Los Angeles: 3 days in La La Land

La La Land. City of Angels. City of Stars. The Big Orange. These are some of the most common nicknames for Los Angeles, or simply LA. The iconic city is not only the most populous in California, but also the second most populous in the United States (after New York City).

When I first visited California, I stayed in Los Angeles for only two nights, so I simply had to go back and spend more time in La La Land. If you have never been to LA, I would recommend staying there for at least 3 days, and here’s how to make the most of them:

Day 1: DTLA (Downtown Los Angeles)

Coffee

Start your day with breakfast and coffee. G&B is the most renowned coffee shop in Los Angeles. It is located in the Grand Central Market, a good place to get food too. Try their famous Almond Macadamia Iced Latte.

Blue Bottle Coffee is one of my favorite Californian coffeehouse chains. Most of their cafes are in California, but you can also find them in New York, Boston, Washington D.C., as well as in Asia (Japan and South Korea). In Downtown LA, there are two cafes, one on Broadway opposite the Grand Central Market, and another one in the Arts District. The former is housed in the Bradbury Building, which is considered an architectural landmark.

Culture

Not far from there, on Spring Street, there’s the Last Bookstore. As the name suggests, this is a large bookshop selling both new and used books. On the second floor, there’s a book tunnel, especially popular with Instagrammers (myself included).

After the obligatory snaps there, continue to the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) on Grand Avenue, which was founded 40 years ago. At present, it houses a rather limited number of galleries (the permanent collection features artworks by Joan Miro and Mark Rothko); however, the ticket is also valid at the second (and bigger) venue. Located in Little Tokyo, the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA is a 15-minute walk from the Grand Avenue location. Admission to both venues is free every Thursday from 5pm to 8pm. Both locations are closed on Tuesdays. Standard tickets cost $15. I would recommend going to the Grand Avenue location first, and then walking downhill to the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA.

As much as I enjoyed my visit to MOCA, I have mixed feelings about the Grammy Museum. It is located right next to the Staples Center, a multi-purpose arena which is the venue of the Grammy Awards ceremony and also the home venue to the Los Angeles Lakers. I enjoyed following the ‘Grammy Walk of Fame’ around the museum looking at the engraved pavement stones with some of the Grammy Award winners: best new artists, as well as songs, records and albums of the year, for each year since 1959. However, I found the actual museum rather underwhelming (tickets cost $15, closed on Tuesdays); I would recommend planning your visit to coincide with a special event. For example, Brett Young, Halsey and James Blake are among the artists who were recently there for a conversation followed by a performance.

Food and drinks (and more coffee)

Afterwards, continue to the Original Pantry Café, a diner that stays open 24/7. Located on Figueroa Street, the Pantry claims to never have closed since it opened in 1924. Try their burger with coleslaw, or pancakes for breakfast.

A visit to the Grammy Museum can also be combined with a mint mojito iced coffee (no alcohol in) from Philz, on the nearby Spring Street. Philz Coffee is another Californian coffeehouse chain that I really love. Most of their cafes are in California, but you can also find them in Chicago and in Washington D.C.

Blue Bottle and Philz Coffee aside, Verve Coffee is another Californian coffeehouse chain that I would recommend. They have several cafes in Downtown Los Angeles. Outside California, you can only find them in Japan.

Located on the ground floor of the Brockman Building on Grand Avenue, Bottega Louie was a game-changer when it first opened its doors in 2009, as it helped transform the area to a foodie-friendly destination. A café-patisserie-restaurant hybrid, it is renowned for the colorful macarons displayed against a brightly lit white background. Very instagrammable indeed.

In the evening, why not go somewhere to watch the sunset from? In Downtown LA, there are many rooftop bars, including the Upstairs Bar at ACE Hotel (on the 13th floor of the United Artists building), and Spire 73 at the InterContinental. For the latter, you will be required to pay $10 to get in, but then again it is on the top of the tallest building in Los Angeles. The Wilshire Grand Center, as the skyscraper is officially known, is the tallest building not only in LA, but also in California, and the 11th tallest in the United States.

Day 2: Hollywood

On our second day in the City of Stars, let’s move on to Hollywood, the famous LA neighborhood that has inspired many artists, including Madonna (in her 2003 masterpiece ‘American Life’), Marina and the Diamonds (in her 2010 debut ‘The Family Jewels’), and Lee Ann Womack (in her brilliant 2017 album ‘The Lonely, the Lonesome & the Gone’). More recently, in September 2019, American rapper Post Malone released his latest album titled ‘Hollywood’s Bleeding’.

First, let’s visit one of the famous Hollywood studios for a behind-the-scenes tour. Contrary to what you might expect, Universal Studios and Warner Bros Studios are not located in Hollywood, but in the nearby Universal (or Studio) City and Burbank respectively. Paramount Studios, on the other hand, are located on Melrose Avenue, and are the ones closer to the Hollywood Boulevard. An avid film fan, I visited the Warner Bros Studios, where some of my favorite TV shows (ER, Friends, and the Ellen DeGeneres Show) were filmed. The studio tour lasted for about two and a half hours, and included a visit to one of the many sound stages and to the museum. Not only it was informative, but it also sparked my interest in getting tickets for Ellen (perhaps next time I’m in LA!).

Afterwards, head to Hollywood Boulevard, which – I can reassure you – is in actual Hollywood. Follow the ‘Hollywood Walk of Fame’ with over 2,600 stars paying tribute to some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry. In the evening, make your way to the Griffith Observatory, from which you can admire the city skyline, as well as the famous Hollywood sign (which can also be seen from many other places in LA).

To get to Hollywood from DTLA and then back, take the Red Line (or a taxi).

Day 3: Venice Beach & Santa Monica

Having explored Downtown Los Angeles and Hollywood, it’s time to head to the coast. Venice Beach and Santa Monica are the most iconic LA beaches, and can easily be combined, as they lie ‘side by side’. To get there from DTLA, you can take the Expo Line, which runs between Downtown Los Angeles and Santa Monica. The station is not far from the famous Santa Monica pier. You can then walk towards the Venice Beach pier, which is about 3 miles south (about an hour’s walk). On your way there you will join the famous Venice Beach Broadwalk, and you’ll get many opportunities to dip your feet in the ocean and/or enjoy an ice cream. As the sun sets over the Pacific, make sure you have your camera/smartphone ready.

The Getty Center

If you have more days in LA, you may want to consider a visit to the Getty Center (which can also be squeezed on Day 3 before heading to the coast). Located in Brentwood, the Getty Center is not to be confused with the Getty Villa, which is located in Pacific Pallisades (between Santa Monica and Malibu), and is also part of the Getty Museum. The permanent collection features European paintings and other artworks dating from the Middle Ages up until the beginning of the 20th century (including works from El Greco, Rembrandt, Degas, Van Gogh, Cezanne, Monet, and Munch). The galleries are housed in four buildings and the collection is displayed in chronological order. Modern sculptures (including works by Barbara Hepworth and René Magritte) are on display in the gardens.

To get to the Getty Center, I would advise getting a cab; from the drop-off point at the bottom of the hill, there’s a shuttle train that takes visitors to the actual Center. Entry is free and the Center is open 7 days a week.

Getting there and around

Public transport in LA and California in general is very rudimentary compared to European cities like London or Paris. For instance, the Los Angeles Metro Rail consists of only six lines: two subway lines (the Red and the Purple) and four light rail lines (the Blue, Green, Gold and Expo lines) serving a total of 93 stations, which is rather inadequate for such a large city. Unfortunately, there isn’t a Metro station at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). There is a bus service connecting LAX with DTLA; however, the buses are not as frequent as we’re used in Europe. The best way (but not the cheapest, if you’re traveling solo) may therefore be to take a taxi; Uber and Lyft are both very popular options.

I personally used Uber Pool quite a lot; this saved me considerable time and was also relatively inexpensive, especially when I shared a ride with my travel companion. I am ever so grateful to the ubiquitous Starbucks for their free WiFi that made this possible (since I don’t have an American mobile, or cell phone as they call it over there).

Accommodation

If you visit Los Angeles for the first time, I would recommend staying in Downtown LA. This is especially convenient if you plan to use public transport, or take the train to another city, since the main rail station (Union Station) is on the edge of DTLA. During my visits to LA, I have stayed in the following hotels:

Hotel Figueroa

This is a historic boutique hotel located on Figueroa Street right between the Grammy Museum and the Staples Center (on the one hand) and the Original Pantry Café (on the other). Philz Coffee is not far from there either. The hotel has a rather small outdoors coffin—shaped pool, from which you can admire part of the city’s skyline, and the impressive Bella Gomez mural on the back wall of the hotel. Breakfast is free for all guests and is served in the main foyer/bar area (cocktails are not free). The main drawback is that some rooms are pretty small (I had to request a change).

Millennium Biltmore Hotel

This is another historic hotel located on Grand Avenue (yay) and overlooking the Pershing Square (nay). It is a few minutes’ walk from the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), the Grand Central Market and some of my favorite cafes (G&B, Blue Bottle Coffee). It has a beautiful indoor swimming pool and a cocktail bar.

The Mayfair Hotel

This is another historic boutique hotel, located on the 7th Street. When I stayed there, it was being renovated; nonetheless, I was impressed with the contemporary artworks decorating the hotel.

There’s also the hip ACE Hotel on Broadway, a couple of minutes’ walk from Verve Coffee. I have not stayed there, but I’ve been to the rooftop bar for cocktails and panoramic views of the city’s skyline. On the other side of the bar, there’s a tiny pool, definitely not fit for swimming.

When and how long to visit for

Los Angeles is renowned for its warm (but not hot) and sunny weather all year long. According to an Angeleno I met, there is only one season: summer. I would recommend spending at least three days there.

Further reading

To better prepare for my trip, I used the Lonely Planet California Travel Guide.

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Alex

(the Traveling Psychiatrist)