Welcome to LA-la land
On a whirlwind four-day trip, Angela Quigan checks out some of the best Los Angeles has to offer – and uncovers a few hidden gems.
Between South Bay, Downtown LA and Hollywood, there is plenty to see and do in the City of Angels. A is for Angels Flight The iconic Angels Flight cable cars, which featured in La La Land, recently reopened and takes riders on a short trip between the lower station on South Hill St (opposite Grand Central Market) and the top station at California Plaza on South Grand Ave. It’s US$1 (NZ$1.50) for a one-way trip. B is for Basketball The LA Lakers and LA Clippers play at the Staples Centre downtown. If you’re around during the NBA season, it’s definitely worth checking out on game day. There’s plenty of spectacle to keep you entertained (indoor fireworks, cheerleaders and rambunctious heckling), even if basketball isn’t your sport. C is for a huge Chair Driving through downtown LA from the airport, you might spot a giant, 12-metre wooden chair in the middle of a car park. While it makes for a spectacle, the story behind it is a little boring. According to the Weird California website, it was built for a furniture trade show in Chicago, but moved to LA so it wouldn’t deteriorate. D is for Diet If you’re travelling to LA – or anywhere in America – be sure to pack your appetite. Portions are large. Consider ordering ‘‘family style’’, where diners in a group serve themselves from large dishes shared to the table (it also allows you to sample more of the menu). E is for Espresso Fed up with being unable to find good coffee in LA, two expat Kiwis founded Two Guns Espresso at Hermosa Beach. Its name is derived from the fact its coffee contains two shots by default – uncommon outside New Zealand. Two Guns has become a meeting place for expats and locals.
Try the ‘Stan-wich’. Named after one of the cafe’s founders, it contains fried egg, pesto, rocket and tomato, served on a pretzel bun. If you’re feeling really adventurous, add bacon, prosciutto, avocado and/or cheese. F is for Food And there is plenty to choose from. Gwen is the second LA restaurant of Australian chef Curtis Stone, and the first with his brother Luke. It is pitted as a world-class butchery meets fine dining, and features an open kitchen with a roaring fire, so diners can see their food being prepared. I recommend the grilled lamb ribs with leek ash yoghurt, followed by any of Gwen’s steaks with the duck fat potatoes and a serving of Josper roasted carrots.
If you’re hanging out in Hermosa, take a short drive to Manhattan Beach to check out Love and Salt – an Italian-inspired restaurant with an open kitchen just steps from Manhattan Pier.
Downtown, try Broken Spanish for Chef Ray Garcia’s modern take on Mexican cuisine. Order a stack of tortillas and a selection of dishes to the table (we let our waiter choose for us) and build your own tacos. G is for Grand Central Across the road from Angels Flight railway, the South Broadway market offers a great snapshot of LA’s food scene. Open from 8am to 10pm seven days a week, Grand Central Market brings together food trucks and kiosks representing a variety of cuisines and cultures. Check out the burritos at Tacos Tumbras a Tomas. H is for Hermosa Beach Less than 30 minutes from the airport, this is not LA as you imagined it – but so much better. The laid-back beachfront city is part of the South Bay region, sandwiched between Redondo and Manhattan beaches.
Some locations – like the pier, Lighthouse Cafe, and the main shopping and eating space – will be familiar to fans of La La Land, The OC and 90210.
If you’re looking to get out of the big smoke, this is the place to be, whether you just want to lay on the beach, take a volleyball lesson, paddleboard, find a spot for lunch or drinks on Pier Ave, or stroll the pier itself. For as little as US$24 ($35), you can hire a bike from Hermosa Cyclery for the day to cruise The Strand. The paved path is flat, so it’s an easy ride. I is for In-N-Out Burger It’s not a myth! There’s a trick to ordering here and it’s the (not-so-secret) secret menu: Animal Style, 4x4, grilled cheese and protein – do your research to really personalise your experience. J is for Sunset Junction Silver Lake’s trendy shopping district sits at the intersection of Sunset and Santa Monica boulevards. Allow yourself two hours to explore the boutiques, before heading along Sunset Boulevard to the Micheltorena Stairs – probably one of the most Instagrammable sets of stairs you’ll come across and a perfect photo op. K is for Kid Friendly Scare your kids into submission by letting them get close enough to stare a wild animal in the face at the Natural History Museum. The new Dinosaur Hall showcases the world’s only Tyrannosaurus rex growth series – featuring 2-, 13- and 17-year-old T-rexes – and an incredibly imposing Triceratops never displayed before.
For parents, the Becoming LA exhibition tells the story of how Los Angeles transformed from ‘‘a tiny pueblo to the sprawling metropolis it is’’.
Must see: Oceans 3D and Incredible Predators in the museum’s 3D theatre. The museum is open every day of the year with the exception of New Year’s Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. L is for Liquor It could be LA’s best-kept secret: the Spare Room at the Hollywood Roosevelt is a Prohibition era-style cocktail bar boasting vintage bowling lanes, cocktails and board games. Sunday night is bingo night, with US$200 ($300) worth of food, drinks and bowling given away. If Old Hollywood is more your style, sneak downstairs and pose like Marilyn, poolside at Tropicana. M is for Mulholland Drive Take a drive along this winding road for outstanding views of downtown LA, the Hollywood sign, San Fernando Valley, and Universal City. It’s also home to several celebrities and some of the most exclusive, expensive houses in the world.
N is for No Filter Head up past the Greek Theatre to Griffith Observatory for sunset. It gets pretty crowded at peak times, but the views are breathtaking. It’s also the best place to view the Hollywood sign. O is for Oceanfront If you’re headed to Hermosa Beach, check out the Beach House for accommodation. Beachfront rooms open out on to the sand, with views of Hermosa Pier. Take a short drive to Redondo Beach for a surf lesson with the guys at Aquasurf. If you’re lucky, the dolphins will join you. P is for Pups Travelling can be stressful and create anxiety – especially if you’re a nervous flyer, or if you’re flying home to something you’re dreading. LAX has the Pets Unstressing Passengers programme, with therapy dogs wandering the departures terminal wearing red ‘‘Pet Me!’’ vests. They even have their own collector cards. Q is for freQuency Don’t forget your power adaptors! The standard voltage is higher than NZ, so your chargers, hair dryers and shavers will need one to work. R is for Research LA is a massive city and not always easy to get around in traffic, so decide what kind of holiday you want before you build your itinerary. The South Bay and Downtown will offer two very different experiences. S is for Studio Tour The Warner Bros Hollywood tour is a glimpse into everyday working life at the studio, and lets guests explore iconic backlots and soundstages used for movies, and shows such as Friends, Gilmore Girls
Big Bang Theory. The guided tour takes about two hours but the entire tour – including a self-guided tour of the post-production studio, the Central Perk set and DC exhibition – can take up to five hours, so be sure to wear comfortable shoes. T is for Tipping Tipping is standard anywhere you receive service. As a general rule for sit-down restaurants, taxis, tour guides and spa treatments, you’re looking at 15-20 per cent of the bill for ‘‘good’’ service. In bars, it’s approximately $1 a drink. U is for Uber Probably the easiest way to get around for anyone new to the city. V is for Volleyball Nets line the Hermosa beachfront and what better way to learn to play than under the tutelage of pros? Volleycamp Hermosa’s coaches are current or ex-professionals, offering intense but fun classes for newbies, for US$35 ($52) a class. W is for Weather The coldest, wettest month in LA is January, when temperatures average about 13 degrees – but this is California, it’s never really ‘‘cold’’ right? Summer runs from June through to August, when temperatures average above 20 degrees. X is for eXposition food Next door to the Banc of California Stadium (home to Los Angeles FC), The Fields is a new 200-seat food hall at Exposition Park in Downtown LA. Open on game and non-game days, the food hall boasts a variety of cuisine including soul food, seafood, fried chicken and tacos. Y is for Yayoi Kusama The Japanese contemporary artist has two immersive, mirror-laden rooms on display at The Broad museum, including Infinity Room – The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away. The room is a mirror-lined chamber with flashing LED lights that viewers look into and is in such high demand, guests face a virtual queue of 20 minutes to several hours. Each guest is only allowed in the chamber for 45 seconds, once per day. Z is for Zzz Flight time to LA is 13 hours, so bring your neck pillow if you want some shut-eye on the plane.