When my friends and family come to visit me in Los Angeles, we put together an itinerary for their stay. My visitors explore the major tourist attractions first, then I turn them on to my favorite places for shopping, dining, and other attractions. My guests always appreciate experiencing Los Angeles through the perspectives of both a tourist and a resident.
Top Row:
- Runyun Canyon: Runyun Canyon is the perfect getaway right in the middle of Hollywood. It is a dog friendly hiking trail with a 360 degree view of Los Angeles. You can find me at Runyun Canyon just about every Sunday.
- Fred Segal: One of my favorite boutique shopping locations. Fred Segal carries clothing lines from both up-and-coming and high end designers. If your trip to Los Angeles is not complete without seeing a celebrity, you are in luck. There is a possibility you may see your favorite star shopping at Fred Segal.
- Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA): I live walking distance from LACMA and all summer long I have the pleasure of hearing LACMA's jazz and latin concerts from my apartment.
- Angelino Heights: Los Angeles embraces many different architectural styles including the row of historic Victorian homes in Angelino Heights.
Bottom Row:
- Real Food Daily: I love taking my non-vegetarian friends to Real Food Daily and "forgetting" to tell them that it is a vegan restaurant. They fall in love with the food before they even realize it is vegetarian. I usually order the Tac-o' The Town, which is always delicious. Good food is simply good food.
- Hollywood Aerial Arts: I first discovered Hollywood Aerial Arts while watching a few reality TV dating shows. I put their flying trapeze class on my "must do" list and finally got up the courage to give it a try. Looking down at the net below me while I gripped the trapeze bar simply scared me to death. After wiping away a few scared tears, I closed my eyes and jumped off the narrow platform and swung through the air. Let's just say it was a very empowering experience and I am now less afraid of heights.
- Specific: Specific combines my love for great furniture, art, and design into a single store. The owner, Brooks Hudson Thomas, keeps the art and design installations constantly changing.
- Malibu Beach: One of the major advantages of living in Los Angeles is having access to the ocean. A drive up to Malibu Beach along the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) is scenic and worth the extra time and milage. Malibu has beautiful, semi-secluded beaches, where you might just find me boogie boarding on a hot summer day. I have not worked up the courage to try surfing yet, so I find comfort in the shallow end with my boogie board.
(Images: Daemons Food, Magnolia Public Relations, Collections and Archives as Creative Practice, Don't Panic! blog, Architecture + Buildings + Public Art - Los Angeles Photo Archive, Inetours)
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I never knew that the "Charmed" house was in LA and not San Fran. I feel cheated!
The one place that you should add to this is The Farmer's Market at The Grove. The Grove can be overlooked, it's just an outdoor mall (3rd street in Santa Monica is better). But the Farmer's Market is great for grabbing lunch and a glass of wine or beer and sitting outdoors and people watching. So many different types of food. Loteria Grill there, has the best Mole. Darn, now I'm hungry.
I would add-
The Getty, both locations I still adore the one on PCH and they have wonderful events
http://www.getty.edu/visit/calendar/days/07072010.html
Inn of the Seventh Ray is a very special place, tucked away on Old Tapanga Canyon Rd. Nice spot for brunch or dessert
http://www.innoftheseventhray.com/home.htm
Other great shopping streets-
Montana Ave in Santa Monica
Robertson Blvd.
La Brea Blvd
Go downtown to Japan Town
See the Biltmore Hotel its so beautiful, love the pool
combo of Renaissance Revival, Mediterranean Revival, and Beaux Arts styles built in the 20's hit the Gallery Bar and Cognac Room
Then Union Station and over to Olvera Street he oldest part of downtown Los Angeles, wonderful.
I could go on and on..
There some wonderful architectural tours through LA Conservancy and Architecture Tours LA.
The one place I insist on taking all out of town friends is the Downtown Library. By far one of the most overlooked, under rated, jewels of this city. I usually like taking people all over downtown, but the library is a must. Best yet, it has 2 free art galleries, and is walking distance from MOCA Grand and the Disney Concert Hall.
@mattster - I knew I recognized that house!
I agree Malibu beach is the best! Victorian homes are nice, a recent visitor of mine just loved the LA Brea tar pits beyond belief...way more than LACMA, gasp!
I just went to Drais at the W, great club scene with a rooftop bar for visitors dying to have that Hollywood experience.
Fred Segal? Really? Every time i go in there i am treated with contempt by their salespeople even if i buy something. Not a fun experience. Hit Abbott Kinney(if you can on a weekday) instead.
Fred Segal I think the one in santa monica is nicer than the one on melrose which is such a scene.
Heritage Square Museum: off the oldest freeway in LA, these handful of homes span from 1865 to 1914; the architectural tours are usually small and very informative. Great place to take photos too, with nearby Audubon Center at Debs Park for some fresh air.
Escondido Falls Trail: a beautiful Malibu coastal hike that ends in not just one waterfall, but two! Don't be surprised to find California salamanders, harmless water snakes, tadpoles and people lazying and enjoying the scenery. Then end the day at Malibu Fish & Seafood on PCH with a great spot to watch the sunset.
Little Tokyo/Historical Downtown (as noted by b77 above): Mikawaya is where ice cream mochi was invented (also offering other traditional desserts) and is nearby other downtown eateries both new and old (Gorbal's, Church State, Cole's, Phillipe's, Grand Central Market).
The UCLA Hammer: as much as I love the Getty as a destination, it's the Hammer's program of exhibits that regularly relieve the itch for engaging artwork. And then you can just wander down the street for some cheap cookies at Diddy Reese alongside all the young UCLA kids, or enjoy a delicious meal at the various Persian restaurants nearby.
Sunset Junction: Silver Lake's prime shopping and dining spot. We used to live just around the corner, and spots like Reform School, Forage, Home Ec., Kelly Green, Be Bop, Intelligenstia and Secret Headquarters should appeal to a variety of interests. The people watching is excellent, with a good chance of seeing a celeb or two.
Paddle Boating in Echo Park: Sunday afternoons in LA were meant for leisurely paddling.
Koreatown: You haven't really experienced LA unless you've experienced Koreatown at night. The food is pungent, the soju is flowing, the makeup and hair are perfect, and the noribang (karaoke) doesn't end till the break of dawn. It's also a great place to shop for affordable clothing, dishware, and appliances in many of the malls.
The Hollywood Farmer's Market: always fun for both residents and visitors alike. The variety of produce, meats and prepared foods will inspire you to all go home and cook a meal altogether. Be sure to get the coconut cake desserts at the thai stand and a bag of Fuji's from Mr. Ha's stand.
The Arclight and the Egyptian for movie nights (alongside The Silent Movie Theater on Fairfax); if Last Remaining Seats in downtown coincides with a visit, it's an amazing way to share LA's history in much the same way the movie "500 Days of Summer" did.
Surrounding destinations: Clearman's Village for old timey 50's era themed dining, Monterey Park for miles upon miles of Chinese food and businesses, Little India in Artesia, the Rose Bowl Flea Market for shopping, Little Saigon, the tide pools at Abalone Cove, the quiet of O'Melveny Park where you can see what the Valley looked like years ago (a nearby enclave of Eichler's is worth checking out too in Granada Hills).
I seriously could go on and on...this city has so much to offer, but it's gems are hidden amongst the mini-malls, chains and tourist traps that often leave visitors disappointed.
Farmer's Market @3rd and Fairfax isn't quite what it used to be, but it can't be beaten for celebrity watching (last summer I saw Harrison Ford, Rob Reiner, Buck Henry and Larry David playing poker and eating breakfast at 6:30 a.m.) and some great LA institutions, like watching the cake decorator there.
I would also try to Canter's Deli for a real LA Jewish Deli.
Griffith Observatory/Park is a must for anyone who is remotely interested in science, astronomy, hiking,views, art deco, James Dean or the most amazing view of the Hollywood sign.
People often say LA has no soul or interest, but those people just haven't gone to the right places.
I think Real Food Daily is probably the best restaurant in L.A. Great suggestion!
Another suggestion: Stop by the Senior Center near the base of the Santa Monica pier. Go to the front desk, give them your driver's license and ask for the key to the camera obscura. Don't ask what awaits, just do it!
;-)
The Huntington, the Norton Simon,
the South Pas. farmer's market by metro on Thursday night, the Santa Monica market on Wed.,
the Hollywood market on Sunday--great cross section of life in LA.
Musso and Frank's for a drink
Yamashiro for a drink and the view
Museum of Jurassic Technology
Cole's, Phillippe's, Dodger Stadium
Animal is a truly great LA restaurant, and there's a zillion great places to eat.
Lanza Brothers, Grand Central Market, Loteria....
I second the Egyptian, the Getty (for people watching and the view), the Rose Bowl Flea Market, Museum of Jurassic Technology, Farmers Market on Third and Fairfax, the Grand Central Market, and historical downtown.
I would add: the downtown Flower Market on Saturday mornings, the fabric district (also downtown), St. Vincent DePaul (downtown, too), Chinatown, Europane in Pasadena, and El Matador State Beach in Malibu.
Unless your young and pretty (oh, I mean beautiful), don't waste your time at Fred Segal. Ex-LA resident here, numerous shopping trips to Segal, and everyone of them disappointing. Sales clerks that are too busy waiting for that beautiful person to walk in; it's as if your invisible. Enjoy your time in LA but don't spend it here.
Pasadena, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, and a whole bunch o' other places are their own cities, and you'd be insane not to include those places in a tour of LA. Geeze.
And don't forget the Eames house.
One thing I've come to love about LA is how "the industry" (entertainment and the tourism that comes along with it) keeps all of the best spots out of the public eye through focus on such a small portion of what LA really consists of.
Two of my favorite spots to take visiting family and friends are the Gamble house in Pasadena (www.gamblehouse.org) and the Museum of Jurassic Technology in Culver City (www.mjt.org).
PS I realize that neither Pasadena nor Culver City are technically "LA" and I don't care. It would be a shame to visit LA and never venture beyond the proper Los Angeles City borders.
Add the Neutra VDL tour and the nearby Neutra Place for those architecturally inclined. I don't know how I forgot the Museum of Jurassic Technology (despite being located in Culver City, it is very much an LA experience)! And Meals by Genet in Little Ethiopia for a most satisfying, if not gut-busting, dinner.