8: Plaza del Valle, Panorama City

8: Plaza del Valle, Panorama City
Designed by: Canoga Park Youth Arts Center
Piano type: Console
Playability: Good
Weather: 80°F, sunny
How I got here: Metro Red Line subway, Metro Orange Line bus, Metro Rapid 761 bus

After I was done with the Hollywood piano, I hopped back on the subway and headed up to the North Hollywood station, where the El Portal Theatre was just mere yards away.

I did play it, and technically it was my 8th street piano, but after plunking out the intro arpeggio to Adele's "Set Fire To The Rain," I was told by someone in the lobby to stop playing due to a location filming shoot being done inside. She told me the filming would last until this evening. Should I return?

Instead I forged forward. Onto the Metro Orange Line bus and up Van Nuys blvd via Metro Rapid 761.

When I got off at Chase, I had just passed some familiar sights: Panorama High School where I worked a public hearing for my consulting job, the Island Pacific market where I ventured into one day to explore facets of the local Filipino community.

The 8th piano was in a place called "Plaza del Valle," which I had probably passed a thousand times but never really ventured into. I knew it was on the east side of Van Nuys Boulevard. A driveway to the parking lot led me there. It's a Mexican-style outdoor mall right near Van Nuys & Chase, right behind and paralleling  the storefronts on the east side of the street. You'd never know it was there!

A few people played the pianos, mostly kids. I played it for a bit before venturing around, this place looked kind of interesting. It had shops on both sides, while the parking lot was farther back from the street. There was a fountain, there were a couple stalls selling craft items, religious paintings/statues and Dodgers and Raiders gear -- all in the same stand!

It was kind of hot that day and I was both thirsty and hungry, so I found a Raspado Express stand there where I got a mango/guava flavored icy treat to beat the heat. Then I ate at a Japanese-Peruvian place called Chop Teriyaki where I had myself a chicken bowl.

The piano was black with white Dia de los Muertos-style Mexican folk art that got a lot of acclaim. I kinda wished I knew some Latin tunes, would have been perfect to play here. When in doubt, just improvise: