Me and three female friends (two of us are in our early 30's two in their early 40's) are meeting in LA in mid-October. Would love suggestions for the following (especially stuff off the beaten path):

*Things to do and see (arts, culture, entertainment industry (Universal Studios is a given))
*Good restaurants (the cheap and the not-so-cheap) with decent wine lists
*Walking tours
*Places within a short drive for mountain hiking

How's the subway system there, by the way?

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Don't miss the Getty Center -- it is remarkable.

The LA Philharmonic probably is the best symphony orchestra in the nation. See if you can get tickets to a performance at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

I love the gardens at the Huntington Library (library, art museum and gardens) in San Marino. The surrounding area of San Marino/Pasadena is fun to drive around -- lovely homes and gardens.

The LA Country Museum of Art is just wonderful! Don't miss it. You may wish to schedule two visits as there is a lot of great value to see.

Day trips out to Catalina Island are fun! Everyday there are departures from Long Beach for a two-hour boat ride out to a great spot. You might want to look into that.

One often missed tour attraction is the Paramount Studios tour. The tour groups are very small: the first time we were with a group of seven. Here we were, walking down the actual working studio, elbow to elbow with movie extras. We even saw William Shatner! And toured the Cheers set (this was back in 1991).

Have fun planning!

Old Town Pasadena is fun on any evening--lots to see, buy and eat. Venice Beach and the Speedway is great fun to see the juggling chain saws etc. I understand that the new Getty is sold out until fall---you must make a reservation at any rate. Catalina is a nice day trip. Hiking is good in the San Gabriel Mtns.--Eaton Canyon has nice trails that start in Pasadena, also going up to Mt. Wilson if you're a hiker is fun. The area around the Rose Bowl also is good hiking and running as is Griffith Park. Enjoy.

The LA subway is not recommended---you really need to rent a car. It's the So. Cal way!!

Agree with all of the above suggestions, just two more things: DO NOT take a subway or bus in southern California; DO watch out for poison oak if you go hiking. Don't know where you are coming from, but we have lots of poison oak in our canyons, usually more near the small creeks and streams. We have had lots of water this year, so have a local resident point it out to you so you'll be prepared and you'll have a great time!

PS: Any of Wolfgang Puck's restaurant's are YUMMY!!!

Another suggestions for good hiking is Cleveland National Forest in Orange County. Get a book on hiking in this county and pick a hike that interests you. Note that you must buy a $5 daily pass for hiking in the Southern Calif Nat Forests (don't complain, just buy it) and it's not always easy to find out where to buy them (you'd think you could just go to the Nat Forest offices, but they're not always open). The CNF has surprisingly good hiking for a place so close to a major city.