Jen A. Miller Consulting

Tag: What I Love About My City

What I Love About My City | Catherine’s Los Angeles

Catherine reveals her top ten in the Los Angeles Westside

PHOTO: Catherine Abalos

Welcome to a special edition of What I Love About My City—a series in which our favorite single girls dish on everything from the best places for a single girls weekend to the secret spots only the locals know about. This time I’m taking over with a twist, bringing you the best of Los Angeles from my perspective.

If you haven’t heard the news, I’m in transition moving from L.A. back to my hometown in the San Francisco Bay Area. In an ode to my home of nine years (I spent the first four in college), I wanted to share my City of Angels. Los Angeles is made up of over 80 neighborhoods, and mine is part of the beautiful Westside. One of the best things about this major U.S. city is its diversity and space for everyone to create their own version of the city. You can be a struggling actor (literally) or a multi-millionaire and find activities, food, and people that appeal to you; granted, it takes some work. I love that Los Angeles is something different to every single person that lives there. I love how much flack it gets from people who don’t truly understand the hidden nuances. I love how you can drive to a different neighborhood and feel like you’re somewhere new entirely. You never run out of places to explore. Each of those 80 neighborhoods has its own character, and I’m so excited to share some of the best things about the Westside.

(more…)

July 7, 2014
What I Love About My City | San Francisco

San Francisco-born Nini Gueco tells us why she never tires of her City by the Bay

PHOTO: Quoc Ngo.

Welcome back to What I Love About My City—a series in which our favorite single girls dish on everything from the best places for a single girls weekend to the secret spots only the locals know about. If you’re thinking about moving or just planning your next trip, we’ll fill you in with all the essential details on the cities our crew knows best.

Over 30 years in San Francisco, and Avant-Barre‘s founder Char “Nini” Gueco has a palpable love for this fair city. Born in the City and raised in the Peninsula, Nini stayed in the Bay Area to attend Santa Clara University where she graduated with a degree in Accounting. Travel opportunities happened domestically through work (her first career move was as an accountant with a big 4 firm) and internationally through dance (she was a premier soloist with Likha Pilipino Folk Ensemble), but she always made her way back home to the Bay. I had the privilege of meeting Nini 27 years ago when I was born her second sister, and she’s one reason I cannot wait to make the move back this summer. After hearing what she had to say about San Francisco, I found a few more reasons to add to my list (one of them is Avant-Barre’s brand new SoMa studio that opens today).

(more…)

June 25, 2014
What I Love About My City | Washington D.C.

Emily Woods Gives Us Her View from the Hill on Life in our Nation’s Capital

If you’ve ever watched House of Cards (and let’s be serious, who hasn’t??) then you’ve probably wondered what life is actually like on Capital Hill. Is it all a carefully crafted political chess game like Frank Underwood implies? The Netflix show certainly had us wondering. To get the insider’s scoop I turned to my college girl friend Emily Woods who has lived Washington D.C. since July 2012. This go-getter moved to the city after graduating from the University of Cincinnati with her Masters in Architecture and an MBA (that’s right, this super sista doubled teamed her grad degrees!). Ever since she’s been rocking out life on the east coast as an architect at one of the country’s leading hospitality design firms. I sat down with her to find out what it’s like to be a Single Girl in the city, if politics really ruled all, and what the perfect day looks like in our nation’s capital. Secret- politics may play a crucial role in the conversation but a great glass of wine doesn’t fall far behind : ) Read on to find out more from this D.C-er! (more…)

April 30, 2014
What I Love About My City | Berlin

Jessica Buenaventura tells us why Berlin is “poor but sexy”… plus her tips on overcoming homesickness abroad

PHOTO: Pinterest.

Welcome back to What I Love About My City—a series in which our favorite single girls dish on everything from the best places for a single girls weekend to the secret spots only the locals know about. If you’re thinking about moving or just planning your next trip, we’ll fill you in with all the essential details on the cities our crew knows best.

Germany as a whole seems to be underrated to us in the States, so after hearing from a few close friends just how amazing the country is I was eager to get the lowdown from someone who lived there for an extended period. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Jessica Buenaventura attended UC Santa Barbara and studied abroad in Berlin, Germany. After a semester as an international student, Jessica fell in love with the city and looked for opportunities to stay post-graduation. Here she sheds light on the different layers of Berlin and its inhabitants and dishes on the must-see sights and sounds awaiting us in this German stadt… as well as shares her tips on avoiding inevitable homesickness while living away from your friends and family.

Berliners are the work-hard, party-hard generation whose affinity for travel, impressive knowledge of global politics, and nonchalant hipster style make you ogle at how freaking über cool it is to be living in Berlin.

(more…)

March 19, 2014
What I Love About My City | New Orleans

Sarah Walsh shares how The Big Easy called her home, plus her insider tips for Mardi Gras

PHOTO: Deconcrete.

Welcome back to What I Love About My City—a series in which our favorite single girls dish on everything from the best places for a single girls weekend to the secret spots only the locals know about. If you’re thinking about moving or just planning your next trip, we’ll fill you in with all the essential details on the cities our crew knows best.

Originally from San Rafael, California, Sarah Walsh is a hair, makeup and food enthusiast living in New Orleans and loving every second. I had the pleasure of meeting Sarah in high school in San Francisco. She was a swimmer. I was a dancer. What has kept us connected since 2005 despite never being in the same city since (and aside from the outbreak of social media in our generation) is our obsession with and absurd ability to quote the TV show FRIENDS. A natural long-distance friendship was inevitable. I have yet to meet someone my age who, like Sarah, is so connected to a new city and feels indubitably that it has been and always will be the place she calls “home.” This is Sarah’s NOLA, and after hearing her vivacity in talking about this fair city, it is now on my shortlist of new places to visit.
(more…)

February 20, 2014