[SimeyTheLimey]

Thanks to a sale on a flight, I'm taking an impromptu trip out to Los Angeles this weekend. I'm visiting my nephew, but I'll be by myself most of the time (he'll be at work). I've never been out to L.A. before, so I was wondering what folks would recommend?

I'll have three days pretty much clear and I'll be renting a car. I'd like to see the essentials in the city, but I was also thinking I could drive out and maybe see the coast and/or the desert?

The only sticking point is I don't have a lot of cash right now.

[Chuckit]

San Diego. (bah-dum-ching)

Sorry. Just had to show my city pride, yo.

[iMOTOR]

Another vote for San Diego

It all depends on if you like the touristy stuff or you like shopping, or if you like day trips.

[GSixZero]

I'd say go to the beach... I can't think of anything in LA that I'd really want to see.

[historylme]

Venice beach, Hollywood, City Walk
the watts towers, echo park
[can't think of anything else]

have fun

[badidea]

A strip-club (definately)!

[simonjames]

If you like art then you have to go to the Getty Museum - entrance is free (parking is not but cheap). It has one of the best collections and is expertly presented. I go everytime I visit LA.

Also of interest is the new Disney Centre - same architect and style as Bilbao's Guggenheim. Don't have to see a performance - just the outside of the building.

And yes, San Diego is worth the drive

[Chuckit]

Do they not have strip clubs in Virginia, or is it just extra cool to look at naked chicks who want to be actresses?

[Demonhood]

you could go to Brennan's for the Thursday night turtle races. just don't point at the turtles. they hate that.

[SimeyTheLimey]

Originally Posted by history1me

Venice beach, Hollywood, City Walk
the watts towers, echo park
[can't think of anything else]

have fun

These all sound interesting and the Getty museum sounds like a must. Thanks for the recommendations for those. Is Santa Monica worth a trip? I do think I want to see the desert. I was thinking Joshua Tree National Park. Or is there somewhere else I should go instead?

Oh, and badidea, thanks so much for the recommendation to see strippers. It so happens my nephew's apartment is in West Hollywood, I suppose such things exist around there if I get an overwhelming urge. But where Chuckit gets the idea I'd want to see female strippers, I don't know (although of course, there was that place on Victory Drive when I was in Basic Training, but that is a long story). But thanks for thinking of my cultural needs.

[budster101]

Go see a good movie.

Or you could drive by Stallone's house... and give him the finger. (I thought I'd toss that in for Rob)

--

Looking forward to hearing about "Basic Training" pinky finger is pointing towards my chin (Dr. Evil)



---

Tak pictures and share!

[iMOTOR]

Originally Posted by SimeyTheLimey

I do think I want to see the desert. I was thinking Joshua Tree National Park.

Joshua Tree is a great trip, but it's gonna be hot out there, at least triple digits. The California desert is better to see in the winter.

[SimeyTheLimey]

Originally Posted by iMOTOR

Joshua Tree is a great trip, but it's gonna be hot out there, at least triple digits. The California desert is better to see in the winter.

Well, unfortunately, I won't be there in winter. I'll be stuck in an office in DC. Is Joshua Tree the closest such park worth seeing? I'd really like to go up to Death Valley, but that's too far. I'm just looking for something stereotypical and hopefully photogenic. I've seen part of the Sahara, but I have never been in an American desert. As for the heat -- I survived a couple of years in Louisiana so I can take it. And this is a dry heat, right?

Budster101, my Victory Drive story isn't that exciting, it's more one of those "you had to be there" moments. Basically, lots of drunk GIs and Korean women saying (I kid you not) "me so horny." It was like something right out of a movie. But probably Stripes more than Full Metal Jacket. I.e. nothing really happened.

The only really funny part was when one of the dancers got one of my platoon mates up on the stage and started undressing him and he was so wasted he let her. To get the full sense of the bizarreness of the scene, you have to remember that he was in basic trainee Class As at the time. It's a blank pickle suit that screams "watch me get into stupid trouble." Our Drill Sergeant was quite upset about that when he found out.

Ah, nostalgia. Not what it used to be.

[iMOTOR]

Originally Posted by SimeyTheLimey

Is Joshua Tree the closest such park worth seeing?

It's not close, but is definitely worth seeing. Leave early, bring plenty of water.

Originally Posted by SimeyTheLimey

I'm just looking for something stereotypical and hopefully photogenic.

Photogenically speaking, I personally think think Keys View is the place to be, but this is an 870 square mile park, you'll only see a fraction of it in one day.

You'll want to drive up HWY62 (off I-10) towards Twentynine Palms and enter at Park Blvd in the City of Joshua Tree. Ask at the visitors center for directions to Hidden Valley and Keys View. Don't bother entering the park at the south entrance unless you like vast expanses of nothingness.

[SVass]

Having lived in Santa Monica for a year, I can't think of anything worth seeing. The only touristy thing I can remember anywhere in LA is La Brea Tar Pits and the Universal Movie Studio Tour. I've even been in the Lockheed Skunk Works (it's been sold). Maybe you can look for what's her names boyfriend. San Pedro is interesting sort of. A nice but expensive place for lunch is Marina Del Ray. sam

[wallinbl]

Go to Griffin Observatory. You can overlook the city (well the first 40 feet of it before it fades into the smog). Plus, you can pretend to be saving the Virgin Connie Swayle.

[mojo2]

A few strategies.

Think THEMES. I'll name one or two ideas for each, just to get you thinking along those lines.

The FILM Theme. Studio tours. Hollywood Blvd.'s Walk of Fame (Daytime and early eve ONLY). Grauman's Chinese Theater.

The TV Theme. CBS Television City in Hollywood (Fairfax & Beverly) go there and sit in on the taping of a game show or sitcom (free). The Jimmy Kimmel Show taping on Hollywood Blvd.

The BEACH Theme. Get a map and go! Santa Monica Pier, Venice (it has CANALS!) and the Venice Boardwalk and skating path. The famed "Muscle Beach" part of Venice. Very nice, funky kind of feel.

The RESTAURANT Theme. If the Brown Derby still exists. Cantor's Deli on Fairfax near Beverly Blvd.

The CRIME Theme. The Ambassador Hotel where RFK was shot. The Viper Lounge. Chateau Marmont.
Research with a book such as:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...71033?v=glance

The AMUSEMENT & ENTERTAINMENT Theme. Magic Mountain in Valencia. Universal Studios Amusement park. Various clubs and concerts and theaters.

The SEX Theme. Pick up any of the $1/$2 Sex newspapers in the street racks and follow your instincts.

The CULTURE Theme. Any and all of the aformentioned museums. The Hollywood Bowl. There's an open air theater (I forget the name it's been so long since I was there) where I saw A Midsummer Nights Dream starring Cleavon Little years ago. It would be in the Sunday L.A. Times Entertainment section along with so many other options.

The NATURE Theme. LaBrea Tar Pits, LA Natural History Museum. L.A. Zoo. Griffith Park. Cruise out to Santa Catalina Island ("Twenty- six miles across the sea, Santa Catalina is a-waitin' for me, Santa Catalina, the island of romance...").

The MODERN MARVELS Theme. The "Metro-like" rapid transit system.

The HISTORY Theme. Take any of the Grey Line bus tours. Or get one the stars' homes maps.

The TOURISTY Theme. Ditto. Make a list of the cities or places you've always been curious about and go there just so you can say you did. Just cruising through Hollywood and West Hollywood on the main thoroughfares (Hollywood, Sunset, Santa Monica, Melrose, Fairfax, Highland, LaBrea, Crescent Hts.)

The IMAGE Theme. Get a camera or camcorder and reproduce the images from a tour book of LA. But now the images will be yours! You'll see the sites while you're at it. Heh, heh!

mojo2's ON A BUDGET MUST DO's (In no particular order):

Ride the Metro from end to end.
Visit PINK'S FAMOUS CHILI DOGS on LaBrea near Santa Monica Bld. (I think).
Walk around Venice & splash in the Ocean.
Attend the taping of a TV show.
Eat at Cantor's Deli.
Visit the Chinese Theater and walk Hollywood Blvd.
"Drive west on Sunset to the sea, turn that jungle music down, just until you're out of town..."(Babylon Sisters, Steely Dan).
Farmer's Market.
The Hollywood sign.
The Getty Museum.
Griffith Park Observatory.
LA Zoo.
Formosa Cafe.
Cruise Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena (route of the New Years' day Rose Parade) and you'll pass the Norton Simon Museum.
Shep's Delicatessen near Westwood.
UCLA.
Any film studio tour.
Grey Line tour to see everything else you might have missed and you can just kick back and rest while seeing the star's homes.

Not too much $$ and lots of variety and when you think of So. Cal. you'll have hit the highlights.

EDIT: Ooops, forgot one.

The Randy Newman Theme:

I LOVE L.A.

Hate New York City
It's cold and it's damp
And all the people dressed like monkeys
Let's leave Chicago to the Eskimos
That town's a little bit too rugged
For you and me you bad girl

Rollin' down the Imperial Highway
With a big nasty redhead at my side
Santa Ana winds blowin' hot from the north
And we as born to ride

Roll down the window put down the top
Crank up the Beach Boys baby
Don't let the music stop
We're gonna ride it till we just can't ride it no more

>From the South Bay to the Valley
>From the West Side to the East Side
Everybody's very happy
'Cause the sun is shining all the time
Looks like another perfect day

I love L.A. (We love it)
I love L.A. (We love it)

Look at that mountain
Look at those trees
Look at that bum over there, man
He's down on his knees
Look at these women
There ain't nothin' like 'em nowhere

Century Boulevard (We love it)
Victory Boulevard (We love it)
Santa Monica Boulevard (We love it)
Sixth Street (We love it, we love it)

I love L.A.
I love L.A.
(We love it)

I concur.

[Kenneth]

Good timing.. I'm going to LA between Sept 3 to 10. However, I'll be staying in my friend's house.
Lastly, this is my first time to visit LA.

[ThinkInsane]

Definitely go to the Getty Center.

[iDriveX]

You could visit the "iDriveX"

[CRASH HARDDRIVE]

Hey Simey, welcome to LA!
Unfortunately, LA isn’t the most tourist-friendly place because it’s so spread out, and frankly, much of it isn’t worth seeing. It is relatively close to a huge amount of places well worth a visit though. Get yourself a good map, use the freeways to get around- likely you’ll mostly use the 10 east and west, and the 405 and 5 north and south. Hwy 1- the Pacific Coast Highway is a great drive by itself.

Be prepared for insane traffic virtually anywhere mid-city at almost any time of day or evening.

Things I’d recommend:

Unless you have reason to go, avoid the San Fernando Valley- there’s not much to see. Avoid downtown- it’s the worst, most useless downtown of any US city. I’d avoid Hollywood- it’s very disappointing, a pure tourist-trap that isn’t at all representative of the actual ‘movie capital’ one thinks of–(that would be Burbank or Culver City, but each is barely worth visiting if you don’t have much time.) I find studio tours a bore, but I guess it depends on your interests. WB’s tour is great, Universal’s is generic and not worth the bother. You can find plentiful tickets for preview releases of movies, tics for sitcom studio audiences, etc. on Hollywood Blvd. Cheap, usually free- but time consuming.

Avoid Santa Monica. Too many tourists, ridiculous traffic, you’ll be gouged for parking, all for lackluster beach and pier crammed with too many tourists. Venice Beach has a lot of the same, but it’s interesting because of all the craziness. I personally prefer it south of both places- Marina Del Rey is nice. So is Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach. These areas are mostly residential –I live nearby in Redondo Beach by the way- there isn’t much ‘touristy’ stuff to do in these areas other than the beach.

I’d recommend heading north up the Pacific Coast Highway to Malibu. There are a number of beautiful beaches along the way -my favorites are El Matador and Zuma. They’re almost always quiet, and clean. If you have a good two/three hours to spare, you can keep going all the way up to Santa Barbara, which I highly recommend. It’s a beautiful getaway spot with lots to do and see- however it can be pricey.

If you want a very scenic drive within the city, do Mulholland Drive at the ceiling of the Hollywood Hills, Beverly Hills and Bel Air for a great overview of the city. If you go to the Getty Center, it could easily be a stop along the way.

You don’t have to go all the way to San Diego to see some beautiful examples of ‘true’ Southern California- head down the coast highway south of Long Beach and you’ll find any number of great spots beyond the LA sprawl- Newport Beach, Laguna, Dana Point and San Juan Capistrano. Inland from this area, you can visit the wine country of Temecula- there are any number of vineyards and the atmosphere is very much like Napa in Northern California.

Other national parks/scenic areas closer than Joshua Tree:

Right within the city limits are the The Santa Monica Mountains and related parks and trails. Specifically I love Topanga Canyon State Park. Tourists rarely know about this area, even LA natives often don’t, but it’s well worth a visit- like being hundreds of miles from the city, yet in reality right in the middle of it. I highly recommend it- my wife and I go hiking in Topanga Canyon often.

Just north of the city about an hour is the Angeles National Forest- plenty of sightseeing, hiking, camping, etc. there.


Big Bear Lake is a pleasant and very scenic two-to-three hour drive east of LA into the mountains and the San Bernardino wilderness. I love it up there, and we go often when we want to escape the city.

Joshua Tree is a longer drive, but well worth it. If you can, visit or stay in the Palm Springs area nearby- it’s beautiful and itself has many attractions, and isn’t all that expensive. Definitely this area is the only desert region worth seeing in your immediate driving range, and you won’t regret going.

That’s about all I can think of. Hope you have a great trip!

[iLikebeer]

Drive part of the PCH, Pacific Coastal Highway or Hwy 1, if you have a car. I'd recommend going north from LA, and catch it in Santa Monica or somewhere north of there. Stop at Neptune's Net which is about 10 miles north of Malibu. It's a biker restaurant, and they have great sandwiches and seafood. It's one of my favorite places to eat anywhere. Keep going north for a relaxing drive and santa barbara isn't very far. Some decent wineries aren't much further. Or hang out and watch the surfers, not sure if the red tide has made it that far northor not at that area.

House of Blues probably has something going on, and definately check out sunset strip.

[Randman]

Venice Beach is a sight to see. You can rent a bike and wind up and down from Venice Beach to Santa Monica pier and back easily enough.

There's also the Apple Store in Santa Monica. And a drink at one of the patio restaurants in Beverly Hills if you want to be trés chic.

[SimeyTheLimey]

Originally Posted by CRASH HARDDRIVE

Hey Simey, welcome to LA!
Unfortunately, LA isn’t the most tourist-friendly place because it’s so spread out, and frankly, much of it isn’t worth seeing. It is relatively close to a huge amount of places well worth a visit though. Get yourself a good map, use the freeways to get around- likely you’ll mostly use the 10 east and west, and the 405 and 5 north and south. Hwy 1- the Pacific Coast Highway is a great drive by itself.

Be prepared for insane traffic virtually anywhere mid-city at almost any time of day or evening.

Things I’d recommend:

Unless you have reason to go, avoid the San Fernando Valley- there’s not much to see. Avoid downtown- it’s the worst, most useless downtown of any US city. I’d avoid Hollywood- it’s very disappointing, a pure tourist-trap that isn’t at all representative of the actual ‘movie capital’ one thinks of–(that would be Burbank or Culver City, but each is barely worth visiting if you don’t have much time.) I find studio tours a bore, but I guess it depends on your interests. WB’s tour is great, Universal’s is generic and not worth the bother. You can find plentiful tickets for preview releases of movies, tics for sitcom studio audiences, etc. on Hollywood Blvd. Cheap, usually free- but time consuming.

Avoid Santa Monica. Too many tourists, ridiculous traffic, you’ll be gouged for parking, all for lackluster beach and pier crammed with too many tourists. Venice Beach has a lot of the same, but it’s interesting because of all the craziness. I personally prefer it south of both places- Marina Del Rey is nice. So is Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach. These areas are mostly residential –I live nearby in Redondo Beach by the way- there isn’t much ‘touristy’ stuff to do in these areas other than the beach.

I’d recommend heading north up the Pacific Coast Highway to Malibu. There are a number of beautiful beaches along the way -my favorites are El Matador and Zuma. They’re almost always quiet, and clean. If you have a good two/three hours to spare, you can keep going all the way up to Santa Barbara, which I highly recommend. It’s a beautiful getaway spot with lots to do and see- however it can be pricey.

If you want a very scenic drive within the city, do Mulholland Drive at the ceiling of the Hollywood Hills, Beverly Hills and Bel Air for a great overview of the city. If you go to the Getty Center, it could easily be a stop along the way.

You don’t have to go all the way to San Diego to see some beautiful examples of ‘true’ Southern California- head down the coast highway south of Long Beach and you’ll find any number of great spots beyond the LA sprawl- Newport Beach, Laguna, Dana Point and San Juan Capistrano. Inland from this area, you can visit the wine country of Temecula- there are any number of vineyards and the atmosphere is very much like Napa in Northern California.

Other national parks/scenic areas closer than Joshua Tree:

Right within the city limits are the The Santa Monica Mountains and related parks and trails. Specifically I love Topanga Canyon State Park. Tourists rarely know about this area, even LA natives often don’t, but it’s well worth a visit- like being hundreds of miles from the city, yet in reality right in the middle of it. I highly recommend it- my wife and I go hiking in Topanga Canyon often.

Just north of the city about an hour is the Angeles National Forest- plenty of sightseeing, hiking, camping, etc. there.


Big Bear Lake is a pleasant and very scenic two-to-three hour drive east of LA into the mountains and the San Bernardino wilderness. I love it up there, and we go often when we want to escape the city.

Joshua Tree is a longer drive, but well worth it. If you can, visit or stay in the Palm Springs area nearby- it’s beautiful and itself has many attractions, and isn’t all that expensive. Definitely this area is the only desert region worth seeing in your immediate driving range, and you won’t regret going.

That’s about all I can think of. Hope you have a great trip!

This is great stuff, thanks.

Right now I'm planning to do a drive by (so to speak) of most of the sights in the city. I don't care about seeing the star's homes and so forth, but my nephew promises he can get off work enough to orient me. He wants to show me Grauman's Chinese Theater and so forth. It's walking distance from his apartment. We'll probably go to Venice Beach just to look around. He said his neighbor wants to drag me out to the bars in West Hollywood. You can't visit Boystown without that, I suppose.

Getty museum - definitely. Mulholland Drive and those views sounds interesting. I'm thinking the Pacific Coast Highway to Malibu. The pictures look a lot more interesting than driving on the Atlantic coast. Zoos and so forth I don't much care about. I live near DC, we have those kinds of sights.

I think I am definitely going to Joshua Tree National Park. I have looked at the pictures, and bearing in mind I grew up in Europe and live on the east coast, that kind of landscape is really something I have never seen before. It's a must for me even though I think it will be just a long day trip.

I know the locals are jaded, but I'm looking forward to this as an impromptu trip. Last week I was in Key West and did the sights there. This will be a fun contrast.

[iLikebeer]

Originally Posted by crash harddrvie

You don’t have to go all the way to San Diego to see some beautiful examples of ‘true’ Southern California- head down the coast highway south of Long Beach and you’ll find any number of great spots beyond the LA sprawl- Newport Beach, Laguna, Dana Point and San Juan Capistrano. Inland from this area, you can visit the wine country of Temecula- there are any number of vineyards and the atmosphere is very much like Napa in Northern California.

1 important thing to note, don't catch the PCH between long beach and santa monica unless you like ghetto and stoplights every block. I don't know why they still call it the PCH but it's 3 hours of hell if you go through the city that way, don't ask, just trust me on that. take the 5 or 405 down to the 1 if you're going south or catch it off the 10 in santa monica; either way you'll have a beautiful ocean drive from there.
I just drove up the 5 from san diego yesterday, and six flags great america is only an hour north of LA, if you like roller coasters.

[CRASH HARDDRIVE]

Originally Posted by iLikebeer

1 important thing to note, don't catch the PCH between long beach and santa monica unless you like ghetto and stoplights every block. I don't know why they still call it the PCH but it's 3 hours of hell if you go through the city that way, don't ask, just trust me on that. take the 5 or 405 down to the 1 if you're going south or catch it off the 10 in santa monica; either way you'll have a beautiful ocean drive from there.

Yeah, the PCH bypasses the marina and LAX, and merges with Sepulveda Blvd. It's definitely to be skipped below Santa Monica in favor of the 405 unless you're heading to the South Bay (Manhattan Beach etc.)

If you've got the time to kill, and you want a more scenic drive, you can take the 1 to Palos Verdes Drive around Rancho Palos Verdes (easily the most beautiful section of the city) and hook up with Ocean Ave. in Long Beach and from there back to the 1.

[d.fine]

Originally Posted by budster101

Or you could drive by Stallone's house... and give him the finger.

Wait, wait!! I wanna do that!

[dreilly1]

The Dodgers are home this weekend, playing Houston. Houston's a pretty good team, at least.

The Angels are away, unfortunately.

Too bad you're not going to San Fran instead, they've playing the Mets this weekend!

What, you mean you want to do something other than watch baseball? Heathen.

[osxisfun]

Eat at IN-And-Out burgers. Heaven on a bun.

Definately, go to Venice and Santa monica.

Don't bother with anything south of orange county. Nothing worth seeing.

[mojo2]

Originally Posted by dreilly1

The Dodgers are home this weekend, playing Houston. Houston's a pretty good team, at least.

The Angels are away, unfortunately.

Too bad you're not going to San Fran instead, they've playing the Mets this weekend!

What, you mean you want to do something other than watch baseball? Heathen.

Dammit! I KNEW I was forgetting an important one!

Dodger Stadium is BEAUTIFUL and historic and the Dodgers are, well, THE DODGERS!

NIce one, dreilly1!

[Sandbaggins]

Olvera Street.

Do it for Ms. Sterling.

[Millennium]

Originally Posted by osxisfun

Eat at IN-And-Out burgers. Heaven on a bun.

I had one of these when I was out there earlier this year, and to be honest I thought they were overrated. A shame, too; I'd done some reading up on them and I liked what I'd heard. If you do go, learn about the "secret menu" first.

[Timo]

My votes:

• Mulholland Drive / Griffith Park and the Observatory
• downtown has a few interesting buildings clustered together: Disney Hall, the new CalTrans building, and (well worth investigating) Moneo's new LA Cathedral
• driving Sunset
• the LA mission is cool, as is Union Station (quite easy to see the Blade Runner sets)
• I like Santa Monica, too -- a great art/architecture bookstore down there

as for stuff I think isn't worth it:
• the Getty (ugly and a pain to get to / deal with)
• the South Bay

[mojo2]

Originally Posted by Millennium

I had one of these when I was out there earlier this year, and to be honest I thought they were overrated. A shame, too; I'd done some reading up on them and I liked what I'd heard. If you do go, learn about the "secret menu" first.

Yeah. I know what you mean. A burger and fries and shake can only be SO good. That said, until I had Jack's (Jack in the Box) Ciabatta Burger and Blueberry or Bananna shake and fries (which now rates as #1 in my book), In 'N' Out Burger WAS my #1.

They are as fresh as they can possibly be. Nothing frozen and the spuds are peeled moments before they are fried. People MAY have overpraised them but they ARE really worth making the effort to try.

Oh, and for years during the '80's they had bumber stickers that people snipped and modified to read, instead of "In 'n' Out Burger," "In N Out urge." Very popular and the thing to do if you were young & dum as we were. But they have changed the design making this kind of modification too much trouble and not intuitive as the other was.

Simey, please DO NOT eat at any place that you can get at home. (McDonalds, etc.)

I mentioned Pink's Hot Dogs but failed to tell you anything about them.

This website will give you an idea. Do a google and you will be amazed at the number of sites attesting to people's devotion to these dogs and the rich history of the Pink's Hot Dog 'stand.'

http://www.pinkshollywood.com/

[freudling]

Can't say I know the area super well, but I was just there and I can figure out cities within a day or so, walkin the beat and researching the internet. Not sure what you are into, but there is a club on Santa Monica Blvd. gay, straight... They are supposed to have a cool show on Saturdays. Fun shxts and giggles, you could get a coke at the Drag Queen joint on Santa Monica Blvd, close to Santa and Vine St. I found clubbing in Hollywood depressing compared to the cities I have lived. Not much substance. However, I did find a few cool spots. One was an old salon that has a pink light out front. They play rock and stuff. Not bad for a beer. That one is on Vine I think too.

I found the fast food in Hollywood sickola. It tastes different than my home country. Yukkkk. That ciabatta slop from Jack In the Box was bush. I liked Rodeo Dr. and Venice Beach was boring for me. Call me crazy, but Rec beach in Vancouver is more exciting.

Outside of acting prospects, Hollywood was the most significant anticlimax. Too much hype and not that much happening. I am sure it has its weekends, but I was not impressed. I give it about a 7/10.

[mojo2]

Originally Posted by freudling

Can't say I know the area super well, but I was just there and I can figure out cities within a day or so, walkin the beat and researching the internet. Not sure what you are into, but there is a club on Santa Monica Blvd. gay, straight... They are supposed to have a cool show on Saturdays. Fun shxts and giggles, you could get a coke at the Drag Queen joint on Santa Monica Blvd, close to Santa and Vine St. I found clubbing in Hollywood depressing compared to the cities I have lived. Not much substance. However, I did find a few cool spots. One was an old salon that has a pink light out front. They play rock and stuff. Not bad for a beer. That one is on Vine I think too.

I found the fast food in Hollywood sickola. It tastes different than my home country. Yukkkk. That ciabatta slop from Jack In the Box was bush. I liked Rodeo Dr. and Venice Beach was boring for me. Call me crazy, but Rec beach in Vancouver is more exciting.

Outside of acting prospects, Hollywood was the most significant anticlimax. Too much hype and not that much happening. I am sure it has its weekends, but I was not impressed. I give it about a 7/10.

Everyone has a "city" whether they ever experience it in their lives, where they would feel best. The mixture of all the elements that make up a city leaves one with a certain feeling. They LOVE the place. They hate the place. Or they feel in between.

Some people just HATE L.A.

If you are going to get the most out of a place where you have no choice but to visit, listen to those who love the place as well as those who dislike it or are just so-so about it and who would send you as quickly as possible OUT of the city.

I loved L.A. and I only wish I knew it better lo these many years later.

By the way, (AS A RULE) Los Angelenos enjoy visiting San Francisco and Dodger fans do not hate the San Francisco Giants much. But San Franciscans REALLY don't seem to like LA or the Dodgers AT ALL. lolol

In LA, the skies are filthy but the cars are spotless. In San Francisco the skies are cleaner but the cars look well, normal.

If you like L.A. at all while you are there, it wouldn't surprise me to eventually hear you had moved there.

The smells there are like no other place. A sweetness at night or in the mornings around where you'll be staying in West hollywood. Not sure of the flowers' names, but they smell sweet and fragrant and it is INTOXICATING!!!

West Hollywood is a 24 hour place. Dry cleaning, groceries, and etc. (unless it's changed since I was last there).

Another way of thinking about sights to see is to go by geography. Draw a 5 ,ile and a ten mile radius from where you'll be staying and see everything you can within those circles.

PHEW!

You'll be busy just doing that!

[SimeyTheLimey]

Originally Posted by mojo2

Simey, please DO NOT eat at any place that you can get at home. (McDonalds, etc.)

While I appreciate this advice, I think this is taking things a bit far. I'm just going to Los Angeles! You know, a standard American city. The above is great advice for someone going abroad, I think it is a bit comical when I am only visiting another state. (But I'd make an exception if I were advising someone going to New Orleans).

Hamburger chains are usually something I only do if I am on the road. If I do happen to go to In-n-Out I'll let you know if it beats D.C.'s Fiveguys. Even when I am driving I only eat at McDonalds if I am truly desperate. Otherwise, give me some credit. I'll at least hunt for a Wendy's.

On the other hand, I'm very interested in knowing about are the hole-in-the-wall discoveries that every city has. I eat in five star restaurants pretty often (a perk of the legal profession), but I usually find the best food is found in much cheaper family-run places. The problem is it's hard for a visitor to know where they are. I'm talking about places like the Afghan Restaurant just up the street from me. A visitor could never tell looking at it that it is the treasure that it is.

ILikebeer did mention Neptune's Net. That looks like a good possibility. And since it looks like I'll be in the neighborhood for Pink's, I may stop by.

[mojo2]

Originally Posted by SimeyTheLimey

While I appreciate this advice, I think this is taking things a bit far. I'm just going to Los Angeles! You know, a standard American city. The above is great advice for someone going abroad, I think it is a bit comical when I am only visiting another state. (But I'd make an exception if I were advising someone going to New Orleans).

Hamburger chains are usually something I only do if I am on the road. If I do happen to go to In-n-Out I'll let you know if it beats D.C.'s Fiveguys. Even when I am driving I only eat at McDonalds if I am truly desperate. Otherwise, give me some credit. I'll at least hunt for a Wendy's.

On the other hand, I'm very interested in knowing about are the hole-in-the-wall discoveries that every city has. I eat in five star restaurants pretty often (a perk of the legal profession), but I usually find the best food is found in much cheaper family-run places. The problem is it's hard for a visitor to know where they are. I'm talking about places like the Afghan Restaurant just up the street from me. A visitor could never tell looking at it that it is the treasure that it is.

ILikebeer did mention Neptune's Net. That looks like a good possibility. And since it looks like I'll be in the neighborhood for Pink's, I may stop by.

Lucy's apparently (based on the reviews at the link) USED to be exactly one of the kind of places you are talking about. It was a regular stopping point whenever Gov. Jerry Brown was in L.A. I went there years ago and it was very nice. Nothing really orgasmically wonderful, but nice and homey and you'd never guess it was as good as it was and certainly wouldn't think the Gov. would stop there to eat.

It's across from Paramount Studios but the reviews say the food quality has dropped. So, maybe it's just good for the margaritas the reviewers are raving about.

Sigh. I wish my knowledge was more current.

http://losangeles.citysearch.com/pro...e-%3Ebrand_log

Well, I'll stand behind Pink's and Canter's Deli as being examples of regional tastes and experiences you'll remember fondly for a long time and the likes of which you won't find anywhere else in the world.

http://www.cantersdeli.com/aboutcanters/

[stevesnj]

I would just do Universal studio tour...the rest of LA is ball cheese...go North South or East of the City. House of Blues is nice and Sunset Strip...some returaunts.

[Troll]

Most of the ones I'd mention have already been mentioned but just to reinforce, Griffith Park is cool. There's a walk you can do up to the Observatory which is great. Tapanga Canyon, Venice Beach. You can rent a bike in Venice and go up and down the promenade which is cool. Hollywood Bowl is a great venue for a concert. Malibu's not bad either. Oh, and you may as well check out the Viper Room.

Um, oh yes, my favourite resto is Patrick's Roadhouse at the end of Palisades Beach Road in Santa Monica! You can sit in Arnie's chair. There's always a star hanging out there.

[MrForgetable]

Old Town Pasadena at night would be pretty cool I think. A nice, cool breeze while cruising through the streets/shops and stopping at one of the many restaurants to eat. Plus there's an Apple store to crash

[Kerrigan]

I hear compton is lovely in autumn

[Randman]

Originally Posted by Kerrigan

I hear compton is lovely in autumn

And at night.

[spacefreak]

Simey, can you swing by 1811 Wooster St. (one block from the intersection. of Olympic and Robertson)? When I moved out of there in 1994, I think I left my bicycle lock there. It should be in the big wooden box out back.

PM me when you have it in your possession. Thanks.

[driven]

I'm heading out there myself in a few minutes for business. (3rd out of 4 trips this year.)

See: Hollywood, Mann's Chinese Theatre (Grummans now?) ... also has the Walk of Fame.
Also: Anaheim (Orange County just south of LA) has Disneyland. :-)

If you like baseball you could catch a Dodgers game or an Angels game. (I saw Angels vs. Boston two weeks ago.) I think NASCAR has their race in town next Sunday if you are going to be around that long.

If you like shopping you could go to South Beach Plaza .... decent eye candy in there. Newport Beach, Long Beach, (other) beach ... I think the Queen Mary is still open for tourists on Long Beach.

I'm staying up in Chatsworth this time. Not much up there except porn companies.

Oh wait ... yeah ... go up to Simi Valley (just north of LA) and you can visit the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.

... be back on line in a few hours. (Gotta catch a plane to LAX.) Later.

[iMOTOR]

Simey-

You took pictures, right??

[driven]

Originally Posted by CRASH HARDDRIVE

Hey Simey, welcome to LA!

Things I’d recommend:



Right within the city limits are the The Santa Monica Mountains and related parks and trails. Specifically I love Topanga Canyon State Park. Tourists rarely know about this area, even LA natives often don’t, but it’s well worth a visit- like being hundreds of miles from the city, yet in reality right in the middle of it. I highly recommend it- my wife and I go hiking in Topanga Canyon often.

Crash ... thanks for this .... I'm staying VERY close to Topanga SP. Guess what I'm doing this week?

[SimeyTheLimey]

I just got back. Here's a short summary of what I did:

After I got in, rented the car, and found my nephew's place, I set out on foot. I walked around West Hollywood (where I was staying) and Hollywood. Saw Graumann's Chinese Theater, admired Peter Seller's footprints. The guy must have worn very elegant shoes.

On Saturday morning, I drove through a very interesting neighborhood just above Hollywood -- up La Brea, around Outpost Drive and N. Highland. It was very twisty, kind of like an Italian village. Then I picked up Mulholland Drive. I stopped at the Observatory point and I climbed the steep hills at Runyon Canyon Park. There is a heck of a view from "heart attack hill." I met some interesting and friendly people there too.

After driving Mulholland, I visited the Getty Center. I was very impressed, and kicked myself for leaving the camera in the car. I didn't expect the gardens to be so spectacular.

On the way back I went to Pinks, but after half an hour the line hadn't moved at all. I gave up and went to Burger King to avoid passing out. I wasn't the only one who gave up on them.

Saturday night my (straight!) nephew took me out on the town in West Hollywood, and got me quite drunk.

Sunday, we drove down Sunset Strip through Beverly Hills to the coast, took a left and went to Venice Beach to admire the weirdos. Then we drove up the PCH past Malibu. We stopped off at El Matador Beach and briefly stopped at Leo Carillo. We ate at Neptune's Net, which was very atmospheric. Especially the portajohns out back.

Monday, we went to Joshua Tree National Park, which was awesome. We wanted to follow up with a trip down to Palm Springs to ride up the tramway, but it was closed because of some idiot tourists who set the mountain on fire with a camp fire. Fortunately, we found out before driving down there, so we stopped for lunch and had some interesting encounters with the strange broken down aging hippies who seem to infest Twentynine Palms. Odd place.

We got back early, so my nephew took me to a cantina he knows. And that was it! A short trip, but I had fun. I took quite a few pictures, but I will have to have the slides processed and I have to make scans to post them. If any are worth and if I have the time I'll post some here later.

[spacefreak]

Thanks a million for grabbing that bicycle lock for me, and double-thanks for overnighting it to me in NJ. I can now ride my bicycle away from my house AND secure it if need be.

I'm curious about your interactions with the "aging hippies" of Twentynine Palms. Did you get any pictures of them?

[mojo2]

Originally Posted by SimeyTheLimey

I just got back. Here's a short summary of what I did:

After I got in, rented the car, and found my nephew's place, I set out on foot. I walked around West Hollywood (where I was staying) and Hollywood. Saw Graumann's Chinese Theater, admired Peter Seller's footprints. The guy must have worn very elegant shoes.

On Saturday morning, I drove through a very interesting neighborhood just above Hollywood -- up La Brea, around Outpost Drive and N. Highland. It was very twisty, kind of like an Italian village. Then I picked up Mulholland Drive. I stopped at the Observatory point and I climbed the steep hills at Runyon Canyon Park. There is a heck of a view from "heart attack hill." I met some interesting and friendly people there too.

After driving Mulholland, I visited the Getty Center. I was very impressed, and kicked myself for leaving the camera in the car. I didn't expect the gardens to be so spectacular.

On the way back I went to Pinks, but after half an hour the line hadn't moved at all. I gave up and went to Burger King to avoid passing out. I wasn't the only one who gave up on them.

Saturday night my (straight!) nephew took me out on the town in West Hollywood, and got me quite drunk.

Sunday, we drove down Sunset Strip through Beverly Hills to the coast, took a left and went to Venice Beach to admire the weirdos. Then we drove up the PCH past Malibu. We stopped off at El Matador Beach and briefly stopped at Leo Carillo. We ate at Neptune's Net, which was very atmospheric. Especially the portajohns out back.

Monday, we went to Joshua Tree National Park, which was awesome. We wanted to follow up with a trip down to Palm Springs to ride up the tramway, but it was closed because of some idiot tourists who set the mountain on fire with a camp fire. Fortunately, we found out before driving down there, so we stopped for lunch and had some interesting encounters with the strange broken down aging hippies who seem to infest Twentynine Palms. Odd place.

We got back early, so my nephew took me to a cantina he knows. And that was it! A short trip, but I had fun. I took quite a few pictures, but I will have to have the slides processed and I have to make scans to post them. If any are worth and if I have the time I'll post some here later.

A delightful and satisfying recap. I am satisfied you got a very good sampling of LA's offerings and I'm sorry about your being unable to try Pink's. I'm afraid it NOW may be over hyped and could NEVER live up to the build-up. There's another Pinks (I think I read this) in Las Vegas.

But good for you!

I'm glad you enjoyed yourself.

And yes, for some strange reason I DO take it somewhat personally (if that's what you were thinking...)!

OH, and what did you think of the billboards devoted to RECORD ALBUMS and the Palm Tree lined BROAD AVENUES?