Los Angeles
Travel Guide > North America > USA > Western United States > California > Los Angeles
Introduction
Los Angeles, also known as L.A., is not the most accessible of places like New York or Europe for tourists, but don't be dismayed! It is a great city with a lot of hidden gems. The city of Los Angeles is quite large in of itself but the concept of Los Angeles covers many areas ranging from the beach cities of Santa Monica and Venice to the neighborhood areas of Hollywood and Silverlake.
Neighborhoods
What visit to Los Angeles would be complete without stopping over in Venice Beach? Named for the Venice canals located around the area and right behind people's backyards, a walk early morning on the beach is very peaceful. By noon on the weekends the shops open up and the beach can get crowded with both locals and tourists alike. Muscle Beach, Venice attracts body builders from all over and Gov. Schwarznegger was a visitor in his early years. For the local scene head over to Manhanttan Beach about 15 miles south or take the Pacific Coast Highway north and check out the beautiful coastline of Malibu.
Sights
 (2)7.jpg)
Hollywood
- Grauman's Mann Chinese Theatre where all the famous footprints and handprints of the stars are imprinted for cinema history.
- The Kodak Theatre where the Oscars are held is right next to the Gruaman's theater. American Idol finals are also filmed there. The theatre offers guided tours seven days a week. To buy tickets check out Kodak Theatre Tickets. Part of the Kodak Theatre complex is the Hollywood and Highland Center, which offers fine dining, shopping, two nightclubs, a movie theater and a bowling alley.
- Hollywood Walk of Fame runs down Hollywood Boulevard from Gower to La Brea, and on Vine from Yucca St. to Sunset Boulevard.
- Pantages Theater is a world class live stage theater. Currently playing is Wicked, the hit Broadway musical, which has an indefinite run in Los Angeles.
Outside of the City
- Universal Studios is not far from Hollywood along with Universal City Walk, a street with tons of shops and restaurants fun for the family. *
- Disneyland located north of Valencia is home to Magic Mountain, with Downtown Disney in Anaheim, Orange County.
- Television Show Tapings are popular but reservations are required. The Price is Right, The Tonight Show, Ellen and Dr. Phil are just a few of the shows taped in Los Angeles.
===Museums===
There are plenty of museums for the art buff. Ranging from the LACMA, the MOMA, The Hammer Museum, the famous Getty museum, which just opened the Getty Villa on the Westside, to the Norton Simon museum in Pasadena there is something for every art lover. In addition there are a lot of shows such as the famous Laugh Factory on Sunset that attracts the best in comedy acts.
Activities
- The Hollywood Bowl is a great place to pass a lazy summer afternoon. They boast first class acts and to get the full local experience you can bring a picnic to enjoy under a tree or in your seats. The Greek Amphitheatre is also a nice place to enjoy a show under the moderate Southern California climate.
- Uber-independent film or barely distributed foreign film are easy to catch in Los Angeles. The Aero theater and the Egyptian theater are part of the American Cinematheque, a film society that feature old and contemporary films. They recently showcased contemporary Italian cinema and a Goddard retrospective.
- Cinespia provides an opportunity to mix the best of both worlds of film and the outdoors with, a weekly outdoor movie screening of classics every Saturday evening at the Hollywood Forever cemetery. Pack a picnic, bring a jacket and head on down! The suggested donation is $10.
- Griffith Park received national attention in the recent fires, is a good place to hike and offers a good view of the Hollywood sign.
- Griffith Observatory located in the park, has recently opened after extensive renovations. It is free of charge but reservations are required and parking is off site with a shuttle taking you between the parking lot and the main entrance.
- Downtown L.A. is home to the Staples Center where the Lakers play and the Convention Center which recently hosted the Star Wars convention.
- Melrose Ave offers the best shopping of both worlds. They have eclectic boutiques to the more upscale stores, ending near The Beverly Center which houses one of the two H&M’s in Los Angeles, Forever 21, Dolce & Gabana, Louis Vuitton, to name a few.
Events and Festivals
West Hollywood, the gay district of Los Angeles, hosts a Halloween parade every year that's about as close to Carnaval in the city. There are even a few Haunted houses nearby.
Weather
The weather is very moderate. In the winter it can get chilly but usually no more than three layers are needed and most of the time a sweater and jacket suffice. In the summer by noon it can get quite warm but the temperatures usually taper off by late afternoon and a light jacket is good to have handy.
Getting There
By Plane
Los Angeles is served by more airports than any other city in the world. The main airport however is Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). It is one of the busiest airports in the world, handling over 60 million passengers a year. LAX is located in southwestern Los Angeles in the neighborhood of Westchester, 16 miles (27 km) from the downtown core. Other airports in the area include Bob Hope Airport (BUR) in Burbank to the North (about 15 minutes from L.A. city) and LA/Ontario International Airport (ONT) (about 45 minutes away) to the East.
By Train
By Car
By Bus
By Boat
Getting Around
By Car
It is almost essential to have a car while visiting Los Angeles.
By Public Transport
- Rail
Metro operates a subway system that centers around Downtown L.A. and takes you to the surrounding areas of Long Beach, Pasadena, through Hollywood and even to the airport.
- Bus
Bus services operated by LADOT (DASH bus) and Metro are not the most reliable but if you have time to spare you can catch the sights from the bus. The Culver City Bus (green bus) and the Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus focus on the Westside of L.A. but are more dependable.
By Foot
By Bike
Eat
For those on a budget but don't want to make too much of a sacrifice, In and Out is always a good hamburger option. For good cheap Mexican food go to Chano's located near USC, literally a small white stand on the corner of Figueroa and 30th St. or La Barca on Vermont which offers a Supreme Burrito the size of your entire plate. Another cheap eat is Noura Cafe on Melrose, which serve delicious Mediterranean food.
Canter's is a Jewish deli on Fairfax that stays open late for the last call crowd.
Miyagi is a popular Japanese restaurant on the Sunset Strip.
Drink
There are bars all over. For the more typical Hollywood scene check out Mood or The Ivar.
The Standard Hotel is a chill yuppie place for drinks and the Westin Bonaventure downtown offers a revolving, yes, the floor rotates, for a 360-degree high-rise view of the city.
Other popular local hangouts The Dresden in Silverlake, The Brig in Venice, and Molly Malone's on Fairfax.
Work
Learn
This is version 29. Last edited at 5:46 on May 15, 08 by GeoBot (+59). 17 articles link to this page.
Except where otherwise noted, content of this article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License