How to spend a week in Los Angeles, California, USA

I spent 17 years living and working in Los Angeles and I really love the city. It’s very different than cities on the East Coast and to the others in California especially San Diego and San Francisco. Los Angeles is a huge city (population of 3.8m), with no obvious centre. It’s well known for his traffic and you can spend hours gridlocked on its many motorways known as freeways.

Hollywood and the Movie industry has a huge impact on LA and you certainly meet people from all walks of life. It is the city of the beautiful people and you are guaranteed to be waited on by aspiring actors in restaurants and cafes, or overhear an interesting conversation at some stage !

LA is a food lovers dream and you can eat around the World in most neighbourhoods. Due to the proximity to Mexico, it has some great Mexican restaurants and bars. It also has lots of sushi restaurants but you will find everything from Indian to Argentinian to Greek to Korean to Thai and of course fast food everywhere. I understand that “In and Out Burger” is considered the best burger place. Being vegetarian, I have never tried it.

I had lots of visitors during my time in LA and the following are some of my thoughts on the city and suggestions on what to do, see and avoid.

Transport

Public transport is practically non-existent in LA. LAX, the main airport, is a difficult one to get out of. So if you staying with relatives or friends who offer to collect you, don’t be polite, just accept their offer. Most of the airport hotels offer shuttles but I have often waited for quite sometime for them. All the main car rental companies, operate from LAX. I had a long wait recently collecting a car from Thrifty (over 2.5 hours, which was hard after an 11 hour flight). Most of the suburbs have local bus services, the “Blue Bus” is very visible in Santa Monica and the Metro line now has 7 lines. Buses and trains are very inexpensive but I think they are limited and that the only way to get around LA is to have your own car.

Getty Center

Situated in the affluent suburb of Brentwood and accessible off the 405 freeway, this was one of my favourite places to bring visitors and to visit myself. Entrance to the museum and gardens are free and you just pay to park your car. You then take a tramline upwards to the main plaza. The various buildings are made from concrete, steel and covered in travertine or aluminium.

The design of the area is quite breathtaking and I strongly suggest you take the short architectural tour or watch one of the on-line presentations (available in the museum). This will help you to appreciate the uniquenesses and thought behind the design. John Paul Getty’s own art collection is on view. Modern and historical, art and photography exhibitions are regularly shown. The gardens are immaculate, with a vast array of flowers, trees and cacti. The views of the city are amazing from several viewpoints and seating areas are everywhere so you can rest and enjoy the views. There are several cafes and food stands throughout the plaza but I highly recommend reserving a table at the main restaurant. The food is of good quality and is not as expensive as you might expect. It’s a wonderful place to go to and watch the sunset over the LA skyline.

The Getty Museum is in Hollywood and also worth visiting, but I prefer the Getty Center.

Beverly Hills Hotel

In my opinion, you have to embrace Old and New Hollywood, when you visit LA. One of the best places to experience this, is at the Beverly Hills Hotel. The hotel, with its distinct pink exterior and historic sign is situated in a residential area on Sunset Boulevard.  Drive up to the entrance, hand your keys to the valet and enjoy walking into a little bit of history and you can feel like a movie star ! I highly recommend making a reservation for Afternoon Tea at the Polo Lounge. It can be hard to get a reservation, so if you are planning to do this, reserve it quickly. While it isn’t cheap, the selection of sandwiches, cakes and deserts are really wonderful. You can pair your food with a selection of teas or treat yourself to the champagne version. But you really go for the ambience. If you do hope to catch a glimpse of a well know celeb or earwig on an “industry conversation”, this is the place to do it. Don’t leave without going to the bathroom as both genders areas are extremely opulent and full of Hollywood glamour.

La Brea Tar Pits

This little gem is as far away from Hollywood glamour as you can get, but is well worth a visit. It’s also a great place to go if you have children with you or people of varying ages. Situated off Wilshire Boulevard, it is an active paleontological research site and natural asphalt has been visible for thousands of years. They have done a great job of preserving the areas where the asphalt is visible. The museum showcases various animals and plants over the ages. Life size models of animals are shown throughout the museum and you can see the researchers working on preservation activities in various areas.

Hiking

You will regularly see pictures of celebs hiking in the various canyons surrounding LA in the gossip sites and magazines. I love walking and hiking and Fryman canyon was my favourite hiking spot. Runyon canyon, which overlooks Sunset and Hollywood is more famous. I found it very crowded and dogs certainly seem to have the right of way so I suggest Fryman instead. You can access it off Laurel Canyon (car park at Fryman) or off Coldwater Canyon, in Studio City. Walking at a brisk pace, it takes about 45 minutes to complete the main loop, which has sections going up and downhill. It’s a good workout, especially if you go when it is hot. There are a few seating areas scattered along the way. The view across the San Fernando Valley is spectacular. You really get an idea of the vastness of the city and how flat it is in places, yet it appears enclosed in the various surrounding mountains. If you have time, there is an interesting Tree preservation display at the Coldwater Car Park with a display of recycled paraphernalia.

Griffith Park, is one of the largest city parks in the World, spanning 4,210 acres and has some great hikes and walks. Situated in Los Feliz, it is home to the LA Zoo, Griffith Observatory, the Autry Museum, the Streamers Railroad Museum, Greek Theatre (See below) and of course the Hollywood sign. You can spend a day in this park and just see a fraction of it. There are lots of car park areas near the various attractions and I certainly wouldn’t visit LA without visiting the Observatory (seen in “Rebel without a cause”)and going to see the Hollywood Sign up close (well relatively speaking !)

Sports

LA is a great place to go to attend a sporting event. It is the home to several well known sporting teams (Basketball – LA Lakers, LA Clippers and LA Sparks, Baseball – LA Dodgers and neighbouring Anaheim Angeles, Ice Hockey – LA Kings and neighbouring Anaheim Ducks, Soccer – LA Galaxy and American Football – LA Rams). I have been to all the major sporting grounds and stadiums and if you are a sports fan and can get tickets, attending any of them is a major treat. The Staple Center (now called the Crypto.com Arena) is a great venue to see Basketball or Ice Hockey and I also saw Andrea Bocelli and U2 in concert there. The Rose Bowl in Pasadena is a very famous venue and I saw a college football match (UCLA Bruins), an international soccer match and U2 in concert there.

However, my favourite sporting venue in LA is Santa Anita Race Track. This is situated in Arcadia, about 14 miles Northeast of LA and has hosted the Breeders Cup on several occasions. It’s a huge racetrack and is extremely picturesque as is surrounded by the San Gabriel Mountains. Attending the races is a very cheap day out (provided you don’t lose too much money). You pay about $5-$7 to park and the entrance fee per person (for normal meetings) is less than $10 and a race card is included in your admission fee. You also regularly get given gifts for attending and I have an umbrella, a blanket, several mugs and glasses and a seat cushion, all with the Santa Anita Logo from my numerous visits. While there are lots of concession stands thoughtout the main halls, I do suggest you make a trip a real treat by either reserving a table at the Frontrunner restaurant or you reserve a box trackside where you will be served at the table. If you are not familiar with racing the race cards are very well laid out and will explain a trifecta from an exacta, and will also provide a good form guide. Racing surfaces in the US are different than Europe with the grass course called the turf track and what looks like soil is the dirt track.  

Outdoor Music Venues

The Hollywood Bowl is world famous and is certainly worth a visit. Parking is difficult, both expensive and hard to exit. So if you are a good walker, I suggest you park in the car park at the Hollywood and Highland Center (home of the Oscars) and walk the 20-30 minutes to the venue. (Time depends on how busy it is and where your seat is). People bring their own food and drink and will arrive early and have picnics at various green areas along the entrance way.  If you plan to attend take a look at the programme and book tickets in advance. While lots of famous singers and bands play regularly, it’s also well known for the orchestra performances (A Night at the movies was brilliant) and themed tribute nights (ABBA night is excellent). While I loved the Hollywood Bowl, I preferred the slightly smaller Greek Theatre in Griffith Park. There are various park and ride options to get there and like the Hollywood Bowl, the programme is vast and varied. Particularly if you visit LA when it is warm (virtually 10 months of the year), it’s the ideal city to attend a concert outdoors. 

Indoor Venues

I love going to the theater and LA has several venues worth visiting. In Downtown LA, you have the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, which has a capacity of about 3,200. I have seen plays and musicals here and it’s a great venue. In 2003 the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra moved to the nearby Walt Disney Concert Hall. The exterior was designed by Frank Gehry and the acoustics were designed to be on par with the most sophisticated in the World. While the capacity is just over 2,200 it feels smaller and you can get a great view of the stage from most seats. I do wonder how the brightly coloured seats will age over time as they are very unusual. The funding for this was provided by the late Walt Disney’s wife Lilian and it doesn’t have any associatIon with the Disney Company. I attended an Orchestra performance and also saw Glen Hansard play a solo gig, so it attracts a wide variety of performers.

Most people will enjoy a visit to the Dolby Theatre on the corner of Hollywood and Highland due to its pop culture status. It has been the home of the Oscars since 2002. As you walk up the stairs to the entrance you can read the names of the Best Picture Winners and they have space up to 2071. This has a capacity of 3,400 and I have attended Musicals and Concerts at this venue. I did have a security guard challenge my Father and I one year for making a video walking up the stairs. We never found out why we could take photos but not a video !

One of my favourite music venues is the lesser known Wiltern on the corner of Wilshire and Western. Built in 1931, it is a lot older than the other venues I mentioned and was originally a Vaudeville theatre. The interior is beautiful and it feels like a more intimate venue. Capacity changes between 1,200 and 4,000 depending on how seats and standing space are arranged.

While all the normal US chains have cinemas in LA, there are a few unique ones I liked attending. The El Capitan Theatre, owned by the Walt Disney Company, is used to showcase their films. It is situated on Hollywood boulevard and was built in the 1920’s. While tickets for performances can often be a few dollars more than a chain, there are often live performances or other unique offerings associated with the film on view (costumes displayed etc). Do make sure you see the Wurlitzer organ as its been restored and is considered one of the best theatre organs in the World. The Aero Theatre on Montana Avenue in Santa Monica was a favourite of mine, as it shows independent and older films. The interior has been preserved to its original 1930’s design. 

Beach Areas

The surrounding beach areas are well worth a visit. While Venice Beach is probably the most famous, it can be a little tacky in places. It’s worth a short visit to see the beautiful bodies work out on Muscle Beach (made famous by the previous Governator, Mr Schwarzenegger), listen to the street performers and watch the skateboarders. I would suggest spending more time in the neighbouring Manhattan or Huntington beach areas. Both are beautiful and have lots of great restaurants and cafes. The beaches are vast, relatively clean and like lots of places in LA, great for people watching. One of my favourite things to do, in Winter and Summer was to drive to Malibu through the canyons. The landscape is beautiful and there are lots of viewing areas to stop at and to take photographs. Malibu itself is a picturesque small town and you can almost smell the money. Everywhere you look are huge houses where the rich and famous live and both Zuma and Malibu beaches are great surfing areas.

Film Sets

Everywhere you go in LA, seems to have at some stage been a film location. As soon as you go into Union Station, it will look familiar as you will have seen it in films and shows.  Other places you should visit or drive by for film nostalgia are Rodeo Drive, The Beverly Wilshire Hotel, Santa Monica City Hall, Hollywood High School, Griffith Park Observatory, Hollywood Boulevard, Chinese Mann Theatre, to name but a few.

Pampering

Every street in LA seems to have spas and nail parlours. Lots are for humans but (as my Brother pointed out on a visit) there are lots for dogs ! There is a large Asian population living in LA and the Vietnamese community seems to have cornered the market in Nail Salons. Most will have spa chairs and treatments are usually excellent and not very expensive. There are also lots of massage parlours throughout the city and I regularly treated myself to a massage during my time there. I convinced my Late Father to go for a pedicure once and it then became our Father Daughter ritual on his visits (something not many Irish men in their seventies probably will try to his credit). He thought it was better than the chiropodist he attended at home regularly. 

Other things to do

You should also visit the following – Hollywood & Highland Center (Italian restaurant on the top floor is great), Hollywood Walk of Fame, Sunset Plaza (free parking available), Mel’s Diner on Sunset, Downtown LA (have a cocktail in a roof top bar at nighttime), drive through Downtown LA at nighttime to see the lights, studio visits (WB has a tour which is worth going to, Disney Lot is private), Themeparks (Universal and Disney are both absolutely brilliant, California Adventure, at Disney, was my favourite)

If you are a film or TV fan, attending the taping of a show or a premiere can be a great treat. Tapings of shows can take hours though. Expect security checks, delays in using the bathrooms and the comperes entertaining the audience between takes, can be interesting to say the least !

If you attend the cinema, you will regularly encounter people offering free tickets to preview screenings of unreleased films. If you do accept tickets the screenings are usually in private cinemas or at studio lots. The queues can be long and you will be requested to fill out a questionnaire and sign confidentiality documents. If you have the time and the interest in film, it can be very enjoyable though.

Things I suggest you don’t do

Star Tours, there are lots of these available and most are expensive and not worth it. They stop at gates and tell you, who used to live there years go. Other popular ones are to see the exterior of places where famous people died !

Shop, If you plan to go on a shopping spree, I would drive outside to one of the Outlets. I personally liked the one in Camarillo but Citadel has improved a lot over the years. Both have hundreds of shops and will have all the top US brands. Do look out for discounts and tax free shopping.

f you are a lover of the cinema, don’t go to the cinema at Universal City Walk. It’s extremely expensive and seems to attract lots of teenagers and young people, who will talk throughout the film and walk in and out making lots of noice.

Don’t go to clubs and bars on Sunset Boulevard at nighttime. Most are extremely overrated and parts of the street are not safe. You will see signs at the traffic lights sayings cars should not travel between them frequently which is designed to prevent kerb crawlers and people just driving up and down the street. If you want a good night out try the smaller neighbourhoods. I suggest Los Felix, Studio City, Sherman Oaks, Burbank or Pasadena.

Enjoy LA, I really think it is one of the Worlds greatest and most unique cities !