A Quick Guide to Visiting Los Angeles

Palm trees, sunshine and movies are just some of the reasons why so many people flock to Los Angeles. But there’s much more to this Californian city than these attractions. From the hipster havens of Silver Lake and Echo Park, to the chic shopping boutiques in Santa Monica and Venice, there’s something for everyone. So, if you’re planning on taking a trip to the City of Angels, here are some of the key things to look out for.

Getting orientated

Most visitors to Los Angeles will probably land at LAX airport. This has excellent transport links to the surrounding city, but if you are visiting Los Angeles, you will certainly need a car. Los Angeles has an infamous reputation for being a city that’s overrun with cars. And whilst there are modest public transport services in the form of buses and a metro system, you won’t be able to walk around LA.

This is because Los Angeles is a vast sprawling city that has little in the way of a centre. Instead, Los Angeles is made up of dozens of interlinking neighbourhoods that have their own distinct characters. From the Spanish-speaking districts of East LA, to the gated communities of Beverley Hills, there’s so much to see that you couldn’t possibly do it all in one trip. So, if you have a few days to explore Los Angeles, here’s a quick rundown of some of the highlights.

Exploring Hollywood

Los Angeles is famous for its wonderful climate, and its seemingly never-ending days of sunshine made it the perfect base for the nation’s fledgling film community. Hollywood made have lost some of its sparkle, but all the major movie studios are still based in Los Angeles, and its great fun to do a little star-spotting.

Most tourists will tend to hit the hit the Hollywood Walk of Fame that stretches down Hollywood Boulevard and Vine, and it gives you chance to see star-shaped tributes to movie legends in the sidewalk. Although this part of town is a little rundown, it’s a good place to pick up some typically trashy souvenirs.

If you’re wanting to get closer to the movie industry, then all the major studios like Paramount, Warners, Sony, and Universal run studio tours. As for spotting a genuine movie star, then it’s mostly a question of luck, although classic Hollywood hangouts like the legendary Chateau Marmont hotel still seem like a good bet.

Hitting the beach

Looking to enjoy some of the famous Californian sea, sun and surf? Then you’ll be spoiled for choice at any one of Los Angeles’ many sandy beaches. Our tip would be to take a fun trip to Venice Beach. This is a beautiful beach that has miles of sprawling sands where you can relax and watch the surfers on the waves. Venice is also home to the aptly-named Muscle Beach where you can see the body beautiful do their thing, and there is also all manner of weird and wonderful street entertainers. Don’t forget to walk a couple of streets inland to see the beautiful Venice canals or explore the chic boutiques on Abbot Kinney.

From Venice, you can also easily walk, cycle or skateboard down to the beautiful coastal city of Santa Monica. This area feels a little more upmarket than Venice, and its Third Street Promenade area is one of the few places in LA that’s fun to walk around to do a little shopping. Apart from yet more golden sands on the beach, Santa Monica also has a great pier that has all the chintzy attractions that you’d expect. If you get chance, we’d also recommend taking a quick drive up the coast to Malibu and you’ll instantly see why the rich and famous make this pretty beach town their home.

Discovering Downtown

For many years, Downtown Los Angeles was something of a no-go area. But it’s been great to see how Downtown has been transformed recently into being a great place to shop without losing its old-school charm. Whether you are sipping champagne on top of a skyscraper, visiting a legendary LA hotel like The Biltmore, or are just indulging in a little retail therapy, there’s plenty of fun to be had in wandering around this area.

Foodies are in for a real treat if they take a quick visit to the Grand Central Market. This is packed with wonderful street food that showcases just how many different nationalities have made LA their home and is a perfect place to try some classic Mexican cuisine. Bookworms should head to the famous Last Bookstore to find a rare second-hand treat, whilst gaming nerds will want to check out the awesome Eighty-Two video game arcade bar.

LA’s hidden gems

The great thing about Los Angeles is that it is such a vast city that there’s truly something for everyone. Whether you are indulging in fine cuisine in Little Tokyo or Koreatown, or are indulging your inner child at theme parks like Disneyland and Universal Studios, then you will find that it’s impossible to get bored in LA.

Many of the most exciting parts of Los Angeles are those areas that are still off the tourist map. Whilst everyone has heard of Beverley Hills and Bel Air, unless you have the Kardashian lifestyle, then you aren’t going to have too much fun here.

So why head to the upcoming hipster neighbourhoods like Silver Lake, Echo Park and Los Feliz that are more interesting and much easier on the wallet. These neighbourhoods are packed with bohemian bars, health-conscious restaurants and awesome music venues like The Echo and Zebulon. And if you want to pick up some typically outrageous LA fashion without breaking the back, then head down to Melrose where you’ll find all manner of cool vintage clothes stores.

So, whether you want to hit the shops, the beach or hang out with a movie star, it’s clear that Los Angeles has it all.

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