Former Mayoral Chief of Staff Robin Kramer

Ask Her What She Doesn’t Miss About Life at City Hall

Robin Kramer was chief of staff to Mayors Antonio Villaraigosa and Richard Riordan, and is currently senior advisor to the Annenberg Retreat at Sunnylands. Before participating in a panel on what’s behind the dearth of elected women officials in the City of L.A., she talked in the Zócalo green room about the perks of life after City Hall—the major one being, having a life.

Q:

If you didn’t live in Los Angeles, where would you be?


A:

I would be where I grew up, in Denver, Colorado—where I was born. But I might be in Pacific Grove, which is near Monterey. Beautiful little place: mellow, beach, big ocean. That’s where I’d be.


Q:

What’s your favorite plant or flower?


A:

Columbine. But I’m a big veggie grower, so I love all of them, too.


Q:

When did you last get a traffic ticket?


A:

One traffic ticket my whole life. Utah, like 4 in the morning. My husband and I were driving to and from Denver. First, I got a ticket speeding, but it was that time of day. And then an hour later, he did. So, Utah—not one of our favorite places.


Q:

What weapon would you choose in a zombie apocalypse?


A:

Not big on weaponry. I would choose a light saber.


Q:

What keeps you up at night?


A:

I’m relieved to say not so much now. When I worked for the city, what kept me up at night related to public safety issues, things that I learned about terrorists that I kind of feel burdened by knowing. At various times in my life I’ve been kept up at night because my kids didn’t get home early enough. But most of the time now I have a pretty Pacific evening experience.


Q:

What don’t you miss about City Hall?


A:

I do not miss getting calls at 3 a.m. that an officer has been shot or that something has gone wrong. I don’t miss the 24/7 nature of it, which was unrelenting. That’s what I don’t miss.


Q:

What’s your favorite L.A. restaurant?


A:

We like Prado, which is on Larchmont Boulevard. It’s Caribbean, family-oriented, great food, convivial—no screaming—funky. There are many fine restaurants here, but it’s of a type. Great people, too.


Q:

How do you pass the time when you’re stuck in traffic?


A:

I listen to music. Dream.


Q:

What’s hanging on your living room walls?


A:

There’s a lithograph of a beautiful mural—of people coming out of El Salvador. There’s a beautiful painting a friend of mine did called “Friend With an Old Hat.” There’s a mirror, hanging from a Bedouin tent. There’s a giant map from 1914 of Los Angeles. And there are the birth announcements of each of our three boys.


Q:

What’s your ideal Sunday morning?


A:

To play tennis or swim, read the paper at leisure, dig in the garden, hang with my family—with no deadlines around any of it. That’s ideal.