The Original Guide to Los Angeles
Well known for its beaches and entertainment industry, Los Angeles is also a venerable destination for museums, dining and proximity to nature. Winter sun-seekers get ready, as we take you on a journey through the city’s untold treasures
01/12/2024
Joan Didion’s 1979 collection of essays defined America at that time
The titular hero and Bob Hoskins in Who Framed Roger Rabbit
The You Must Remember This podcast dives into the secret and forgotten history of Hollywood’s first century
Pre-trip culture checklist
Read: Part-memoir, part-novel, Eve’s Hollywood sees Eve Babitz bring us along on her interactions with rock stars and artists during the 1950s and ’60s through her searing, razor-sharp prose. The Hollywood native, whose godfather was Russian composer Igor Stravinsky, shot album covers for Linda Ronstadt, the Byrds and Buffalo Springfield in her spare time. Also worth a read are The White Album by Joan Didion and Inherent Vice by Thomas Pynchon.
Listen: Take a fascinating look at the seedy history of Hollywood’s underbelly by listening to the award-winning podcast, You Must Remember This. Actors and comedians make for entertaining guests against the backdrop of heavily researched dives into the city’s secret and forgotten stories of film lore. Musically, there’s an embarrassment of riches when it comes to Los Angeles-related and -created tunes, but this playlist by music journalist Jeff Weiss is a good place to start.
Watch: The star-studded comedy film noir, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, is set in 1947 Los Angeles, incorporating animation in a crime thriller based on mythology about how the sprawling megapolis killed the streetcar. Or indulge in a late-1980s, Beverly Hills twist on Pygmalion with Pretty Woman. Be moved by the iconic hood drama set in South LA, Boyz n the Hood. Visit the northeast LA neighbourhood, Highland Park, in Quentin Tarantino’s debut cult-classic, Reservoir Dogs. And get whisked away to a dystopian future-past (the year 2019, as imagined in 1982) LA with sci-fi masterpiece, Blade Runner.
Urban Light by Chris Burden at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art on Wilshire Boulevard
A local’s view
“Going to great bookstores in every neighbourhood has been one of my fundamental practices: I like Skylight Books in Los Feliz and Stories in Echo Park. Beyond Baroque in Venice has a great poetry section. There are lots of great used bookstores too, like The Iliad in North Hollywood, Book Alley in Pasadena, and BOOKOFF in Gardena, which has Japanese books, including anime.
“LA is also world class when it comes to public art. Did you know that whenever a big project is built, one per cent of the money must be used for public art? The Great Wall of Los Angeles by Judy Baca in North Hollywood is a people’s history of LA and 2,800ft long. I love the Watts Towers, which is the largest piece of art created by one person, Simon Rodia. Urban Light by Chris Burden along Wilshire in front of LACMA is one of the most Instagrammed spots, while Dean Cornwell’s four murals on the ceiling of the public library downtown represent the four eras of California’s history.”
New view
With a landscape so vast, Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook in Culver City sits atop restored land with native plant species and boasts a view of the Los Angeles Basin, Pacific Ocean and surrounding mountains. If a steep, one-mile hike or the staircase it zigs and zags isn’t on the cards, head to Spire 73 at the InterContinental Downtown. It’s the tallest open-air bar in the Western Hemisphere to sit eye-level with Los Angeles’ skyscrapers. Or, take a full day aboard a comfortable van with knowledgeable guides visiting the must-stop spots from Santa Monica to Hollywood with A Day in LA Tours.
The Broad contemporary art museum (Tanveer Badal); full-scale model of ‘Bruce the Shark’ from Jaws at the Academy Museum (JWPictures/Academy Museum Foundation)
Rainy day saviours
With LA’s average of more than 275 days of sunshine per year, you’re unlikely to experience rain here. But where there’s shelter, there’s also air conditioning, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is one such space – and the largest art museum in the west. Plus, you can pop next door to the Academy Museum to learn about the art, science and history of moviemaking. To enjoy a movie in a historic theatre in the entertainment capital of the world, catch one at The Egyptian Theatre, built in 1922, where the first ever Hollywood première and red carpet took place. If downtown, see contemporary art at The Broad and learn music history (and see a show) at The Grammy Museum.
Mission Control at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
The Original: Site of Aerospace Exploration
Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is managed by CalTech researchers and located in La Cañada Flintridge, offering free, guided tours that are 2-2.5 hours long each. The challenge is securing tickets as they become available two months ahead of time, and they go fast. There’s also one weekend yearly that is a dedicated Visitors’ Day, where you can roam the campus, including Mission Control, the room from which missions to the Moon are overseen in real time.
The bar crawl
Should you be in the mood for something libational, visit the many tropical bars around LA. Belles Beach House (above) is located right along (as you might expect) the beach in Venice, and serves up an extensive menu of quality drinks with just enough bar bites to keep you going. Tonga Hut in North Hollywood is the city’s oldest Tiki bar, established in 1958, and the perfect place to immerse yourself in vintage charm. Tiki Ti, opened soon after in 1961 by one of the original bartenders of Florida’s Don the Beachcomber, carries forth the Hollywood legacy of tropical drinks with more than 90 cocktails.
The view from Griffith Observatory (Tanveer Badal)
As seen on screen
There are too many film and TV shooting locations all over Los Angeles to count, but Musso & Frank’s doubles as a legacy Hollywood restaurant where movies including Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, Ocean’s Eleven, The Kominsky Method and TV shows such as Mad Men and Sex and the City have all taken place. Another old-timey restaurant, The Dresden Room, features in the movie Swingers, where the boys visit while the late Marty and his wife Elayne are performing ‘Stayin’ Alive’. Then there’s Griffith Observatory, a popular landmark written into the backdrop of apocalyptic movies like The Terminator – it is, in fact, where T-800 arrives on earth to find Sarah O’Connor. More Griffith-flicks include Jurassic Park, Transformers and, most recently, La La Land.
Christ’s Entry into Brussels in 1889 by James Ensor at The Getty Center (Cassia Davis/J Paul Getty Trust); Santa Monica Pier (Tanveer Badal)
Access all areas
There are plenty of accessible attractions around Los Angeles, including the free and accessible Getty Center, somewhere that highlights both nature and culture thanks to its lucky location in the Santa Monica Mountains. Visit the theme park at Universal Studios, where they have many accommodations (including an Attractions Assistance Pass) for guests who have difficulties with extended queue times. Want to visit the beach? The City of Santa Monica offers beach wheelchair rentals so you can cruise the sand and accessible fun on the pier, including Pacific Park and the carousel.
The sensory six
The freshest of veg at the Hollywood Farmers’ Market
The Walt Disney Concert Hall designed by Frank Gehry opened in 2003
Dig into a suadero taco at Ditroit Taquería
Read all about it at The Last Bookstore
Pavilion in the Chinese ‘Garden of Flowing Fragrance’ at The Huntington (Beth Coller)
Spaceship at the witty and ambiguous Museum of Jurassic Technology
Smell
There’s a farmer’s market going on every day of the week somewhere in Los Angeles, but the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market on Wednesday mornings and Hollywood Farmers’ Market on Sunday mornings are the most bountiful, with loads of growers selling their fresh produce and vendors offering prepared fare. In their early hours, these two markets also tend to double as casting calls for reality TV show Top Chef.
Hear
Take in a concert by the LA Phil at the Frank Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall, where the acoustics and visuals are so good that there is no bad seat. If you’re visiting from June to September, try a show on the eclectic schedule at the famous Hollywood Bowl, where you can not only find inexpensive seats, but also bring in any manner of your own food and drink should the event be on the official venue schedule.
Taste
Taco stands and trucks can be found on every corner of Los Angeles, and that’s a great thing. Try the suadero taco at Ditroit in the Arts District, carne asada at Sonoratown in Downtown LA, al pastor at Leo’s Tacos trucks at various locations and fish al pastor at Simón in Highland Park.
Touch
Housed in a historic banking building, The Last Bookstore is the largest new and second-hand bookstore in California and a wonderland in downtown that has mazes, arches, enclaves, installations and other art. The perfect place for those who wish to get lost and found again in a whimsical monument to books.
See
The Huntington Library & Gardens in San Marino is a 200-acre wonderland donated by the late railroad tycoon, with 16 themed gardens and impressive artwork, including The Blue Boy by Thomas Gainsborough. Sitting opposite it is LA native Kehinde Wiley’s A Portrait of a Young Gentleman – an appropriate response.
Sixth sense
There are many peculiar things in the exhibits at the Museum of Jurassic Technology, but you’ll have to see these curiosities for yourself to appreciate them (by appointment only). You’ll find yourself more enlightened having learned about the mysteries of anthropology, art, natural history and philosophy.
The rooftop pool at the Proper hotel; a poolside alcove (© The Ingalls)
WHERE TO STAY
Trying to work out exactly where to stay in the City of Angels can feel like a daunting task, given that it has quite so many ‘centres’. Santa Monica, though, is a safe bet for a good time, offering the relaxed, coastal lifestyle that LA is famous for. Just like its neighbourhood, the Proper hotel gives off a cool, airy, boho vibe, with interiors inspired by the world-famous beach just a few minutes’ walk away. This means woven walls and a calming sand-coloured palette throughout, alongside a huge amount of original art from prolific LA artists, all courtesy of interior design guru Kelly Wearstler. The rooftop is where the action’s at – up here you can kick back by the generous pool with sprawling views of the Pacific (with Greek mezze and small plates served direct to your cabana). While you’re there, order a drink from the bar at Calabra (we recommend the Americabo – a twist on a margarita with mezcal, Cointreau, hibiscus and lime), and watch the Californian sun set.
A vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Barbara County
The road trip
Got a car? Then take a two-hour drive and north to Santa Barbara wine country, where you’ll find seven AVAs producing some of the most diverse selection of wines found anywhere on the planet. Thanks to the large variations of soil and big temperature swings because of the east-west running valley bringing breezes from the Pacific inland, it’s one of the most exciting places to taste wine. Stop into a few tasting rooms for sips of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah and more. For a primer, watch the movie Sideways.
The courtyard of Mexico City’s National Palace
Where Next?
If you love Los Angeles, try Mexico City. Like LA, Mexico City is large and wide – but admittedly has much better public transportation. It boasts a ton of international dining but also offers great food on a budget. You could visit CDMX many times and still not cover it. Plenty of nature is nearby and easily accessible, such as Chapultepec Forest, Lake Xochimilco and the mountainous Cerro de la Estrella National Park. LA’s Mexican-inflected culture takes much inspiration from this capital city to the south. After all, before 1848, LA itself was part of Mexico…
