The Gatekeeper: Dimitri Dimitrov
The diminutive and unfailingly polite Dimitrov is not only every patron's biggest fan; he's a walking who's who of the city's elite.WHAT ONE WORD DESCRIBES THE LOCAL SOCIAL SCENE? "Relaxed."
WHO PERSONIFIES THE L.A. SPIRIT FOR YOU? "Elon Musk. He has an optimism, a brightness, and a boldness that is pure California. And Lisa Eisner—she epitomizes L.A. style."
FAVORITE MEMORY: "As a young man I worked at the restaurant Diaghilev. Sean Penn, Johnny Depp, Bill Murray, Timothy Leary, Charles Bukowski, Harry Nilsson—they'd all come in and stay until 2 a.m. Coming from Macedonia, I couldn't believe it!"
The Multi-hyphenate: Jena Malone
Musician, actressThe Hunger Games star has a side career fronting an experimental indie band, the Shoe, which just released its debut album, I’m Okay.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED IN L.A.? "Off and on for 20 years—since I was 10 years old, when I moved from Lake Tahoe with my mother. I think I've lived in almost every single part of the city. Currently I live in Hollywood."
HOW HAS THE CITY IMPROVED? "In every way imaginable! The best ways are the stronger sense of creative community and the revitalization of public spaces. And the food has improved by leaps and bounds."
WHAT'S THE BEST THING ABOUT THE CITY? "The light."
WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE IF YOU COULD? "The most important thing would be to reclaim more public spaces, with edible gardens and bike paths—make it more livable for communities not just individuals."
WHAT'S DIFFERENT ABOUT BEING AN ARTIST IN L.A.? “Not everyone is creating to make money."
HOW IS THE MUSIC SCENE DIFFERENT FROM OTHER CITIES? "There are more secret shows than anywhere I know."
DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE LOCAL BAND? “Becky Stark’s Lavender Diamond.”
IS THERE A FILM THAT BEST CAPTURES THE CITY FOR YOU? "Magnolia."
WHERE SHOULD EVERY VISITOR GO? “The Angeles National Forest, in Arcadia. It’s a great place to get lost.”
WHO HAS THE BEST PARTIES? “They always seem to happen in the Hills.”
FAVORITE RESTAURANT: "Sqrl. But it’s taco trucks that make the world go round here. Order a mulita!"
The Lifestyle Guru: Tracee Ellis Ross
Actress, online superstarRoss, Diana’s eldest, stars this fall on the ABC family comedy Black-ish. Locally, she’s famous for her wildly successful eponymous lifestyle website.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED IN L.A.? I was born here and spent many summers in L.A., but I grew up in New York and Europe. I moved back in 1997.
WOULD YOU SAY IT'S A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE NOW? Uber has transformed my social life. I live in the Hollywood Hills, and going to Venice for a drink at 9 p.m.? There was no way that was happening before.”
WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT L.A.? “The restaurants. I love a chic dinner and you couldn’t find that here eight years ago. I used to have to go to New York for a fix. Now I don’t feel like I need to go back as often. My one complaint is that finding a restaurant here with consistent and great service is not easy—most everyone is trying for stardom after all. I’d say the best service is at the Tower Bar.”
SO WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANTS? Matsuhisa has been great from the beginning. New favorites include Bestia, Bucato, Eveleigh, Hinoki & the Bird, Son of a Gun.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE L.A. STYLE? “The rule book has yet to be written, so there’s more freedom to experiment.”
WHERE SHOULD EVERY VISITOR GO? “The Hollywood Bowl.”
WHAT IS THE WORST THING ABOUT THE CITY? “Platform flip-flops.”
HOW CAN YOU IDENTIFY A RECENT TRANSPLANT? “They’re very excited about Runyon Canyon.”