Brianna Brown’s L.A. a.k.a Hot Walks with Brianna and Beth

Our L.A. series

I mean not sexy hot. Well maybe I do, it's us and we were glistening in sweat (ha!). It was freaking 95 degrees in March. It was HOT. But I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

Brianna Brown Keen. Where do I start with this woman? Incredible actress (General Hospital, Devious Maids, Homeland, Outer Banks), producer, Manifesting Your Mission podcaster, founder of non profit, The New Hollywood Accountability Program that supports formerly homeless single mothers and provides monthly accountability coaching utilizing guest speakers, mentorship, continued education, and techniques from its sister organization, Manifesting Your Mission that she also founded. Brianna is a goal setting and achieving, and productivity master. And she is a wonderful teacher of it. Her latest endeavor, Wellness Babes, is another homerun. She’s a mother, a wife, and not least of all a great friend.

And she’s a Minnesota native so you know I’m gonna connect with a fellow midwest girl.

Her actions are not performative. Helping people be their best selves is truly her life’s work that she is deeply committed to and you better believe she is for real. She actually gives a shit. And it’s nice to see in this world we live in.

So anyway, back to hot walks with Brianna and Beth.

She had me meet her at The Oaks Gourmet on Franklin. I knew this particular block fairly well.

On the way there I drove a route I drove quite a bit back in the day. Down Los Feliz Boulevard, past what is now a bank but what used to be the famed Derby club (watch Swingers if you don’t know what I’m talking about), past the first apartment I lived with my boyfriend I moved to L.A. with, past Griffith Park signs, past the American FilmI institute, turning right down Franklin avenue to the block between Bronson and Cheremoya, a block between the shadow of the Hollywood sign and the looming Scientology Celebrity Center. The newsstand I used to get my Backstage West - still there. Birds Cafe- Still there. Counterpoint records and books- Still there. Comedy group Upright Citizens Brigade??  I wish this was here back in my day.

The market on the corner of the block wasn’t here in the late 90’s. Not in this form anyway. It used to be Victor’s LIquor & Delicatessen. Now it’s The Oaks Gourmet, a cute/cool market/coffee shop/liquor store/lunch spot. It took a lot of will power not to buy all the adorable packaged salts, popcorn and every other snack on the shelf.

Brianna knows all the stuff I’ve been through, the good the bad and vice versa so we ate our brussel sprout caesar salad and bacon, egg burritos and caught up a bit. Life feels pretty good right now for both of us. I’ve known Brianna for a long time. We both studied acting at the same studio back in the day. But I didn’t really know her well until I joined her goal group years and years ago. I’ve met so many amazing people in that group (see my first Our L.A. guest, Andrea Gabriel) and I’ve seen us all grow in stunning and impressive ways through hardship and successes. And I’m thrilled Brianna wanted to show me around her hood.

We hopped in her car and she drove me up the hill past The Greek Theatre and around Griffith Park past the Griffith Observatory. The streets were lined with cars of visitors taking advantage of this beautiful clear (HOT) day and take in the sights. The observatory is an iconic place of course. You may remember it from Rebel Without a Cause, but for some reason all I think about is the Paula Abdul - Rush Rush music video featuring Keanu Reeves. Brianna and I talked about what our dumbasses did when we first moved in here in our early 20’s. Those were definitely not the days.

Hollywood Reservoir

We wound our way through the Hollywood Hills and parked in the nondescript lot outside Hollywood Reservoir. I had never been here before. This is what’s interesting about Los Angeles. Griffith Park, the reservoir, these slices of beauty are smack dab in the middle of the city. During the 3.3 mile walk we talked about book recommendations, women’s rights, teens, the guy in Florida who said Dolphins kidnapped him and forced him to build a city underwater (I dunno. Maybe!). We mulled on how we live in this open mindset these days because life is insane and who the fuck knows what’s going on.

We weren’t quite ready to end our hang, so Brianna drove me up Bronson Avenue to Canyon Drive to the Bronson Caves. I had never been here either. And she showed me the first bat cave from the Batman T.V. show!

I asked her if she would stay in L.A. forever. We both mulled on this a bit. We aren’t sure. This place and the film industry has changed a lot since we moved here. So much filming doesn’t even happen here. “Both of us have family in the midwest. Wouldn’t it be funny if we both end up back there?” she said.

On the way back down to my car we passed a street where in the early 2000’s I used to go to epic Halloween parties dressed as a fairy in lace slips I found in vintage shops. Damn that was a lifetime ago. A few people ago. No I’m still her, just hopefully a little bit wiser. Anyway I digress, but it’s hard for these streets not to pull me into my past.

We ended our time together grabbing a refreshing drink from Oaks Gourmet, the peach soda was SO GOOD.

Brianna, how long have you lived in Los Angeles?
I’ve lived in La La Land for seventeen years—and it’s truly been a journey.

Where did you move from?
I moved from Apple Valley, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis/St. Paul—so very different from L.A. in so many ways.

What do you love about L.A.?
I love seeing culture merge and that people genuinely want to create. There’s this feeling here that anything is possible, and that energy can be really inspiring.

What do you think is a misconception about L.A.?
That there’s only one way to live or one belief system. How people live in Beverly Hills isn’t what Silver Lake looks or feels like at all. You can be into surfing, climbing, knitting—whatever lights you up—and there’s a community here that shares that passion. If you seek it out, you’ll find it… or you can create it.

Life doesn’t have to look a certain way here. For people who know who they are, that can feel really freeing. For those who don’t, it can feel overwhelming, and it’s easy to get caught up trying to fit in.

For me, I’ve been really intentional about surrounding myself with people who are supportive, positive, philanthropic, and deep—and those who aren’t, naturally fall out of my orbit.

How would you encapsulate your L.A. experience in just a couple sentences?
Moving here at 19 was a leap—I didn’t know anyone successful in my field and was very much told to figure it out. It’s been full of incredible experiences and adventures, and the challenges have only strengthened my spirit and clarified my purpose.

L.A. really can be whatever you want it to be, and I’m grateful to have created a life here that works for me, not against me.

To learn more about my Our L.A. project check out the intro in my first installment. Stay tuned for more L.A. adventures.