not really relevant to this post here but I encourage you to go check it out! 

Ok, back to the history of the sign. In 1923, Harry Chandler, Los Angeles Times publisher, spent $21,000 to build the sign. It was meant to only last a year and half and the original sign had lights which would light up at night to say “Hollywoodland.” The letters were 30 feet wide and around 43 feet tall. In 1944, after several years of no maintenance, the sign became property of the city. It wasn’t until 1949 that the sign lost it’s lights and became a version of the sign we know today. 

The sign was a bit of a hot mess in the 70s. Falling letters, rusting ensued, one letter was set on fire, and some pranksters manipulated the letters to say “Hollyweed.” But thanks to Hugh Hefner and a gala fundraiser the sign was completely rebuilt. Since it’s rebuilding the sign has seen several paint jobs to help maintain it and in 2000 a security system was put in. 

The sign is a symbol of hope, dreams, money, and fame. I certainly think the history and orientation of it is connected to its meaning. By simply maintaining the sign, the city of Hollywood has acknowledged it’s importance and the connection it has for so many of it’s residents.  

Direction is a no brainer. It’s a sign that you can see from miles away. Now it being user friendly is another story. It is located on Mt. Lee which is surrounded by parks and numerous hiking trails. But it is illegal to go anywhere close to the sign. There was one hiking trail I found which takes you right up behind the sign (http://hollywoodsigntrip.com/hollywood-sign-trail.shtml) but it’s impossible to get directly in front of it unless you want to get arrested. You can drive close to the sign as well but that’s boring. Hiking is more fun! Even though it is a huge sign itself there are no signs directing you how to get near it - and the trails can get confusing!! Luckily, we didn’t get lost on our hike but we came across someone who told us that people get lost all the time. Yikes! How scary! 

The sign grew from simply an advertisement to a place holding many dreams and aspirations. The way the city has animated the area surrounding the sign has grown with it’s meaning. Once just sitting on a hillside, as most billboards do, to a place surrounded by parks, trails, and roads - all built to either see the sign or the city of Los Angeles.

I’ve been to the airport several times but each time is a new adventure. So many signs to follow and lines to stand in how can it not be? Today I flew out of Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, NC. We bought a parking pass for Park n Go through Groupon a few weeks before our trip and we were able to find the parking lot fairly easy. A lot of stress was relieved because the Park n Go bus picked us up and dropped us right in front of the Delta check in station. We checked our bags in and made our way to the security line. There are lots of rules and regulations to follow to get through security but plenty of signs explaining them to you while you’re waiting. 

They also have regulatory signs asking customers to have certain items ready. I think the idea behind that is customers will move more quickly and efficiently if they can prepare for the security checkpoint ahead of time. But besides having your ID and boarding pass ready, who really takes off their shoes, pulls their laptop, and any liquids out before they actually reach the checkpoint? Not this girl! I only have so many hands to hold stuff with. And for some items they don’t give you a clue at all on what you are supposed to do with them, like food. Can I even pack food on my carryon? What about my hair straightener? Is that allowed on my carryon? I had to google that one. 

Even those these signs are meant to help us feel more comfortable and prepared, I still get flustered and feel rushed. This usually means me dropping something or asking a stupid question (the educator in me says “There’s no such thing as a stupid question!” Oh but there is!). 

One of the other regulatory signs geared towards children had a QR code on it. I didn’t scan it but I would imagine it had some tips and tricks for parents traveling with kids. Also, you could pull up your boarding pass on your phone and use that to check-in instead of a piece of paper! Neat! 

Once we got through the security check point we had to figure out which gate to go to. We could have used the arrivals and departures screens to figure out where to go OR the Delta app. We used the Delta app. Charlotte’s airport had plenty of directional signs which got us to our gate. Easy peasy. 

On the way to our gate I noticed some public art. They were placed above the escalator walkways. Not sure if that’s what they’re called since you don’t technically go up or down but they do allow you to walk faster. Anyways, on one side was a very colorful display of people dancing. We were moving so quickly that I didn’t have time to see if there were any signs explaining the meaning of the art. The side we were on was filled with posters of movies. I didn’t see the sign right away explaining why the posters were there and became curious. I was happy to find out that the sign indicated that all these movies were filmed in Charlotte. How cool is that! Although, I couldn’t name a single one if it wasn’t for my picture. We were moving so fast on the walkway (and I get very anxious about missing flights) that I didn’t get a chance to really observe the posters. 

We walked through Atlanta and LAX as well and I noticed a lot of public art. But unless you have a long layover, you really don’t get a chance to observe the art properly. Especially when most of them are placed in high traffic areas where it’s not ideal to stop and observe. This might be something for airports to think about. All this money into the art and it can’t properly be observed! What a shame. 

Right now I am several thousand feet in the air typing this. Let’s think on that for a minute. We have machines that will take me to any destination I want to go AND I can use all of my technology gadgets WHILE I’m in the air. SAY WHAT?!?! That is just amazing! I think we take advantage of all of these great luxuries far too often, we don’t spend enough time thinking about how amazing it is. So now that you have, I’ll talk about my experience on the plane.

Planes are unique because we are in close proximity with a lot of individuals we have never met before. I can overhear the conversation behind me which is between two women whom have never met. I know this because they’re asking questions about each other that you would normally inquire about when first meeting a person. Where are you from, what do you do?

I would say the plane we are on (Delta MD88) is a medium size plane. I’ve been on small ones that barely hold 50 people and large ones which accommodate over 300 people. The one I’m on probably holds about 200 people. This one has 3 seats in one row and two in the other row. How awkward is it when you are in the middle seat and surrounded by people you don’t know? Hence, the unique communication patterns we’re put in because of the way space is used on planes. Luckily, this is a short flight, flying from Charlotte to Atlanta, so even if you did find yourself in an awkward position or conversation at least it wouldn’t last that long. I haven’t seen anyone around me that seems to be uncomfortable so that’s great! Also, no crying baby! Whoo hoo!! 

Although planes are designed a bit awkwardly, Delta does try to make it as comfortable as they possibly can for the user/customer. However, the level of comfort varies on the size of your wallet. They have 3 different levels on this flight: First class or Business class, Economy Comfort, and Economy. In First Class the seats are extra large leather cushiony seats with plenty of room to spread out. Delta offers a pillow and a blanket for your sleeping pleasure in these seats. However, if your in Economy Comfort or Economy you better bring your own! Seats are smaller in Economy Comfort than in First Class but not as cramped as the Economy ones. Every seat on the plane reclines so you can put your head back a little to rest. They also each have a valve which flows cool air and a reading light if needed. And the fold down trays (I will never look at one the same because of Final Destination) is what I’m using to write on. 

Of course Delta serves food on the longer flights to make them more bearable and this is another way the trays come in handy. But because the space is cramped and the trays are just big enough to fit my laptop on it, we’re only served squirrel size snacks or drinks. Unless of course you want to splurge on something more comparable to the size of an actual meal. But how awkward is it to try and eat a meal that size without bumping the person next you? I would say nearly impossible. Also, if you’re flying from Charlotte to Atlanta your not getting anything. Guess the flight’s not long enough to even get a drink. Better pick something up in the terminal!

Other ways Delta tries to make the flight more comfortable is allowing the use of electronics once the plane has reached a certain height in the air. But again, depending on the size of your wallet this benefit may be limited. For instance, I can write this paper, listen to music, or even watch a movie but I can’t access the Internet unless I want to pay for it . For short flights the lack of Internet isn’t that big of deal but my next flight to LA (Holla!!) is going to be about 5 hours. With no pillow or blanket to help me sleep and a lack of Internet what’s a girl to do? (Work on a book chapter maybe?) 

I may have to sacrifice my personal space to fly several thousand feet in the air but it’s so worth it! Especially when efforts are made from the airline to make sure my flight is as comfortable as they can possibly make it. Here’s to a fun trip to LA and the innovators of modern airplanes! 

With the addition of our new puppy I have made several visits to the vet within the past 2 1/2 months. I am happy to say that after surgery and a handful of shots my boy should not have to go back for a full year. Yay! I’ve already posted about the space at the Veterinary hospital, but this post I want to discuss the space dedicated to the actual exam room of our regular veterinary. 

The past two times I’ve gone to this vet I’ve been put in the same exam room. The space is used in a way which indicates a level of authority. The room is small and square. It has no windows and just one entrance. There is an island in the middle of the room which divides the room in half. When you walk in, it becomes clear that the patient/customer stands on the side of the island that is furthest from the door. Although their are no signs indicating where the patient should stand, there is a bench which serves as indicator. I would assume most customers figure this out because they would know that the doctor would not be examining the patient while sitting down. 

On the other side of the island, the side closest to the door, there is a sink, along with other items a veterinarian may use during an examination. The placement of the sink and the medical items also showcases a level of authority. Most customers coming into the room have no knowledge of veterinary medicine, they would know within a glance that the doctor will stand on that side of the island and that they are expected to stand on the other side. 

However, when the doctor is not in the room I wonder how many people cross this boundary? I know I was one of them. While my pup and I were waiting for the doctor to come see us we got bored. Since this was my second time in the same exam room I had already read all of the pictures on the wall and the brochures on the counter. Dexter got tired of jumping on and off the bench and was starting to get curious as to what was going on behind the door we had just come through. So, I found the treats which were sitting on the counter on the doctor’s side of the island and I started training Dexter how to sit. But I only did it a few times. I didn’t know if we’d get in trouble for messing with stuff which was clearly placed on the Doctor’s side of the island. I think we were probably not supposed to mess with it because on the car ride home Dexter got sick, and I could clearly see the treats I had just given him. A visual I’m sure you could have done without but maybe this was the universe’s way of telling me not to do that again.  

I have not gotten my hair cut in 6 months. I’m a girl on a budget with minimal extra time. Although I enjoy going to a high end salon to get my hair cut, it’s hard for me to validate spending 60 bucks (plus a tip) when I can spend 13 (plus a tip) and get my hair cut in less than 30 minutes. Since I’ve been in a bad need of a hair cut, I went to Great Clips. Great Clips is where my mom would take me when I was a little but the first time I had to go there as an adult living on my own, I felt like I had hit rock bottom. I became used to getting pampered at these high end salons and always carried a perception that the stylists at Great Clips were less than stellar performers at their job. But these stylists have gone through the same or very similar training as those at the high end salons, who am I to judge their skill set? What’s nice about hair is that for most people my age, it grows back. Even if the salon did do a poor job on cutting my hair, it’s not like my hair would stay that way forever. 

In my very first post, I talked about a high end salon where I got an updo for a wedding I was in. When comparing that salon to Great Clips, the two are extremely different in the way they use their space. In Great Clips, it is all about getting the customer in and out as quickly as possible. Whereas in other salons it’s about pampering the customer and taking their time (to a certain degree). It’s normal to go into a high end salon and be there for an hour and a half for a haircut. They way they use their space is designed to accommodate that. 

A couple of elements in Great Clips highlighted their get in, get out philosophy. The first piece was the white fabric triangles set up between each of the stylists booth. These dividers give customers a certain amount of privacy and prohibit conversations between customers. The only person a customer would be conversing with is the stylist. Which allows for less time talking and more time to focus on cutting hair. 

Another element was the banners throughout the salon promoting check-ins via an app. The idea behind the app is to make it more convenient for customers so they have a short a wait time. There were about 6 customers, 7 including myself when I came in. I didn’t observe any of them using the app to check-in. 

There was also a regulatory sign which stated that once they reach a 15 minute wait time they will no longer except anymore names. I had a couple of problems with this sign. The first one was that their was only one sign and the font of it was small. If you were to sit on the other side of the room, you wouldn’t be able to read it. The second was the placement of the sign. It was placed to the left of the entrance and almost hidden away from customers. For instance, I came in and sat on the same side of the wall the sign was placed. The only reason I saw it is because I moved my seat so I could take pictures. Also, if customers walked in and sat to the right of the entrance they would not have seen the sign. I think a more effective place for the sign would have been at the check in counter. The third one is that I was quoted a 25 to 30 minute wait. Clearly, violating the rule of a 15 minute wait time. However, I did wait maybe 10 minutes but no more than that. Even though I was quoted 25 to 30, they did meet the 15 minute limit. 

The placement of the sign, the typography, and the complete lack of accordance by the employees, gave me the impression that this is not something they take very seriously. So why not take it down? 

This time last week I was getting excited for date night with my boo! Our schedules are opposite so I love an opportunity to actually BE a couple. We ventured to the southend of Charlotte and went to Battle of the Brew—a competition between local breweries in our area. We left before the winner was announced (somedays I’m really grateful for my 6:30 alarm, other days not so much #MissTheCollegeDays - and yes, I inappropriately used a hashtag #DealWithIt). So I can’t tell you who the winner was but I can tell you about the space and my experience in it! Yay for Grad School!! 

The Battle was held adjacent to All American Pub (aka The Old Jillians) in the historic south end of Charlotte. We followed signs for “Battle of the Brews” (sorry I forgot to take a pic) and found ourselves to the entrance of All American Pub. I thought it was odd that the only entrance was through the front entrance of a restaurant but once inside the hostess asked us if we were there to eat or if we came for the Battle. She pointed out where to go so we could start judging which beers we thought were the tastiest. 

As you walked into the space there was a table set up to the left where you could check in if you purchased tickets ahead of time or buy a ticket if you hadn’t. Everything was done with paper and a pen. No tablets or gadgets of any kind to aid in the process. This was also the area where they explained the tasting and voting process. Again, no tablets or gadgets were used for the voting process. Instead, we were given a small glass to test out the craft beers on our taste buds and 3 bottle caps which were to be used to vote for our favorite beer. Each brewery had their own booth set up and each booth had a red box on it. If we liked the beer we could put a bottle cap in the box, if we loved the beer we could put all 3 of our bottle caps in the box. If we didn’t like it we didn’t do anything. Simplistic yet efficient. 

6 local breweries participated in the event: 

Birdsong Brewing Company http://www.birdsongbrewing.com/default.htm

Noda Brewing Company http://www.nodabrewing.com/

Triple C Brewing Company http://www.triplecbrewing.com/

Hops Grill and Brewery http://www.hopsonline.com

Heist Brewery http://heistbrewery.com/

The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery http://oldemeckbrew.com/

The room the battle was held in was a large open space. One end of it had a table set up where you could buy 12 ounces of any of the beers featured, the other side was a stage with a DJ. There was a large screen behind the DJ which was used for promoting The 704 Project - the non-profit who put the event together. Half of the room was surrounded by  booths for the breweries, the other half was surrounded by sitting areas which sat above the main floor. 

After analyzing the space, I was curious if the breweries had the option of choosing their location in the space or if they were told specifically where to set up. I think some booths may have had an advantage over others by being placed closer to the entrance, while others had a disadvantage by being in the corner.  

I was also surprised that not many people were using the sitting areas above the main floor. Most people stayed close to the beer and mingled on the main floor. I guess I’m just getting old because if I have a choice of sitting or standing, my butt is going to be sitting. And in case you’re wondering, the beer that received ALL of my beer caps was a Jalapeño beer crafted by Birdsong Brewing Company. You probably wouldn’t think it at first, but this beer was most delicious!