Ex p l o r e
HIKING LA is known for its canyons and you can get spectacular views from the hiking trails. This does not have to be an all-day thing, consider it more as your daily exercise. discoverlosangeles.com/blog/ hiking-los-angeles-las-best-trails
BROAD MUSEUM Yet another reason to hang out Downtown. This new museum needs to be booked in advance lest you fancy a very long wait – unless you have an electric car as they offer free plug-in and priority parking. It houses the 2000+ private collection of post-war and contemporary art of philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad. thebroad.org
LACMA If you just can’t face another shop/gallery, visit the outside of LACMA (the largest art museum in the US) any time of the day, but at dusk it is brilliant with the vintage street lights shining from Urban Light, an art installation by Chris Burden that consists of 202 restored street lamps from the 1920s and 1930s. lacma.org
ROSE BOWL FLEAMARKET On the second Sunday of every month this market reportedly has more than 2000 stalls. Get there early before it gets too hot and you’ll soon find your stride among the vintage clothing and textiles, furniture and bric-a-brac. There are smaller flea markets all over LA, just keep an eye out in Silver Lake, Melrose and beyond. rgcshows.com/rosebowl.aspx
and lunch with much of the produce coming from the Santa Monica Farmers Market. palihousesantamonica.com
THE SURFRIDER A new hotel housed in an iconic building, the remodelled old Surfrider Beach Club, has recently opened, suffused with the nostalgia of the bygone days of 60s beach life. Conveniently located on Pacific Coast Highway opposite Malibu Farm. thesurfridermalibu.com
MALIBU FARM I love that a farm cafe is housed on a historic wooden pier on the Pacific Ocean with views of long boarders riding the famous peeling waves at Surfrider Beach. Swedish owner, Helene Henderson grows and offers fresh local produce from her two-acre organic farm in Malibu, and serves delicious healthy meals in two spaces stylishly kitted out by local designer, Vanessa Alexander who seamlessly marries Swedish and Californian aesthetics. malibu-farm.com
THE ANCHOR The ultimate spot to enjoy fresh delicious seafood and a glass of wine in a cool setting imagined by designer Sally Breer. Try the lobster roll and oysters that get everyone super excited. theanchorvenice. squarespace.com
GJUSTA This is the perfect place to start your LA adventures as it’s a short ride from LAX and the perfect intro to California. Good healthy fresh fodder that makes you feel all the better for eating it! Find it first (it has no sign), then navigate the ordering system (grab a ticket) and soak up the sunshine out back. You will come back again and again. gjusta.com
GENERAL STORE This shop made wall hangings, macramé, pottery and incense cool again. Its aesthetic is intertwined with what we think of as the essence of modern California, with a simple store fit-out of pine shelving, tie-dyed change room curtains, and locally made tableware, jewellery, art, books, objets and cacti. Check out the food at Superba across the road, and Tradesmen next door for great men’s clothes. shop-generalstore.com; superbafoodandbread.com; tradesmenlosangeles.com
ABBOT KINNEY BOULEVARD Take a stroll along Abbot Kinney Boulevard, there’s plenty of gems. Look for Tortoise, The Butcher’s Daughter and Toms – the cafe here is really cool, as are the shoes. tortoisegeneralstore. com; thebutchersdaughter.com; toms.com
GENERAL ADMISSION What’s a visit to a surf beach without checking out some surfboards! This store has something for everyone, boards and more. With their own range of clothing, caps and shoes you can walk out looking like a local. generaladmission.us
EAMES CASE STUDY HOUSE For design and architecture buffs this is a must – the house and studio of Charles and Ray Eames that they designed and built in 1949. Known as Case Study House No.8 it sits nestled among eucalyptus trees with views to the ocean in Pacific Palisades. Bookings are essential. eamesfoundation.org/visit/how-to-visit
THE GETTY VILLA Built in the early 1970s, the Getty Villa is modelled after a firstcentury Roman country home with an impressive garden of fountains, arbours and reflecting ponds. Inspiration is in its patterns, colour and spatial flow. getty.edu/visit/villa