I’ll be visiting Los Angeles in 5 weeks and while I’d theoretically be spending 3 of my 4 days attending the Electronic Entertainment Expo’, I’ll still have some time for other more “touristy” stuff.
Where would you recommend me to go?
I’d like to bring something back for my wife. Preferably something specific to California that can’t be obtained easily in other places. Any ideas?
Thanks for your time!
Gozu
I was in LA last year and didn’t have any time to do touristy stuff, but Hollywood is there, you know. I’ve spent a year explaining that no, I did not go see the walk of stars.
There’s also one of the Disney places.
And lots
and lots
and lots
of cars.
Your wife isn’t going? Pity. So hard to bring back In-n-Out burger. That’s what I would ask for, but I still live here (well, I live in LA county, anyways).
You could go to Disneyland, but that’s not technically LA. Although now is an excellent time to go; it is 50th Anniversary this year and everything there is beautiful now (I was there last week and actually wept upon seeing the fresh paint on Main Street).
You should experience Venice Beach, even if it isn’t up to full summertime weirdness yet.
The Getty is excellent, it is free (parking is $5) and they are closed on mondays. No especially famous works but a good sampling of pretty much everyone (although the Van Gogh “Irises” is not to be missed, and neither is the larger-than-life statue of Marcus Aurelius that they restored.) Link here.
It would help to know what you’re interested in, 'cause there’s pretty much something for everyone here. I could ramble on for a long while (hey, I have already…) and I haven’t by far seen everything in LA I want to see (esp. Huntington Library).
Oh! And if you like french-dip sammiches and excellent lemonade, you won’t want to miss Philippe’s. Make sure to sit upstairs amongst all the grafitti.
And anyways, give a review of your interests. I don’t wanna point you in the direction of one thing and have you miss out on something better (for you).
P.S. Hollywood is always anti-climactic.
Thbt, forget about Marcus, I just remembered he’s stopping in Chicago on his way to Berlin Goddamit all to hell.
I would say go to Venice beach or the Santa Monica pier. As I recall, both places have little shops where you can rent a bike or rollerblades. Then you can use that to travel a nice little paved path between the two areas, and beyond. You get to see a lot of the coastline, a lot of the people, and get out in the sun. On Santa Monica pier there are some artists/craftsmen who sit around doing cheap customized art stuff for people, like writing your name in squirrely-looking picto-calligraphy, or doing a little fingerpaint sunset (I really liked those.) Lots of options for souveniers there.
As always with these threads, I have to suggest Ye Olde King’s Head pub and restaurant on Santa Monica Blvd. at 2nd St. IMO, it has the best fish’n’chips anywhere. The bangers and mash are also very good. There’s a noisey pub, two dining areas, a smaller, more intimate pub, and another dining room. There’s an English Shoppe next door where you can get something for the wife, or you can take up walk up the 3rd St. Promenade.
The Promenade is a bit touristy, but interesting. If you go at night, look for Psychic Cat. This is a busker with a couple of moggies that ‘tell your fortune’. It’s a cute act. Lots of shops on the Promenade. The thing that I personally like is that I was around for its transformation. 3rd St. was a rather run-down place with a Woolworth’s and some closed business on it. I used to drive down it coming back from the King’s Head. (I parked in the structure on 2nd – a one-way street – and went round the block to get back to the freeway.) And I remember when they revitalised it in the '80s. You can see how it looked in Pee Wee’s Big Adventure. You could still drive on it then. And I was there when it became a blocks-long pedestrian promenade (no cars allowed).
Venice Beach is always good for a laugh. It’s two miles south of Santa Monica, so it’s an easy walk. Go on a weekend for the funkiest visuals. I usually grabbed a bite at The Sidewalk Café. Not nearly as good as the King’s Head, but a good place to people-watch.
No, no, no. Fatburger! 
[sub]Note to Gozu: The eternal battle is over which is better; In-N-Out, or Fatburger. Or Tommie’s. Go for Fatburger. I like the burgers better, and the fries are superior. [/sub]
I just looked at the King’s Head website, and they have a photo of the bangers’n’mash. Yum! If you go for the fish’n’chips, get the Queeen Size portion. I’m a big guy, and I can just finish it. The King Size comes with another piece of fish, and I can’t finish it.
I’m also heading down to L.A. in about 2 and a half weeks and I was wondering, what’s it like around LAX? Both hotels that I’ll be staying are close to the airport. I’m guessing there isn’t alot to see around the airport but what are restaurants like?
L.A isn’t the main part of my trip so I haven’t put alot of thought into what I’m going to do while I’m there. I’m off to Coachella.
Oh yes! to Fatburger and Ye Olde King’s Head, especially if you play darts.
LACMA (LA county Museum of Art) is at the La Brea tar pits. bot can be pretty interesting.
If you like out of the way, lesser known places, Barnsdall park and museum is very cool . The house was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.
Also the Huntington gardens and museum. Its in Pasadena. The gardens go on for achers. They have one of the largest collections of Camillias in the world. Look for the silk trees.
When I lived in LA I went to the Griffith Observatory at least once a week. Totally free, the drive is beautiful, and you get above the smog and can see the whole city laid out in front of you.
If you want to visit Venice and/or Santa Monica, you’re in luck–they’re right by the airport (approx. 3 and 5 miles north, respectively). The people-watching in Venice is, IMHO, peerless, especially if you’re into weirdness. I’ve lived here in Venice for nearly two years, and so far I’ve seen:
[ol]
[li]A guy in pajamas, accompanied by a small boy in a dinosaur costume, out for a stroll[/li][li]A parade consisting of three guys, each with a sign, whose signs were completely unrelated[/li][li]“Dennis of Venice”, one of the sidewalk psychics[/li][li]A self-proclaimed “griot” (West African storyteller/elder) who was basically a rambling crazy old guy[/li][li]the Free Speech Display, one guy’s collection of weird essays, written out in longhand on a series of whiteboards[/li][li]and, of course, jugglers, street psychics, people who want to write your name on a grain of rice, that guy who walks on broken glass, etc.[/li][/ol]
Great fun!
Hmm, I suppose I’ll add more to the pile-on. I still stand by In-N-Out though ;). Although Tommie’s is good, too. The place that ends in -ies is the good one; Tommy’s is not so good.
If you like classic cars, either San Sylmar or the Peterson are good places to go. At San Sylmar, be advised that you need a reservation and must wear certain attire (IIRC button-down shirt and slacks for men, and either the same for women or dress, etc). Children under 16 are also prohibited from San Sylmar. More than just cars, they have various other things. You’ve heard of a player piano, what about a player-violin? They have one. Interesting as hell.
Oh, and for LAX: I hear that Encounter Restaurant and Bar is damned cool, although I haven’t had the opportunity to go.
If you don’t have a lot of time, the beach is practically off the west end of LAX runways. If you have a little mor time, Santa Monica is close and if you have even more time the Getty museum is right up the 405 Freeway in Sepulveda Pass. You can look it up on Yahoo! or Google Maps.