Los Angeles: Tour Guide
Los Angeles has a strong cinematic feel to it. With a glorious cityscape and equally beautiful landscape that engulfs the city and, 284 days of the year, a sunny deposit. New York residents envy LA while they spend their time cold and searching for warmth in the snow, LA residents are busy riding waves and setting off on long hikes. It is quite rare where you can run across rigid mountains and only be 9 miles or so away from a buzzing city, which makes the city so exclusive. Its population is large but with so many neighbourhoods backing onto golden beaches and flower bedded hillsides, that have everlasting sunsets, this makes LA the place that it is. Home to the world-famous Hollywood, the city is overflowing with creativity. The result of all this creativity whether it's on stage or in a galley, results in huge concert halls, conceptually challenging stages and abstract art spaces. The city is truly addicted to the weird and wonderful. It has an astonishing architecture with each building built and designed to perfection. For vegans who visit LA, you are in luck, the city has the biggest concentration of vegan restaurants and a whole lot more fantastic food. The drinking scene is also brilliant as a small drink can turn into a few toasts or more.
Top Attractions:
Venice Beach:
Life in Venice is a completely different story to LA. Fast paced and wacky with nowhere more iconic than its very own boardwalk or Ocean front walk. It has so many wacky different creations, street acts, magicians, musicians, so much so it feels slightly like a carnival, but with an edge to it. As far as places to go in LA this comes very high up the list and is a must do. Even on an overcast day, it is still an enjoyable place to go. It has such a uniqueness about it you cannot relate it to anywhere else. On a Sunday afternoon, the drummers draw lots of attention with hundreds of people who crowd around to watch the jamming. If you can’t hear where these are, just follow the smell of cigarettes, which are sold at nearby dispensary’s. Around the area, there are pro skaters that practically live at the skatepark and nearby walls covered in aerosol paintings.
Griffith Observatory and park:
The Griffith Observatory and Park sits on Mount Hollywood and has striking views of the city with distant skyscrapers penetrating the sky. Although the stunning views are a good place for pictures there is so much more to this location than that. It brings some interesting exhibitions and a great planetarium. Recent visitors to the observatory and park have commented on how good the free entry is and the little price ($3-$7) for entry to the planetarium. The observatory is open from 12 pm - 10 pm Tuesday through to Friday and has extended hours on weekends. However, the actual park is open 7 days a week sunrise to 10 pm. Parking along the road leading up to the park is free and if you would like to park closer then it is $4 an hour. A café is available to as well as a shop. There are a variety of things to do in the park from hiking and biking to zoos and gardens.
Universal Studios Hollywood:
This attraction is one of the most popular in the area mainly due to its long history and children friendly feel. It features rides and amusements that are based on some of the most award-winning films and tv shows ever made. The famous tram tour is one the best things to do whilst you are there, which takes you through various film sets that are interactive and move with some even having actors. Kids can obviously have photos and cuddles with cartoon characters. If you are a thrill seeker then there are plenty of daring rides made just for you. Although it is not cheap and even more expensive if you want to skip the queues, you will be able to make many memories that the children will never forget. Driving is the easiest way to get there with the opening hours being 10 am to 6 pm. Beverages and food can be found in abundance on site.
Transport in Los Angeles:
Most public transport in LA is operated by Metro which offers trains and buses to get you around the city. The best thing to do is to get a TAP card, which allows you to put a pre-set amount on to use on both buses and trains. There are 200 bus lines which operate across the city and are painted orange, red and blue, depending on what type of bus you want. There are 2 subway lines and 4 light trains (tram) lines, which can connect you to different parts of the city. They run 4.30am to 1 am on Sundays to Thursdays and on Fridays and Saturdays until around 2.30am. There are also a variety of other buses that operate further out of the city.
Nightlife in Los Angeles:
There is endless entertainment in Los Angeles. You can be drinking a cocktail with a friend for a few hours or partying for the whole night at just a few of the many clubs. With good music and even rooftop bars, you are sure to have a great time. Here are a few good places to try:
- The Rooftop (Bar, Heated pool, waterbed pods, great views, good drinks)
- OHM (Nightclub, Celeb populated, top 40 hits)
- Library Bar (Cosy, great cocktails, comfy seating, little bites)
- Academy (Nightclub, hot spot, good electronic DJ music)