Bisected by the Santa Monica Mountains and fronted by long stretches of beach, Los Angeles is one of the best cities in the world for nature and sports lovers. Where else can you hike in the mountains, in-line skate along the beach, swim in the ocean, enjoy a gourmet meal, and then…
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Los Angeles Attractions
Los Angeles Attractions
Star struck in LA? Stroll among the Hollywood stars at Paramount Pictures or see the real deal through solar telescopes at Griffith Observatory. Blast off for interplanetary travel, or chill with the LA Philharmonic in the wacky Walt Disney Concert Hall.
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Museum
Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
In 2021, after years of planning, the group behind the Oscars finally opened its long-planned museum on the history of moviemaking, and it's as lavish as you might expect. A full-size department store from 1939 has been converted into a six-level compendium celebrating how far film… -
Beach
Annenberg Community Beach House
The reopened Annenberg Community Beach House is a great place for families to relax and play. Originally built in the '20s for Marion Davies, actress and mistress of William Hearst, this mansion was a hot spot for A-list celebs until its recent renovation into a public beach house.…Santa Monica and the Beaches
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Art museum
Annenberg Space for Photography
Though its claim to fame is as L.A.’s first cultural venue devoted specifically to photography, the Annenberg incorporates myriad artistic pursuits; summer 2014 brought Photosynthesis, a festival that placed country musicians on stage with prominent photographers telling stories…Century City
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Art museum
Autry National Center of the American West
This museum in Griffith Park was the realization of a dream for actor/singer Gene Autry, America’s beloved Singing Cowboy of the mid-20th century, who founded it in 1988. Its 500,000 pieces, including the collection of the Southwest Museum of the American Indian, are inventively…Griffith Park
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Gym/Spa
Bliss Los Angeles
Located at the W Hotel, this outpost of a popular New York spa is part of a new breed of day spas that are more about sass than Zen. You won't find classical or wave-simulated music here; instead, it's rhythm and blues. Forget the lemon water in the women's lounge, and look for the…L.A.'s Westside & Beverly Hills
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Museum
California Science Center
Coming on the heels of a $130-million, high-tech renovation, the arrival of the retired space shuttle Endeavour in late 2012 was a game-changer for this aging science museum, now Exposition Park’s most popular destination. Endeavour’s temporary berth in the Samuel Oschin Pavilion…Exposition Park
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Landmark
Capitol Records Building
Opened in 1956, this 13-story tower, just north of the legendary intersection of Hollywood and Vine, is one of the city's most recognizable buildings. The world's first circular office building is often -- albeit incorrectly -- said to have been made to resemble a stack of 45s under…Hollywood
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Religious Site
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels
Completed in September 2002 at a cost of $163 million and built to last 500 years, this ultracontemporary cathedral is one of L.A.'s newest architectural treasures and the third-largest cathedral in the world. It was designed by award-winning Spanish architect Jose Rafael Moneo and…Downtown
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Landmark
Charles F. Lummis House (El Alisal) and Garden
El Alisal is a small, rugged, two-story "castle," built between 1889 and 1910 from large rocks and telephone poles purchased from the Santa Fe Railroad. The architect and creator was Charles F. Lummis, a Harvard graduate, archaeologist, and writer, who walked from Ohio to California…Downtown
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Gym/Spa
Chocolate Sun
A mere 2 blocks away from the beach in Santa Monica, this charming bungalow has attracted accolades from top beauty magazines such as InStyle, Allure, and Shape for its natural-looking, sunless spray tan using all organically grown and wild-crafted botanicals. Should you want to go…Santa Monica
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Religious Site
Church of the Good Shepherd
Built in 1924, this is Beverly Hills's oldest house of worship. The relatively small church (seats only 600) is in the Spanish Colonial Revival style, and its two striking steeples and lovely exterior are noticeable from any direction. In 1950 Elizabeth Taylor and her first husband,…L.A.'s Westside & Beverly Hills
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Landmark
City Hall
Built in 1928, the 27-story Los Angeles City Hall was the tallest building in the city for more than 30 years. The structure's distinctive ziggurat tower was designed to resemble the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The building has been…Downtown
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Art museum
Craft and Folk Art Museum
They’ve been exploring the cultural role of craft and folk art for more than 40 years now, and nothing pleases the stewards of this museum more than to turn the preconception of the “lowly” arts on its head. The museum seeks out artists who take traditional practices in surprising…Los Angeles
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Park/Garden
Descanso Gardens
Camellias -- evergreen flowering shrubs from China and Japan -- were the passion of amateur gardener E. Manchester Boddy, who began planting them here in 1941. Today his 150-acre Descanso Gardens contain more than 100,000 camellias in more than 600 varieties, blooming under a canopy… -
Gym/Spa
Exhale
Escape the crowds at the Third Street Promenade at this luxury retreat that hails from New York but is so fittingly SoCal, with a yoga studio, well-being workshops, "healing waters" room, eucalyptus saunas, and Core Fusion Pilates classes. You'll find 15,000 square feet of Ohm here,…Santa Monica
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Historic Site
Freeman House
Frank Lloyd Wright's Freeman House, built in 1924, was designed as an experimental prototype of mass-produced affordable housing. The home's richly patterned "textile-block" exterior was Wright's invention and is the most famous aspect of the home's design. Situated on a dramatic…Hollywood
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Museum
Grammy Museum
The Grammys’ 50-year history is just a jumping-off point for this museum anchoring the L.A. Live entertainment complex. Four floors of exhibits let visitors in on the creative and production sides of every type of music, from opera to polka to visual kei rock (it claims more than 160…Downtown Los Angeles
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Landmark
Griffith Observatory
Made world-famous in the film Rebel Without a Cause, Griffith Observatory's bronze domes have been Hollywood Hills landmarks since 1935. Closed for renovation for what seemed like forever, it finally reopened in November 2006 after a $93-million overhaul. The central dome houses the… -
Museum
Hammer Museum
Former Occidental Petroleum chairman/CEO Armand Hammer’s frankly unfocused personal collection of traditional western European and Anglo-American art is the linchpin of UCLA’s two-story, Carrara marble museum, but the daring and sometimes controversial visiting exhibits generate the…L.A.'s Westside & Beverly Hills
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Cemetery
Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Hollywood Forever is one of the ultimate celebrity cemeteries, and its personality is just as eccentric as Hollywood itself. Pressed up against the back lot of Paramount Pictures (its water tower and facade of New York Street set peek over the back wall), this palm tree oasis in the… -
Park/Garden
Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens
The Huntington Library is the jewel in Pasadena's crown. The 207-acre hilltop estate was once home to industrialist and railroad magnate Henry E. Huntington (1850-1927), who bought books on the same massive scale on which he acquired land. The continually expanding collection… -
Museum/Architecture
Japanese American National Museum
The largest U.S. museum dedicated to the Japanese experience in this country, occupying a gracefully modern pavilion by acclaimed architect Gyo Obata, displays the exquisite care and precision of a Japanese tea ceremony in both the building’s design and the exhibits within. Even the…Downtown Los Angeles
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Gym/Spa
Kinara Spa & Café
Whether you're a Hollywood starlet primping for a big night or just pretending to be, Kinara is a one-stop location for everything you'll need. The space is subtle but not bare; calm but not Zen; natural but not serious. Spa services range in price from about $30 to $200, with…L.A.'s Westside & Beverly Hills
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Library/University
L.A. Central Library
This is one of L.A.'s early architectural achievements and the third-largest library in the United States. The city rallied to save the library when arson nearly destroyed it in 1986; the triumphant restoration has returned much of its original splendor. Working in the early 1920s,…Downtown
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Museum
La Brea Tar Pits and Page Museum
This lake of primal sludge, surrounded by a brash young city, is the most incongruous museum in Los Angeles, if not the country. The primeval pools lured nearly 400 species of thirsty mammals, birds, amphibians and fish that last roamed Earth as much as 50,000 years ago, only to…Los Angeles
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Art museum
Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)
Note: LACMA is undergoing a radical transformation. In 2020, it bulldozed four major buildings and will replace them with a new gallery building. As a consequence, construction will span several years and gallery space is limited. Balancing that information with the high ticket…Los Angeles
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Zoo/Aquarium
Los Angeles Zoo
The L.A. Zoo has been welcoming visitors and busloads of school kids since 1966. In 1982 the zoo inaugurated a display of cuddly koalas, still one of its biggest attractions among 1,100 animals from around the world. Although it's smaller than the world-famous San Diego Zoo, the L.A.… -
Attraction
Madame Tussauds Hollywood
In the heart of Hollywood, adjacent to Grauman's Chinese Theatre, the new Madame Tussauds Hollywood is the first-ever to be built from the ground up. This 44,000-square-foot, $55 million, three-story building is home to more than 100 celebrity wax figures that cost up to $300,000… -
Religious Site
Mission San Fernando
In the late 18th century, Franciscan missionaries established 21 missions along the California coast from San Diego to Sonoma. Each uniquely beautiful mission was built 1 day's trek from the next, along a path known as El Camino Real ("the Royal Road"), remnants of which still exist.…Pasadena & Environs
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Religious Site
Mission San Gabriel Arcangel
Founded in 1771, Mission San Gabriel Arcangel retains its original facade, notable for its high oblong windows and large capped buttresses, said to have been influenced by the cathedral in Cordova, Spain. The mission's self-contained compound encompasses an aqueduct, a cemetery, a…Pasadena & Environs
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Museum
Museum of Tolerance
It’s understandable that a museum created by the institute founded by legendary Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal, with the mission of exposing bigotry and fostering tolerance, leans heavily on the Holocaust. The message behind the 2014 exhibition, “Anne,” telling Anne Frank’s story…Los Angeles
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Museum/Architecture
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
The largest natural history museum in the western United States, with more than 35 million specimens, is packed with stunning wildlife dioramas, treasures of history and edifying activities. Founded in 1913, it embarked on an ambitious retrofit and modernization in 2003. The original…Exposition Park
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Art museum
Norton Simon Museum of Art
The serene garden setting is a perfect backdrop for one of the world’s finest private collections of European, American and Asian art. Neither as big nor as architecturally imposing as LACMA or the Getty (though Frank Gehry redesigned the interior in 2000), it’s unmatched in…Pasadena
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Gym/Spa
ONE, The Spa
This beach-themed spa -- it's designed to resemble a ship -- is owned by the tony Shutters on the Beach Hotel but located in a separate building, giving it a little more privacy than the typical hotel spa. Featuring Ole Henriksen's (the "facialist to the stars") all-natural products…Santa Monica
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Gym/Spa
Ocean Spa and Fitness
In the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel, Ocean Spa and Fitness is an eco-conscious spa that embraces nurture and nature and offers Moor mud wraps, buff body treatments, beauty flash facials, and the signature "Beachcomber" massage with heated tiger clam shells infused with mineral-rich…Santa Monica
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Landmark
Pacific Design Center
The bold architecture and overwhelming scale of the Pacific Design Center, created by Argentine architect Cesar Pelli, aroused controversy when it was erected in 1975. Sheathed in gently curving cobalt-blue glass, the six-story building houses more than 750,000 square feet of…L.A.'s Westside & Beverly Hills
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Tour
Paramount Pictures
Paramount is the only major studio still located within the boundaries of Hollywood, which makes the 2-hour "cart tour" around its nearly-century-old headquarters enriching—even the wrought-iron gates Gloria Swanson motored through in Sunset Boulevard are still there. The tour is… -
Gym/Spa
Peninsula Spa
Condé Nast Traveler recently rated the 4,600-square-foot Peninsula Spa number one in service and number two in treatments for urban spas, and indeed, this is one of the top spots in the U.S. for pampering. Sure, it's pricey, but what would you expect from the only hotel in Southern…L.A.'s Westside & Beverly Hills
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Museum
Petersen Automotive Museum
In a city with more freeways than most cities have boulevards, this museum—founded by the publisher of “Hot Rod” and “Motor Trend” magazines—is an important stop for a visitor who wants to truly “get” L.A., where a car is less a vehicle than a definition of one’s identity. Steve…Los Angeles
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Gym/Spa
Pho-Siam Thai Spa
I used to live in Thailand, and there's nothing I miss more than a traditional Thai massage, an ancient healing art that combines yogalike stretching, deep-tissue massage, and therapeutic balms. You walk in tense and stiff and walk out a happy noodle. The family-run Pho-Siam Thai Spa…Downtown
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Art museum
Santa Monica Museum of Art at Bergamot Station
This small, friendly museum, anchoring an art and cultural center on a onetime 19th-century Red Line trolley stop, is Santa Monica’s artistic epicenter. As Southern California’s only museum without its own collection, it hosts intriguing and sometimes unexpected shows of contemporary…Santa Monica
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Historic Site
Schindler House
A protégé of Frank Lloyd Wright and contemporary of Richard Neutra, Austrian architect Rudolph Schindler designed this innovative modern house for himself in 1921 and 1922. It's now home to the Los Angeles arm of Austria's Museum of Applied Arts (MAK). The house is noted for its…L.A.'s Westside & Beverly Hills
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Theme Park
Six Flags California
What started as a countrified little amusement park with a couple of relatively tame roller coasters in 1971 has been transformed by Six Flags into a thrill-a-minute daredevil's paradise. The 18 world-class roller coasters (more than any other place in the world) make it enormously… -
Museum/Architecture
Skirball Cultural Center
This remarkable museum is just a fraction of this institution’s efforts to make connections between Jewish heritage and American democratic values. Music, theater, comedy, film, libraries and family and literary programs are all brought to bear in inspiring people of all cultures who…Los Angeles
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Tour
Sony Pictures Studio Tour
Although it doesn't have quite the same historical cachet as Warner Brothers or Paramount, a lot of movie history was made at this Culver City lot. Four scenes from the Wizard of Oz were filmed here when it was MGM Studios, and although the Yellow Brick Road once ran through the lot,… -
Gym/Spa
Spa Montage
This two-floor facility in the new Montage Beverly Hills hotel is as luxurious as you'd expect it to be for the Golden Triangle. It's 20,000 square feet of pure bliss that's inspired by the ancient Andalusia region of Spain, which means lots of water everywhere -- a coed mineral pool… -
Gym/Spa
Spa at Le Merigot
Le Merigot is a low-key luxury hotel that doesn't try to be anything other than a comfortable place to spend your seaside vacation, and its spa is the perfect place to unwind after a busy day of shopping and sightseeing. The 5,500-square-foot space offers a full range of services,…Santa Monica
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Gym/Spa
Spa at the Four Seasons Hotel
There's already something so indulgent about the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills, that a caviar facial in the spa seems positively pedestrian. The 4,000-square-foot spa has eight treatment rooms, men's and women's locker rooms, and a menu full of rejuvenating services. The wildly…L.A.'s Westside & Beverly Hills
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Landmark
The Bradbury Building
This National Historic Landmark, built in 1893 and designed by George Wyman, is Los Angeles's oldest commercial building and one of the city's most revered architectural achievements. Legend has it that an inexperienced draftsman named George Wyman accepted the $125,000 commission…Downtown
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Museum
The Broad
The Broad, a gorgeous architectural statement that opened in late 2015, is the home of one of the best contemporary art collections in the country. Eli Broad (pronounced "Brode"), an insurance and construction billionaire, has amassed a library of more than 2,000 works and his…Downtown
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Historic Site
The Gamble House
The huge two-story Gamble House, built in 1908 as a California vacation home for the wealthy family of Procter and Gamble fame, is a sublime example of Arts and Crafts architecture. The interior, designed by the famous Pasadena-based Greene and Greene architectural team, abounds with…Pasadena & Environs
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Museum
The Getty Center Los Angeles
A work of art inside and out, this primary campus of the renowned J. Paul Getty Museum (“The Getty”) in Brentwood features European and American art from the Middle Ages to the present. The Richard Meier-designed museum complex alone—a riot of shapes and angles clad in white Italian… -
Museum
The Getty Villa Malibu
The other campus of the J. Paul Getty Museum is the famous oil tycoon’s former home, built in 1974 on the edge of a Malibu bluff with dazzling ocean views. Modeled after the Villa dei Papiri in Herculaneum, Italy, a first-century Roman country house buried by the eruption of Mount…Pacific Palisades
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Museum/Architecture
The Hollywood Museum
In a town where day spas are as ubiquitous as Starbuck’s, it’s hard to comprehend that before Hollywood “makeup king” Max Factor headquartered his cosmetic empire in this grand Art Deco building in 1935 and created the signature looks of Hollywood’s most famous actresses here, women…Hollywood
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Park/Garden
The Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden
Tucked into the hillsides of the San Gabriel Mountains, this sprawling horticultural and botanical center was formerly the estate of silver magnate "Lucky" Baldwin -- the man responsible for bringing horse racing to Southern California -- who lived until 1909 on these lushly planted… -
Art museum
The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA)
Known for its provocative, ambitious, and sometimes difficult exhibits, MOCA is L.A.’s only museum focusing solely on art from 1940 to the present. Its 6,800-piece collection—one of the best in the country, including numerous Rothkos, Pollack’s first drip painting, Johns, and dozens…Various Locations
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Museum
The Paley Center for Media
Want to see the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show (1964), or Edward R. Murrow's examination of Joseph McCarthy (1954), or Arnold Palmer's victory in the 1958 Masters Tournament; or want to listen to radio excerpts like FDR's first "Fireside Chat" (1933) and Orson Welles's famous War of…Beverly Hills
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Landmark
US Bank Tower
Designed by renowned architect I. M. Pei, L.A.'s most distinctive skyscraper (it's the round one) is the tallest building between Chicago and Singapore. Built in 1989 at a cost of $450 million, the 76-story monolith is both square and rectangular, rising from its 5th Street base in a…Downtown
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Art Museum/Architecture
USC Pacific Asia Museum
This small museum, which grew from one woman’s curio shop, has been affiliated with the University of Southern California since November 2013. When her collection outgrew its shop in 1924, Grace Nicholson commissioned a new building strictly following China’s Imperial Palace…Pasadena
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Train Station
Union Station
Union Station, completed in 1939, is one of the finest examples of California mission-style architecture and one of the last of America's great rail stations. It was built with the opulence and attention to detail that characterized 1930s WPA projects, such as its cathedral-like size…Downtown
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Theme Park
Universal Studios Hollywood & CityWalk
Believing that filmmaking itself is a bona fide attraction, Universal Studios began offering tours to the public in 1964. The concept worked: Today Universal is more than just one of the largest movie studios in the world—it's one of the largest theme parks as well. By integrating… -
Tour
Warner Bros. Studios
The Warner Brothers' "VIP Tour" takes visitors on a 3-hour jaunt around the world's busiest movie and TV studio. After a brief introductory film about the history of WB, groups of 12 pile into stretch golf carts for an intimate view of the inner workings of a motion picture and… -
Landmark
Watts Towers and Art Center
Watts became notorious as the site of riots in the summer of 1965, during which 34 people were killed and more than 1,000 were injured. Today a visit to Watts is a lesson in inner-city life. It's a high-density land of gray strip malls, well-guarded check-cashing shops, and fast-food…Downtown
Los Angeles Shopping
L.A. is famous for its multitude of stores, from mega-sized shopping malls such as the Beverly Center in West Hollywood or the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica. There are also fashionable little shops like Giant Robot in Japantown. For clothes from favourite TV shows, there's It's A Wrap, and those with c ...
L.A. is famous for its multitude of stores, from mega-sized shopping malls such as the Beverly Center in West Hollywood or the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica. There are also fashionable little shops like Giant Robot in Japantown. For clothes from favourite TV shows, there's It's A Wrap, and those with cash to spare can head to Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. Most stores are open daily 10am to 6pm.
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Music
Amoeba Music
This “new” branch (opened 2001) of the iconic Berkeley store is the place for music junkies, in large part because of its knowledgeable staff. Its huge assortment of music and movies goes well beyond the mainstream; though the stock changes daily as the store buys and sells, it’s…Downtown Los Angeles
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Antiques
Arte International Furnishings
If the showrooms—seven warehouses full of them—look like period movie sets, there’s good reason: This North Hollywood interior design company once sold only to moviemakers and restaurants. Overstuffed leather couches, heavy carved wood furniture and ornate lighting fixtures are a… -
Art
Bergamot Station
This lively and continually evolving arts complex, anchored by the Santa Monica Museum of Art, houses more than 40 galleries, nearly double the number it had in 2012. The art center, whose site was a station of the old Red Car trolley station until 1953, celebrated its 20th… -
Bookstores
Book Soup
This Sunset Strip landmark is L.A.’s best indie bookshop, with a thoughtfully curated selection of more than 60,000 titles, both mainstream and small-press. The Staff Picks are excellent, and the shop maintains a full schedule of signings and readings. Topics range from show business… -
Fashion
Fred Segal
Looking like cubes wearing an ivy buzz cut, this is not a store but a compound of breezy individual boutiques with their own specialties, such as Fred Segal Baggage, Fred Segal Feet, Apothia (beauty products), Ron Herman (trendy sportswear), Ron Robinson (hard-to-find international… -
Fashion
Golyester
There’s no sorting wheat from chaff here; these hand-picked women’s fashions and fabrics from the turn of the 20th century through the ’80s are in mint condition, and prices reflect that— this is not the place to grab a cheap used prom dress that will have wine stains by the end of…Downtown Los Angeles
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Fashion
H & M
This is the fashion equivalent of Ikea—a Swedish brand selling stylish men’s and women’s fashions at affordable prices. Southern California’s first store opened in 2006, and by now you can’t swing a cat without hitting an H&M. Stores can get crowded and the racks messy; get there… -
Hustler Hollywood
Forget for a moment that the owner, Theresa Flynt, is the daughter of Hustler Magazine’s Larry Flynt; her erotica store, the largest in the country, has not a whit of the raunchiness associated with dad’s magazine. You can browse the artfully displayed adult toys and movies—along… -
Antiques
Off The Wall
After 30 years in business, this iconoclastic antique shop left its longtime home on Melrose Avenue for larger quarters on La Cienega in mid 2012. There’s nothing musty about this place, which has helped create the interiors of the Hard Rock Cafe and Planet Hollywood. Its range…Hollywood
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Fashion
Oilily
This Dutch fashion house, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2013, started out when children’s clothing was a scaled-down version of adult fashions. Its Crayola colors, playful florals and designs borrowed from cultures around the world won over celebrity moms and dads such as… -
Bookstores
Traveler's Bookcase
This shop and reading room is among the best travel bookstores in the West. In addition to its vast selection of guidebooks, travel literature, international cookbooks and other destination-themed titles, you’ll find globes, maps, antique travel posters and other accessories that…Downtown Los Angeles
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Bookstores
Vroman's Bookstore
A Pasadena institution established in 1894 by one of the founders of the Southwest Museum (now part of the Autry Museum), this is Southern California’s oldest and largest independent bookstore, run by the great-grandson of its second owner. The cavernous, two-level space is clean, up…Pasadena
Los Angeles Nightlife
Hollywood is where stars are born, so there's no shortage of quality entertainment here. To party with the rock stars and celebrities nothing beats the Viper Room, House of Blues or Whisky A Go Go on West Hollywood's Sunset Strip. More dignified experiences include a picnic with the philharmonic at the Hollywoo ...
Hollywood is where stars are born, so there's no shortage of quality entertainment here. To party with the rock stars and celebrities nothing beats the Viper Room, House of Blues or Whisky A Go Go on West Hollywood's Sunset Strip. More dignified experiences include a picnic with the philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl or a Broadway show at Hollywood's Pantages Theatre. Everywhere is smoke-free, and most nightlife venues close at 2am sharp.
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Comedy Clubs
Acme Comedy Theater
The Acme players provide a barrage of laughs with their improv and sketch comedy acts. They branched out to science fiction in 2014, introducing Sci-Fest, a one-act play festival.Hollywood
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Gay/lesbian
Akbar
“It’s a trap!” … No, this is not a Star Wars-themed lounge, but a congenial bar that's primarily gay while welcoming straights as well. Within a plain exterior that borders on dingy, the bartenders concocting strong cocktails behind the mirrored bar are friendly, and the dance floor…Silver Lake
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Bars & Pubs
Brickyard Pub
This NoHo Arts District bar is the place to be any day of the week. With more than 150 varieties of bottled beer (no draft), it typically hosts young professionals playing pool (8 tables available), shuffleboard (2), darts (4), or beer pong (3). Besides the plentiful games, it often…North Hollywood
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Bars & Pubs
Circle Bar
This trendy Santa Monica hang is more casual than most dance clubs, just right for students, post-grads, locals and aspiring creative types to dance the night away and meet new people. It comes by its name honestly—all the action revolves around the large circular bar. It gets…Santa Monica
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The Club & Music Scene
Club Nokia
Bad views are scarce at the smaller of Nokia’s two L.A. LIVE venues, which holds 2,300, but be aware that floor seats are fold-up chairs. Flamenco guitarist Benise, electronic rockers Lucent Dossier Experience, Australian electronic musician Flume and European symphonic rockers…Los Angeles
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Bars & Pubs
DBA
This “concept nightclub” replaced the defunct Voyeur in November 2013. Equal parts dance club, art gallery, and performance space, it is reinvented every few months. Summer of 2014, for example, brought jazz from actor Jeff Goldblum; a rock musical, For the Record: Tarantino, based…West Hollywood
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Dance Clubs
El Floridita
A descendant of Ernest Hemingway’s favorite Havana bar and restaurant, this tiny dance club serves authentic Cuban cuisine and a steady diet of live salsa music. You’d never guess from the modest strip-mall location that this is a hot spot favored by Jennifer Lopez, Sandra Bullock,…Hollywood
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The Club & Music Scene
El Rey Theatre
Upstairs or down, it’s mostly standing room only at this restored Art Deco relic of Hollywood’s golden days. Still, with a capacity of just 1,500, you get intimate shows by a steady stream of indie bands—the likes of Lauren Mvula, Radical Something and Superchunk—in elegant…West Hollywood
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Comedy Clubs
Groundlings Theater
The training ground for the likes of Will Ferrell, Kristen Wiig, Phil Hartman, Lisa Kudrow, Jon Lovitz and Kathy Griffin, among many others, this improvisation and sketch club remains one of the funniest around despite having been at it for 40 years. Skits, written by the company’s…Los Angeles
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Bars & Pubs
Hemingway’s
“Papa” would fit right in with the walls piled high with books, notebooks and even typewriters here, and he’d surely savor the abundance of cocktails dubbed “The Old Man and the Sea,” “Death in the Afternoon” … well, you get it. This place appeals to a very diverse crowd, and early…Hollywood
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Performing Arts Venues
Hollywood Bowl
The image of the multi-arched band shell, tucked into a natural amphitheater, is widely invoked to represent warm nights, good music and good living, Southern California style. The summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Hollywood Bowl orchestras book internationally renowned…Hollywood
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The Club & Music Scene
Hollywood Palladium
This lovely Streamline Moderne-style Art Deco venue, which holds 4,000, has hosted a range of musical acts from Frank Sinatra to the Grateful Dead to Prince since its 1940 opening. It now presents mostly EDM and touring national indie bands such as Atmosphere and Cosmic Gate. It…Hollywood
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The Club & Music Scene
King King
This exposed-brick renovated warehouse space offers a welcome reprieve from the Hollywood see-and-be-seen mentality. Its roots in a former Chinese restaurant (at a different location) shows up in the red and black decor, which is as unpretentious as the eclectic, easygoing…Hollywood
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Bars & Pubs
La Descarga
Dress shirts are required for men and cocktail dresses and heels are encouraged for women (though dressy blouses with dark pants are accepted) at this little slice of Old Havana. It’s a rare place in L.A. that offers a cigar lounge and fully stocked rum bar, let alone burlesque-style…Hollywood
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The Club & Music Scene
Largo at the Coronet
Open to all ages, this club’s 280-seat main stage is an intimate space to see some well-known performers—the Cowboy Junkies and Jackson Browne have played here in 2014, and Sarah Silverman is a regular—within an adventurous lineup of rock, cabaret, theater, comedy, and spoken word.…West Hollywood
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Comedy Clubs
Laugh Factory
From Rodney Dangerfield to Dave Chappelle, most every comedian you’ve ever heard of has been a regular here. The thing to know about this legendary club is that the big names who frequently sneak onstage to try out a new routine aren’t posted on the schedule; your best bet will be…Hollywood
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Bars & Pubs
Library Alehouse
When chef Tom Hugenberger took over this neighborhood spot, reputed to have Santa Monica’s best craft beers, it was all about the stellar selection of international draft beers and about two dozen bottled brews. The food was just average. In 2013, he unveiled new salads, a killer…Santa Monica
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Bars & Pubs
Lock & Key
Only the big neon keyhole sign offers a clue to what you’re in for at this small mixology bar in up-and-coming Koreatown. The fun starts when you enter what seems to be a small, dark, coat-check with walls are covered by vintage doorknobs that cleverly conceal the entrance. You can…Koreatown
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The Club & Music Scene
McCabe’s Guitar Shop
The back room of a nondescript music shop has drawn some big names since it became magnet and mentor for emerging folk singers in the ’60s. A short list of established artists who have been happy to play to just 150 people includes Allen John Lee Hooker, Joni Mitchell, T-Bone… -
Bars & Pubs
Next Door Lounge
With its secret password and dapper doorman in top hat and spats, this well-known Hollywood lounge transports you to the glamour and excitement of the speakeasy age. A mix of classic 1920s drinks and modern cocktails using mescal, absinthe and agave nectar take center stage in the…Hollywood
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Bars & Pubs
Nic’s Beverly Hills
OK, now this is fun. Whatever your preconceptions about Beverly Hills, this attitude-free place both embraces the stereotype and turns it on its head. Very laid-back locals partake of fancy cuisine while listening to jazz bands, big-band trios and eclectic DJ mixes. Vodka is the star…Beverly Hills
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Bars & Pubs
Original Barney’s Beanery
Once a proud component of Route 66, this place oozes rock and roll history: Jim Morrison, a frequent patron, is honored by a placard on his favorite barstool, and the table where Janis Joplin had her last drinks, hours before she died, is nailed to the ceiling. The reasonably priced…West Hollywood
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Bars & Pubs
O’Brien’s Pub
With a great range of whiskeys, spirits and plenty of beers on tap, eight large screens dishing up a wide variety of sports, and a ready supply of good food, this local favorite is the quintessential Irish pub. The place is bigger than it looks from out front; beyond the restaurant,… -
Bars & Pubs
Perch
Like the better-known Standard (see below), Perch is an elevated resting place, but it delivers a classier atmosphere in a French-inspired rooftop bistro overlooking Pershing Square. Panoramic views of the Downtown skyline make the frequent lines and pricey dining and cocktails worth…Downtown Los Angeles
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Bars & Pubs
Red Lion Tavern
This large German beer hall and restaurant, a longtime Silver Lake fixture, may be kitschy with its dirndl-clad waitresses, but it’s good fun, especially for screening German sporting events. This was the place to be when Germany triumphed in the 2014 World Cup. The hearty…Silver Lake
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Bars & Pubs
Sound Nightclub
Created to meet the need for a mid-sized venue (capacity 500) focused entirely on dance music and DJ culture, this club opened New Year’s Eve 2012 with internationally renowned Dutch DJ Sander Kleinenberg and quickly won over house music devotees. Modern industrial decor, huge sunken…Los Angeles
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The Club & Music Scene
The Avalon Hollywood
This 1,100-capacity landmark 1927 Art Deco theater and nightclub, thoroughly renovated in May 2014, has hosted classical to alternative rock shows ranging from Frank Sinatra to Snoop Dogg. in its more than 60 years. These days it’s primarily a dance club, drawing electronic dance…Hollywood
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Comedy Clubs
The Comedy & Magic Club
Best known for hosting Jay Leno’s regular Sunday night gigs, this longtime Hermosa Beach favorite also sees other big names—Jerry Seinfeld, Jon Lovitz, Bill Maher—from time to time. And yes, the schedule includes some magic acts. The audience sits at tables jutting out from the…Hermosa Beach
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Comedy Clubs
The Comedy Store
Established comics polish their routines and new ones develop their material at this landmark owned by Pauly Shore’s mom Mitzi. There may be a few clunkers, as in any club, but the nightly mix here means you’ll walk away laughing whatever night you go. Top pros play in rapid…West Hollywood
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Bars & Pubs
The Federal Bar
A remarkable gastropub menu (garlicky grilled artichokes, wings with fennel-infused hot sauce and blue cheese) makes this comfy pub, ensconced in a handsome Prohibition-era bank building, reason enough to venture to the Valley. An intriguing lineup of craft and specialty bottled…North Hollywood
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Performing Arts Venues
The Greek Theatre
Ensconced among the trees in Griffith Park, this 5,800-seat venue in a natural amphitheater built in 1929 repeatedly captures trade publication Pollstar Magazine’s award for North America’s Best Small Outdoor Venue. Its history of legendary performances from the likes of The Who and…Los Angeles
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Comedy Clubs
The Improv
If you know only one comedy club by name, this is probably it. For a place whose where such legends as Jay Leno, Billy Crystal, and Robin Williams might pop up without warning, it has a very loose, workshop-like atmosphere. It has been showcasing top comics since 1975, but with a…West Hollywood
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The Club & Music Scene
The Roxy Theatre
Veteran record producer/executive Lou Adler opened this Sunset Strip club in the mid-1970s with concerts by Neil Young and a lengthy run of the pre-movie Rocky Horror Show. Since then it has remained among the top showcase venues in Hollywood. Although the revitalized Troubadour and… -
Bars & Pubs
The Standard Downtown
This rooftop bar capping the Standard Hotel Downtown projects “cool” almost entirely on the strength of its magnificent view of the surrounding skyscrapers and distant mountains. Drink it in along with the not particularly special cocktails from the comfort of a water bed or poolside…Downtown Los Angeles
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The Club & Music Scene
The Troubadour
Elton John (in his first U.S. show), Linda Ronstadt, Buffalo Springfield, Bonnie Raitt, Van Morrison … acts who owe their start to this intimate club read like a Who’s Who of classic rock. Lenny Bruce was infamously arrested on obscenity charges after a 1961 show, and John Lennon and…West Hollywood
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The Club & Music Scene
The Wiltern
Arguably L.A.’s most beautiful Art Deco palace, this Koreatown club presents a wide range of national and international acts. Emmylou Harris, Lebowski Fest, Imagine Dragons and Switchfoot are among the performers that have played here in 2014, with other types of entertainment…Los Angeles
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Bars & Pubs
Thirsty Crow
This tiny but pleasantly quaint Silver Lake bar, dimly lit and filled with vintage trinkets and random antiques, is named for Aesop’s fable about a resourceful bird. It aims squarely at whiskey aficionados, with more than 100 to choose from, and favors dark spirits. It does offer a…Los Angeles
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Bars & Pubs
Three Clubs
This down-to-earth lounge, a.k.a. “Three of Clubs,” is Hollywood’s original martini lounge, evolved into a multitasking entertainment venue and dance club. Eschewing a flashy sign, it keeps a low profile. The dark, expansive interior consists of two rooms, plenty of cushy seating and…Hollywood
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The Club & Music Scene
Villains Tavern
Steampunk meets Gothic at this club on the fringe of Downtown’s Arts District next to the L.A. River. Though the name, sketchy surroundings (at least at night), and the decor are vaguely scary, it’s friendlier than the average hipster bar. The limited but decent pub grub menu is…Downtown Los Angeles
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The Club & Music Scene
Whisky A Go-Go
Los Angeles’ rock scene was born with this legendary Sunset Strip club (you can blame it for the go-go dancing craze), which jump started countless careers: Jim Morrison, The Byrds, Van Morrison, Frank Zappa, Janis Joplin, Led Zeppelin, Guns N’ Roses … the list goes on. In recent…West Hollywood
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