Things To Do In Florida: Review of Hollywood Hot Glass
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| A flower I made at Hollywood Hot Glass (with some help). |
DETAILS
Address: Hollywood Hot Glass, One Young Circle, Hollywood, FL 33020
Phone Number: 954-732-7231
Web site: www.hollywoodhotglass.com
Email Contact Info: info@hollywoodhotglass.com
What it is: A place that creates glass sculptures that also offers sessions where you can make your own item (with assistance from a professional). They also offer classes for those who want a more hands-on experience. You can buy glass art created by their artists. They also offer a way to memorialize your loved one's or beloved pet's cremated remains (a small amount) in glass.
Price: You can find coupons on Groupon that slashes the price by at least $10 for the sessions. If you don't have a Groupon, the cheapest items for the sessions are $50. They accept walk ins. If you make a reservation, it costs $5.30. I had to pay $31.80 to have my flower mailed to me, but you can pick up your creations for free. Classes and commissions, of course, are much more expensive.
Who is it for (this refers only to the sessions):
- People who are interested in glass making.
- People who just like doing interesting things for a bucket list, personal growth, something to write about in your diary, or to discuss with friends to make them think you are super cool.
- People who want an activity that is not more than a half hour tops.
- People who are looking for something to do in Florida that doesn't involve wearing a bathing suit.
- People who are looking for a pretty and personal gift they can make for a loved one or for themselves.
Who is it NOT for (again, only referring to the sessions):
- People who are hoping to learn how to blow glass so they can sell their own creations on Etsy (You won't learn this in the sessions--I'd suggest taking the class if this is your ambition).
- People who are looking for cheap or free fun. (Even if I had done this the cheapest way possible--meaning I didn't make a reservation or pay for shipping, I still spent $38 on the Groupon).
- People who hate the heat (Dress cool and bring water--IT'S HOT!).
- People who want an activity that will eat up several hours. This is a half hour tops, though there are restaurants nearby.
- People who want a totally hands on experience. Again, if that is what you want, the class may be a better choice for you. In the sessions, while you get to help create your item, a professional artist does most of the work.
- People looking for an indoor activity with air conditioning. While it is enclosed, this place is essentially outside. They have fans, but as I've mentioned before--it is hot.
I Would Call Hollywood Hot Glass First If:
Hollywood Hot Glass has excellent customer service. I found talking to Christina on the phone a little difficult because there was a warbling underwater sound that made it hard to hear her clearly, but I was still able to make my reservation. She is also good about responding to emails very quickly, often the same day but at least by the next day (on days they are open). If you have any questions at all, I'd suggest calling or emailing them.
- Hollywood Hot Glass seems to welcome all age groups to the sessions, but I would call to find out if there is a cut off age, and whether they want a child to be accompanied by an adult.
- If you have certain disabilities, you may want to call to find out if some activities may be inadvisable for you. These are very nice people, and I don't believe they would discriminate...but it is possible some activities may be inappropriate for certain disabilities.
- They seem to welcome groups, but I would imagine they might like to know in advance.
- Though I'm giving some information, definitely check out their website or call them--after all, information can change.
Hours: They are closed on Tuesdays and Sundays. They are open other days from 2 p.m.-10 p.m. I don't know if they do sessions during their classes--I'd call to find out about that. If you buy a Groupon during a holiday special, be certain it will remain good if the holiday falls on a day they are closed--or call to find out if they are making an exception to their hours.
Note to Groupon Users: Even if your Groupon is still good, the offer may be subject to change. My Groupon offered a session to make a round paperweight, starfish, or ornament. When I got there, my choices were different. I was just as well pleased, as I thought the flower was prettier.
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| The back side of my flower. |
Years ago, my family took a trip to Key West. I actually don't remember too much about it except for a few highlights. I remember that going down to the Keys, it seemed that there was a church and a liquor store on every corner. I remembered the six toed cats at the Hemingway house, particularly one old feline named Mr. Bette Davis (they had thought he was a girl when he was a young kitten). I remembered being fascinated by the story of the old doctor who had stole and mummified the girl he was in love with, and how the same story gave me sleepless nights as I expected the girl's corpse to crawl into my hotel room window.
Another thing I remember was seeing a glass blower at work on one of their sculptures and watching in fascination. My mom bought me a glass carousel. It was made of clear glass. It had two pieces--a rod with a decorative base, and then the carousel fit on top of it, which allowed you to spin it. It had been so delicate that I had feared I wouldn't get it home safely, but I did. For years, the carousel sat on my window ledge--the safest place I could find for it. Then one year we had a sudden gust of strong wind, and though my window was closed at the time, enough air got through that it knocked the carousel off and shattered it into a million pieces.
I've always loved the idea of learning how to make things. Blacksmithing, carpentry, glass blowing, etc., they all fascinated me. Glass blowing held maybe even more appeal because it could be artistic as well as practical. I suppose that is true of all the other trades as well, but there are more stories--it seems--about glass blowing. There is a Christmas story about a little bulb Noel who witnesses many Christmases and enjoys them because when he was created, the glass blower shed a tear of happiness because his daughter had just given birth to a child. Though I had been traumatized by some of the things that had happened to the characters, I had liked the book The Glassblower by Petra Durst-Benning. While I read these stories, there was always a hope that maybe one day I would get the opportunity to learn how to blow glass.
I am a compulsive quitter and starter over. I always think I can do something better, and so I start over. What I started to realize is that you don't make any progress that way. There is analogy that someone can be the fastest runner in the world, but they will lose the race to slower runners if they keep starting the race over because they didn't think they started it off well. I easily get overwhelmed, though, and have to do everything in small steps. The problem is that sometimes it is hard to see your progress when you do this. To keep myself from starting over and yet being able to see progress, I bought a tub of plastic counting animals. It is for children to help them learn how to count and to sort. Whenever I perform a task, I put a counting animal in a jar. If I complete the task, I can put a specific number of animals in the jar (usually three, though it depends on the task). When I use up all the animals, I reward myself. At first, I was just planning on buying something I liked...but then I realized I have a lot of stuff already. I decided to reward myself with experiences, which would encourage me to get out of the house more--which I'm also not very good at doing.
I encountered a bit of a problem at first. Many things to do in Florida are far away from me. Another problem I encountered is that many activities are meant for groups and not for individuals. There is an Escape Room place near me, but I need to have at least one other person with me. It is funny, but many people just don't think it sounds like a lot of fun to be locked into a room and solve puzzles to try and find a way out of it. I also avoid many activities that involve drinking or sexual stimulation (there are burlesque shows).
Groupon has been helpful in making me aware of places. This was how I first became aware of Hollywood Hot Glass. As it so happened, I was close to completing my tub of animals, and so I rewarded myself by buying a Groupon for a Hollywood Hot Glass session as a reward.
The location made me a bit nervous. I hate the circles. I got lost once trying to navigate Presidential Circle and wound up giving myself heat exhaustion. When you are going in circles, it is easy to get turned around. I was taking an Uber this time, but I couldn't tell whether there was an entrance for cars into this place. My Uber driver missed it the first time, but he did eventually find an entrance.
I always give an extra ten minutes on my trips, assuming that we could always encounter bad traffic. I remember that particular day the sky was making me nervous because it was turning gray and thundering, and I was expecting a Noah's Ark torrential downpour. Oddly enough, it never rained until I was safely home--and much later in the evening, which I was grateful. I wound up arriving at this place at 1:30 p.m., and Hollywood Hot Glass doesn't open until 2 p.m.
The building is easy to find. It has a slanted roof and Hollywood Hot Glass in huge letters. The entrance, though, was confusing...mainly because it wasn't what I expected. I had expected to walk into an air conditioned lobby with displays of glass sculptures. I had expected the place to be indoors. There were many doors labeled Hollywood Hot Glass. They had security codes, and they were essentially a gate. It looked like a private entrance for maintenance staff or security personnel. Or it looked like a place for them to keep velicoraptors. It did not look like an entrance for customers to go into. There was a nice glass enclosed lobby to the right with a locked door, but that was not the entrance.
When I looked through the gate, I could see a woman working in what looked like a glass work shop. I was a half hour early, and the place wasn't officially opened. I didn't want to disturb her, so I just stared at her.
I was glad Christina, who I had contacted beforehand for information, had advised me to dress cool. I could feel heat coming through the gate. The workshop of Hollywood Hot Glass seems to be a converted outside stage. Glassmaking involves extreme heat, and on top of it all it was at the end of July--a hot month in Florida.
I actually felt a little self-conscious in my overly casual clothes. It had never occurred to me before that day that I actually don't have a practical wardrobe for Florida's weather. I am a native Floridian...how could I not have practical clothes? But no, I favor long sleeves and 100% cotton. Lacking cool clothing, I turned to some short sets I normally wear for sleeping. I thought they could pass for regular clothes, though I decided not to go to a restaurant afterwards like I had planned. To make things worse, it seemed I had several people staring at me. I was trying to determine whether they thought I was cute, they wanted to mug me, or they were thinking, "Look at that slob of a girl running around in her night clothes! Does she have no self-respect?!"
When a man came to pick up his sculpture, I found a way of asking if I was in the right place. It turns out I was. A few minutes later, when it officially opened, I was let in. I was introduced to my instructor and lead to their gallery to choose my piece and fill out paperwork. I was given a choice to make one of three pieces. I chose the flower.
The first step was to choose my colors for the stem, the inner part, and the outer petals. Perhaps because of the heat, I was thinking about my favorite popsicle--Rockets, which are teal, white, and red, each color representing a different flavor: teal was raspberry, white was pineapple, and red cherry. My instructor thought orange might be a better color than red, saying something about red could turn "funky". I didn't quite understand, but I decided to stick with red.
I don't know if I totally remember how the flower was constructed or the order of things. I was a bit dazed by it all. I'll tell what I do remember. I remember that she took a rod out of an oven, and at the end was a glowing translucent gel. On the table were silver saucers filled with colored chips. She first dipped the tip into the teal chips. Then the rod went back into the oven. This time I helped turn it, then when it came out I helped roll it on a table. I think at this point she smashed the tip to widen it, and then dipped it into the white chips.
I don't really remember the steps between the white and the red chips. At some point she went into a long explanation that I was having a problem visualizing. The problem is that they have to work fast before the glass cools, so they can't always do a demonstration first. You have to just roll along even when you are a bit confused. However, I did figure out what I was supposed to do.
The main part I remember is when it was time to form the petals and stretch out the stem. I sat in a chair with the rod across me. I had some very large tweezers in my right hand. I dipped my hand and the tweezers in water. I twirled the rod with my left hand. The instructor pinched the top of the petals and stretched them outward. I would take the tweezers and go lower under the part she had just pinched and stretch it out further. Then we stretched the stem out together, causing me to momentarily panic when it drooped like a suddenly deflated balloon. This was normal, though. The instructor did a twist in the stem, and then we had to hold it still for a few seconds. My arm got a little sore from this, and hot air was slightly burning me. I don't know where it was coming from. Oddly enough, it wasn't coming from the flower, but more from below the chair I was sitting on.
Glass blowing requires a lot of upper body strength apparently. My instructor was a pretty woman but built like an Amazon queen. When she took my flower out, it was lovely--but I was surprised that the red part had turned black. I thought maybe this was what she meant in red turning funky. I supposed that red either burned easily, or maybe it was mixing with the teal. I was pleased, though.
Next, she banged on the rod that was holding the flower, causing it to break neatly off. She handed me a blowtorch and guided me into firing the bottom of the stem in small circles.
She put the flower in this stove and said it would gradually go down in temperature. If you read the fine print, you know you don't take your items home with you the same day. They need at least 12 hours to cool. You can choose to pick them up, which is free, or you can opt to have them sent to you. I assume it is possible that different items cost different amounts to send. My flower is 1 lb. 4 oz. on its own, 11 inches long, and the petals are 6 inches high. I was charged $31.80 to send it to me. I worried it would break during transit in the mail, but the fact was it was actually cheaper for me to have it sent by mail. After figuring how much it would take for an Uber back and forth and the tips I give the drivers, I would have spent more money picking it up.
The flower was very well packaged, though, and arrived safely. I only worried I would break it trying to free it from the package. I was surprised when I saw that the outer petal was red again, but it was beautiful!
It had happened very quickly. I felt like I was in and out of the place.
The enjoyment of the day was initially soured by my first bad trip with Uber. As my first driver had been able to drop me off at Hollywood Hot Glass, I figured I could be picked up there. Instead, I was instructed to walk across the street to a pick up point. I pay for the more expensive services with Uber to be picked up where I am. Walking to the spot was not really a big deal, though it was stressful because I was unfamiliar with the area and following a blue dot. I suspected, though, my driver was in the middle of a drug deal. He had passengers in the car when he came, and they all wanted me to walk to another location--even though I was at the pick up spot. Being suspicious, I reported the incident to Uber, who refunded me.
Once I calmed down, though, I wasn't going to let this experience turn me against either Hollywood Hot Glass or Uber. Up until that point, I had enjoyed myself. I had plenty of good experiences with Uber. I would like to return in the future to learn how to make other things, though I may do some other activities first (like a helicopter ride).
The only real complaint I had was the location. I am always vigilant with my surroundings and belongings. In areas that have tourists or college kids, sometimes I feel you have to be even more cautious because both types tend to attract predatory people and opportunistic crime. However, I did feel safe enough to walk around during the day. I find the circles inconvenient to navigate, though Young Circle is a little less confusing than Presidential Circle.
The location does make a difference in whether I would take the class, which is held at night. It is a shame because I would like to learn the art. The cost is only a small obstacle, but the timing is more of an issue because of the location and the time. Classes go on until 10 p.m. As I am an Uber rider, I don't like being out too late. I know that it is possible to get Ubers at that time of night, but I just don't feel safe enough being out that late...and particularly in that area. The instructor claimed they do the classes at slow times (which is at night).
However, though it is disappointing, I will probably definitely go back to do a session...and who knows, maybe in the future other opportunities will come up. While this might not be for everyone, it is something I would recommend.
Another thing I remember was seeing a glass blower at work on one of their sculptures and watching in fascination. My mom bought me a glass carousel. It was made of clear glass. It had two pieces--a rod with a decorative base, and then the carousel fit on top of it, which allowed you to spin it. It had been so delicate that I had feared I wouldn't get it home safely, but I did. For years, the carousel sat on my window ledge--the safest place I could find for it. Then one year we had a sudden gust of strong wind, and though my window was closed at the time, enough air got through that it knocked the carousel off and shattered it into a million pieces.
I've always loved the idea of learning how to make things. Blacksmithing, carpentry, glass blowing, etc., they all fascinated me. Glass blowing held maybe even more appeal because it could be artistic as well as practical. I suppose that is true of all the other trades as well, but there are more stories--it seems--about glass blowing. There is a Christmas story about a little bulb Noel who witnesses many Christmases and enjoys them because when he was created, the glass blower shed a tear of happiness because his daughter had just given birth to a child. Though I had been traumatized by some of the things that had happened to the characters, I had liked the book The Glassblower by Petra Durst-Benning. While I read these stories, there was always a hope that maybe one day I would get the opportunity to learn how to blow glass.
I am a compulsive quitter and starter over. I always think I can do something better, and so I start over. What I started to realize is that you don't make any progress that way. There is analogy that someone can be the fastest runner in the world, but they will lose the race to slower runners if they keep starting the race over because they didn't think they started it off well. I easily get overwhelmed, though, and have to do everything in small steps. The problem is that sometimes it is hard to see your progress when you do this. To keep myself from starting over and yet being able to see progress, I bought a tub of plastic counting animals. It is for children to help them learn how to count and to sort. Whenever I perform a task, I put a counting animal in a jar. If I complete the task, I can put a specific number of animals in the jar (usually three, though it depends on the task). When I use up all the animals, I reward myself. At first, I was just planning on buying something I liked...but then I realized I have a lot of stuff already. I decided to reward myself with experiences, which would encourage me to get out of the house more--which I'm also not very good at doing.
I encountered a bit of a problem at first. Many things to do in Florida are far away from me. Another problem I encountered is that many activities are meant for groups and not for individuals. There is an Escape Room place near me, but I need to have at least one other person with me. It is funny, but many people just don't think it sounds like a lot of fun to be locked into a room and solve puzzles to try and find a way out of it. I also avoid many activities that involve drinking or sexual stimulation (there are burlesque shows).
Groupon has been helpful in making me aware of places. This was how I first became aware of Hollywood Hot Glass. As it so happened, I was close to completing my tub of animals, and so I rewarded myself by buying a Groupon for a Hollywood Hot Glass session as a reward.
The location made me a bit nervous. I hate the circles. I got lost once trying to navigate Presidential Circle and wound up giving myself heat exhaustion. When you are going in circles, it is easy to get turned around. I was taking an Uber this time, but I couldn't tell whether there was an entrance for cars into this place. My Uber driver missed it the first time, but he did eventually find an entrance.
I always give an extra ten minutes on my trips, assuming that we could always encounter bad traffic. I remember that particular day the sky was making me nervous because it was turning gray and thundering, and I was expecting a Noah's Ark torrential downpour. Oddly enough, it never rained until I was safely home--and much later in the evening, which I was grateful. I wound up arriving at this place at 1:30 p.m., and Hollywood Hot Glass doesn't open until 2 p.m.
The building is easy to find. It has a slanted roof and Hollywood Hot Glass in huge letters. The entrance, though, was confusing...mainly because it wasn't what I expected. I had expected to walk into an air conditioned lobby with displays of glass sculptures. I had expected the place to be indoors. There were many doors labeled Hollywood Hot Glass. They had security codes, and they were essentially a gate. It looked like a private entrance for maintenance staff or security personnel. Or it looked like a place for them to keep velicoraptors. It did not look like an entrance for customers to go into. There was a nice glass enclosed lobby to the right with a locked door, but that was not the entrance.
 |
| You would think the glass door is the entrance to Hollywood Hot Glass, but actually the gate the yellow arrow is pointing to is the front entrance. There is also an entrance in back of the building. |
When I looked through the gate, I could see a woman working in what looked like a glass work shop. I was a half hour early, and the place wasn't officially opened. I didn't want to disturb her, so I just stared at her.
I was glad Christina, who I had contacted beforehand for information, had advised me to dress cool. I could feel heat coming through the gate. The workshop of Hollywood Hot Glass seems to be a converted outside stage. Glassmaking involves extreme heat, and on top of it all it was at the end of July--a hot month in Florida.
I actually felt a little self-conscious in my overly casual clothes. It had never occurred to me before that day that I actually don't have a practical wardrobe for Florida's weather. I am a native Floridian...how could I not have practical clothes? But no, I favor long sleeves and 100% cotton. Lacking cool clothing, I turned to some short sets I normally wear for sleeping. I thought they could pass for regular clothes, though I decided not to go to a restaurant afterwards like I had planned. To make things worse, it seemed I had several people staring at me. I was trying to determine whether they thought I was cute, they wanted to mug me, or they were thinking, "Look at that slob of a girl running around in her night clothes! Does she have no self-respect?!"
When a man came to pick up his sculpture, I found a way of asking if I was in the right place. It turns out I was. A few minutes later, when it officially opened, I was let in. I was introduced to my instructor and lead to their gallery to choose my piece and fill out paperwork. I was given a choice to make one of three pieces. I chose the flower.
The first step was to choose my colors for the stem, the inner part, and the outer petals. Perhaps because of the heat, I was thinking about my favorite popsicle--Rockets, which are teal, white, and red, each color representing a different flavor: teal was raspberry, white was pineapple, and red cherry. My instructor thought orange might be a better color than red, saying something about red could turn "funky". I didn't quite understand, but I decided to stick with red.
I don't know if I totally remember how the flower was constructed or the order of things. I was a bit dazed by it all. I'll tell what I do remember. I remember that she took a rod out of an oven, and at the end was a glowing translucent gel. On the table were silver saucers filled with colored chips. She first dipped the tip into the teal chips. Then the rod went back into the oven. This time I helped turn it, then when it came out I helped roll it on a table. I think at this point she smashed the tip to widen it, and then dipped it into the white chips.
I don't really remember the steps between the white and the red chips. At some point she went into a long explanation that I was having a problem visualizing. The problem is that they have to work fast before the glass cools, so they can't always do a demonstration first. You have to just roll along even when you are a bit confused. However, I did figure out what I was supposed to do.
The main part I remember is when it was time to form the petals and stretch out the stem. I sat in a chair with the rod across me. I had some very large tweezers in my right hand. I dipped my hand and the tweezers in water. I twirled the rod with my left hand. The instructor pinched the top of the petals and stretched them outward. I would take the tweezers and go lower under the part she had just pinched and stretch it out further. Then we stretched the stem out together, causing me to momentarily panic when it drooped like a suddenly deflated balloon. This was normal, though. The instructor did a twist in the stem, and then we had to hold it still for a few seconds. My arm got a little sore from this, and hot air was slightly burning me. I don't know where it was coming from. Oddly enough, it wasn't coming from the flower, but more from below the chair I was sitting on.
Glass blowing requires a lot of upper body strength apparently. My instructor was a pretty woman but built like an Amazon queen. When she took my flower out, it was lovely--but I was surprised that the red part had turned black. I thought maybe this was what she meant in red turning funky. I supposed that red either burned easily, or maybe it was mixing with the teal. I was pleased, though.
Next, she banged on the rod that was holding the flower, causing it to break neatly off. She handed me a blowtorch and guided me into firing the bottom of the stem in small circles.
She put the flower in this stove and said it would gradually go down in temperature. If you read the fine print, you know you don't take your items home with you the same day. They need at least 12 hours to cool. You can choose to pick them up, which is free, or you can opt to have them sent to you. I assume it is possible that different items cost different amounts to send. My flower is 1 lb. 4 oz. on its own, 11 inches long, and the petals are 6 inches high. I was charged $31.80 to send it to me. I worried it would break during transit in the mail, but the fact was it was actually cheaper for me to have it sent by mail. After figuring how much it would take for an Uber back and forth and the tips I give the drivers, I would have spent more money picking it up.
The flower was very well packaged, though, and arrived safely. I only worried I would break it trying to free it from the package. I was surprised when I saw that the outer petal was red again, but it was beautiful!
It had happened very quickly. I felt like I was in and out of the place.
The enjoyment of the day was initially soured by my first bad trip with Uber. As my first driver had been able to drop me off at Hollywood Hot Glass, I figured I could be picked up there. Instead, I was instructed to walk across the street to a pick up point. I pay for the more expensive services with Uber to be picked up where I am. Walking to the spot was not really a big deal, though it was stressful because I was unfamiliar with the area and following a blue dot. I suspected, though, my driver was in the middle of a drug deal. He had passengers in the car when he came, and they all wanted me to walk to another location--even though I was at the pick up spot. Being suspicious, I reported the incident to Uber, who refunded me.
Once I calmed down, though, I wasn't going to let this experience turn me against either Hollywood Hot Glass or Uber. Up until that point, I had enjoyed myself. I had plenty of good experiences with Uber. I would like to return in the future to learn how to make other things, though I may do some other activities first (like a helicopter ride).
The only real complaint I had was the location. I am always vigilant with my surroundings and belongings. In areas that have tourists or college kids, sometimes I feel you have to be even more cautious because both types tend to attract predatory people and opportunistic crime. However, I did feel safe enough to walk around during the day. I find the circles inconvenient to navigate, though Young Circle is a little less confusing than Presidential Circle.
The location does make a difference in whether I would take the class, which is held at night. It is a shame because I would like to learn the art. The cost is only a small obstacle, but the timing is more of an issue because of the location and the time. Classes go on until 10 p.m. As I am an Uber rider, I don't like being out too late. I know that it is possible to get Ubers at that time of night, but I just don't feel safe enough being out that late...and particularly in that area. The instructor claimed they do the classes at slow times (which is at night).
However, though it is disappointing, I will probably definitely go back to do a session...and who knows, maybe in the future other opportunities will come up. While this might not be for everyone, it is something I would recommend.
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