Los Angeles
There is a lot of glitz and glamour in LaLa land but allow me to pull back the curtain. LA is a city of suburbs and a lot of driving is required to explore all that LA has to offer. I came out here in college and after living in the city full-time for 5 months I had very little understanding of the different neighborhoods. As I built a career in entertainment, I flew to Los Angeles several times a year and thought I knew all it had to offer. Now that I've been living in Los Angeles for almost six years, I realize I knew very little so I'm going to share with you an insiders perspective.
Most Angelenos never venture far beyond their own neigborhood so let me give you a little lay of the land. Starting at the ocean and heading east you have Santa Monica, the Pacific Palisades and Brentwood also know as the West side because these areas reside on the west side of the 405 freeway which is the major highway running north/south. In the Pacific Palisades you will find incredible hiking and views in Temescal Canyon which is a national recreation area in the Santa Monica Mountains. No matter what day of the week you venture here you will see tons of people walking and hiking through the several trails offered in this park. Some of the trails are very narrow and on cliffs without any type of railing so I'd advise going in long pants so your legs don't get torn up from the brush and wearing hiking shoes to stop you from sliding on your way back down. You will have panoramic views of the ocean once you reach the different lookout points along the way. After hiking you will want to make your way to Palisades Village. This is one of the cutest areas in Los Angeles. It's filled with shops and restaurants, one movie theater (now owned by Netflix), the famous Ehrwon grocery store and they have a fabulous farmer's market on Sundays. Anelini restaurant is a must eat at while you are in this area. In Brentwood, you may want to swing by the Brentwood Mart. This is a quaint little store and cafe area where you have a good chance of running into celebrities. Further down San Vicente you will find the main hub of Brentwood activity. This is where all of the frequented restaurants reside from AOC wine bar, Toscana, Katsuya and the delicious Baltaire Steak House with live music and an indoor/outdoor setting, lively bar and brunch scene.
Once you cross the 405, which will take a decent amount of time at rush hour, you will encounter Bel Air, Beverly Hills, Century City and West Hollywood. Bel Air is almost all residential with one hidden hotel and a few restaurants and shops that only locals venture to. Beverly Hills and West Hollywood are the meccas of activity with tours, hotels, excellent restaurants and shops, the famed Rodeo Drive and so much more. My favorite places in Beverly Hills are Matu, Dante, Euro Cafe and Edlewiss Chocolates (this was Frank Sinatra's favorite). Century City, in my opinion, has the best mall in the USA. It's all outdoors with trendy and tasty restaurants such as Javier's, entertainment including outdoor pickleball courts, a nice movie theater, fire pits and live musical performances on the weekends. No joke, this was one of the places that made me want to move to LA -- it's not just a mall it's a fun night out. The Sunset Strip in West Hollywood is where the best hotels, clubs and restaurants with nightlife are located. I highly recommend Craig's, you will see the papparazzi hanging outside of this restaurant because so many celebs frequent it. I also love The Roof at the Edition hotel with stunning views of downtown LA.
The other neighborhoods you will likely visit are Hollywood to see the Walk of Fame, Hollywood sign and definitely make time to hike Runyon Canyon. The Miracle Mile is where the LA Brea Tar Pits are located along with all of the museums - The Petersen Auto Museum (don't leave here without visiting The Vault) and the Acadmey Museum of Motion Pictures. Then there's what you've heard called The Valley - this is where Universal and Disney studios are located along with Universal Theme Park. The area of the Valley you are most like to visit are Toluca Lake, Universal City, Studio City, Sherman Oaks and Encino. If you are coming into town to see a sporting event or a concert you will likely be headed to downtown LA or Inglewood.
That gives you a good start on navigating the city. For specific hints, tips and recommendations visit our Los Angeles page https://www.globalupgrade.com/locations/los-angeles