During our three week California roadtrip, we spent considerable time getting to know Los Angeles. Last time around we only scheduled in two short stops in the city since we'd heard some rather negative reviews of L.A. as a travel destination. However, the little time we spent there only made us feel like there was still so much to discover and experience, so we vowed to return.
We found a gorgeous 1930s Airbnb in the Beverlywood area, which proved ideal to visit a range of must-visit places within acceptable driving time. Can't recommend our Airbnb or the area we stayed in enough! It has a pink bathroom and a pastel green kitchen - need we say more?
I'll be compiling some of my favourite moments and images from our days in L.A. in this post. The city of angels is a place where you can spend as much or as little time as you'd like, but you'll enjoy it infinitely more if you're a bit of a movie/Americana pop culture geek like I am.
My must visits?
- Venice Beach (prepare to see the seedy, run down side of L.A. beach culture next to trendy restaurants and stores - and gorgeous sunsets)
- Griffith Observatory (awesome museum, even more gorgeous sunsets and views of the Hollywood sign!)
- Downtown L.A. (architecture, museums and Grand Central Market)
- Any of the studio tours (we did Paramount)
- And of course getting up close and personal with the Hollywood sign
Let's take a trip!
Venice Beach:
I did not know Abbot Kinney was an actual dude. I wasn't a big fan of the shopping in the Abbot Kinney region btw, way too upscale and overpriced for me. For a better version of the off-beat boho vibe you might look for in Abbot Kinney, go to Echo Park/Silver Lake.
What keeps pulling me towards Venice Beach? The last picture just about sums it up. The Venice Beach juxtaposition in one shot. There's no place quite like it, that I've been to at least. It has natural beauty, shiny happy people working out, enough space to spread out and listen to the crashing of the waves, and it's close to the city. It also has a dark underbelly, grimey streets where you have to dodge the broken bottles and literal shit (dog or human), homeless people quarreling over turf lines. No wonder Venice has always been like a mecca for people who pull towards the edges of society, from cults to drug users to street artists.
Downtown L.A.:
So many gorgeous tall buildings to see here, and the people watching is great too. Not many typical tourists around here, more stylish Angelinos. Only a short walk from a bunch of museums, and Grand Central Market!
The Broad:
We loved the Broad, such a cool museum if you enjoy modern art - some really iconic names are on exposition here, but there's also plenty of lesser known artists to discover. Yayoi Kusama's Infinity Room is a huge pull for tourists, so if you want to make it in there, register for a time bracket as soon as you arrive. Go out for lunch, take your time going through the museum and your waiting time will be over before you know it! You'll get a text message when you're about to get your turn, and you'll have about a minute in there. It's a really cool experience, and the perfect way to conclude a visit to The Broad. My favourite piece was Jenny Holzer's Inflammatory Essays. What can I say, I'm a wordsy person.
Grand Central Market:
Grand Central Market is such a cool, buzzing indoor food market with all those healthy, organic food options L.A. is known for, but also good old comfort food. We bought the most amazing sourdough bread at Clark Street Bread here. And they have an Eggslut, which was hands down the best breakfast I had in California. Come with an empty stomach!
Griffith Observatory:
I don't know why, but Griffith Observatory is just magical to me. Such a photogenic spot, the perfect place to just watch the sunset surrounded by others who have just come there from all over the world to be overcome by the beauty of the world and life in general. I'm forever grateful I got to experience this with my love by my side. I'll always associate sunsets over L.A. with La La Land, and the movie has made Griffith Observatory an incredibly romantic spot by association in my mind. It was my first time there, and it did not disappoint. I'll definitely return here when I make it back to L.A.!
Paramount Studio Tour:
Any studio tour is a must do if you're a movie buff, trust me. It's amazing to see up close where, and, more importantly, how the magic happens. We saw film sets where The Godfather was filmed, and our guide showed us how a smaller door frame was used to simulate height when working with shorter male stars like Tom Cruise. We didn't spot any celebrities, but it was awesome regardless!
The Hollywood Sign:
I know, it's completely ridiculous, but that Hollywood sign is some sort of magic. It just pulls you towards the hills, away from the busy streets into these calmer residential areas, simply because you want to see it up close. I did some research beforehand and found the best way to get close to the Hollywood sign (legally!) without having to hike too far so we got some amazing pics. You'll get to the spot featured in this pic in about 1 to 2 mins of walking off the main road so you don't have to be athletic at all, but you will have to scramble up a small hill. Getting down is the hardest part so don't wear your nicest or most constraining clothes!
LACMA:
Last but not least, LACMA's Urban Lights installation. Another spot featured in La La Land, only about 5 mins from our Airbnb, and completely magical both during the day and at night. Of course you're surrounded by people trying to get a good selfie regardless of what time of day you get there, but with some smart angling you'll get a great shot and the people watching is amazing in and of itself. It's right across the street from an imported portion of the Berlin Wall, which is also very cool to check out. We didn't make it inside LACMA itself, but I would definitely do so on a next trip.
Typical touristy things I'd skip (not my thing):
- Santa Monica pier: kind of run down in a less interesting way than Venice Beach, unless you just really want that pic with the Route 66 sign or are a big lover of fairs
- the Hollywood Walk of Fame: throngs of people on a not very interesting street lined with things like Starbucks, MacDonalds and trashy trinket stores. L.A. should totally clean up this place because it does have a lot of potential, particularly around the Chinese Theatre.
L.A. spots we loved but I didn't mention here:
- The Grove Mall is absolutely the most beautiful outdoor shopping mall I've ever been to. Very pleasant place to spend a couple of hours, great stores and great people watching.
- I scored the most amazing deals at the Kate Spade outlet at Citadel Outlets. The mall isn't anything special but I got very lucky there and they have all the stores Europeans would want to visit to take advantage of those U.S. deals.
- The Original Farmers Market: I can't recommend this place enough. When we got there it wasn't overly crowded, and the atmosphere here is great. There's live music being played here often, the most amazing smell of fresh fruits lingering in the air, and great food wherever you turn. This place has lots of Los Angeles history which you'll be able to discover on your own while strolling through the alleys.
To read more on our 2018 three week California roadtrip, check out my tag!
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