Arlo Parks has fully embraced Los Angeles as her new hometown. The critically lauded London-born-and-raised singer recorded much of her album in Los Angeles. She shares some of the places she loves around town that are proof of her eclectic taste.
Less“This is my favorite plant nursery. I went there when I wanted to buy plants for my place for the first time. I bought this wonderful rubber plant and a bunch of other plants as well. The lovely people there taught us how to repot plants and taught us all about root health and how to know when your plant is happy, when it’s sad, what to do, how much sunlight it needed, and everyone was just super friendly there. I feel happiest when my room is filled with plants. This is my peaceful sanctuary.”
“This is the best place in the world to buy gifts for somebody. It is full of weird little oddities, action figures, and books on really niche little topics. I can’t even explain it properly, but it’s just this mishmash. Imagine, and I say this in the best way, a hoarder who’s lived for centuries and centuries collecting only the most hilarious and specific and interesting items—that’s what Soap Plant Wacko is. I would recommend this spot to anybody visiting.”
“Slab is definitely my favorite place to get Texas-style barbecue in Los Angeles. They do an amazing brisket. They do ribs and veggie options as well, but mainly it’s pork. Pork, sandwiches, wings, and all of that good stuff. I fell in love with barbecue when I first came to Austin, and this is my favorite spot to go to after a long day and treat myself to some ribs.”
“My favorite place to go on the weekends is Rosie’s Dog Beach in Long Beach. The first time I went was with my friend Matthew, and we took my girlfriend’s car and I had only got my driving license a few weeks before, so it was my first long road trip. We took my little dog, sat, and ate tacos while watching the water and all the other little dogs running around. There’s nothing more pure in the world than seeing a dog with its ears flapping around, chasing seagulls, and having a lovely time.”
“I am a big fan of coffee, and my favorite spot is probably Intelligentsia in Silver Lake. The first time I stayed in L.A. was in Silver Lake. I didn’t really know what to expect, and coffee to me is my lifeline. It is the first thing I think of in the morning. So I’d get a coffee from Intelligentsia, walk around a little bit, then go to the studio, then probably go back to Intelligentsia. It became this lovely little anchor for me when I was new in the city.”
“Departamento is one of my favorite shops in L.A. I love these little treasure troves when it comes to clothes. There’s this real sense of curation to it. It’s a place that I always revisit when I’m trying to look fresh for an event. There’s something so lovely about spending an hour or two sifting through clothes that feel very unique. And I think to me, fashion clothing has always been an armor and a method of expression. And the curators at Departamento really get it right.”
“Dave & Buster’s is something that is very new to me as an English person. I went to the one in L.A. around Halloween with my friends. There’s this sense of childlike fun and I love a place where there’s just arcades, games, and it smells a bit funny. There’s a sense of being a teenager again. That’s what I love about it. Just the fact that it’s silly and a place to go with your friends when you are pretty exhausted and delirious. You’re definitely gonna have a lot of fun under flashing lights.”
“One of my favorite places to eat in L.A. is a place called Damian. It’s beautiful Mexican cuisine. My friend told me, ‘Listen, you have to come here.’ The atmosphere was very calm. There was this kind of like floral, green theme going on inside. You could tell that the food had been prepared with such love and care. That’s my favorite thing about food—when it feels like an experience. And there’s craft that’s gone into it made by people who love food.”
“Cookbook in Echo Park is one of the most wonderful places on earth. You can buy fresh flowers for your lover or your friend or your mom. Inside they have all this fresh produce, really interesting chilies, cheeses, oils, sauces, and recipe books. Everything has been handpicked; everything is there for a reason. Whenever I’m preparing for a dinner party, cooking for myself, or looking for new inspiration, I’ll always go to Cookbook to find something new and gorgeous and exciting.”
“Amoeba is where I get all my records. I went to Amoeba for the first time with my manager years and years ago. It was my first time in L.A., and I spent a lot of time at Rough Trade in London, so finding a good record shop was on top of my priority list. Playing records for me is a place of stillness, a place of peace, a place where I can absorb my favorite records and new music. Amoeba will always be my go-to for buying records and finding out what is hip and cool.”