Things to do in Los Angeles
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Venice Boardwalk
Venice Boardwalk is officially known as Ocean Front Walk. It’s a freak show, a human zoo and a wacky carnival, but as far as LA experiences go, it’s a must. This is where to get your hair braided, your karma corrected or your back massaged qi gong–style. Encounters with budding Schwarzeneggers, hoop dreamers, a Speedo-clad snake charmer and a roller-skating Sikh minstrel are pretty much guaranteed, especially on hot summer days. The Sunday-afternoon drum circle draws hundreds of revelers for tribal playing and spontaneous dancing. If the noise doesn’t show you the way there, just follow your nose towards whiffs of ‘wacky tabaccy.’ Alas, the boardwalk vibe gets a bit…
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Griffith Observatory
Above Los Feliz loom the iconic triple domes of this 1935 observatory, which boasts a super-techie planetarium and films in the Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon Theater. During clear nighttime skies, you can often peer through the telescopes at heavenly bodies.
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Roscoe’s House of Chicken & Waffles
It’s not spiffy, the lighting’s not so great, and the decor’s best described as well worn and wooden. But for LA’s best Southern soul food, look no further than this 30-year-old landmark where the namesake dish is can’t-miss. The combo sounds strange but the reality – crispy, juicy fried chicken with a side of soft, syrupy waffles – is simply delish. There’s salad on the menu, but why?
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Grand Central Market
The frenzied and sawdust-sprinkled Grand Central Market across the street has some fun nosh spots.
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Universal Studios
Universal Studios first opened to the public in 1915, when studio head Carl Laemmle invited visitors at a quaint 25¢ each (including a boxed lunch) to watch silent films being made. Nearly a century later, Universal remains one of the world's largest movie studios, even if today's visitors are directed to movie-based theme parks at which their chances of seeing an actual movie shoot are approximately nil.
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Canal Walk
Just northeast of the intersection of Washington Blvd and Pacific Ave, it's a step through the looking glass from the traffic-clogged roar of Washington Blvd to the bougainvillea-lined bungalows bordering Venice's once-plentiful canals. Wandering the narrow, impossibly cute bridges and walkways, it's tough to keep envy in check as dog-walkers, surfers and grandmas pass by, enjoying their tranquil patch of paradise.
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Bradbury Building
This 1893 building is one of LA's undisputed architectural jewels. Its red-brick facade conceals a stunning galleried atrium with inky filigree grillwork, a rickety birdcage elevator and yellow brick walls that glisten golden in the afternoon light filtering through the tent-shaped glass roof. Location scouts love the place, whose star-turn came in the cult flick Blade Runner.
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Manhattan Beach
If Manhattan Beach had its own magazine, it would surely be called Gorgeous Living. Classy beachside cottages, bougainvillea-lined walk-streets, bustling sidewalk patios, friendly boutiques, surfers silhouetted against the setting sun, and babies who never seem to cry – all within half a mile of a portrait-worthy pier. It’s that impossibly perfect.
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Pit 91
Excavations at the La Brea Tar Pits continue every summer when you can watch paleontologists at work in Pit 91 . At other times, they're fussing over bones in the glass-encased laboratory inside the Page Museum itself, cleaning, identifying, cataloging and storing their discoveries.
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Kung Pao Kitty
Fat cats and tomcats follow the pretty kitties to the late-night kitchen at this dependable Asian eatery in the heart of Hollywood. The mild, mixed-Asian menu – curries, noodles and General Tso standards – regularly fuel the bar-hopping masses. Try the red curry or the namesake Kitty’s Kung Pao.
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El Cholo
Happy hipsters, hungry families and rowdy birthday parties compete for tables at this festive two-story adobe landmark. A handful grumble that the food is so-so, but the blue-corn chicken enchiladas, potent margaritas and a buzzing lounge keep most everyone coming back for more.
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Magicopolis
Not only aspiring Harry Potters will enjoy the comedy-laced sleight-of-hand, levitation and other illusions performed by Steve Spills and cohorts in this intimate space. Escapes from reality last about 90 minutes, and there's even a small shop for all your wizard supplies.
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Sprinkles Cupcakes
Pay $3.25 for a cupcake? And you have to wait in that line out the door? Are you kidding – hey, that looks pretty good. Red Velvet? With cream-cheese frosting? And that one? Peanut-butter chocolate? Eighteen more varieties inside? Uhh, can you move over a little?
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Hollywood Bowl
This historic natural amphitheater is the LA Phil's summer home and also a stellar place to catch big-name rock, jazz, blues and pop acts. Come early for a preshow picnic (alcohol is allowed).
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Universal City Walk
With flashing video screens, oversized facades and garish color combinations, City Walk hovers beside Universal Studios like a reject from the Blade Runner –meets– Willy Wonka school of architecture. Opened in 1993 as a shopping adjunct to the theme park, this outdoor mall evolved into a local hangout that can feel like a middle-school mecca on weekends. Its 65 shops, restaurants and entertainment venues offer a mix of mid- and lowbrow attractions, with low leading by a nose. Beyond the knickknack stores and chains, the new Dodgers Clubhouse (818-761-5677) stands out with its Dodgers-related clothing and accessories – including bats broken during games. The courtyard…
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San Antonio Winery
Near the Brewery Art Complex is the San Antonio Winery, LA's last remaining historic winery. It was founded in 1917 by Italian immigrant Santo Cambianica whose descendants still make buttery chardonnay, velvety cabernet sauvignon and other varietals. You can sample some of them for free in the tasting room, enjoy a meal at the Italian restaurant or learn more about the noble grape at a wine seminar. Free behind-the-scenes winery tours take place at 12:00, 13:00 and 14:00 from Monday to Friday, and on the hour from 11:00 to 16:00 on Saturday and Sunday.
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The Grove
This outdoor mall is one of LA’s most popular shopping destinations. Its recipe for success? Fill a faux Italian palazzo with 40 name-brand stores and restaurants, toss in a fountain, the Pacific Theatres and a sprinkling of celebrities, then top it off with a trolley rolling back and forth down the middle. PT Barnum would be proud. Check out the roof of the parking garage for stellar city views. Highlights include little-girl fave American Girl Place and grown-up-gal boutique Theodore. Parking free for the first hour; $3 for two to three hours.
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Sanamluang Café
If the thought of dining in a tiny, rundown strip mall in Hollywood’s grittier east side sounds unappealing, read no further. But if you savor the thrill of a good culinary adventure, grab your keys for a trip to Thai Town for some of the best noodles around. The no-frills, pictures-of-the-food decor may be uninspiring, but all is forgiven once that huge, simmering bowl of General’s Noodles – stuffed to the rim with shrimp, duck and barbecued pork – arrives at your table. Pad thai is available for beginners. Cash only and open late.
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Will Rogers State Park
Rugged but small, this park sprawls across ranch land once owned by Will Rogers (1875–1935), an Oklahoma-born cowboy turned humorist, radio-show host and movie star. In the late '20s he traded his Beverly Hills manse for a 31-room ranch house and lived here until his tragic 1935 death by plane crash. Following extensive renovations, guided tours allow you to again nose around the Western art and Native American rugs and baskets and marvel at the porch swing right in the living room.
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Grauman's Chinese Theatre
Even the most jaded visitor may thrill in the Chinese's famous forecourt, where generations of screen legends have left their imprints in cement: feet, hands, dreadlocks (Whoopi Goldberg), and even magic wands (the young stars of the Harry Potter films). Actors dressed as Superman, Marilyn Monroe and the like pose for photos (for tips), and you may be offered free tickets to TV shows.
The theater is on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which honors over 2000 celebrities with stars embedded in the sidewalk. Other historic theaters include the flashy El Capitan Theater and the 1922 Egyptian Theater, home to American Cinematheque, which presents arty retros and Q&As with directors,…
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Santa Monica State Beach
There are endless ways to play on the 3.5-mile blanket of strand stretching from Venice Beach in the south to Will Rogers State Beach in the north. To reserve time on a beach volley-ball court, call and confirm applicable fees. For cerebral pursuits, settle in at a first-come first-served chess table at Chess Park, just south of the Santa Monica pier. As of October 2006, smoking is no longer permitted on Santa Monica beaches.
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Museum of Contemporary Art
Housed in a building by Arata Isozaki, which many consider his masterpiece, the Museum of Contemporary Art offers headline-grabbing special exhibits; its permanent collection presents heavy hitters from the 1940s to the present. Parking is $9, at Walt Disney Concert Hall. There are two other branches: the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA in Little Tokyo and at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood.
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Saladang Song
Inside the soaring glass walls of Saladang Song, it’s the details that first impress – a bright flower on every table, efficient service, artfully presented food. But the first bite of one of their beloved Thai specialties brings it all home. Song serves light, fusion-friendly Thai – sassy salads, spicy wraps and savory soups – while sister restaurant Saladang next door offers a more traditional Thai menu.
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Hollywood Forever Cemetery
- Los Angeles, USA
- Sights › Dark
Rock ’n’ roll faithful flock to the monument of guitar-playing Johnny Ramone at this Paramount-adjacent boneyard. Other residents include Hattie McDaniel, Rudolph Valentino and Cecil B DeMille. From Bugsy Siegel’s mausoleum, catch the perfectly framed view of the Hollywood sign – proving Hollywood, at least here, really is forever. Watch outdoor movie screenings in the summer (www.cinespia.org).
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Museum of Tolerance
This museum uses interactive technology to make visit-ors confront racism and bigotry. There's a particular focus on the Holocaust, including Nazi-era artifacts and letters by Anne Frank. A history wall celebrates diversity, exposes intolerance and champions rights in Amer-ica. Reservations recommended.
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