WHAT IS IT? The Survival Guide is intended to help new and established postdocs survive life as a postdoc at UCLA. It is intended as a local supplement to a really insightful set of documents provided by the National Postdoc Assoc here:
http://www.nationalpostdoc.org/committees/IPC_Committee/IPSurvivalGuide
Also look at our web resources guide.
The Graduate Division maintains pages with information for postdocs and also has an Orientation Guide for Graduate Students that has some useful information.
YES YOU CAN ADD TO IT! It is a collaborative project and the website allows all logged-in members to edit pages. Don't worry if you mess up - all previous versions are saved. If you want to stay anonymous or don't have a login, feel free to post a topic in the forum or contact us with any information you have instead.
UCLA provides housing for postdocs. Here’s the website : http://housing.ucla.edu
There is a complex near campus on Veteran and Wilshire (Weyburn Terrace) and there are several complexes south of the University in the Palms/Venice Area. These are collectively called the University Apartments/South (UA/S) complexes. These are all within 4-5 miles from UCLA (~30min by bus).
Rents are cheaper for UCLA housing. Equivalent housing in the Palms area costs ~$200-$300 more.
Requirements and hierarchy in housing processing:
You can apply for housing online. You have to submit an application (with a fee). After applying, your name will be put on a waiting list for people wanting housing. Usually you will not hear anything for a couple of months from the Housing Office. I encourage you to call them and inquire whether they have received your application and where you are on the waiting list.
Generally speaking, postdocs have lower priority, but if you’re married with kids, you have a pretty good chance. One advice about housing is to keep on calling the housing office and politely ask the person talking to you to see is he/she can expedite your application and whether there’s any vacant apartments. Current residents of UA/S pay on a month-to-month basis and they can leave the complex at any time as long as they give a 1 month notice. If you happen to call when a vacancy just opens, the housing officer might decide to just offer you the apartment. Clearly this means that you have to decide prior to calling them, whether you’re willing to leave your current apartment and move to the UA/S complex in a short period of time.
Most foreign postdocs will arrive in Los Angeles at LAX. To get from the airport to campus you can take a Taxi, Airport Shuttle, arrange for a lift or by Hire Car. If you are a light traveller or short on cash, taking the free LAX parking lot shuttle to the bus transit terminal located on 96th street (Long Term Parking Lot C) and the Culver City Bus route 6 or Big Blue Bus route 3 from there get you to campus for $0.75 (but account for about an hour of travel time).
Los Angeles is the city of the car. This is mainly due to the fact that it is so huge! Public transport is available between some popular destinations (see below) but if you want flexiblity you will need a car.
Click on Car Guide for more information.
The Big Blue Bus has a fairly extensive service within Santa Monica and parts of LA. For example, you can take one bus from UCLA all the way to LAX. With a Bruin Card, the ride is 25 cents. Because the price is relatively cheap (normal fare is 75 cents) they don’t offer day-passes, but you can get a transfer to another Big Blue Bus or another city bus line. Note that if you need to get off of the bus for some reason and want to get back onto the same line, the transfer is not accepted. (It’s only good for transfer to a different line). Also note that during the summer quarter, the discount with Bruin Card is no longer effective. More maps and information on the website.
http://www.culvercity.org/depts_bus.asp
If you’re riding anything other than the Big Blue Bus (which offers a discount for UCLA employees), you can purchase monthly passes and tokens at the UCLA Central Ticket Office, which are slightly discounted from the daily fare.
http://ev1.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ExecMacro/evenue/ev66/se/Main.d2w/report?linkID=ucla
Most of the city buses have bike racks. Just hope that there aren’t already two bikers on the bus.
California has strict rules for cyclists. You should read the DMV cycling pages for more information:
If you do not hold a CA driving licence you should probably read the Driver’s Handbook.
Biking in LA is not as dangerous as people seem to think as long as you pick your route carefully. Also it beats the traffic and tends to be faster than the bus. If you want to find a safe bike route there is a great website which will give you the safest route from your door to wherever you want to go...check it out!
http://www.bikemetro.com/home/home.asp
In terms of buying a bike you can pick up a second hand one from a cool little shop on Pico and either Main or 3rd street in Santa Monica (can’t remember which!) for around $80, a new bike from Sportmart from around $200-$1000 or for better bikes check out Helen’s cycles in Westwood on Gayley for bikes from around $400 to whatever you want to spend!
If you live in Westwood it is possible to survive without transportation by using local stores and walking to campus. Please see the WestwoodGuide for more information about stores. If you have more information about walking then please edit the ByFoot page.
Taxis are not cheap on your own but they can be economical if you are a group. Be very careful about illegal taxis. Check this site for more information about taxis: http://www.taxicabsla.org
Did you know that every postdoc has access to their own financial planner for retirement/savings for FREE?
The university has contracted the services of folks from Fidelity investments who can meet with postdocs as a group or one-on-one to go over investing and to help you make a savings plan. Fidelity is one of the investment firms that offers investment products available through the UC Retirement system. Even though postdocs are not technically part of the UC Retirement system, the vast majority of us are automatically put into the safe Harbor plan - which takes money out of our paychecks and puts in into a savings fund directly. If you want that money to be invested in stocks or bonds (instead of simply a savings fund), you can go online to change your allocations. To learn how to do this - or to track down the Fidelity rep on campus, contact Campus Human resources 10920 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 200 Los Angeles, CA 90024-6504 Campus Mailcode: 146548 (310) 794-0830; (310) 794-0835 FAX and they will get you all sorted out.
Also, when you leave the University - if you never dealt with this money while a postdoc - be sure to contact Human Resources to get your money out of the account. Though I am sure they try, apparently lots of money goes unclaimed every year because people don’t update their addresses with the university - and they simply can’t track you down. So, at the very least, call them when you leave, fill out the paperwork and get your cash back - it will easily be in the thousands of dollars!
This guide is aimed at new post-docs not already familiar with the typical stores that carry goods of interest. This information is provided as an orientation tool -- SoPS does not endorse any of these stores.
[DRAFT: This page needs to be tidied up]
Ikea (super cheap), Korea Town, Goodwill/Salvation Army, Craig's List, Pottery Barn (more expensive)
Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, Linens and Things, Sears, Surfas (chef’s stuff), Sur La Table (kitchen)
Best Buy, Circuit City, CompUSA, Fry’s, UCLA bookstore
Ralphs (medium), Whole Foods (high end, organic), Bristol Farms (high end), Wild Oats (high end, organic), Albertsons (medium), Vons (lower), Trader Joe’s (fantastic), 99c store, Food 4Less (low end)
Smart and Final, Costco, Big Lots
CVS, Long's Drugs, Rite Aid, UCLA Pharmacy (westwood medical plaza)
OSH, Home Depot
Farmer’s market, Westwood, Santa Monica, 3rd & Fairfax
Cost Plus World Market (International), Santa Monica King’s Head (British), Tudor House (British), India Sweets and Spices (Indian), Soliel (Qeubec), Mitsuwa (Japanese), Artesia Blvd (Little India), Sawtelle (Japanese), European Sausage Co (South African)
Find mechanics on Klick and Klack's Car Talk database at cars.com Pep Boys, Firestone, Kragen, Autozone, 76 Gas stations / Shell, Costco Fuel / Tires
Rent-a-Wreck, UCLA Travel Center, FlexiCar, Hertz (UCLA has a nifty contract with them for official business)
REI, Adventure 16, Sports Authority, Big5 Sporting Goods
Consumer reports, Consumer Reviews
Westside Pavilion, Century City, Santa Monica 3rd Street, Sherman Oaks, Beverly Center, The Grove, DSW, Fox Hills
DSW, Shoe Pavillion, Aldo, Footlocker, Footnotes
Helen's Cycles Wheeles (sepulveda) Craig's List University Impound lot Sports Authority Costco
Hammer Moca Getty Center Getty Villa Huntington Gardens Rodeo Drive Art Galleries Science Museum Park (near USC) UCLA Live Aquarium of the Pacific Museum of Jurasic Technology
Universal Studios Rodeo Drive Disneyland
Zuma Beach Santa Monica Mountains Will Rogers Park & Hike Venice Canals Bike Venice Beach La Brea Tar Pits Hollywood Blvd Cantalina Island Channel Islands Mullholand Drive Disney Concert Hall
Big Bear Mountain High Mammoth Mount Baldy
Southwest Frontier Jet Blue Alaska
STA Travel Travelocity Expedia Travel worm Orbitz hotels.com sidestep.com priceline.com
A foot and a field in LA County Another book Amalfi Wesrtidge Pallisades Temescel Topanga Trippet Ranch Malibu Creek
http://atyourservice.ucop.edu/contact/retire_save.html
The Santa Monica Mountains are great for hiking. There are several trail guide books available - try the UCLA store (Ackerman), REI or Adventure16 to buy them. You can also check the state park website - http://www.nps.gov/samo. There is a local hiking group: http://www.outdoorsclub.org. You can also try posting to the Sports forum.
If you have any recommended trails please edit the HikingGuide.
If you live in LA you have to go surfing at least once! The easiest way to get started is to befriend someone who surfs and go out with them. True surfers have lots of boards and are normally happy to let you borrow one (briefly). Please edit the SurfingGuide if you know about places to surf, where to rent boards, good websites etc.
Postdocs are considered as staff when it comes to UCLA gym membership. There are several packages available which offer access to different facilities around campus.The Pyramid Pass offers best value and is $175 per year at time of writing. For more information check the official pages:
http://www.recreation.ucla.edu/
Commerical gyms may be more convenient but they are generally more expensive. Some of the (larger, more expensive) apartment buildings have a gym for the use of residents.
There are quite a few tennis courts on campus. To use them you must have an appropriate Recreation Card. Check the facilities pages:
http://www.recreation.ucla.edu/recreate/facilities.aspx
Other tennis courts are scattered around LA. There are courts in Westwood Park behind the Federal Building car park. These are free on weekdays but $8/hour at weekends. You can book in advance.
Stoner Recreation ground has courts that are free all week and are floodlight at night. Find these at Stoner / Nebraska.
You can take very cheap (<$10 per quarter) group tennis lessons through UCLA recreation if you have a Rec. card. All levels from beginning to advanced are covered in weekly sessions.
Badminton courts are setup in the Woodden Center main hall at certain times. Check the recreation pages for times.
There are tables in the Woodden Center. You have to be a member to use them.
The Wooden Center has 2 squash and about 8 racquetball courts. You can hire racquetballs and racquetball racquets at the desk opposite the entrance as you walk in (not on the right). You can book courts but you must do so the day before. They get pretty busy during the quarter. If you want someone to play you can post a message to the sports forum.
Have a look at http://www.californiaskiresorts.com/
The nearest are:
Then there is Mammoth Mountain which is 300 miles away but much bigger: http://www.mammothmountain.com/
* Sportmart * Sportchalet * Doc’s Ski Haus * Big 5 Sporting Goods
You can rent equipment at the resorts for about $25-35 per day.
Group lessons are normally fairly inexpensive and you can sometimes get good deals online. Mammoth has an $80 beginner ticket that includes a 3 hour lesson and rental. You can also get lower lift only passes which are much cheaper than full mountain.
You’ll need a car or a ride to get to most resorts independently. There are also groups like 4 Seasons West Ski Club. They do everything from day trips to local mountains to week long trips in other countries. They are apparently a fun group.
There are beach volleyball courts on Santa Monica and Venice beaches. They are free to use.
There is a rock climbing wall in the Wooden Center.
There are trails in the Santa Monica Mountains that are ok to cycle on. Try these sites for inspiration:
– Payroll will withhold taxes from each paycheck according to the withholding information you submitted when you were hired. Tax filing links are available below.CA State Tax:
– To determine your tax status based on your country of origin, refer to the following IRS publication: [[http://www.irs.gov/publications/p519/index.html|Publication 519 – Tax information for aliens]]
Post-docs on Fellowship:
US Citizens & Green card holders – You will NOT have tax withholding from your paycheck, so you must file estimated taxes on a quarterly basis. The deadlines for 2005 taxes are:
* For Jan 1 – Mar 31 Apr 15
* For Apr 1 – May 31 Jun 15
* For Jun 1 – Aug 31 Sep 15
* For Sep 1 – Dec 31 Jan 15 (2006)
Federal Taxes: To determine your estimated federal taxes, refer to the following IRS publication: Publication 505 – Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax
CA State Taxes: You must also file estimated CA state taxes. Follow these instructions from the CA Franchise Tax Board: CA Form 540-ES To determine estimated taxes
Social Security: Finally, fellowship holders are considered self-employed, so you must file a Schedule SE form in addition to your IRS 1040 each year. This form includes payments for your Social Security and Medicare taxes. Information on this form is available here: Publication 533, Self-Employment Tax
Nonresidents – You will have federal taxes withheld from your stipend awards. One’s visa status determines the rate of withholding. Payees on F (student) or J (exchange visitor) visas are automatically assigned a withholding rate of 14%. All other visa holders are assigned a withholding rate of 30%. If your home country has an applicable fellowship tax treaty, you should complete the tax treaty packet, which, when returned to the Graduate Division, may reduce or eliminate federal tax withholding from the stipend.
Your CA State taxes will also be withheld.
Tax Preparation Services for Foreign Students
Tax Filing Information:
Federal Tax:
* IRS Website
* Form 1040 and Instructions (there may be more appropriate forms for you, so check the IRS website before filing)
CA State Tax:
* CA Franchise Tax Board Website
* Resident Forms and Instructions: 540/540A and 540 2EZ
* Nonresident Forms and Instructions: 540NR
Los Angeles has hundreds of museums, galleries, theme parks, famous landmarks and other attractions. Check out the attractions section of www.la.com for a comprehensive guide.
Nightlife is less important in LA than in other cities mainly due to the traffic. Westwood, a college town of many 10s of thousands of students, has only 2 bars! Going out mostly involves dining - see next section. If you do brave going out there is still plenty to do - comedy, music, dance - you name it you can find it. Check out www.la.com nightlife section or the weekly free paper:
Check listings in http://www.laweekly.com/
Restaurants within 5 miles of UCLA http://food.uquad.com/ucla/
Based on 28 years of living and eating in Los Angeles, including 3 years as a UCLA law student and 10 years as a UCLA law prof. (reproduced with permission from the author)
(about $15 or less, less if you economize)
Argentinian: Empanada's Place, 3811 Sawtelle Bl., pretty much on the corner of Sawtelle & Venice, (310) 391-0888, open until 9 pm every night, but only until 8 pm Mon; also 1040 Holloway, just a bit north of Santa Monica on La Cienega, (310) 358-0588, open until 9 pm every night. This is a hole-in-the-wall that specializes in the stuffed Argentinian pastries called empanadas. I love both the chewy dough and the yummy fillings, of which they have about a dozen varieties; I also recommend the Argentinian tamale, which is more like a corn pudding than like the Mexican version. They have little else - just sandwiches and a not very interesting salad - but the empanadas are well worth the trip. No liquor license, so bring your own beer or wine.
Brazilian: Cafe Brasil, 10831 Venice Bl., Culver City, (310) 837-8957, open until 10 pm daily, 10 or so minutes from campus if there's no traffic. Very good stuff, cheap, and mildly exotic; again, bring your own alcohol.
Cambodian: Battambang, 648 New High St., Chinatown, (213) 620-9015. Cambodian is, unsurprisingly, like Thai and Vietnamese, but there are quite a few differences. Try pretty much any of the dishes that aren't the normal Chinese ones. The sour fish soup and the sour beef soup are particularly good, as is the "curry fish" entrée (which I believe is actually made with fish and pork).
Chinese: JR Seafood, 11901 Santa Monica Bl., a bit east of Bundy, (310) 268-2463, open Sun-Thu until 10 pm, Fri-Sat -11 pm. Seafood and a lot more. Particularly good: Their special pork spareribs (under specials, not appetizers) and the orange beef. Call ahead for reservations, since it's usually jammed.
Chinese Islamic: China Islamic Restaurant, 7727 E. Garvey Ave., Rosemead, (626) 288-4246, open daily except Wed until 9:30 pm. This is probably my favorite of the regional Chinese cuisines. There is no pork or alcohol, because of Islamic dietary laws, but there are excellent lamb, bread, and lots of other goodies. Especially noteworthy: Lamb with green onions, sesame bread (add some hot chili oil or soy sauce to liven it up), any noodle dish with dough slice noodles, chicken curry, and sliced ox tongue (get over your inhibitions). Go about 15 minutes east past Downtown on the 10, take the Del Mar exit south to Garvey, take Garvey west a few blocks. It ends up being about 30 minutes from the interchange of the 10 and the 405, but very much worth the drive. As with most food in the New Chinatown area of Monterey Park/San Gabriel/environs, the prices are very low.
Cuban: Versailles, 10319 Venice Blvd. (near Motor), Palms, (310) 558-3168, open daily until 10 pm. Versailles, it turns out, is the name of a town in Cuba, not just a palace in France. Cheap, tasty, quick (but not fast) food. Check out especially the garlic roast chicken and garlic roast pork.
Dim Sum: There are no great dim sum restaurants on the Westside, so one still has to go to the old Chinatown in Downtown or the new one in Monterey Park. Try Empress Pavilion, 988 N. Hill St., (213) 617-9898, in Chinatown (open until 10 pm), or Ocean Star, 145 N. Atlantic Bl., (626) 308-2128, in Monterey Park (only about 10 minutes further than downtown). The time to go on a weekend is 10:30 am any later, and you can get lines that are 30 minutes to an hour long. For Ocean Star, take the 10 east to Atlantic, Atlantic south a few blocks; after dim sum, stop by Shun Fat, a Chinese supermarket that's just a block north.
Italian: Cafe Angelino, 8735 W. 3rd St., in Beverly Hills a few buildings east of Robertson, (310) 246-1177, open daily until 10 pm. Tasty and inexpensive California Italian food. I particularly recommend the Antipasti Assortiti (a plate of roasted and marinated vegetables), the roast chicken with potatoes (I believe a leg and thigh with potatoes is still only about $4), and the spinach and ricotta ravioli with alfredo sauce (on the menu it's with tomato sauce, but it's best with the alfredo).
Indonesian: Indo Café, in a little strip mall at 10428 National Bl. (between Motor and Overland), (310) 815-1290, open Tue-Thu until 9:30 pm, Fri-Sun until 10 pm, closed Mon. As you might guess, Indonesian food is akin to Thai and other southeast Asian cuisines, but a bit different. Indo Cafe is a good specimen of it - interesting, tasty, and cheap.
Japanese (Noodles): Yashima, 11301 Olympic Bl., on the corner of Olympic and Sawtelle, just a titch west of the 405, (310) 473-5297, open daily until 10 pm. No sushi, but excellent noodles, rice dishes, and tempura.
Mexican: La Serenata, 10924 W. Pico Bl., (310) 441-9667, a couple of blocks west of Westwood Bl., about ten minutes from campus, open until 10 pm during the week and 10:30 pm on the weekend. A bit more expensive than most Mexican holes-in-the-wall, but worth it. Make reservations.
Middle Eastern dive: Falafel King, 1059 Broxton Ave., a block west of Westwood and a few blocks north of Wilshire, (310) 208-4444, open daily until midnight and Fridays and Saturdays until 1 am. Very cheap and very good, even if you (like me) aren't wild about middle Eastern food. I go for the various salads, mostly with eggplant, zucchini, and the like, and for the best potato chips (batter-fried!) I've ever had; but the meat is very good, too.
Middle Eastern dive: Sunnin, 1779 Westwood Blvd., a block north of Westwood, (310) 477-2358, open Monday-Saturday until 9:30 pm, Sundays until 9. Also very good; I like Falafel King a bit better, but other friends of mine disagree. Note: No liquor license, and they don't let you bring your own. Drat.
Middle Eastern: Gaby's Mediterranean, 10445 Venice Blvd., (310) 559-1808, open Sunday-Thursday until 11, Fridays and Saturday until midnight. A bit less downscale than Falafel King and Sunnin, but still inexpensive and good.
Sushi: Hide Sushi, 2040 Sawtelle (a few blocks north of Olympic and West of the 405), (310) 477-7242, until 9 pm weekdays, 8 pm Sun, closed Mon. Cheap, tasty, and usually crowded, unless you get there early.
Thai: Sanamluang, 5176 Hollywood Bl., a few blocks east of Western (and the 101) in Hollywood, (323) 660-8006, open until 4 am. Much better and much cheaper than most Thai places in West L.A., and I imagine more authentic, too. Try especially the roasted duck noodle soup, the Indian curry soup, and the Pad See Ew; but it's all great.
If the Thai dessert place, Kamonthai Ramsong, 5185 Hollywood Bl., (323) 667-2055, across Hollywood is open - it closes at 10 - go there and try the little corn-and-coconut pancakes, about the size of an old Eisenhower dollar, but thicker. They're very good, and virtually never seen at Thai restaurants.
(about $20-$30 a head, but for fabulous food)
French: Soleil, 1386 Westwood, 310-441-5384, open Mon-Sat until 10 pm, closed Sun. Very good food and a great deal at those prices.
More French: Cafe Bizou, 14016 Ventura Bl. (east of Hazeltine), Sherman Oaks, (818) 788-3536, about fifteen minutes from Westwood north on the 405 and the east on the 101. The last reservation during the week is 9 pm, Fri-Sat 9:30 pm. Deservedly popular; make reservations a few days in advance.
Still More French: Le Petit Bistro, 631 N. La Cienega Bl. (a bit north of Melrose), West Hollywood, (310) 289-9797, open daily until 11 pm and Fri-Sat until midnight or so. Excellent food, fun and bustling atmosphere. Whatever meat dish you order - and [EV1] there are lots of great ones, from the lamb chops to the veal short ribs to the duck - make sure you have some of the french fries (pommes frites). Half a block south of the real Melrose Place, a little one-block street occupied largely by very ritzy furniture galleries, with no apartment houses filled with sex-crazed young adults to be seen.
Southwestern: Authentic Cafe, 7605 Beverly Blvd., between Fairfax & La Brea, about 20 minutes east of UCLA, (323) 939-4626, open Sun-Thu until 10 pm, Fri-Sat until 11 pm. Great food, and a pleasant, busy ambiance.
Good cakes are the key to a fulfilling, meaningful existence, just as supermarket pastries are a sure ticket to Hell. They liven up big parties, are a must for dinners, and let you have cute little sit-down teas for eight to twelve of your friends, where you just have tea or coffee with two or three desserts - no cooking, little expense, and you can feel like you're entertaining. Be sure to invite me. My mother discovered the first two bakeries listed below within about a year of our family's arrival here from Russia, and we've been living off them ever since.
Central European: B & L Gourmet Pastries, 8556 W. 3rd St. in West Hollywood (between Robertson and La Cienega, a block or so from the Beverly Center), (310) 271-8333. Closes at 6 pm weekdays, 5 pm Saturdays, closed Sundays. Fabulous pastries, great prices - you can get wonderful cakes ranging from $7 to $15 or so.
Try the Chocolate Truffle Cake, the Vienna Cheesecake, the Vienna Apricot Cake, the Nusse Torte (hazelnut mousse), the almond cookies, and anything else. The fresh plum tart is amazing, but it's only available from mid-August to mid-October (if for that long). If you need bread for canapes, buy a sliced French baguette; French bread usually bores me, but this one is excellent.
Oh, and the owners' daughter-in-law is a UCLA Law School graduate, and was in one of my classes. Small world; this was many years after I'd started shopping there.
French: Michel Richard, 310 S. Robertson Blvd. in West Hollywood (between 3rd St. and Burton Way), (310) 275-5707, open Mon-Sat until 10 pm, Sun until 4 pm. Besides Central European, the other great dessert cuisine is French, and Michel Richard is a wonderful specimen. It's more expensive than B & L, though no more expensive than most good French bakeries. The best things here are the coffee eclairs, but everything else is good, too. Try the chocolate eclairs, the mado, and the tarts.
Russian: Gastronom, 7859 Santa Monica Blvd. in West Hollywood, on the northeast corner of Santa Monica and Fairfax, (323) 654-9456, 9 am to 9 pm daily. Russian cuisine is not one of the worlds finest, but it has its high points. To begin with, my mother did write an excellent Russian cookbook called The Art of Russian Cuisine (MacMillan), which you must go buy right now. And on top of that, the Gastronom Russian Deli has an excellent cake called a Smetannik - a sort of honey cake with a tasty icing that my American-born friends rave about. Try also the Napoleon, a custard layer cake that's in my view much better than the small French pastry of that name.
East Asian Supermarket: See Shun Fat, mentioned above under "Dim Sum"; the supermarket in the San Gabriel Square shopping mall, mentioned below under "Fun Food etc. Shopping"; and 99 Market, mentioned above under "Vietnamese". If you don't want to go to Monterey Park or the Valley, try Bangkok Supermarket, 4757 Melrose Ave., 2 blocks east of Western, in Hollywood, (323) 662-9705, open 9 am to 9 pm.
Good Cheap Yuppie Food: Trader Joe's, which you must have heard about. It has many locations, but the one closest to UCLA is at 10850 National, on the corner of National and Westwood, just south of the 10. Anything TJ's has is probably cheaper than at the supermarkets, as well as generally more interesting and often tastier. Especially good for cheeses and similar snacks, beer, and wine. (310) 470-1917, open 9 am to 9 pm.
Russian Market: See Gastronom, mentioned above under "Bakeries - Russian." If you like pickled herring, the Latvian pickled herring is fabulous.
Wine: The Wine House, 2311 Cotner (between Olympic & Pico, immediately to the east of the 405), (310) 479-3731. Not as cheap as Trader Joe's, but not very expensive, a vast selection, and reliable advice. Open Mon-Thu 10-7, Fri 10-9, Sat 10-7, Sun 11-6.
Bookstores, specialty:
Cleaners: Hollyway Cleaners on 8359 Santa Monica Bl., a few blocks east of La Cienega in West Hollywood, is a good cleaner that keeps amazingly good hours: It's open every day, Mon-Fri until midnight, Sat-Sun until 9 pm.
Fun Food etc. Shopping: The San Gabriel Square shopping mall, a giant East Asian complex with restaurants, a great supermarket, a Japanese-accented department store, and lots more. Valley Bl. & Del Mar in San Gabriel, a few blocks north of the 10 Freeway (Del Mar exit), about 15 minutes east of Downtown.
Target Shooting (Pistols and Rifles): LAX Firing Range, 927 W. Manchester, a few blocks west of the 405 on Manchester, about 20 minutes from campus. An indoor range, mostly for pistols though you can also shoot rifles. You can rent a gun for $5 and buy ammunition at competitive rates (some ranges charge big markups on ammunition, but this one doesn't). Between range fees, gun rentals, and ammunition, about $20 a person. (310) 568-1515, weekdays 12-10, Sat 11-10, Sun 12-6.
Target Shooting (Trap and Skeet): Triple B, 831 N. Rosemead Bl. (immediately off the 60 Freeway), South El Monte, (626) 579-5201. Tue-Thu 10-9, Fri 11-5, Sat-Sun 8-5. An outdoor range for shooting at moving clay targets with shotguns. Between range fees and ammunition, $13 per round of 25 targets. If you need to rent a shotgun, you can do so for $10 per day.