LA. La-La Land. Hollywood. Of course, there’s a lot more to LA than Hollywood. A LOT more. But Hollywood is why people come to visit LA, isn’t it? Hollywood glamour is probably what pulled me to LA when I moved there in 1992. Well, that, plus grad school. I spent all of my 30s there. I escaped in 2003 and headed back to Boston. If I had only known in 1992 what I knew in 2003. Would I do it all again? Sure!
When I go back to LA these days, the one thing I think: Oh my God, there’s so much driving here! Everything is spaced so far apart. But the last time I was there, I noticed something else. They’re really expanding mass transit there. LA has already had a very expansive bus system. But now you can take rail clear across LA from Downtown to Santa Monica. Way to go, LA!
How to get into Los Angeles from the airport
That’s almost a ridiculous thing to say. It’s like saying, “How to get into California from the airport.” LA is just so spread out, so it certainly depends on where you’re staying. The good news is that, despite LA’s (well deserved) reputation as a car-focused city, there are decent public transportation options. Here are the best ways to get into LA (speaking very nebulously) from the LA County’s 3 airports at a reasonable price:
LAX 3 options:
- LAX Shuttle G to Aviation/LAX, switch to the Metro Green Line to get around Greater LA/Long Beach.
- LAX Shuttle C to the LAX City Bus Center, switch to Metro Bus 232 for Downtown Long Beach via South Bay, Big Blue Bus 3 or Rapid 3 for Santa Monica via Marina Del Ray, or Culver City Bus 6 or Rapid 6 for Westwood/UCLA via Culver City and West LA. (If you ride the Big Blue Bus, you can pretend that your bus driver is a maniacal Dennis Hopper.)
- LAX FlyAway to Downtown LA/Union Station, San Fernando Valley/Van Nuys, Westwood/UCLA, Hollywood, and Long Beach. (Other than the Westwood bus, the FlyAway buses all connect to rapid transit. You can also catch a train at Union Station. So this could be your best option depending on where you’re staying in LA.)
Long Beach 2 options:
- Long Beach Transit bus 102 or 104 to Willow at Long Beach, switch to Metro Blue Line to get around Greater LA/Long Beach.
- Long Beach Transit bus 111 to Downtown Long Beach. (You can also switch to Metro Blue Line at Downtown Long Beach).
Burbank (Bob Hope) 4 options:
- Metrolink Ventura County Line (Monday-Friday) to Downtown LA/Union Station via Burbank and Glendale or to San Fernando Valley.
- Bob Hope Airport Shuttle (weekends and holidays) to Downtown Burbank, switch to Metrolink Antelope Valley Line for Downtown LA/Union Station via Glendale.
- BurbankBus (Monday-Friday) or Bob Hope Airport Shuttle (weekends and holidays) to North Hollywood, switch to Metro Red Line to get around Greater LA/Long Beach or Metro Orange Line for the San Fernando Valley.
- Metro Bus 94 or 794 (Rapid) to Downtown LA via Burbank and Glendale or Metro Bus 222 to Hollywood via Burbank.
Where to stay in Los Angeles
LA is so huge that the location of your lodging is more important than it is in most other cities in the world. Here are some options for various areas around Greater LA/Long Beach. All of these hotels are located near transit stops. But this being LA, transit time may be lengthy.
Beverly Laurel Motor Inn Centrally located (which means it’s equally far from everything). Walking distance to the Grove, Farmer’s Market, and Melrose shopping. Close to the Miracle Mile and Museum Row. With a funky diner attached. (If arriving by public transportation from LAX, you may have to take 2 Metro buses to get there. Alternatively, you can take the LAX FlyAway to Hollywood and then the Metro Bus 217/780 to the hotel. It will take longer than the direct route, but might be a better, more convenient ride overall.)
Courtyard by Marriott Long Beach Downtown A short walk to the beach. An even shorter walk to the Metro Blue Line.
Hilton Long Beach Reasonably priced. Right in Downtown Long Beach.
Holiday Inn Express North Hollywood – Burbank Area A decent location in the San Fernando Valley. Less than a 10-minute walk to the North Hollywood Metro station. Close to Universal, Warner Brothers, and Walt Disney Studios. (If arriving by public transportation from LAX, it’s probably best to take the LAX FlyAway to Hollywood and then the Metro Red Line to North Hollywood.)
Holiday Inn Express West Los Angeles Close to Santa Monica and Westwood/UCLA (The Culver City Bus 6 and Rapid 6 from LAX stop a short walk away at Sepulveda & Santa Monica.)
Seaview Hotel A very reasonably priced hotel in Santa Monica just a block from the Pacific Ocean and a 10-minute walk to Santa Monica Pier. (The Big Blue Bus 3 from LAX stops less than a 10-minute walk away at 4th & Pico.)
Sheraton Pasadena Hotel A short walk to Paseo Colorado and Old Pasadena. Reasonably priced. Less than a 10-minute walk to the Del Mar Metro station. (If arriving by public transportation from LAX, it’s probably best to take the LAX FlyAway to Union Station and then the Metro Gold Line to Del Mar.)
The Standard, Downtown LA The famously funky Standard in Downtown with the even more famous rooftop hotel.
The Standard, Hollywood The original Standard on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, complete with blue AstroTurf laid around the pool with the spectacular LA view. (If arriving by public transportation from LAX, it’s probably best to take the LAX FlyAway to Hollywood and then the Metro Bus 2/302 to the hotel.)
Where to eat in Los Angeles
There are countless places to go in LA for good food. I’ve been to many of them! And if you want to see stars in LA, the best way to do it is to go out to eat. That’s when the stars really come out.
The 101 Coffee Shop A hip mid-century themed spot in Hollywood.
24/7 Restaurant DTLA Comfort food gets hip at the Standard, Downtown LA.
Alma at the Standard Locally sourced goodness at the Standard, Hollywood.
Basix A good place in West Hollywood for California basics. In other words, expect the menu to lean slightly toward the Italian. Get a table on the outdoor deck.
Birds A very popular spot without outdoor seating, specializing (but not exclusively) in chicken, the titular birds. On the Franklin Strip where Hollywood becomes Los Feliz.
Canter’s This famous deli has been satisfying taste buds on Fairfax for over 8 decades.
Carlitos Gardel Argentine Steakhouse Pleasing LA beef-eaters for 20 years. Centrally located a block from Melrose & Fairfax.
The Cheesecake Factory Sure, you’ve been to the Cheesecake Factory. But have you been to the original in Beverly Hills?
Chin Chin Modern American Chinese on the Sunset Strip. Other locations are in Beverly Hills, Brentwood, and Studio City/San Fernando Valley.
Duke’s Classic Hawaiian joint on the beach in Malibu.
Nate ‘n Al World-famous delicatessen on Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills.
The Original Pantry Cafe This renowned downtown diner has never closed since first opening in 1924.
Palermo Ristorante Italiano This Los Feliz favorite has the best pizza in LA. Hands down. Bar none. None.
Pink’s Hot Dogs Dishing out chili dogs to celebrities in Hollywood since 1939.
Roscoe’s House of Chicken & Waffles Soul food, LA-style. The classic original location is in Hollywood. Other locations are Long Beach, Pasadena, West LA/Mid-City, Inglewood/LAX, and LA/South LA.
Swingers A hip diner attached to the Beverly Laurel Motor Inn. They also have a new location in Santa Monica.
Must-Sees in Los Angeles
I’m not at all a theme park person. I hated Universal Studios both times I went, and I never went to Disneyland the entire time I lived in LA. If you’re in Southern California to go to the big parks, you don’t need me to tell you about them. I also stopped taking visitors to Venice Beach. I reached the point where if friends came from the East Coast and wanted to see Venice Beach, I told them they had to make it there on their own. Not really my thing. But in the enormous Greater LA area, there are loads of interesting sights to see. Here is a baker’s dozen of places to go to make your visit to LA truly worthwhile. (All of them are accessible by public transportation.)
Beverly Hills If you’re going to visit LA, you know you’re going to end up in Beverly Hills at some point. Honestly, there’s not a lot to do there other than window shop (and get some good food at Nate ‘n Al). But go ahead and stroll up and down Rodeo Drive like you’re Julia Roberts with Richard Gere’s credit card in “Pretty Woman”. It’s Beverly Hills, after all!
El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument Who says LA doesn’t have history? The El Pueblo historic district in Downtown LA commemorates the spot where LA was founded in 1781 on behalf of the Spanish Empire. The site includes the Avila Adobe. Built in 1818, it’s the oldest house in LA. There are numerous other historic buildings, plus Mexican restaurants and shops along Olvera Street. Once you’ve enjoyed the celebration of Mexican-American culture at El Pueblo, continue your ethnic adventures. Chinatown and Little Tokyo are directly adjacent to El Pueblo, to the north and to the south, respectively.
Exposition Park Directly across the street from where I went to grad school at USC, Exposition Park has a lot going on. Its most recognizable feature is the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, home of the 1932 and 1984 Olympics. Expo Park also hosts 3 museums. The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County is an enormous museum of natural and cultural history. The California Science Center is filled with hands-on, interactive exhibitions. The California African American Museum focuses on the history, art, and culture of African-Americans in California and the US West. Expo Park’s hidden gem is the beautiful Exposition Park Rose Garden.
The Getty Center and the Getty Villa The Getty Center caused a sensation when it opened in 1997. Designed by Richard Meier, the Getty Center sits high on a hill in the Santa Monica Mountains in Brentwood, accessible by funicular. The Getty Villa is also on a hill, further west in Pacific Palisades, close to the Pacific. Together they make up the J. Paul Getty Museum. Each of the facilities is known at least as much for its spectacular setting as for the art contained within.
Griffith Park Take a break from the sprawl and enjoy the country’s largest urban wilderness park at the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains (known locally as the Hollywood Hills) in Los Feliz. The Hollywood Sign is situated just inside the western border of Griffith Park at the top of Beachwood Canyon. The LA Zoo is located in the northeast corner of Griffith Park, on the San Fernando Valley side of the hills. The most distinguished sight to see in Griffith Park is Griffith Observatory, on the southern slope of Mount Hollywood. Go for the science exhibits. Go for the planetarium. But most of all, go for the unbelievable views of Los Angeles (including a sweet view of the Hollywood Sign). And don’t forget to pay homage at the bust of James Dean, who famously visited at Griffith Observatory in “Rebel Without a Cause”. On weekends, the DASH Observatory Shuttle runs all day long from Vermont/Sunset station on the Metro Line with stops along the way on Vermont Avenue. (Griffith Park is a unit of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.)
Hollywood If you’re going to New York, you’re probably going to catch a Broadway show. So if you’re in Hollywood, see a movie! Most of the movie studios have left Hollywood, but Tinseltown still has the world’s best movie theaters. Of course you’re going to check out the movie stars’ handprints in front of the Chinese Theater. But don’t stop there. Go inside and see a Hollywood movie in Hollywood’s most famous movie theater. It’s a true movie palace. Right across Hollywood Boulevard is the El Capitan Theatre. It’s an absolutely stunning place to catch the latest Disney release. Down the street is the phenomenal Egyptian Theater, which shows classics and special presentations. Don’t be surprised to see movie legends in attendance to attend and discuss special screenings of their classics. All 3 of these themed theaters were built by Sid Grauman in the 1920s. For something slightly more modern, catch a blockbuster on opening night at the Cinerama Dome at Sunset & Vine. It was built in the ’60s to showcase Hollywood’s latest technical achievements. Naturally, while you’re walking from theater to theater, you’ll be checking out the stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Don’t miss the Walk of Fame’s special tribute to the astronauts of Apollo 11 at Hollywood & Vine. Towering above it all is the one and only Hollywood Sign. And if you want to hit the heights yourself, go for a hike up Runyon Canyon, one of the best spots for celebrity sightings. (Runyon Canyon Park is a unit of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.)
The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles MOCA is LA’s HQ for contemporary (post-1940) art. In addition to items from their permanent collection, there’s just about always a fabulous exhibition on view. In addition to the main facility in Downtown LA, there’s one satellite branch nearby in Downtown and one other at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood.
Museum Row on the Miracle Mile The mile-long stretch of Wilshire Boulevard between Fairfax and La Brea is known as the Miracle Mile. What’s miraculous these days is all the culture you can get clustered in one spot in the middle of LA. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is the largest art museum in the US West. Just down the block you can find the unique La Brea Tar Pits & Museum. (Did I really never make it there the entire 11 years I lived in LA?) On the south side of Wilshire, you can get your motor running at the Petersen Automotive Museum, a temple to LA’s favorite mode of transportation. For something very un-LA, there’s the Craft & Folk Art Museum. Coming soon at the corner of Wilshire & Fairfax is the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. The new museum will take up residence in a former department store building. Renzo Piano is overseeing the renovation and expansion of the 1939 Streamline Moderne landmark.
Pasadena I didn’t spend much time in Pasadena when I lived in LA. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pay a visit to the City of Roses. And thanks to the Gold Line, it’s a breeze to get there. Of course if you happen to be there in the morning on New Year’s Day, you’ll catch the Tournament of Roses Parade. But most other days of the year, you can visit the Norton Simon Museum to admire fine art from around the world. Stroll through the city’s restored historic district, Old Pasadena. Take in a performance at the landmark Pasadena Playhouse. Love the American Craftsman style of home architecture? Pasadena is the place for you. The Gamble House is the star of the local Craftsman scene. More partial to European-influenced architecture? Then you’re sure to admire the hybrid Mediterranean Revival-Spanish Colonial Revival style of Pasadena City Hall. You don’t have to be a Little Old Lady to make the best of Pasadena.
Santa Monica Hit the beach! Go romp on Santa Monica Pier and take a ride on the famous Ferris wheel or the historic carousel. Dip your toes in the Pacific at Santa Monica State Beach, which runs 3 miles along Santa Monica Bay. At its northern end, across the LA city line, the beach becomes beautiful Will Rogers State Beach in Pacific Palisades . On the southern end is LA’s quirky Venice Beach, which a lot of people enjoy. Inland a few blocks from the beach is Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade for shopping and dining. For high culture, take in the art at the galleries of Bergamot Station, a converted train station. (Santa Monica Pier and Santa Monica and Will Rogers State Beaches are within the border of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.)
Union Station In LA, the car is king. Nevertheless, the City of Angels has a landmark transportation hub in Union Station. If you’re a true urban adventurer, a rebel getting around LA by public transportation, there’s a good chance you’ll pass through Union Station (especially if you’re heading to Pasadena or even just going to El Pueblo, which is directly across the street from the station). But don’t just pass through. Stop and take in this gorgeous masterpiece that combines the So Cal favorite of Mission Revival architecture with Art Deco/Streamline Moderne that was all the rage in the ’30s.
Watts Towers of Simon Rodia State Historic Park Watts Towers is LA’s most unusual landmark. Watts Towers were built by Italian immigrant Simon Rodia as a personal art project over a period of 33 years beginning in 1921. The tallest of the 17 towering sculptures–made from steel and concrete and decorated with bottles, tiles, shells, and more–reaches almost 100-feet high. The park and adjacent Watts Towers Arts Center have become a cultural center for South LA. The site is located out of the way from other popular spots in LA. But it has its own stop on the Metro Blue Line, so you’ll have no trouble getting there!
Will Rogers State Historic Park Just off Sunset in Pacific Palisades, Will Rogers State Historic Park is located at the former ranch of early pop culture icon Will Rogers. And it really has something for everyone. There’s hiking and horseback riding in the Santa Monica Mountains. There’s LA’s only polo field, famously featured in “Pretty Woman”. And there’s Will Rogers’s historic ranch house. Inside is a museum featuring a large collection of art of the US West. (Will Rogers State Historic Park is a unit of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.)
Day Trips from Los Angeles
Let’s be real. If you’re taking public transportation or even if you’re driving, everywhere you go in LA is going to be a day trip. The city itself covers about 500 square miles. That’s a lot of ground to cover, even before you consider other LA County cities like Beverly Hills, Pasadena, and Santa Monica.
Santa Barbara If you insist on venturing outside of LA county, take a trip up the coast to see the red roofs of beautiful, laid-back Santa Barbara. Much of the 3-hour train ride runs right along the coastline.