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
- @_zs @amandahess I've always wanted to go there! Is it good??? Beside the artwork, of course.
- Tomatoes, peppers, beans, peas, Romanesco (!), onions, spinach, arugula, Swiss chard, now growing in a garden near me: http://t.co/1wKdlkYU
- @Kiteaton Totally! Also, Cia nailed it!
- I love how even @MClendaniel came dressed as himself. RT @Kiteaton: A FastCompany office prank :) http://t.co/oPkGvcxG Love these guys :)
- Reminiscing about writing notes in class and relaying those little triangles of notebook paper in the hall. Do kids even do that anymore?
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: Street Walker
Optical illusion
As soon as I got home I realized I really should have taken this photo in a crosswalk. More Street Walker photos.
Posted in Street Walker
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Rethinking LA
What will LA look like 50 years from now? And how do we get there? Those are the questions poised by Rethink LA, a collective of creatives who create conversations, publications, and events about the future of LA. For their first … Continue reading
Posted in speaking, Street Walker, writing
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Birdwatching
I walk by this building in Silver Lake almost every day. I’ve never once, in almost three years, noticed this funny little stucco bird sculpted into the cut-out on the corner. Did it come with the building? Was it added … Continue reading
Posted in Street Walker
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Passion flower
Is there anything better than the summertime flora of Los Angeles? Spotted on a chain-link fence in Hollywood. Yes, passion fruit grows wild on the streets of LA. More Street Walker photos.
Posted in growing, Street Walker
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To get to the other side
I see plenty of strange things while riding my bike. Just today, for instance, I almost ran over an uneaten McDonald’s cheeseburger, a Master lock, a Roman candle, and a Scientologist. But rarely do I see chickens roaming the streets. … Continue reading
Posted in Street Walker
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Matched set
When people ask me what color my bike is, I say, see that bus over there? Yeah, like that. I didn’t mean to match LA’s public transit when I chose my color but now I really appreciate the synergy. Especially when … Continue reading
Posted in riding, Street Walker
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Star-spangled
While walking in Silver Lake I stepped into this curbside explosion of stars and stripes. Did a teacher ditch her sticker supply on the last day of school? Are these the confetti remnants of a miniature parade? Only the streets … Continue reading
Posted in Street Walker
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Wilcox Plaza
Gorgeous clouds over LA yesterday. They made Hollywood look like a Hockney painting. More Street Walker photos here.
Posted in Street Walker
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Summer in the city
It’s been a full week of bus-riding, family-hosting, party-hopping, and architecture-gawking. What a fantastic first few days of summer! More posts soon recapping all the warm, sunny goodness. More photos here.
Posted in Street Walker
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Walking with mom
My mom’s in town for a few days so we took a walk around the neighborhood to visit some of my favorite spots. (Don’t worry, mine is 100% dairy-free sorbet… and it was good!) It’s funny to walk through a … Continue reading
Posted in crafting, creating, designing, growing, Street Walker
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