favorite things to do in LA?
 

Hi all,
i'd love to know people's favorite things to do in LA. favorite restaurants, bars, hikes, anything? hidden gems? For two 30-somethings on a budget.
thanks for any and all thoughts!
nyla

Here is my list of "very LA" things to do on a budget:

Rollerblade along trail from Santa Monica to Venice Beach.

Drive through historic Whitley Heights neghborhood

Get one of those cheesey "maps to stars homes"

Take a walk or run around the Lake Hollywood reservoir

Hike Topanga Canyon, feel like your miles away from LA until you look up and see a sea of beige McMansions

Rose Bowl flea market (second Sunday of each month)

Shop, hang out, people watch on Melrose or Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica

Drive up Laurel Canyon at night to see view of the city lights

I could think of tons more! I love LA!

We usually stay near Beverly Hills and a visit would not be complete without a big cup of Matzo Ball soup at the Bristol Farms in West Hollywood. As a bonus, sit out front (at the one table) and you might see famous people go in and out... we always seem to.
Also, we love Nate and Al's for a big diner style b'fast. It's on Canon or Beverly... I think. Last time we sat in a booth next to Larry King. It's good and the waitresses are a hoot.

To add to that great list:

-- Show up at 9 AM to walk through the Santa Monica Farmer's Market (Wednesdays and Saturdays), to catch the area's top chefs and sous-chefs buy produce for their most special creations that evening. Check out locally-grown product of every type (stuff you may not have ever seen). Sample some. Go have breakfast down at Cora's, on Ocean just south of Le Mérigot Hotel.

-- Take an architectural tour of Downtown LA. Old, new, inbetween-- there are some wonderful buildings there.

-- Hit Bergamot Station, a collective of artists' galleries in Santa Monica, also home of the little Santa Monica Museum of Art. Some very exciting art is made here.

-- Window-shopping on Rodeo Drive is free, and everyone does it, so indulge in the dream. Share the Fantasy.

-- A trip up to the Getty Center is not expensive and well worth it. Grand architecture, beautiful grounds-- and occasionally some really great visiting exhibitions.

-- The hot new bar in Santa Monica is a place called Voda-- on Second just north of Broadway. Truly hidden (no big sign, just a menu by the door), truly cool. Vodka bar (by the way, "voda" is Czech for "water"). And the food's not half bad, either.

There's definitely more to list. You can look at this resource as well:

www.laweekly.com

I forgot about Pasadena. Head there and walk around Old Town. Drive around and take in the gorgeous Craftsman-style houses (if you like, you can see a large number of Craftsman-style beach bungalows in older beach communities like Santa Monica or Long Beach).

You could hit a 99-seat playhouse in Hollywood-- they're cheap and you often see some awesome talent (including TV and movie actors stretching their art).

Check the Museum of Television and Radio or the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for special events. They're often free. Always cool. The Academy shows their Oscar-nominated shorts in special events, and you never know who will be in the audience.

You'll never find anything in NY as good as IN "N OUT BURGER!!!


Since you're from NY, ask for the Yankee burger with plenty of CROW!!!

1) The Farmer's market at 3rd and Fairfax--it is open daily and has all types of yummy and inexpensive food. Go for lunch and people watching, then head over to the LA County Museum of Art and the La Brea Tar pits. Across the street is the Petersen's Automobile Museum. A great way to spend an afternoon.

After the museums, head in to Beverly Hills for dinner. What kind of food do you like?

My favorite thing to do in LA is LEAVE! With apologies to those of you in LA. :((

nyla: There are some truly incredible hikes in the L.A. area:

http://www.spannertech.com/localhikes/

In addition to these, if you get a chance, go to Stough Park (AKA "Top of Walnut") during evening/nighttime hours. You simply will not believe the views!

Visit the morgue.

I am totally serious. To my knowledge LA is the only place on the planet that has a gift shop at the coroner's department.

When I heard about this before our trip out there last year I knew I had to go. My very supportive husband had a little trouble with this part of the itinerary but went along.

The gift shop is on the second floor, you have to be buzzed and signed in, but sure enough there's a shop where you can buy all sorts of oddly fun things like toe-tag keychains, and beach blankets with chalk outlines. T-shirts, tote bags, books. I spent $80. The proceeds go to drug prevention programs like DARE. My husband felt a little better about the visit when a few people from Minnesota arrived...the husband in that group was also creeped out.

A gift shop at the morgue - that's got to be an "only in LA"

thelma etal, one more reason to leave LA!!!!! ROTFL

Not to step on Italy here but my thing:

As you are driving East on I-10 toward San Bernadino, you go up hill coming out of the LA valley. I love looking in my rear view mirror on a sunny day, observing the disgusting brown smog cloud that I have just driven out of.

My favorite thing to do is to turn to my wife and say " I sure am glad that we don't live there."

My favorite thing in LA is an enjoyable bike ride along the beach. In December. When it's not oppressively hot or smoggy. And the sun's out, and it's agreeably warm, and I can smile at my honey riding next to me, and say, "I'm sure glad I live here." Then we go to the Long Beach Farmer's Market and buy fresh produce, harvested the day before from local farms. I'm kinda glad that out-of-towners don't know what they're truly missing most of the time....

Oh thank you thank you! such good stuff. even the advice to have a yankee burger with crow. you see i'm originally a chicagoan, so it rolls right off.
and to add, if any one has restaurants in the moderate range, good ethnic ones, or little hole in the wall tapas or italian places...
again, many thanks!

What part of the city will you be staying(as far as restaurant recommends go)?

Taking a tour of the Broadway theatres
with the Los Angeles Conservancy.

i'll be in west hollywood, but we'll go anywhere for a funky little good restaurant!

The Griddle or Duke's in West Hollywood for breakfast.

Go take a peek at the Greystone Mansion, it's fun and free.

The restaurant at the Getty is open for dinner on Fri & Sat...it's good..but not "budget". The Getty itself is a must-see though.

The Farmer's market on Fairfax is funky & fun for breakfast or lunch. Bob's has the world's freshest donuts and there a lots of great ethnic lunch-plate kiosks.

Something for FREE when in LA is obviously to go see a taping of a show. We went to two Tonight Show tapings, one Jimmy Kimmel show and a taping of Friends and were only in LA for about 4-5 days.

We loved Bob's Big Boy in Burbank. Regretably never tried In 'N Out but will the first chance we can since everyone raves about them.

Re: In'N Out burger

Eric Schlosser ("Fast Food Nation" and the extra footage in "Supersize Me") will even eat at In'N Out burger. Makes me feel a bit less guilty about that cheeseburger I had there two days ago. Yum!