o people who haven’t had the good fortune to visit, Los Angeles will always be the City of Dreams, a plush backcloth against which stars twinkle and wannabes fade. And they’re not wrong. Tinseltown still has all the drama, glamour and ambition it has come to symbolise. But for those who know the city, its virtues don’t end there.
A metropolis that knows how to spread out, LA is really several cities rolled into one. And each of those is busy with walkable neighbourhoods of great charm and diversity, and thanks to the Metro bike share scheme most are a doddle to get to.
In Downtown LA (DTLA), there’s Little Tokyo, the Arts District and Chinatown. In Westside, there’s Sawtelle, aka “Little Osaka”, bohemian Venice with its boardwalked beach, and Abbot Kinney. And in east-central LA, you’ll find the hipper-than-thou Echo Park, a short stroll from the Dodgers’ baseball stadium; and Silver Lake, where stars of screen and stage like to hang out.
A year-round destination with a truly iconic vista at every corner, the city is brimming with things to see and do. LA is a wellness hub with a thousand ways to be kind to yourself; and a gastronomic hot spot, with some of the most talked about restaurants and bars in America.
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Hill seekers
Los Angeles is full of surprises, and its natural spaces are always closer than you think
The great outdoors makes for a fabulous gym
From Tinseltown to Downtown,
LA is brimming with star attractions
For more inspiration visit
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Angelenos know how to drink and dine. And what’s so energetic and innovative about the city’s food scene is that top-class bites are as likely to show up in a food truck, pop-up or strip mall as they are in a bricks-and-mortar establishment.
Downtown, the Grand Central Market is a good place to start. It’s the best of LA in a nutshell: the cheaper takeaway spots are as good as the trumpeted counters, and you can order whatever you want, within reason: fresh-baked bread, Michoacán cuisine, a bowl of ramen or a highly rated Golden Road Brewery cold one with a pierogi.
Los Angeles practically collects Michelin stars. The haute Japanese restaurants Hayato and n/naka, which serve traditional kaiseki (multicourse) dinners, are utterly extraordinary, while Providence, whose spotless reputation is founded on ocean-fresh fish and seafood – from sustainable caviar to Santa Barbara spot prawns – is, simply, one of the finest restaurants on the west coast.
The taco truck has been a feature of LA’s streets for seemingly ever. Worth a special stop is the crunchy shrimp taco at Mariscos Jalisco, which operates in Boyle Heights and DTLA, also does a mean tostada topped with octopus and shrimp ceviche. And, of course, Kogi BBQ continues to prove why its mash-up of Korean and Mexican flavours started the global food truck craze almost 15 years ago.
Much of LA’s bar scene is steeped in the romance of Hollywood’s Golden Age – a nightcap at Musso and Frank’s, where Marilyn Monroe was a regular, is irresistible. Heading the premier league of modern watering holes are Thunderbolt, which was named “one to watch” at the 50 Best Bars 2021 awards; Apotheke, whose cocktails come laden with healing botanicals; and Big Bar, the “Cheers” of Los Angeles, which has one of the cutest patios in the city.
Thanks to year-round sunny weather, Los Angeles is second to none when it comes to rooftop bars and restaurants: from poolside lounges to dining destinations headed by some of the city’s most famous chefs, LA has it all.
A question of taste
culture CALLS
that’s several cities rolled into one.
Hollywood is always calling. Take a stroll down the Walk of Fame or – a must, really – a studio tour, at Warner Bros, Paramount, Sony or Universal. Explore backlots, props departments, sets, even parallel universes – you can buy a coffee in Friends’ Central Perk at Warner Bros; and Universal has the immersive Super Nintendo World, launched this year.
The Walt Disney Studio celebrates its centennial this year, and The Walt Disney Concert Hall, an astonishing structure by architect Frank Gehry, also marks its 20th year. The official home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association – which performs and presents an expansive array of music, ranging from foundational orchestral to new experimental cross-genre works – is open select hours for a not-to-be missed backstage tour.
LA’s bar scene is steeped in the romance of Hollywood’s Golden Age
The best of the city’s spas would make anyone’s bucket list of things to do in LA. Whether it’s a head-to-toe pampering you’re after or a complete reset at a retreat, in Los Angeles you’ll believe that self-love is a romance for the ages. Enjoy a mineral sauna, body scrub and the rooftop lounge at the 24-hour Wi Spa in Westlake; a Thai, deep tissue or hot stone massage at The Raven in Silver Lake; and “Red Carpet Ready” treatments in Downtown’s Ritz-Carlton. For a true VIP experience, book a spa stay at the Fairmont Century City, where its 14,000 sq ft facility has earned five-star ratings and offers everything from a simply luxurious manicure to an exceptional Himalayan salt room experience.
Soothe the mind as well as the body at one of Los Angeles’ many yoga studios and meditation spaces. For hip-hop candlelit yoga, try “A Tribe Called Sweat” at Y7 in Silver Lake, on Sunset Boulevard; the Hollywood Roosevelt, a favourite hotel and gathering spot of movie stars since the days of silent film, offers vinyasa yoga along with cocktails on its roof, and the sessions are free to guests. For an otherworldly experience, visit the free-to-enter Lake Shrine Meditation Gardens a few blocks from the ocean in Pacific Palisades. This sacred spot is guaranteed to dispel all your worries before you’ve chanted a single “om”.
In Los Angeles you’ll believe that self-love is a romance for the ages
Los Angeles is the City of Angels, but also of hiking trails in glorious settings, innumerable waves to surf, restaurants catering to every dietary restriction, and many more Pilates and yoga studios than there are asanas.
First, the great outdoors makes a fabulous gym. Runyon Canyon, out in the Hollywood Hills, overflows with hikers, runners and yoga mats; Corral Canyon, in Malibu, is where the mountains hit the ocean and, after a wet winter, it is thick with wild flowers. The Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook, a state park in Culver City, has 282 steep concrete steps that deliver hikers to its summit in about 15 minutes.
To feel truly rejuvenated, head to Griffith Park for the sunset, where the art deco Griffith Observatory stands sentinel, among ancient oaks, over spectacular views. You’ll recognise it from scenes in Rebel Without a Cause and La La Land, and its Samuel Oschin Planetarium puts on daily shows, tickets for which can be bought on site. Don’t miss the spectacular Tesla Coil, which revs up every hour on the hour.
Reset your mind, body and soul
Go with the glow
Sunset over the Pacific sets the scene for another enchanting LA night
Board meeting
Locals head to Hermosa Beach to catch the surf or just take a stroll along the pier
Star turn
The Hollywood Roosevelt hotel has long been a favourite hangout of movie legends
T
YEAR ROUND
THE
DESTINATION
Photo by Joshua White, JWPictures/©Academy Museum Foundation
Between the Getty Center, the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), The Broad and Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), LA has old and new masters covered countless times over. Next to LACMA is the most recent architectural marvel on the block: the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, the US’s largest institution dedicated to film-making.
With its repurposed warehouses sporting huge murals, the Arts District, on the edge of DTLA, is a paean to the transformative power of urban reimagination. The area proved worth its salt as an art destination when the Hauser & Wirth galleries opened in 2016. Nearby, the ROW DTLA, housed in an expansive former produce market, offers an afternoon and evening’s worth of exploring shops, restaurants, bars and special pop-up events. It’s the perfect spot to experience the breadth of LA’s creative community all in one neighbourhood.
that’s several cities rolled into one. From Tinseltown to Downtown, LA is brimming with star attractions