L.A with a baby
 

We are traveling to L.A. with a baby (4 months old) for a wedding. We have 3 days to sightsee. We are staying in Redondo Beach.
I am looking for ideas for places to see and places to eat (baby friendly). We like to shop and just see the "important" sights. I think museums are out because of the babe.
We have been to Pasadena and Orange County before and are definitely not interested in Disneyland.
Any ideas would be welcome.
Thanks!

I'm not familiar enough with that area to give you any specific suggestions but you'll do fine at museums if you have a stroller! My youngest has no memories of the Ronald Reagan Library Museum when he was that age but we had a wonderful afternnon and a delicious lunch! He slept for most of the time but when he was awake, he charmed the docents and made lots of friends.

Have a wonderful visit!

I can't see why you can't do what ever you want with such a tiny baby. Its when they're older its harder to do that. So certainly visit Museums or what ever. People in LA do have kids, and do take them with them....

Starting in the late '80's, most of us baby boomers wised up and figured with that biological clock ticking away faster than a jet taking off, we'd better have kids before it was too late. Most of us yuppies tore the roof off the old tradition in L.A. of keeping kids inside and unseen until they had proper manners (about age 25). As a result of our "progress", I'm happy to report you will not feel out of place taking your baby or any small child almost any place in L.A.. Just make sure that the restaurants you're considering have enough space to bring a baby carrier. For example, you're not going to want to go to Angelini Osteria until your baby can actually sit in a chair, because it's a tiny place and all the tables are squished together. On the other hand, you aren't stuck going to a Cheesecake Factory or an Islands either (and thankfully, your baby is currently too young to eat real food anyway, so you aren't forced to endure the likes of the latter for a few more years). Just remember the golden rule: when the baby gets fussy, pick him/her up and take the baby outside until he/she calms down.

Museums are NOT out because of the babe. The L.A. County Art Museum is a nice big place with a nice outdoor sculpture garden. Downtown L.A. is home to the Museum of Neon Lights, which is a fascinating place for adults and wee kids. There's lots of malls to shop near Redondo Beach -- I'm not horribly familiar with the South Bay, but I think the Del Amo shopping mall is fairly close by, or you could drive up to the Santa Monica/West L.A. area and enjoy the Third Street Promenade and quite a few decent restaurants, with a final stroll onto the Santa Monica Pier (the Pier's neon sign is an important historic sight, as is the old carousel on the pier that you'll see in many old movies, such as the Sting and Inside Daisy Clover -- I guess for a while they couldn't do a movie with Robert Redford without the carousel as a prop!).

Bottom line is: figure out what you'd enjoy doing and seeing if you weren't bringing along a 4 month old and just DO IT!!!!

Thanks for your ideas.
I guess I didn't entirely phrase my question right. We know we aren't really held back by the baby - we live in NYC and she goes everywhere with us now.
I was thinking more just 'quintessential' L.A. sights (minus the super posh restaurants and nightclubs...)
We plan on going to Santa Monica.
Was wondering about any other fun shopping areas that aren't the typicals...
I know I'm being vague. I guess we just aren't sure what we want to do...still just stuck on thinking about the flight out :(

"Quintessential" L.A. will mean different things to different people. Even the people who live here.

Things that are "only in L.A.":

>Getty Center (art and views, although the County Museum LACMA is 5x as big)

>Getty Villa (re-creation in Malibu of an Italian villa; parking reservations required)

>Studio tours (difficult/impossible with a baby)

>Hollywood

>Venice Beach (tacky as all heck but certainly unique to L.A.)

>Griffith Park (enormous with rugged terrain, in the city; the un-Central Park)

>Mulholland Drive (beautiful scenic drive, many parts of which slice through State and County parkland)

>Disney Hall (Bilbao Museum-like
architecture without the plane ride to Spain; tours available)

Other Fodorites, feel free to add to this "Only in L.A." list.

ok, got it. Since I'm a WLA girl, I can only give you my slanted perspective. For me fun/different shopping places would include (besides Venice Beach) Main St. and Montana Ave. in SM, Abbott Kinney Bl. in Venice, and Santee Alley downtown. The Grove is kind of Disneyesque in its "fun" factor (a little to Las Vegas for me -- everything seems too canned and the people too plastic), and Melrose has become fairly passe.

Ruby's in Redondo Beach is a kid-friendly diner, right on the beach. Most restaurants in the South Bay are casual and kid-friendly. Let us know what kind of cuisine you prefer, and we can give you more specific suggestions.

I don't know about you, but when I travel to a new city, I try to avoid the malls and stores that I can find in Anytown USA, and seek out more interesting shopping areas.

Downtown Manhattan Beach has lots of unique shops and restaurants. Also, they have a tiny aquarium at the end of the pier. www.downtownmanhattanbeach.com

Redondo Beach has the Riviera Village: www.rivieravillage.org

Long Beach has the Aquarium of the Pacific, which is also baby & kid-friendly.

From Redondo, you will also be close to the scenic drive around the Palos Verdes Peninsula. There is a lighthouse and whale watching center at Point Vicente, and several look out points along the way.

Be aware that Redondo Beach is kind of far from many sights, so hopefully you are renting a car and will be ok driving 30-60 mins depending on traffic.

That being said, here are the must-sees given your preferences:

- The Getty (not just a museum. it's a great place to spend a morning or afternoon and have lunch, with amazing views)

- Santa Monica Pier/Promenade and Main St shopping

- Venice Beach boardwalk and Abbot Kinney Ave shopping

- The Grove/Farmer's Market - have lunch or dinner there, walk around and shop

- Drive down Sunset Blvd from West Hollywood through Beverly Hills and Bel Air all the way to the beach. Have dinner at one of the beach restaurants in Malibu

- Beverly Hills/Rodeo Drive area to walk around, shop, and have lunch

- LACMA and La Brea Tarpits

- Lunch at an outdoor cafe in West Hollywood

- Manhattan Beach/the Strand since you're staying nearby

- Hollywood/Walk of Fame area - pretty touristy and not that special in my opinion, but you'll see the Hollywood sign