Driving around LA

What do you like to eat?

Would love to find some really good Mexican or Asian food in particular. But I like almost everything.

Drive up the PCH. And/or drive to Santa Cruz. The beach there is beautiful.

I'm jealous! Have a great time!

A stop at the Doheny Mansion in Beverly Hills is fun. Great view and you’ll recognize it as a film location for many TV, movies and videos. And free!

Doheny Mansion also called Greystone.

While driving around LA for leisure sounds like a nightmare to me, I'd say that the PCH highway is your best bet so as to not be stuck at traffic lights the whole time.

I got a good lunch recently at the Topanga Living Cafe. Nice setting, and Topanga is always worth a browse at the shops. There’s some nice places to eat in Venice, Gjiusta or however you spell it. The Eames house is right there off the PCH in Santa Monica if it’s open, as is the Getty Villa. I also like the Schindler house in hollywood.

Greystone

Take Fountain.

Yelp it but in Alhambra and Monterey Park, you'll find the greatest Asian food in the world.

Traffic is a little less of a pain if you don't actually have anywhere you need to be at a specific time r6, so OP has that going for him.

OP I did the Mullholland drive recently - amazing, apart from when I nearly killed myself and my passenger as I wildly gestured at the view and almost sent us both flying off a cliff.

She took over the wheel at that point - gotta love a competent dyke travelling pal.

Go for a quick (45 minute) hike through Griffith Park. You'll have a fantastic view of the Observatory and the Hollywood sign.

The Runyon Canyon hike is well worth it as well OP. Great scenery - both your fellow hikers and the view of LA.

Will the Spelling Mansion ever be open to the public? I know it’s currently privately owned. Is it comparable to the Greystone Mansion?

Where can I find the Manson family?

Moonshadows for drinks, Sugar tits.

R16 Try Calabasas. I think they are going by the name Kardashian these days.

JUST GO TO THE ABBEY AND BE A WHORE!!!

Jesus christ! You fags are no help at all!

R19, it's mostly straight women at the Abbey these days. YOU'RE no help at all.

You can drive by the Wonderland murders house: 8763 Wonderland Avenue or the property where the Helter Skelter murders took place. That's 10066 Cielo Drive (used to be 10050 Cielo, but they demolished the actual house then built a new one and applied for renumbering).

Coastal drives on PCH are lovely if you've never been to the Pacific coast. If you have, it's probably not worth another drive.

If you like art and tickets are available, the Van Gogh Experience is fantastic.

R3's suggestion is absurd. It's a 5-6 hour drive from LA to Santa Cruz one way.

PCH, I still remember riding on it during a school trip to LA. If I ever make it back, it is the first thing I want to do.

You could take the 134 to Pasadena - google the Colorado Bridge aka the “Suicide Bridge.” The old houses around the Rose Bowl are really beautiful. There are a lot of locations of film and tv houses around that area. The “Family” house (in South Pas) from the opening of the show with Sada Thompson looks pretty much the same all of these years later. You could drive up Lake St towards the San Gabriel Mountains up into Altadena. Or you could drive through San Marino and see some of the stunning old houses. The Santa Anita Race track is in Arcadia. Monrovia is a funky little town with a super Old Town - they film a million things there. I totally agree with the upthread - if you are looking for fantastic Asian food go a bit south to Monterey Park or Alhambra. The weather is going to be beautiful this weekend - have fun!

If you eat meat and want to enjoy a beautiful drive up to an out of the way/blink and you'll miss it town called Cornell (within the Santa Monica mountains), The Old Place on Mulholland Highway (NOT Mulholland Drive) is a real treat.

They're only opened TH-SU only, while their on-site coffee truck (appropriately named Old Truck) is open SA-SU 9a-3p and has great, strong coffee.

From bikers to 'regular folk' and everything in between, it's worth a visit, but definitely more of a carnivore place.

Griffith Observatory at dusk is a pretty cool experience or being on the coast to see the sun literally sink into the ocean. Strolling through Hollywood Forever cemetery earlier in the morning before anyone gets there is surreal.

If you’re in Malibu, there are two places to eat seafood, one high one low. This is a little roadside seafood place that’s been around forever and super fresh. Parking is at the head of trials to hike up the canyons for some magnificent views of the coastline. The other place is Duke’s, which is right on the water and is named after the Hawaiian lifeguard who brought surfing to California. Ask to sit by the windows where the sun seems to come up right to you.

* surf not sun!

If you go to Malibu, drive to Point Dume (right next to Zuma Beach) for a nice vista. Then drive north on fhe PCH a bit to Neptune’s Net, have a couple shrimp tacos, and walk across the PCH toward the water to see some surfers.

See the Brady Bunch House!

11222 Dilling St, Studio City

Malibu is garbage. It looks like shit. If you're in LA drive south to Newport Beach, or Laguna or Del Mar or La Jolla!

Hey #25 - it’s # 24 - Thank you for that link to Cornell and “THE Old Place” - I have never heard of it before - it looks wonderful! When I start getting more out and about I will definitely go there. Thank you!

Another vote for Getty Villa-it’s truly lovely. Lunch at Geoffrey’s in Malibu. Food is just ok. But views are incredible and I always see some old celeb there.

R24/R32, you're welcome!

Cornell Winery is right next door; a lot of people wander over there while waiting for their food, or they visit after eating. Besides wine, they have some fun gift items as well, certainly worth a look.

There is also plenty of space on the large property to eat, including some hidden nooks which are great. It's one of those places where you really don't feel you're in Los Angeles which I love to get away to every now and then.

Bonus if Christine is at the window taking your order-

Wilshire Boulevard.

Brentwood neighborhood.

If in Topanga stop by eldergay icon Will Geer’s place!

Westwood Cemetery has Marilyn, Natalie, Farrah and hundreds of other celebrities and film/TV stars in about two acres. You could do a nice 1/2 hour tour.

[quote] A stop at the Doheny Mansion in Beverly Hills is fun. Great view and you’ll recognize it as a film location for many TV, movies and videos. And free!

If you’re going to be in or around Beverly Hills be on the lookout for the Cockgobbler, another LA tourist attraction.

Movie star cemeteries: Westwood has "everyone" from Richard Conte to Marilyn Monroe, Hillside Memorial Park has a lot of the Jews, Holy Cross has the old school Catholics, Hollywood Forever has the relics like Douglas Fairbanks and Harry Cohn, Forest Lawn-Glendale also has old school types like Clark Gable.

Asian Food: Valley Blvd through Alhambra.

Pasadena: The Gamble House, the Bungalow District, Old Town (shopping and restaurants--quaint), Huntington Library, skip the Norton Simon--it's a terrible museum

Architecture: The Barnsdall/Hollyhock house (classic Wright that influenced later buildings), the Neutra and Schindler houses in Silver Lake, the old movie theaters and department stores on Broadway (the LA Conservancy does tours) along with the Bradbury Building (which has been in tons of movies)

To me LA is ALL about driving around Bel Air and Beverly Hills north to gawk at the most over the top luxury real estate in the world. Yes, a drive on PCH and visit to the beach is necessary - but the attention required to drive the crowded, dangerous, barrier free PCH is exhausting after a while. Maybe stop at Santa Monica Promenade, Will Rogers beach and drive up to a Point Dume. Then take Sunset back, with a few diversions up the side streets of Brentwood. Then make a turn into the Bel Air gates and get lost a month the perfectly manicured winding streets and hills.

The beach and the real estate are what makes LA unique among major cities. Food, downtown, even historic Pasadena architecture aren’t one of a kind. Stay in WeHo so you can walk to and from nightlife and breakfast. Then drive around all day.

^among the perfectly manicured

Another vote: cemeteries /Getty

Malibu is nice but not much to do. Santa Barbara, meh. Maybe old town Pasadena? You don't say where in Hollywood. If you have not crawled Bel Air or Beverly Hills it is fun just to see the mansions. Ever been to Venice? Not as safe as it used to be but go in the daytime, still fun to people watch. Santa Monica Pier.

Thanks all, these are some really great suggestions.

Why are there so many cemetery suggestions? this is so weird. I think the Getty Villa is an excellent idea, maybe do one day where you drive to Laguna Beach. Skip Newport Beach, it’s just chain stores and corporate crap. If you want some Hollywood glamour, skip Hollywood Blvd and head down to the newly opened Academy Museum, designed by Renzo Piano and incorporating one of LA’s iconic department stores. If you’re adventurous, check out the Arts District with Hauser and Wirth. There’s a restaurant there with on site chickens that lay eggs for them. Shopping at Malin + Goetz, Shinola and Little Tokyo is just around the corner.

The cemeteries are a must for movie fans. You might see some odd star at the Grove or on the street in Santa Monica, but otherwise the place for movie fans is the cemeteries and they get you into different areas with other attractions: Hollywood, Westwood, etc. so they are perfect for a driving trip. There's a lot of history with those graves.

Have tickets for the new Academy Museum on Monday, r45. Very excited!

Welcome to LA, op. Have fun!

El matador beach is gorgeous. Lunch or dinner at Sunset restaurant in Zumba beach. You’re essentially sitting on the beach. Had brunch next to Betsy Johnson and some Latin daddy recently.

Franklin canyon park. Hidden secret hike. Formerly also owned by Doheny family.

also you can marvel at the insane amount of tent cities of meth riddled homeless

Forgot to mention, Runyon is gross, smells of urine and dog poop. Used to go everyday when I first moved to WeHo, but not anymore. I’d skip this any of the canyons, they’re just boring dust bowls. For every hot man, you’ll see groups of 10+ people from the ghetto. By ghetto I mean rough, gang member types, that most DataLounge people would be terrified of.

Looking at a tombstone is also a waste of time, and cemeteries like Hollywood Forever are in rough neighborhoods.

Betsy Johnson? Was that in 1995? Isn’t she dead now?

Simply *not* to be missed!

Just thought of a fun place you might like for happy hour, the Electric Owl at Sunset and Gardner. It’s within walking distance for me, and there’s nice outdoor seating and an elegant railroad themed interior. Prices are decent, recommend their martinis.

The Mexican food at El Coyote is to die for!

R50 is probably afraid of his own shadow. The canyons are a reminder that all that greenery is unsustainable and that LA is in a desert. Thousands of reviews on AllTrails and elsewhere and no mention of danger--just steepness and dim bulbs updating their social media. Hollywood Forever is an industrial-ish area, nothing to worry about. Paramount Studios is next door.

Hollywood Forever is also next to sketchy strip malls, homeless encampments. The presence of a Little Caesar’s Pizza establishment should tip you off to what kind of neighborhood it’s in. I used to drive through this neighborhood to get to work. I also have spent a lot of time in some of the area’s roughest neighborhoods, so I’m vigilant about who is near me, for safety reasons. I can assure you that many of the individuals that hike in Runyon are not exactly friends of the gay community. I think this visitor would rather spend his time seeing something pleasant, rather than dust and dog feces.

Wow, LA is the most un-tourist friendly tourist hotspot ever. Can’t get anywhere quickly, public transit is an afterthought and a lot of shit worth seeing is private property not meant for the public’s eyes. Still a place to be but even my dad, an LA native, struggled to give me good tourist ideas beyond local joints important to him in his youth (like a local burger joint or former record store).

Forgot to mention that just because a movie studio is next door, doesn’t mean that it’s a good area. Studios are like fortresses with tons of security, I know this because I worked at one for years. The area around them can be rough. Have you even been to Raleigh Studios? Went there once and it was not what I’d call a nice place, and the area around it, which includes Paramount was gritty.

Does the age old question of "Where is LA anyway? " still exist? Hopefully the OP will tell us and solve the riddle.

R50/R55/R57: My God, if Little Caesar's puts you off I can just imagine the pearl clutching you have at the sight of a McDonalds. You may as well stop in at Pierce Brothers and do your pre-need now.

At Hollywood Forever on certain night, and most likely often in October they project scary movies on the side of the big mausoleum and it’s a great, campy Gay ole time.

Don’t pretend that there aren’t businesses that signal a sketchy neighborhood. Here’s a list: empanada restaurants, donut shops, check cashing, pawn shops, church’s chicken, little Caesar’s, Popeye’s, beauty supply shops, stores with calling cards and cheap clothing à la Santee alley, Jon’s Supermarket, Mexican bakeries, street vendors cooking food kept in coolers and plastic bags etc.

Yes, it is a fact that there are neighborhoods in LA that have crime where you need to be careful and someone may attack you or worse. It happens everyday, and tourists should not go to these areas. These people don’t care that you have money to bail someone out of jail. The worst part is that the DA isn’t prosecuting, word has gotten out, so people feel that they can do any crime they like.

Movies at Hollywood Forever are a scam, there are better locations and events that have better parking and less crime.

If you like baseball, or even don't, still drive by Dodger Stadium or go to a game even though playoff tix prices are insane. Not many things more L.A. than the Dodgers and Dodger Stadium ("Chavez Ravine").

They're now in the NL Championship round. And doesn't one of their NFL teams now play in an amazing new stadium? Is it the Rams or Chargers, or maybe both, playing in the new stadium? Drive by that also.

Is Slammers, the gay sex club, open still?

[quote] Is Slammers, the gay sex club, open still?

If you’re vaccinated it is

Prepare yourself for robotic smartphone-as-security-blanket-at-all-times culture

Why are you making Slammer plural? Are you from Baltimore? It’s Slammer.

R61: I hope you're able to get delivery to your basement bunker.

LA is a horrible place to be driving around.

[quote]LA is a horrible place to be driving around.

True, be prepared for 24/7 rush hour traffic wherever you go.

Further to what r24 said: if you take Angeles Crest Highway from La Cañada-Flintridge, you can visit the the Mount Wilson Observatory, which is over a mile high and provides sensational views (smog permitting). It’s about half an hour from the 210.

Chavez Latrine is a shithole. Most of LA is a shithole.

Go to The Getty Villa and enjoy the new movie museum. Then get the fuck out before you get shanked by a meth head. You think I’m kidding but you won’t believe how many tent cities have popped up all over LA. Even quaint Los Feliz is covered in trash. My husband grew up there and I spent the last 7 years there. Will never go back.

[quote] Don’t pretend that there aren’t businesses that signal a sketchy neighborhood. Here’s a list: empanada restaurants, donut shops, check cashing, pawn shops, church’s chicken, little Caesar’s, Popeye’s, beauty supply shops, stores with calling cards and cheap clothing à la Santee alley, Jon’s Supermarket, Mexican bakeries, street vendors cooking food kept in coolers and plastic bags etc.

I disagree with a couple of these "signals." My sister lived in South Bay (Torrance, Redondo Beach), which is not the most glamorous area of LA, but not sketchy. I did see little donut shops and a Mexican bakery.

The little donut shops were cute and a nice change from Krispy Kreme, etc.

The Mexican bakery I saw was right next to a nice sushi restaurant (tiny strip mall).

r25 that place looks amazing and i had no idea it existed. Any other suggestions for restaurants with amazing views (that would also make good date places?)

r55 getting some super negative vibes from you. Yikes.

Been to several hollywood forever screenings in the past few months. i don't bother to pay for parking inside the cemetery (which is totally secure). Always park in the surrounding neighborhood.

It was one fo the shittier parts of Hollywood 10-20 years ago. Then again, 20 years ago, Hollywood blvd was still disgusting and 30 yrs ago was filled with hookers

R72 I love that outdoor restaurant space called Claire’s that hovers above the beach at The Long Beach Museum of Art and looks out into the ocean at the surreal oil platform island and the Queen Mary. Perfect for a weekend end brunch and the museum is in a beautiful old Arts and Crafts mansion, perfect to spend an hour viewing art and then walking along the shore cliff walk or down on the beach walk, very romantic.

Well, Get a load of Daddy Fricken Warbucks! R72

Ok, enjoy little quaint Mexican bakeries and when someone says “I cut you mang!”, you can think of the lovely memories.

Such a scaredy cat you are, r76.

Mulholland Drive is twisty and fun... but you'll get yourself killed if you take your eyes off the road for even a second to gawk at the houses or views as you drive past.

The Farmer's Market...

Yes, crime in LA has negative vibes! You think it’s a good thing?

I would use the word "fantabulous" to describe it, r80.

When does crime ever have positive vibes?

I've been to the Farmer's Market twice. The first time was crowded. The second time was on a week day, not crowded. It was surprisingly pleasant (the second time). Not sure how it became a tourist attraction.

Do you do any of you bitches live outside of LA? Like in any other city? The minute someone puts a threat up about LA or New York you all go fucking insane.

The Huntington, if you like this sort of thing. The library has a Gutenberg bible, the art gallery has Gainsborough's "The Blue Boy," but the real attractions, in my opinion, are the 100 acres of gardens in 14 themes. In San Marino, just east of Pasadena.

The thread is *about* LA, r84. I'd post about Bemidji, but I don't live there and it isn't the subject of the thread.

LA isn’t that dangerous, just be sure not to wear red in some neighborhoods and blue in others. If you leave all your red and blue clothes at home you’ll be relatively safe in most neighborhoods.

r87 is posting from 1985

You can just play it safe like I do, r87, and go with aubergine.

I love how few positive suggestions came out of this thread - mainly cemeteries. Lol. It is such a weird place to “tourist”. So many of the famous places are just sketchy and ugly - ex, Hollywood Blvd. And there are so many more beautiful beaches and mountains/canyons outside LA.

I enjoy visiting and staying in WeHo for a weekend of bar hopping and dining within walking distance- with a visit to Santa Monica/beach during day. Maybe a drive through Bel Air/Beverly Hills for an afternoon. But most of my average American family members who visit don’t like it. Disneyland is usually their highlight.

R88 Doesn’t understand the definition of facetious.

Again, as a head of security in Los Angeles, don’t go to sketchy neighborhoods. Doesn’t matter how many people you’re bailing out of jail. They won’t care when they’re fucking you up.

Do people consider going to cemeteries as a tourist, unusual? It is one of my favorite things to do when visiting a new town.

I have this great idea, r92. Here me out. Don't go to sketchy areas in *any* city!

[E91] I know people who are conscious of this, you may think it’s funny, but it’s a reality for some.

" So many of the famous places are just sketchy and ugly - ex, Hollywood Blvd. "

That's been true since the '70s, r90.

To repeat, the Huntington esp the gardens and the Griffith Observatory at dusk.

Has anyone mentioned downtown? Awful overall but there's some really interesting '20-'30s architecture if you're into that.

What r10. MP is the greatest!

Ok. Don’t do go to sketchy areas in ANY city, even if you think it’s “cool” or “woke”. Think about safety.

R93 Visiting cemeteries is at the top of my list when traveling, and what is great is they are open early mornings or late afternoons when museums and other tourist sites tend to be closed and they can be a relaxed, palate cleanser from the rush of the rest of the trip.

Bronson Canyon and the Bronson Caves, where "Robot Monster" and the Batcave were filmed.

Visiting cemeteries instead of getting dick.

Drive west on Sunset to PCH, turn right. Stay on PCH until you get to around the Ventura county boarder and Neptune's Net on the right. Stop for lunch and after walk across the street to sit on the beach for a while. Or turn around and head south on PCH to Leo Carillo Beach and and watch surfers for a while. Or if you don't want to drive so far and want to pay more money for lunch you could go to Nobu in Malibu and then go to the mall a little bit up the road from it. You could still go to the beach across the street from the mall but there wont be surfers. Round trip to and from Hollywood should take 3 - 4 hours.

Ask Barbra if you can stop in and look around the mall and have some frozen yogurt while you’re there.

And don't ask her if she takes layaway...

+1 on R103

Malibu proper isn't much to see as you can't really slow down on the PCH to see the houses, which don't look like much from the road anyway.

Another lunch option is Malibu Country Mart (which is actually a shopping center and has a few restaurants--locals on will know what is still open)

only been to LA twice and I didn't drive so I got a pretty good tour. Laguna Beach is amazing, anaheim looked boring, irvine is sickingly micromanaged as a planned community but it's nice, nevertheless, LA I liked - it rained so everything was really dirty looking but it had a cool vibe to it. There were some amazingly scenic views between the downtown area and beverly hills that I'd never be able to pinpoint from memory. Mexicans do ALL of the yardwork and LA seems like 20 charlottes glued together. That's all i've got

Neptune’s Net is good if you like fried food, and are a fatty.

Again, cemeteries, why waste your time? There are so many other places to go. Stupid and antisocial.

Story about LA's iconic pink box donut shops. For such a supposedly health-conscious area, it's always seem odd there are donut shops EVERYWHERE. Of course there's no huge chain like Dunkin or Krispy Kreme that has blanketed the area. Most donut shops these days are independent, family-run stores, usually owned by Southeast Asian immigrants.

R108 or if you're a biker, fatty or not.

Laguna, Anaheim and Irvine are all in Orange County, R107, which is LA-adjacent, but not really considered LA

You can't really see most of the houses in the streets above Sunset.

But every so often, especially on the way down, you'll hit a a curve and the view of the valley below, from DTLA to ocean, is pretty spectacular.

R72 I love The Old Place since it's so out of the way; it feels like a hidden space that not a lot are aware of. I found out about it after a couple I know went for one of their birthdays, and they both enjoyed it. This was prior to COVID but it still retains die-hard fans who come to get takeaway or stay and eat on the property. There is also a peacock (or two) who wander around the parking lot area; they don't bother anyone.

Hmm, going a different direction (cuisine as well as location-wise), Yamashiro is in the heart of Hollywood, on Sycamore. It's a drive up a hill, parking is pretty much valet only, and I hear the food isn't great, but the view is fantastic. There is also Pagoda Bar which is part of the property; you can go have drinks there instead if you don't want to try dinner at Yamashiro.

Oddly, The Griddle Cafe that was a staple for brunch/breakfast on Sunset for years has relocated to Yamashiro's property, so you can get pancakes, etc. during early hours (8a-2p) before it become the Japanese restaurant. Griddle is only open Wednesday through Sunday.

If you ever saw Tom Ford's 'Nocturnal Animals', Yamashiro was the restaurant for the final scene.

driving Mulholland and the beach in Malibu sounds great to me. I don't know LA very well but a hike in Griffith Park is great... Observatory or Mt. Hollywood with the whole city at your feet. I've had good trips to Pasadena: Gamble House and Huntington Gardens. The Getty. I don't know, listen to the others.

Definitely check to see if Griffith Observatory telescope is open. I was there by chance one night and got to look through it and see Saturn! It was boss. Also you can look down and see the twinkling lights of Los Angeleeze, like in the beginning of The Big Lebowski. Hollywood sign lit up at night etc.

PCH is nice and there's lots of cute beach towns but whoever said there's no stop lights is a grade A moron. Ditto the turnip who said drive to Santa Cruz.

I’m surprised by the people saying Malibu is boring. It surprised me with how much I loved it—it was not the starfucker hotspot I expected. Lots of nature and very chill.

Here's where I'd stop on PCH

Before I knew better, I used to go to a place in Big Sur and drove from San Jose airport until some asshole said from L.A. was the same distance…it was a long ass drive I never did again…reminds me the of the Santa Cruz suggestion. Although it’s probably 2-3 hours San Diego may be worth it.

What about the David Hockney drive to Wagner?

Speaking of donuts!

Redondo beach a fun area with nice sand

Remember that "The Getty" has two locations -- the big museum perched on a hill west of the 405, and the Villa in Malibu. Two completely different experiences.

Is Yamashiro Hollywood a tourist thing? I want to go!

The Getty on 405 has a beautiful site and great views but otherwise is only worthwhile if you like the kind of Medieval art they have.

Malibu is pretty disappointing as a drive---the Palisades above are more interesting. The beaches S of Long Beach provide more of a stereotypical S California surfer experience. The Pacific is actually not very warm. Venice is livelier on weekends---people go on about the crime, the marijuana trade, etc. but Venice's decline has been a topic of conversation for decades and it seems pretty much the same every time I've been there. The actual beach draws a very multicultural crowd who are there for the beach not to be tourists or to be seen.

Hollywood is dull---I liked it better when it was seedier. If not for all the foreign tourists it would have been bulldozed ages ago.

Besides donut places, other local but unhealthy food can be found at burger places---the local chains like Tommy's are are step up from the norm, but there are lots of local one-off type places like Tops in East Pasadena. A little further out that way is the LA County Arboretum, which is a pretty good place of its type and for what passes for southern California vegetation. It's often used for movies.

Maybe not. Everyone that tagged Yamashiro Hollywood on Instagram looks like a stripper!

[quote] The Getty on 405 has a beautiful site and great views but otherwise is only worthwhile if you like the kind of Medieval art they have.

The Getty has more than Medieval art. I was pleasantly surprised with what they had. Iirc, van gogh’s irises is there.

Getty Center has a ton of “Jesus Art” from Renaissance painters. But it also has large collections of Dutch masters, Impressionists, decorative arts, and photography. I highly recommend the on site restaurant, but make reservations in advance.

.,.,

strippers

Palm Springs if you’ve not been would be a great drive and some nice restaurants…peninsula pastries is my fav

^not a particularly nice drive but a nice destination meant

^^^ But you can visit the giant dinosaurs from the Pee Wee movie on the way.

Another recommendation for Yamashiro -- the history is interesting, the views amazing (especially when the Santa Ana winds are working their magic), and the menu is varied and good.

Also seconding/thirding/fourthing the Huntington Library, Gallery, and Gardens -- just a beautiful place to wander.

The Huntley Hotel in Santa Monica (2nd Street, north of Wilshire Blvd.) has a restaurant on the top floor with spectacular ocean and mountain views. I haven't been since its Toppers days when I worked nearby and friends and I would go for their great happy hour spread (watched what became known as "The Great Malibu Fire of 1993" from up there one evening). They seem to have "fancied" the place up a bit (it's now called The Penthouse), but it might still be worth relaxing with a cocktail at sunset.

r108 They also have the steamed seafood side.

Yes, I meant the Malibu Country Mart. I call it the mall because it is across the street from the strip mall with the movie theater and it used to be a more local mall. It has since been up-scaled a bit.

OP tell us what you ended up doing today.

Funny - I was wandering through the frozen food section at Stater Brothers this afternoon - I caught myself wondering where OP was going today!

Stater Bros, ew.

R118, now I admit that I spend a lot of ridiculous money on food but for some reason, I found this place to be overpriced for what it is. What do you enjoy there? Perhaps I can give it another try-

R133 Yes! The Cabazon dinosaurs.

I know it was just for the movie, but I really wish they did glow red and green at night like they did in Big Adventure.

Idiot R139 here, I just realized R118 had the seafood tower...but is there anything else you would recommend?

If you go to downtown LA, when you leave, drive down Wilshire Blvd all the way to Century City area. Lots of interesting architecture and sights along the way.

Don't forget to stop in Bullocks-Wilshire!

Don’t forget to checkout the huge sinkhole on Wilshire before La Brea is cancelled and they fill it in!

Are you talking about the La Brea Tarpits, R144? That is the coolest place in the world for an 8 year old. Dinosaur Bones and statues of Saber Tooth Lions, and real dinosaur tar leaking up from the pathways. It is close to Farmer's Market and some LA art museums.

Get a cat-shaped donut at Bob's in the Farmer's Market.

Close to some LA art museums? LACMA is basically closed, and it’s the only art museum there.

I don't know why people suggest the LA Farmers market. It's disgusting and seedy feeling. If you live in LA and like it, great, but why would a tourist want to waste their time there?

R146 maybe you haven’t been there in three or four decades, but LA basically rivals New York for art museums now.

Yeah, stupid, I know, I live in WeHo. The fully open art museums are NOT by the tar pits.

Another thing, LA will get shamed when the new LACMA building opens, the establishment has already decided that Zumthor messed up, and it will like Allied Works at Columbus Circle all over again.

Pico & Sepulveda

What about Getty museums and Norton Simon?

What about them? For information, try googling.

If you fancy a trip to DTLA, there is the Broad Museum, then swing by the Gehry designed Disney Hall, then some great food in the famous food hall, Grand Central Market, or Japanese food in Little Tokyo.

.,.,

The Norton Simon is a joke, outside of its Asian art. The LACMA was famous for having a lot of fakes. The Getty is discussed upthread----"find" is your friend.

Let’s clarify, we discussed the Getty VILLA upthread, an excellent recommendation. [R154] why didn’t you mention the architect of the Broad, but mentioned Frank Gehry?

r150 "LA will get shamed when the new LACMA building opens, the establishment has already decided that Zumthor messed up, and it will like Allied Works at Columbus Circle all over again"

How will the city ever recover from this stain? Should I be looking to sell my house or do I need to just pack up and abandon anything that won't fit in my car?

Just pack up and get out of town as quickly as possible, and stop comparing L.A. with New York. In fact, move to Hudson, NY, like everyone else on Datalounge!

the funny thing about an architectural atrocity in LA is that you can't really see the buildings anyway unless you're in a tower nearby or walking. And few people are in towers or walking. One of the things I've learned is to walk neighborhoods, you get to see what's actually there, find businesses you weren't aware of, etc. Driving by, even frequently, gives you an impression of familiarity that is actually lacking.

Thanks everyone for a helpful thread. I’m at LAX now for the trip home, got in late Saturday night. On Sunday I walked from my hotel at Franklin and Highland down La Brea to a dispensary, the Herbarium, and bought a couple joints. Went for a long walk after that back up the hill and to my hotel. From there I got in the car and drove up to Mulholland, followed that west for a while. Eventually I cut over into Van Nuys where I had In and Out for lunch and then drove out to Malibu. The Santa Monica Mountains were beautiful and Zuma Beach was lovely, it was warm on Sunday and I waded in the ocean. Drove back down along the PCH and then later that night met friends for dinner in Santa Monica.

Breakfast yesterday at Homestate in Silverlake and then the Academy Museum yesterday with the same friends, worth a visit but they definitely have room to grow. Another long afternoon walk in Hollywood and then dinner at Messhall. Today I met another old pal for coffee and had lunch at Dialog on Sunset. Stopped at Book Soup and then headed to the airport.

I like to squeeze into my smart car and drive around Sioux City Iowa NAKED!!

That sounds great, r161. I'm going to the Academy Museum at the end of December. Thank you for sharing, r162.

Nice, OP, and a visit to Book Soup as well!

Where did you dine in Santa Monica? Always looking for restaurant recommendations.

Why did you drive to Van Nuys to go to In-N-Out?

I feel like we should have given OP some recommendations for clean restrooms.

“Where did you dine in Santa Monica?“

Water Grill. I’d give it a B.

If you want out of the way beauty, I would do Palos Verdes. There are easy hiking trails along the ocean. The views are stunning and there are amazing spots to watch the sunset in Palos Verdes Estates, which is close to south Redondo Beach, which is right next to the cliffs with big sandy beaches. Terranea is a lovely resort where you can grab lunch or a drink.

Also, I am obsessed with this low budget yet delicious Mexican restaurant in Venice on Lincoln & Rose called Casablanca. They make handmade flour tortillas with butter instead of chips and they have a margarita cart,

For me so far, the most enchanting place in California is Carmel. Expensive, of course.

Casablanca is the WORST Mexican food in L.A.! It’s like eating canned dog food. They need the margaritas so people can actually stomach it. Gross!!!

[quote]For me so far, the most enchanting place in California is Carmel. Expensive, of course.

Nowhere near LA, however.

I like to kick, stretch and KICK!

kicks

[quote] Casablanca is the WORST Mexican food in L.A.! It’s like eating canned dog food. They need the margaritas so people can actually stomach it. Gross!!!

It is all about the warm tortillas and margaritas. I love Casablanca. I even got mexican and margaritas to go when they were closed during the quarantine. AND I drive out out my way to get it, it's that good!

Not even kidding, thinking about the food at Casablanca is vomit inducing. The tortillas may be warm, but they’re disgusting. Much better places in East LA, cheaper, and the food doesn’t come from a can.

I must agree with R166. Both going to Van Nuys AND eating at In and Out would ruin my vacation.

You guys need to get a life. LA is over.

Interior of the Bradbury Building

Who wants to go to east LA? It's ghetto, no matter what the home prices say.

LA is ghetto is general, even Beverly Hills with its awful architecture, so I don’t mind driving to East LA for Mexican food. The landscape is all the same, but less expensive.

There are barrios on the west side-- a fairly large stretch of Beverly Blvd is like this. It's lively with a functional business district and old timey LA homes.

LA is past its heyday which seemed to end in the 70s. It's probably a more interesting place now and certainly more diverse but there are still people want to go there and see stuff that was featured on "I Love Lucy" in the 50s and is of little interest now.

R126 I just checked this out and oh dear, you're right. I wasn't aware of how skank-ridden it was/has become.

Mount Washington

R182 Sorry im confused, which parts of beverly are you talking about?

I'm not R182 but basically Beverly starts going down hill east of La Brea. Never go east of La Brea and never live east of La Cienega and life in LA is still good.

That’s funny R186 I’d apply the opposite rule. The entire west side is so full of nothing culturally and nightmare people!

Are any really classic, Hollywoodish, Steak-And-Martini restaurants still open?

Billingsley's, not really in Hollywood (more like Santa Monica-nearby) and a little more mid-scale. Musso's and Frank's is in Hollywood and pretty old school but it seemed a bit tourist trap-ish when I went there and the old school cocktails were disappointing.

I guess I meant “Old Hollywoodish” as opposed to in Hollywood, sorry for not making that more clear. Like a room with a beautiful bar and vintage decor.

Alas, I too have heard disappointment with the drinks at Musso and Frank’s but that’s otherwise the kind of thing I’m after.

I used to lik

Maybe Dan Tana’s in West Hollywood?

Getty Museum, Griffith Observatory, drive from one end of Sunset to the other, drive though Bel Air and Beverly Hills, Go to the Santa Monica Pier and walk on the beach if its not windy. You want to eat a nice restaurants that aren't too pricey go to Pasadena. Old Pasadena is a nice area, and they have some gorgeous mansions in Pasadena.

R191 - I agree - Dan Tana's is one of the last of the truly old school, glam, industry/Beverly Hills (it's on the border) where old LA families still go and love. All the staff at DT's have been there forever, like 10 years plus and the know all the regulars. The Grill on the Alley also has that vibe at lunch time, although The Grill became a chain and I am seeing them in Westlake Village, so it doesn't feel as special. Polo Lounge is a consistent, timeless classic that's always been a good place to go.

Take the freeway to Laguna Beach and then the PCH all the way to Santa Monica.

Is there still a Natural History Museum in LA? I went to one when I was a kid in the '70s and thought it was the coolest thing I'd ever seen. A wonderful day.

r195 Yes. It's next to the science museum near USC and the Coliseum.

R189 (and R188), Billingsley’s (Barbara’s husband’s then sons’ restaurant) is closed and a Burger Bitch has taken over the space.

I haven't been to LA in a number of years, but I remember liking driving up above Malibu from PCH. Streets like Rambla Pacifico, Las Flores Canyon Road. I see on Google Maps it's in the eastern portion of Malibu, up from Duke's Malibu, Country Kitchen.

[quote] Are you talking about the La Brea Tarpits, [R144]? That is the coolest place in the world for an 8 year old. Dinosaur Bones and statues of Saber Tooth Lions, and real dinosaur tar leaking up from the pathways.

There are no dinosaur bones at the La Brea Tar Pits. Lots of prehistoric mammals, but no dinosaurs.

Our Natural History Museum, however, has three rooms full of dinosaur bones. (Okay, two rooms full and one great central display)

There are fake dinosaurs in Cabazon. Those are the ones in the Pee-Wee movie. Head a few miles east, and you'll find living dinosaurs (gay ones!) in Palm Springs.

On the steak-and-martini theme, has anyone been to Smoke House in Burbank?