Los Angeles Attractions Guide: Things To Do in the Los Angeles Area

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Los Angeles

Attractions

People often complain that Los Angeles has no city center, but this is only half true. Though there isn't one overriding zone of walkable attractions as in cities like New York, London, and Paris, L.A. is actually a sprawlingamalgamation of several pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods, each about 20 minutes apart from one another (by car), and each with its own unique flair. Over the past hundred years, the orange groves and farms between these centers have rapidly succumbed to development, making it easy to feel a bit adrift in a sea of unsightly strip malls unless you know where you're going. We've covered the major areas you'll want to see during your visit – Hollywood, Downtown, Beverly Hills, Bel Air, and the beaches.

Of course, the connective tissue that binds L.A. together is asphalt. Car culture rules supreme here, and the vast majority of Angelenos rely on their own wheels to get around. That said, you can still get to and around Hollywood and Downtown by public transit. Indeed, while most locals don't take it, Los Angeles does in fact have a subway system: the Metropolitan Transit Authority operates the city's subway and light rail lines (hours of operation vary depending on the line). The red line (subway) will get you from Universal Studios in Hollywood to Union Station in downtown L.A. via Hollywood Boulevard. The gold line (light rail) will get you from Union Station to Pasadena, a few miles north of town. Get the Metro Day Pass for $3 to ride the rail and bus lines all day long; otherwise you'll pay $1.25 each time you board. As for taxis, while you can't hail them as easily as you can in New York, a quick call to L.A. Yellow Cab (877/733-3305) will usually get you wheels in under 15 minutes.

If you want to get a good lay of the land while learning interesting factoids about the city, we recommend all of the itineraries offered by L.A. Tours ($49–$109; $405 for a custom tour); they'll pick you up from your hotel in a plush shuttle bus for full-day and half-day (morning or afternoon) tours of a variety of attractions and neighborhoods – one of the most comprehensive is the Lost Angeles Grand Tour, which covers the main areas you'll find written about here (Downtown, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and the famed Los Angeles Farmers' Market). Complement your driving tour with a walking tour of classic Hollywood landmarks; Red Line Tours offers daily hour-long expeditions ($20) that focus either on Hollywood or Downtown.

For discounts on a variety of L.A. attractions go to the L.A. Convention and Visitors Bureau website, click on "special offers," and start downloading PDF coupons; you can get 10–20% off tickets to a variety of museums and attractions, public transportation, and more. Another cost-cutting resource is the Hollywood Walk of Fame CityPass ($49), which includes tickets for admission to: The Kodak Theatre Guided Tour, the Starline Tours of Hollywood (a tour past movie stars' mansions), the Hollywood Entertainment Museum, the Hollywood Museum in the historic Max Factor building, and a one-hour walking tour with Red Line Tours.

Main Sights
It's hard to know where to start in such a sprawling city, and there's really no one right way to do it. We suggest beginning in old Hollywood before heading to downtown L.A. Then, as an antidote to the concrete jungle, hit the beach! A trip to Santa Monica Beach and adjacent Venice Beach before heading back to Hollywood by way of Beverly Hills will round out your trip nicely. Also plan to see three of L.A.'s more recent cultural additions: superstar architect Richard Meier's stone Getty Center, Frank Gehry's whimsical Walt Disney Concert Hall, and the unusual Cathedral of our Lady of the Angels.

Remember, too, that you can easily do Hollywood and downtown by subway – the Red Line stops in Hollywood at Universal Studios, Hollywood/Highland, Hollywood/Vine, and Sunset/Vermont, and in downtown at Pershing Square, Civic Center, and Union Station – but getting to the beaches (and anything else) will require a car.

Hollywood
Legend has it that the tradition of movie stars leaving their foot- and handprints in cement on Hollywood Boulevard began when Norma Talmadge accidentally stepped in wet cement while visiting the construction site of Grauman's Chinese Theater in 1927. Whatever the source, generations of actors have left their mark on this fabled stretch of real-estate since, most notably, at the magnificently restored Grauman's Chinese Theater (6925 Hollywood Blvd.).

Step into the courtyard of the adjacent Hollywood & Highland (6801 Hollywood Blvd.) shopping complex, home of the Kodak Theatre where the Academy Awards are now held, for a perfectly framed view of the iconic Hollywood sign. Across the street you can lend your ears to the El Capitan movie palace's (6838 Hollywood Blvd.) "Mighty Wurlitzer" organ before it lowers into the stage to make way for the latest Disney flick (the Walt Disney Company owns the theater and presents live stage shows before many screenings). Wander back onto the sidewalk and you may just be snagged for the studio audience of ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live, which is taped next door.

Just down the boulevard is Grauman's Egyptian Theater (6712 Hollywood Blvd.), which was recently restored to its 1922 grandeur and is now home to the American Cinematheque, a state-of-the-art showcase theater dedicated to screening rare, classic, and avant-garde films. Don't miss Forever Hollywood, a regularly running documentary celebrating the surprising story of this farming-town-turned-movie-capital of the world (Sat & Sun 2pm & 3.30pm; $7).

Your Hollywood experience wouldn't be complete without taking the backlot tour at Universal Studios (100 Universal City Plaza), located just one subway stop away from Hollywood & Highland. Their "Fear Factor Live" attraction, which lets guests perform stunts based on the NBC show Fear Factor, marks the first time a reality TV show has been turned into a theme-park attraction. INSIDER TIP: Every day, a limited number of Priority Seating passes for the upcoming week's Tonight Show tapings are handed out, free, to Universal Studios guests on a first-come-first-served basis (the only other place to obtain tickets is at the NBC Tonight Show box office).

If you're looking for a more laid-back experience, it's easy to get away from these well-trod tourist paths. Traveling the opposite direction on the subway, get off at the Vermont/Sunset station to see the first house built by Frank Lloyd Wright in Los Angeles, the Hollyhock House (4800 Hollywood Blvd.; Wed–Sun tours hourly 12.30–3.30pm; $5), located in the 11-acre Barnsdall Art Park.

Another place to stop is the Miracle Mile area, between Fairfax and La Brea, on Wilshire Boulevard. Its name is a holdover from the 1920s, when developer A.W. Ross turned 18 acres of empty land here into a prestigious business and shopping district; the high-end retail along the strip declined in the '60s, and has since been replaced by a cultural corridor that includes the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (5905 Wilshire Blvd.; Mon, Tue, Thur noon–8pm; Fri noon–9pm; Sat & Sun 11am–8pm; $9), which exhibits an encyclopedic collection of art from around the world, and the La Brea Tar Pits (5801 Wilshire Blvd.; Mon–Fri 9.30am–5pm; Sat & Sun 10am–5pm; $7) that prove that asphalt is in fact indigenous to Los Angeles! Tar still bubbles up from the earth, and the bones from ancient entrapped animals, including a saber-tooth tiger and wooly mammoth, are on display in the onsite Page Museum (same hours) – kids love it!

Downtown
You may think you have a grasp on the character of the city after touring through Tinsel Town, but a trip to vibrant downtown L.A. exposes its true multiethnic heart and its new cultural impact.

Built in 1928, the Los Angeles City Hall (200 N. Spring St.) is the most iconic downtown landmark. If you arrive on a weekday between 10am and 1pm, take the free, docent-guided tour to the historic rotunda – you'll get some great views from the 27th-floor observation deck.

Recognize the Spanish mission–style interior of the grand Union Station (800 N. Alameda St.) from the 1982 film Blade Runner with Harrison Ford? Steps away is Chinatown, the neighborhood – not the movie – packed with great dim sum restaurants, markets, curio shops, and a new spate of off-the-wall art galleries (most situated on Chung King Road). Keep your good travel luck going strong by tossing a coin into the Seven Star Cavern Wishing Well at Chinatown's central plaza.

In the same area, just across the street from Union Station, you'll encounter a slice of life from the days when El Pueblo De Los Angeles was just a tiny settlement in Mexico. A pedestrian thoroughfare, Olvera Street is where Los Angeles was founded in the 18th century by King Carlos III of Spain, who placed his soldiers at the settlement to guard his new territory in Mexico; it was only won by the United States in 1847. Today it's lined with Mexican restaurants, strolling mariachi bands, and booths selling items like brightly woven blankets and handcrafted silver jewelry.

A striking contrast to this homage to the past is the new wave of multi-million-dollar development projects that are turning the onetime Victorian mansions of Bunker Hill, along Grand Avenue, near 1st Street, into a sandbox for some of the planet's biggest names in architecture. Frank Gehry's steel-clad Walt Disney Concert Hall (135 North Grand Ave.) is here, resembling a smaller, more refined version of his Guggenheim Musuem in Bilbao, Spain; it seems to defy the laws of physics with its swooping forms and billowing façade. It's a powerful symbol of the city's maturing sense of itself as a vital cultural crossroads (30-minute guided tours on select days during lunch: $10; 60-minute tours on matinee days: $15. Note: Tours do not include the auditorium, so if you want to see it you'll need tickets to a performance.)

The other new jewel on Bunker Hill, as of 2002, is the 11-story-high Cathedral of our Lady of the Angels, (555 W. Temple St.) the first Roman Catholic cathedral built in the United States since 1972. Designed by Spanish architect José Rafael Moneo with barely any right angles, the church features thinly cut alabaster stone instead of traditional stained-glass windows and foundations capable of rising 27 inches should an 8.0 earthquake hit the city.

Also in the neighborhood is the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) (250 S. Grand Ave.; Mon 11am-5pm, Thurs 11am-8pm, Fri 11am-5pm, Sat & Sun 11am-6pm; $8, free Thurs 5–8pm), which currently holds about 5000 objects in all visual media, including important works by Mark Rothko, Roy Lichtenstein, Ellsworth Kelly, Cy Twombly, Jackson Pollock, and many others.

If you hit the city at the right time, you may be able to enjoy a regular neighborhood gallery stroll. We recommend the Downtown Art Walk, which takes place on the second Thursday of every month. This is a great way to meet interesting locals, view cool art, and chug free wine!

The Beaches
Los Angeles County has 81 miles of coastline, but you'll only need to hit a few key beaches to fully catch the good vibrations of Southern California beach culture and experience first-hand the sight of surfers, bodybuilders, roller-skaters, and other beach bums that have made this stretch of Pacific coastline famous. Located about 15 miles west of downtown, the city's beaches are easily accessible via Interstate 10 The two closest to town are Santa Monica Beach and Venice Beach; they're also the beaches for which L.A. is best known.

A natural starting point is the 3.5-mile-long Santa Monica Beach, west on I-10 until the road makes a dramatic transformation into the Pacific Coast Highway. Pick from one of several parking lots toward the ocean on the left (prices range from $5-8 depending on the season). Nearby is the original location of Muscle Beach, where America's fitness craze got its start back in the '30s; today, it's replete with monkey bars, climbing ropes, and padded areas for gymnastics. If you have kids, you'll want to visit the Santa Monica Pier, which is topped with snack bars, carnival games, and amusement park rides, including a vintage carousel.

When Muscle Beach shifted to the funkier Venice Beach, just south of Santa Monica Beach, in the '60s, the emphasis switched from playful gymnastics to hardcore bodybuilding. This is where Arnold Schwarzenegger used to bulk up before he became Conan the Barbarian. The sandy stretch of beach isn't what attracts visitors though – it's the lively boardwalk, which is always abuzz with chainsaw jugglers, palm readers, scantily-clad roller-bladers, sassy snake charmers, and a cabal of mimes, magicians, and prophets.

A final must is Malibu. No one could have predicted that Hollywood mogul David Geffen would actually give up his private access to the public beach behind his property (north of Santa Monica Beach, along the Pacific Coast Highway) after promising to do so for 22 years, but he has done just that. The result is a nine-foot-wide public pathway mile-and-a-half-long stretch of sand known as Carbon Beach; parking is tricky but the sand is relatively untrampled. Other great area beaches include Zuma; Topanga; and Point Dume.

Beverly Hills
Neither palm frond nor blade of grass is out of place in the 5.7-square-mile city within a city known as Beverly Hills, the neighborhood that offers the best odds in the celebrity-spotting game – just don't gawk! Gregg Donovan, the Ambassador of Beverly Hills, can often be seen patrolling the rarified streets here doffed in a red overcoat and a black top hat; he bills himself as "the world's only walking concierge," speaks some 40 languages, and can make hotel and restaurant reservations at any Beverly Hills establishment.

Before strolling around, take a 40-minute trip on Beverly Hills Trolley Tours ($5) to familiarize yourself with the layout of the city and learn a bit about the 90210's colorful history. You'll be a player in no time after learning the history behind Creative Artists Agency, Beverly Hills City Hall, and block after block of celebrity homes including the late Lucille Ball's ranch home that starred in an episode of I Love Lucy. You'll also pass by the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel, famous for being used in the 1990 film Pretty Woman.

Back on the ground, a dizzying assortment of high-end hair salons, clothing boutiques, and restaurants are packed into the very walkable "Golden Triangle" business district, also home to rarified Rodeo Drive, once described by Andy Warhol as being "like a giant butterscotch sundae." This three-block-long stretch of shops is anchored at its southern end by Two Rodeo, a relatively recent, albeit entirely faux, European cobblestone street that most evokes the mental image tourists have of Rodeo Drive. On the same drag, you'll also want to check out the Anderton Court Center (328 Rodeo Dr.), designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, which houses a series of small boutiques connected by a spiraling ramp; more of our favorite shops on Rodeo Drive are listed in our Shopping section.

The 90210 zip code may be better known as a TV show than a neighborhood – one that also served as the setting for the Beverly Hillbillies – so it's fitting that you can actually watch episodes of popular television series at the neighborhood's Museum of Television and Radio (465 N. Beverly Dr., Wed-Sun 12 noon-5pm; free; reserve a monitor when you arrive), a vast repository of over 120,000 television and radio programs that you can enjoy with your own private monitor and headphones – talk about on-demand programming!

Bel Air
First opened in 1922, Bel Air is considered one of California's first gated communities and it's a rarefied world of hedged-in one-acre-plus estates that's best seen by car. Start at the impressive iron gates just north of Sunset Boulevard at Bel Air Road and proceed to get lost in the overgrown hills.

Don't leave without strolling around the enchanted grounds of the secluded Hotel Bel Air (701 Stone Canyon Rd.), a quaint mission-style building on 12 acres of lush gardens tucked into the verdant hills. Among the exotic plant life you'll find a grove of coast redwoods and a 12-foot-tall bird of paradise tree. The 1946 hotel is famous for its afternoon tea, which is set on a terrace overlooking the property's Swan Lake (Mon–Fri 3–4pm; Sat 3.30–4pm; includes five varieties of tea and a selection of pastries, sandwiches, and desserts; $34; $42 with a glass of champagne).

Another must, the dazzling Getty Center (Tues–Thurs & Sun 10am–6pm; Fri & Sat 10am–9pm; Free; parking $7; 1200 Getty Center Dr.), is located just on the other side of the Sepulveda pass, in Westside. One of the city's newest and most popular attractions, the Getty's impressive travertine marble buildings have sweeping views of the Los Angeles basin and hold a remarkable collection of mostly European art. A tram ride up the hill followed by a stroll through the museum's gorgeous gardens makes one forget all about the traffic snarls below.

Scenic Drives
Given its Pacific Coast location, and blend of hills and flatlands, Los Angeles is, not surprisingly, a terrific place to drive – and not just because its neighborhoods are so spread out! We definitely recommend renting a car for at least one day to cruise the streets here.

Don't leave town without driving the entire length of Sunset Boulevard as it snakes from gritty downtown, through the lush green residential avenues of Beverly Hills, and finally comes to an abrupt halt at the Pacific Ocean.

Another great route follows Hollywood Boulevard west until it dead-ends, then head up serpentine Laurel Canyon, famous as the countercultural enclave celebrated by Joni Mitchell when she sang about "the ladies of the canyon." Stop for a cappuccino at the espresso stand in front of the circa 1919 Canyon Country Store before continuing to Mulholland Drive, which skirts along the peaks of the Hollywood Hills and affords incredible views of both the Los Angeles basin and the San Fernando Valley, especially at night. There are several lookout points along the 21-mile stretch; just avoid it after 4pm on weekdays as rush-hour traffic can be a nightmare. INSIDER TIP: One of the city's best-kept secrets, Runyon Canyon, is also accessible along this road, 2.6 miles east of Laurel Canyon; hiking trails here cover some 130 acres of land and afford great views of the Hollywood sign, downtown L.A., and the buildings on Hollywood Boulevard. You can even look down into the yards and pools of several large estates tucked into the hills.

An afternoon cruise up the winding Pacific Coast Highway along the dramatic 27-mile coastline of Malibu not only affords terrific views of the ocean, but also takes you past multi-million-dollar beach homes, small town shops, and the historic Malibu Pier. Start in Santa Monica where Interstate 10 turns into the PCH and continue northwest. There are several public beaches and lookout points along the way.

Finally, most people are surprised when they hear that the paved paradise of Los Angeles is home to the largest municipal park and urban wilderness area in the United States. Situated in the eastern portion of the Santa Monica mountain range, the mostly au-naturel Griffith Park is worth a visit. Even if you don't have the time to get out and enjoy hiking, horseback riding, golfing, or picnicking, a quick scenic drive through the park's twisty roads is definitely in order. The famous white Art Deco Griffith Observatory at its center will reopen in the second half of 2006 after a major expansion and renovation.

DAY TRIPS
There's a lot more to Los Angeles than Hollywood and Beverly Hills. The surrounding areas hold everything from theme parks to relaxing offshore islands. You will need a car to reach the majority of these outlying spots, however.

One day trip that can be done via public transit from Los Angeles is Pasadena, accessible by the light-rail Gold Line that leaves from Union Station (or by car a few miles north of town along the 110 freeway). Rich in historic architecture, incredible gardens, and great museums, not to mention superb shopping and dining in the beautifully restored 22-block long district of Old Pasadena (bordered by Arroyo Parkway, Pasadena Ave., Walnut St. and Del Mar Blvd.), Pasadena is a compact town loaded with elegant Spanish-revival architecture. One of the main highlights is the Huntington Library, Art Collection, and Botanical Gardens (1151 Oxford Rd.; June–Aug Tues–Sun 10.30am–4.30pm; Sept–May Tue–Fri noon–4.30pm, Sat–Sun 10.30am–4.30pm; $15). ), established in 1919, which contains 120 acres of sweeping lawns and gardens, a library home to such treasures as an early manuscript of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and a double-elephant folio edition of James Audubon's Birds of America, and a British and French art collection that includes Gainsborough's Blue Boy. Pasadena is also where the Tournament of Roses Parade has been taking place on New Year's Day for over a century; curbside viewing is welcomed on a first-come basis, but get there early – some people start camping out at noon on Dec. 31.

Located approximately 25 miles south of Los Angeles, Long Beach is the fifth-largest city in California. Among its beachfront attractions are the Aquarium of the Pacific (100 Aquarium Way; daily 9am-6pm; $19.95) and the permanently docked ocean liner, Queen Mary, which features a great dinner and ghost tour (1126 Queens Hwy; Fri 8pm, Sat 7pm, Sun 5pm; $109).

In the opposite direction, some 68 miles north of Los Angeles, Ventura is an oft-overlooked (and therefore uncrowded) beach community that retains its quirky small-town charm. Its historic main street is packed with charming restaurants, galleries, thrift stores, and antique shops, and its thriving waterfront is the launching pad for Channel Island National Park, a magnificent nature preserve home to over 2000 plant and animal species, 145 of which are unique to the area. Island Packers (1691 Spinnaker Dr., Ventura Harbor; 805/642-1393), a National Park Service authorized concessionaire, offers daily ferry excursions to the park's five unspoiled islands; the trip takes between one to four hours each way and costs $42–$70, depending on the island. Excursions allow for three to six hours on the islands, where you can hike, kayak, and whale-watch off coastal trails.

For a completely different kind of day out, Disneyland is always a fun bet. In celebration of its 50-year anniversary, the park rolled out special parades and shows as well as new and spruced up attractions, including the reopening of Space Mountain, which features all-new special effects. The Disneyland Resort offers a variety of pricing plans that include admission to Disney's California Adventure (a separate but adjacent theme park focusing more on thrill rides). You can save money and time by purchasing your tickets online.

If you have time for an extra day trip, see what Southern California was like before the post-war development boom swept in by exploring the charming city of Avalon on Catalina Island, the former playground of Hollywood royalty located just 22 miles off the coast of Long Beach. You can go snorkeling, cruise around in a glass bottom boat, or, since very few automobiles are allowed on the island, rent a golf cart and explore the city limits. Just beyond, wild American bison roam free. Catalina Express operates a daily ferry service from Long Beach to Avalon ($54 round-trip).