Visiting LA this weekend

[itsflantastic]

Sadly without a bicycle, but I have all of Saturday to explore. Where should I go/What should I see? Eat?

[Climb01742]

LA is a big place. more a collection of 'towns' than a single city. different folks like different parts. my favorite part is santa monica. down by the beach. see the pier. walk on ocean blvd. go up montana. check out the 3rd st. shops. lots of great places to eat in santa monica. for lunch, if you like burgers, try rustic canyon or father's office. or for breakfast, try patrick's roadhouse or the downstairs cafe at shutter's hotel.

[basso1]

Go to the Getty Museum, VeloPasadena bike shop as it is Time and Colnago Heaven, Randy's Donuts near the airport. That is a long day. Enjoy.

[Steeleye]

As stated before LA is a big place. Assuming you have a car where are you staying, what part of town? What interests you museums, bikinis, food? Lots of choices to squeeze in one day so knowing where you're starting from and what you like would help narrow it down. At the very least the weather should be good.

[Ken Robb]

"The Getty" is fabulous but there are two completely separate locations with totally different focus. You can't do justice to both in one day so you would have to choose which is most interesting to you. Either one is almost worth the trip just to see the buildings. The food is good in either one but the modern Getty Dining Room is a fine restaurant worthy of a visit even after museum hours.

Less well-known but lots of fun used to be called the Gene Autry Museum. I think the name has been changed but it's a great facility in Griffith Park just off I-5. While it does have some neat displays from the careers of Gene, Roy, and other oater stars it really is a serious museum with lots of good info on the development of the American West.

The Peterson Automotive Museum is definitely worth 2-3 hours if you're at all interested in cars.



Obviously I'm a museum nut and there are LOTS of things to do in LA but with only one day in any city I want to see whatever is unique. Your decision may come down to where you are staying and how you will get around. I think all of the museums can be reached by city bus. The Gettys are free but you need a reservation for parking unless you ride a motorcycle.

[deechee]

I enjoyed the beaches when I was there for work. Korean BBQ food is amazing there too. There is a colossal Korean population in LA.

[MadRocketSci]

like chinese food? this place is the place:

Din Tai Fung (http://www.dintaifungusa.com/)

only one other place in the States like it, the recently opened sister location in Seattle...

get the xiao lung bao (aka "juicy pork dumpling", crab optional)...better than shanghai...

get there early for dinner...like right when it opens.

1108 S Baldwin Ave
Arcadia, CA 91007

[false_Aest]

beer + burgers = father's office
cole's french dip is downtown. there's a "hidden" bar toward the back.
LACMA is free after 5pm
Hammer Museum is alwys awesome (part of UCLA)
MoCA also has a few locations to check out.

Museum of Jurassic Technology is totally effing awesome (and not that far from Father's Office).
Forget Pink's hot dogs.
Mashti Malone's or Scoops for Ice Cream (I favor Mashti on La Brea just north of Sunset... near the LA Ink tattoo place)
Watt's Towers
Home Depot Center (Velodrome)

In Santa Monica check out Bay City on Lincoln + Broadway (get their godmother and order it spicy).
Forget the 3rd street prominade.


Runyon canyon for a fun in city/near hollywood hike (I've seen a few "stars" there... most notably Tom Morello from Rage Against the Machine).


Forget the Farmer's Market .... it's really not that great.

Korean BBQ is AWESOME and worth the $17-20/person if you eat a lot and like meat.

Also look for the Grilled Cheese truck and the Kogi truck. Really really good truck food.

$1 tacos on the street corners are always good.

8oz for more food.
The Counter is a chain but they make good burgers.

Wirstkuche for german meat.

Little Bar for a Boston Bar

Umami Burger is the best burger joint i've ever been to.


contact SoCalSteve for more recommendations

[champ]

Since you have just one day I would start in Venice on the "boardwalk", go over to Main St in Santa Monica and head north (lots of great stores and restaurants), go north to Pacific Palisades and get on PCH1 along the ocean and go up to Malibu. On the way to Malibu you can see the Getty Villa museum and check out Topanga Canyon and the surfers all along the shore. Pepperdine University is a few miles north and is worth the extra time. Next I would take SUnset Blvd north/east to Hollywood. You can go to Mann's theatre and the sidewalks have the celebrity name plaques. Some of the best food in LA is here - particularly 101 Coffee Shop (just north of 101 on Franklin), Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles and Bowery on Sunset. Tons of cool old bars there too.

If you still have time I would drive through Beverly Hills and if you are heading back to the airport its worth going to In-n-Out burger or Randy's Donuts - both are LA staples. You cant see all of LA in a day but this gives you most of it in a nice loop.

[bart998]

Go to the Getty Museum, VeloPasadena bike shop as it is Time and Colnago Heaven, Randy's Donuts near the airport. That is a long day. Enjoy.

+1 all three are great choices. While in the Pasadena area, eat lunch at Clearman's Galley (Back of the boat), Rosemead blvd at Huntington Dr.

[mosca]

Oh man, Clearman's Galley, haven't been there in years. Big burgers and beers cheap, as I recall.

If you're downtown and into architecture, check out the Bradbury Building for sure. Also the Disney Concert Hall and Union Station are nearby and worth a look. Cole's or Phillipe's for French dips, or the downtown farmer's market for some cheap eats.

Also downtown, there's a street-art show at MOCA that's been highly recommended if you like that sort of thing:

http://www.moca.org/museum/exhibitiondetail.php?id=443

If the weather's good, maybe just head to Venice beach.

[itsflantastic]

Thanks for all the ideas! I'll post a "ride report" when I get back :)

[old_fat_and_slow]

If you're doing the "museum thing",

I second the recommendation of going to LACMA (LA County Museum of Art).

I would also throw in Huntington Library (San Marino) and Norton Simon museum of art (Pasadena).

All are really nice art museums. The Huntington has fantastice gardens as well.

Autry is nice if you're interested in Western history, but moreso on history of "Western Movies".

I would recommend all of these over the "New Getty" at the top of the Sepulveda Pass.

Third street Promenade in Santa Monica is nice as well as old town Pasadena.

There are many ethnic regions in the city, and if you travel to those areas, there is a lot of really good ethnic food to choose from.

Really you need to be more specific about where you're staying and where you're interested in visiting. We haven't even gotten in the OC which has it's own attractions.

YMMV

[vqdriver]

so watcha do??

[cat6]

so watcha do??

+1

curious :rolleyes: