5 Non-Touristy Must-Dos in Los Angeles
Skip the Homes of the Stars Tours, please.
This was originally published on my new travel blog, adventuresofhilly.com! Check it out for more travel posts.
I visited Los Angeles for the first time over Memorial Day Weekend–and let me say, I liked it way more than I thought I would! I didn’t know much about Los Angeles beforehand, other than basic knowledge: home to the stars, the second biggest city in the United States, and horrible traffic.
An old friend is interning there for the summer and invited me out. Once I saw that there was a direct flight from the east coast, I was sold. I landed late Thursday night and took a redeye back Monday night (which, for what it’s worth, wasn’t as bad as I thought it’d be given how short of a flight it is), though I worked on Friday.
My friend asked what I wanted to do prior to my visit, so I sent over a list of a few ideas, and he ran from there and made a full agenda (thanks, Immer). Even though I’m type-A, I don’t plan out every detail of my vacation. I like to leave a little breathing room, and it’s usually during this free time that I do some pretty cool stuff.
Our days were full during my trip, which is how I like to vacation! I wasn’t interested in doing the standard tourist attractions associated with Los Angeles (the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Hollywood Boulevard, touring the neighborhoods of the stars, Santa Monica Pier) as my travel style also includes trying to hit the local spots, the off-the-beaten-path sites, and the inner workings of a place.
If you’re looking to visit Los Angeles, here are 5 must-dos that you might’ve missed:
1. Visit The Getty Museum
The Getty was amazing, hands down, and it’s free entry! When you arrive, you can walk or take a tram up to the museum. We chose the tram, which is what I’d suggest given the heat and the uphill climb to reach the museum. We spent about half a day here, but if you’re an art junkie, I’d recommend a full day.
The buildings alone are a reason to visit–the architecture is stunning. There are multiple buildings to walk through, and one of my favorite parts was the gardens. We lounged on the grass for a while, baking in the sun after meandering through the exhibits. The photography exhibit was my favorite, followed by the Impressionists.
Tip: use the free bag check so you don’t have to lug your belongings around while you’re visiting!
2. Embark on A Bar Crawl in Korea Town
Now it doesn’t have to be K-town, but pick a neighborhood you’d like to check out and hop around. My friend and I went out with his roommate and her friends, and it was one of the situations in which we were a motley crew that got along famously. We started at a bar that just had a sign that read “bar” on the outside, then moved to a nautical-themed bar that was so uncool it was cool (plus it had cheap drinks, which is always a plus). We visited a karaoke bar (and if you can’t have a good time at karaoke, I don’t trust you) as well as a bar that involved walking through the service corridor of a hotel and a vending machine to enter a dance club-bar of sorts. I love dive bars and checking out new places, and this is one thing I enjoy doing wherever I am visiting.
3. Walk from Santa Monica Beach to Venice
We skipped the main Santa Monica strip, which was pretty touristy, as well as Santa Monica Pier (admiring it from afar was plenty). However, we walked from north of the pier down to the Venice skate park, which I’d estimate took about an hour-and-a-half. We swung by Muscle Beach and watched some young kids school the buff older men in the rope climb, along with a thirst trap photo shoot on the monkey bars. We then wandered by the water, pausing to watch the surfers, before making our way to the Venice skate park. We admired the skaters, and also happened to see a roller derby party of sorts, along with a breakdancing routine, before leaving the area.
4. Enjoy the Local Flavors
I’ll preface this by saying that I am not a foodie. I know, I know, sue me. Still, the food in Los Angeles was incredible. I’d recommend:
- Korean BBQ — We went to Parks, which is where Bourdain and many other celebrities have dined, and I loved it
- Little Tokyo — On Google Maps, you’ll see tons of 4.5+ star reviews for sushi restaurants. I had the best sushi of my life!
- Street tacos — For $6 I got a complete meal, and I sat on a bucket and enjoyed my authentic Mexican food
5. Watch the Sunset at Griffith Observatory
We went on a Friday because of timing, but if you can I’d recommend going during the week when it’s less crowded. At Griffith, you can see the Hollywood sign, and the golden hue of the sky as the sun disappears. It’s pretty picturesque, plus the added bonus is that you can check out the observatory. Entry is free, we just had to show proof of vaccination, and it’s a deceptively large building.
The roof is great for views of the city, and you can look through the Zeiss telescope. It’s a giant telescope and pretty cool, even if you aren’t an astronomy expert! Fun fact: more people have looked through the Zeiss telescope than any other telescope in the world.
There was a line while we were there, but it moved quickly. The building has multiple exhibits, and you could easily spend an hour or two checking it all out. Getting to the observatory can be tricky, as there is a good amount of traffic, but I imagine it would be less of an issue during the week.
I really enjoyed my visit to Los Angeles and would love to spend more time there in the future!
