Hey there! My name is Alissa. I’m a writer, a gelato-eater, and a walker in LA.
You can learn more about who I am, what I write, why I walk, and even see where I live and work. Last year I was honored to be named as an USC/Annenberg Getty Arts Journalism fellow. You also might like this talk I gave about how to do the work you love.
Welcome to Gelatobaby
Follow me at @gelatobaby
- Carbing up for tomorrow's Stair Trek with frozen yogurt topped with Goldfish. http://t.co/iDw3dQaA
- Bubbly at Deborah's in honor of dear sweet Roan. http://t.co/8ySBPr8g
- My take on the Cafe Stella wall in Silver Lake for @laweeklyarts http://t.co/gK7hP5RO #toodamnhigh
- New bus benches for LA to replace the crappy plastic ones! http://t.co/wDHCJHcN
- RT @kristinawalsh: âThe payoff is that you have this recordâ -nice musings from @gelatobaby about capturing moments vs. experiencing the ...
Come say hello
- GOOD Design for Cities
A new event series hosted by Alissa and supported in part by ArtPlace is coming to Portland and St. Louis. Here's how creatives can apply to be part of it.
- GOOD Design for Cities
Check out our next de LaB
- Design East of La Brea is a monthly party I co-host with Haily Zaki, Marissa Gluck and Erin Cullerton. Almost always east of La Brea. Learn more about past de Labs and sign up for our monthly newsletter.
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Click on some recent posts
Read my articles elsewhere
You can find my writing most days at GOOD, or at Fast Company's new design site, Co.Design, or over at Dwell. You can also read about my 13 favorite stories from 2010.
- Waaaaay Back to the Future
Fast Company, August 2011
Nike's 23-year journey to make Marty McFly's AirMag shoes real. - Meet the Makers
Details, July 2011
Profile of Saul Griffith, an engineer and inventor who could change the way we make... everything. - Sasaki's Heartbeat
Dwell, June 2011
A studio visit with the Japanese-born artist Sasaki, who has been drawing people's heartbeats for 15 years. - Is LA's Public Transit a Joke? This Comedian Sure Hopes So
GOOD, June 2011
For comedian Kristina Wong, living car-free isn't just an act. - Middle School Students Tell LAUSD: No More Styrofoam
GOOD, April 2011
A group of sixth graders mounts a campaign to rid their school of the evil white foam. - The Future of Reading Online [Video]
Fast Company, March 2011
At SXSW, I interviewed designer Khoi Vinh about tablets, pay walls, and browsers. - How LA's "Farmers Field" Could Boost Urban Agriculture
GOOD, February 2011
Let's turn the city's new football stadium into the world's biggest urban farm. - BOOM! Palm Springs Plans a Wacky Old Folks Community
Fast Company, February 2011
10 architects have collaborated on a very unique new kind of retirement home for gays. - The Design Difference
GOOD, January 2011
How can design help create change in the underserved community of Brownsville, New York? A three-part series. - Why We Don't Need Any More Anonymous Critics
GOOD, January 2011
Let's stop the dining in disguise and make food critics powerful, public voices for real social change. - The Rise of the Bus-Riding Celebrity
GOOD, October 2010
Why don't more eco-minded celebrities in LA take public transit? - Can Design Save the World?
Fast Company, October 2010
Profiles of superstar emerging designers Candy Chang and Bobby C. Martin, Jr. - Where My Ladies At?
GOOD, August 2010
Why aren't there more women in industrial design? - At Home with Ed Begley, Jr.
Dwell, June 2010
I visited LA's greenest celebrity to talk about gardening, solar panels and riding the bus. - Why I Write About Design Now
GOOD, May 2010
How we need to cover the design industry: Without a chair in the world. - Here's Why the Banksy Movie is a Banksy Prank
Fast Company, April 2010
The world's most famous street artist makes a documentary? I'm not buying it. - If You Lived Here, You'd Be Urban By Now
GOOD, Spring 2010
The case against fake "walkable urbanism" developments which are neither walkable or urban. - Why Can't the World's Best Architects Build Better Websites?
Fast Company, March 2010
Loading... - The Fake Freeway Sign that Became a Real Public Service
GOOD, January 2010
Artist Richard Ankrom's act of guerrilla public service improved the commuter experience.
- Waaaaay Back to the Future
View my photos
Try some gelato
- Catch up on my latest gelato adventures, or find gelato using my Gelatobaby GeLAtomap.
Category Archives: playing
11 Questions for 2012
My friend Gregory just tagged me in one of those chain letter-type posts where if you don’t answer 11 questions about yourself and forward it along to 11 more people someone close to you will be severely maimed in a … Continue reading →
Thankful
Before we’d officially named Big Kiddah, we realized we were already all calling him the same thing. “No, kitty!” (as he leapt onto a dinner plate) “No, kitty!” (as he leapt onto the book we were reading) “No, kitty!” (as … Continue reading →
LAX: The best bar in LA
Contrary to what you might be thinking, this photo, shot by one Keith Scharwath, was not taken on Halloween. When Keith snapped it with his iPhone, I had absolutely no idea what was going on behind me. But really, it was no different … Continue reading →
LAX: Getting out of town
Today’s LAX post will be a bit different, since I’m parked poolside in Palm Springs for my friend Sonja’s bachelorette party. And that’s the thing. Over the last ten years, I’ve often found myself far, far away from my beloved … Continue reading →
LAX: On not seeing stars
After ten years in LA you might say that I have learned to be a good Angeleno. I say “freeway” now instead of my midwestern “highway.” I don’t complain about the piles of ripe, juicy oranges falling off our trees … Continue reading →
LAX: Celebrating ten years in LA
In ten days I will turn 34. Although some—Hallmark, Facebook—might consider the fact that I have managed to spend 34 years on this earth to be some incredible accomplishment, this date coincides with what I think is a far more … Continue reading →
Sunset for the junction?
Update: The Board of Public Works denied the permit on August 24, canceling the festival. For the past 30 years my neighborhood has hosted a street festival called Sunset Junction, which is also a nickname for the nearest major intersection to my … Continue reading →
Home sweet dome
Emerging from yet another camping stint along the coast, we’ve finally found wifi (and showers! and laundry!). And I come bearing photos. My shots from the Yosemite-Kings Canyon-Sequoia leg of our tour can be found here. I hope to add … Continue reading →
Upper Yosemite
Heading up to the top of those falls (the tallest in North America at 2425 feet!), and beyond. See you in a few days!
What to show mom in LA
My mom and aunt were here for the past week and I was thrilled to have a chance to show them my Los Angeles. No, we didn’t step foot on the beach or attempt to see the Hollywood sign or … Continue reading →
