Ryan Killackey
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See a movie star. Sip a cocktail on a rooftop bar at sunset. Slip on designer shoes in a Beverly Hills boutique. Play at Universal Studios Hollywood theme park, explore world-class museums, or see your favorite band in West Hollywood. Welcome to California’s liveliest city, the entertainment capital of America, and one of the best restaurant scenes in North America. Downtown Los Angeles is the main hub, with Hollywood to the northwest, Pasadena and the San Fernando Valley to the east, and the inviting beaches of Santa Monica and Malibu to the west. And, Catalina Island is just a short ferry ride from Long Beach.
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Los Angeles CountyLos Angeles County
See a movie star. Sip a cocktail on a rooftop bar at sunset. Slip on designer shoes in a Beverly Hills boutique. Play at Universal Studios Hollywood theme park, explore world-class museums, or see your favorite band in West Hollywood. Welcome to California’s liveliest city, the entertainment capital of America, and one of the best restaurant scenes in North America. Downtown Los Angeles is the main hub, with Hollywood to the northwest, Pasadena and the San Fernando Valley to the east, and the inviting beaches of Santa Monica and Malibu to the west. And, Catalina Island is just a short ferry ride from Long Beach.
Los Angeles CountyLos Angeles
Welcome to the bright lights and big-city allure of California’s largest metropolis. Here, A-list celebrities really do walk the sidewalks, triple-shot machiattos in one hand, cell phones in the other.
Los Angeles CountyWest Hollywood
West Hollywood has been dubbed “The Creative City,” and for good reason. Bordering Beverly Hills and Los Angeles, WeHo is located in the heart of Los Angeles. It’s easily accessible from anywhere in the city, and the area has plenty to see and do packed into 1.9 square miles.
In the West Hollywood Design District, fashion and the arts rule. This trendsetting area includes intimate galleries and the massive Pacific Design Center, a decorator’s dream, located on Melrose Avenue. More interior design showrooms line Beverly Boulevard, while the highest of high-end boutiques can be found on the ever-stylish Robertson Boulevard. Keep your eyes out for spendy celebrities dipping in and out of shops and head to the fabled Sunset Strip to experience the allure of gritty music venues like The Viper Room or The Roxy, where such legends as Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen have recorded live albums. If you like to stay where the action is, The Strip is also home to some of the most glamorous hotels in the city—Pendry West Hollywood, with its sumptuous rooftop pool, spa, and two Wolfgang Puck restaurants, takes up an entire block, and boutique hotel The Mondrian Los Angeles is right across the street.
Santa Monica Boulevard, the center of WeHo’s LGBTQ community, is packed with bars, clubs, and award-winning restaurants. Dance your heart out at Revolver Video Bar, get a fancy cocktail at The Abbey, or enjoy hipster comfort food in Laurel Hardware.
But West Hollywood isn’t all about flash. Tucked away on a quiet side street, there’s an icon of modern architecture: the Schindler House at the MAK Center for Art and Architecture. Tour the stylish structure, which was completed in 1922 and is an early example of California’s indoor-outdoor style of architecture. Another low-key but worthwhile WeHo find is the beloved Book Soup bookstore, with readings and signings by top writers from around the world.
Los Angeles CountySanta Monica
With nearly four miles of beaches and a vibrant urban scene, Santa Monica blends the sophistication of an international coastal city with the laidback vibe of a California beach town. Even though it’s only 15 miles/24 km west of downtown Los Angeles, it feels like a weekend getaway spot.
Celebrated for its dining, Santa Monica is home to restaurants helmed by such renowned chefs as Wolfgang Puck (Chinois on Main), Josiah Citrin (Citrin and Mélisse), as well as a pair of spots recently awarded coveted Michelin stars (Rustic Canyon and Dialogue). Many local chefs buy their produce at the bounteous Wednesday and Saturday morning downtown Farmers Market, which ranks with the country’s very best.
Shopping hotspots range from open-air Santa Monica Place to the showcases for major brands that line downtown’s Third Street Promenade, an area made all the more lively by street performers. The stylish boutiques on Montana Avenue are perfect for finding the perfect so-L.A. item to take home, and keep your eyes peeled: This is a great place to spot local celebs. On Main Street shop for unique home goods at Lost and Found.
A cultural hub for Southern California, Santa Monica boasts numerous art galleries all around the city, with the biggest concentration at Bergamot Station, a former railroad station and industrial site where you’ll find leading 20 galleries. For performing arts, the intimate Broad Stage presents notable jazz, classical, and world music performers in concert, and also stages acclaimed theatrical productions.
Fabled Route 66 once traveled along a stretch of Santa Monica Boulevard and reached the terminus of its 2,448-mile/3,940 km run from Chicago near the beach in Santa Monica. A sign commemorates the “end of the trail” on Santa Monica Pier, where you can marvel at amazing coastal views from atop the world’s only solar-powered Ferris wheel at Pacific Park amusement park.
Rent a bike and cruise down the Marvin Braude Bike Trail, a.k.a. “The Strand,” which travels for 22 miles/35 km along the coastline between Pacific Palisades and Torrance. And with Santa Monica’s extensive network of bike lanes, as well as outstanding public transportation on its Big Blue Bus system and an easy connection to downtown Los Angeles via the Metro E Line, this environmentally conscious community is one of Southern California’s top car-free destinations.
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