These days, Nasser is experiencing the fun of exploring Los Angeles with his two kids, aged 6 and 3. “I know this isn’t groundbreaking, but one of the things I like about being a parent,” he says, “is just the fresh eyes kids have on the whole world." Read on for Nasser’s family-friendly PST ART tour, full of LA things he and his kids love to do and see.
Southern California, California
Favorite place to eat in SoCal: We do a lot of breakfast and brunchy kinds of meals out, so I'll give you two of my favorites for really good, kid-friendly food: One is Marston’s in Pasadena. They have this crunchy french toast that is unreal. I mean, it's like a sugar bomb and then you have to go to sleep afterwards, but it’s so good. The other place my kids really like is in Eagle Rock. It’s called Lola Cafe and it’s Oaxacan. They have a super good breakfast.
Best kept SoCal secret: I got one for kids, which is the Santa Monica Airport. Maybe it’s not a secret, but whenever we go, there’s nobody there. You can stand basically right next to the runway and watch the tiny planes take off and land. The other fun thing is that there’s a little narrow strip beside the runway—it’s restricted to be on the runway but you can be beside it—and so my kids and I will run with the planes as they land or take off. Also, right nearby is the Museum of Flying where you can see a copy of the Wright Brothers plane. And another big hit for my kids is at the Museum gift shop, you can buy these little toys for $2. They’re like a little straw with helicopter blades on top. You spin it between your hands and it blasts off. My kids are crazy about those. And the Santa Monica Airport and the Museum of Flying are within walking distance from one another. So you get that flying thing and then you sit with your little toy at the airport and watch the real planes fly up. It’s a super simple, fun thing to do.
I love SoCal because…of the fruit. My wife and I moved here from New York City. And everyone's always talking about the weather. No one talks about the fruit. But the fruit here is so much better! Everything tastes so good. We regularly go to Underwood Family Farms to pick strawberries. They're amazing. They’re the best strawberries I’ve ever eaten and you can get as many as you want. And it also makes us pick vegetables that we’d never eat otherwise and makes the kids excited about vegetables…it's totally fun.
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Wired for Wonder: A Multisensory Maze
SCHEDULE A PLAYDATE
Start the day in Pasadena at Kidspace Children’s Museum, host to PST ART’S Wired for Wonder: A Multisensory Maze. All ages will have fun navigating this maze that uses color, light, movement, texture, and more to challenge visitors’ perspectives and spark wonder. “We go to Kidspace all the time,” says Nasser, “and this exhibit sounds awesome.” [Editor's note: this is one of the few PST ART exhibitions opening in January 2025. Check exhibition listing before planning your trip!]
For Nasser and his family, part of Kidspace’s magic is how much there is to explore. “For a while, we were in a phase where we would only ever go to the Physics Forest with the noodles and the big blue blocks,” he laughs. “Then the kids loved all the inside stuff. Now my younger son goes straight for the creek in the back. My advice to parents is: Bring a change of clothes because your kids are going to get super wet. It’s so fun back there. Kidspace appeals on so many different levels and is perfect for kids who like to touch things—which I think is every kid!”
When your littles have worked up an appetite, Nasser recommends Kidspace’s Bean Sprouts Cafe. “The snacks and lunches are really good and creative,” says Nasser. “Like, my kid always gets this sandwich that looks like a little piano. It’s not just a situation of, ’Okay, we're going to do chicken fingers and deep fried everything.’ No, Kidspace is like, ‘We’re going to do this properly.’ They have vegetarian and other dishes presented in fun ways that kids want to eat. We actually bought the cookbook, so we make a lot of their recipes at home because they’re so good.”
360 North Arroyo Boulevard, Pasadena
MON-FRI:5:30AM-9PM
SAT:5:30AM-5PM
SUN:8AM-5PM
GO FOR A SWIM
Cool off after lunch at the Rose Bowl Aquatic Center next door. (Kidspace and the Aquatic Center share a parking lot.) There are recreational swim hours most days and multiple Olympic-size pools. Another kid favorite? The snack bar. “Like Kidspace, the Aquatic Center also has good, affordable food,” says Nasser. “So, after a hearty swim, you can get a popsicle.”
Pacific Standard Universe
SEE SOMETHING NEW
Head next to the Griffith Observatory where you’ll find Pacific Standard Universe, a 25-minute film about how space and the cosmos have been represented throughout time. “I'm all about that. I love the Observatory,” says Nasser. “We're actually having my kid's birthday there soon. It's great to hike up there, too. You can make an afternoon event of it and it’s a very doable hike for kids. We’ll either start down by the Greek Theater or by Trails Cafe and the giant playground right there. Which is another great thing for parents. That playground is terrific.”
The Trails Cafe, a charming outdoor cafe, is tucked in the Fern Dell area of Griffith Park. “It’s so great. They have amazing quiche,” recommends Nasser. “My kid really loves their snake dogs, these hot dogs wrapped in bread. The pie is amazing. And it’s a good way to fuel up before you go up to the top or vice versa. Do the hike, and then come back and have a snack before you leave.”
One thing Nasser likes about the hike up to the Observatory is how you never know exactly what you might see. “The hike is sort of busy, and some people don’t like that, but you often meet or run into interesting people. One time, there was a guy who had all these birds of prey, and he was doing these amazing flight demonstrations of his hawks and eagles. It was incredible. My kids still talk about it. It wasn’t something we planned, but it felt like the most serendipitous thing.”
No Prior Art: Illustrations of Invention
SNEAK IN SOME DOWN TIME
After all the activity, you and your family may be ready for some quiet time. Head downtown to the Los Angeles Public Library’s Central branch. “My kids always enjoy it whenever we go,” says Nasser. “The children’s literature department is fun. I also dig their ALOUD series of book talks and panels. I try to go whenever I can.” The PST ART exhibition No Prior Art: Illustrations of Invention is on view at Central Library and is a sure hit for kids, as it explores the magical process of invention.
Reframing Dioramas: The Art of Preserving Wilderness
VISIT THE DIORAMAS
Not far from the Central Library is the Natural History Museum, where you can check out PST ART’s Reframing Dioramas: The Art of Preserving Wilderness. For 100 years, the Museum has displayed over 75 dioramas of habitats around the world. In celebration, the Museum is opening a diorama hall that has been closed for decades. “I'm so excited for this exhibit,” says Nasser. “The dioramas are so cool. I remember, at one point, my eldest son was obsessed with walruses. And he was like, ‘Okay, we gotta go see the walrus diorama.’ And I'm like, ‘I'm so sorry. I don't think there's going to be a walrus’. And then there was! And he completely lost his mind. The dioramas are one thing—they're amazing—but also the fact that they're kind of like one giant hall…. The spaces are so big and they're just great for kids to run from one to the other, back and forth. I love taking my kids there.”
While you’re at the Museum, Nasser has one additional recommendation: “To me, one of the rooms that’s very underrated is the Gem and Mineral Hall. Oh, man, the rocks…they look like they all came from other planets. You're like, How is this a real thing that got pulled out of the ground? They're just so beautiful and strange.”
