Los Angeles is a city of contradictions, and that's what makes it so special. From the Hollywood sign to the snow-capped mountains, there's something for everyone in this sprawling metropolis. Whether you're looking for a beach getaway, a cultural experience, or a night out on the town, Los Angeles has it all. We'll explore the best of what the City of Angels has to offer and why it's worth visiting.
First of all, let's talk about what we mean when we say “Los Angeles”. It's often used interchangeably for both the city of Los Angeles and the dense group of neighboring cities within Los Angeles County. This means that if you're looking for a compact area to explore, you won't find it here. The city is too spread out to stick to one area.
However, that doesn't mean you can't see everything in the city. With six (and counting) subway lines, two dedicated bus routes, and plenty of efficient bus routes, you can get around without a car. Plus, you can always combine a Metro pass with some trips on Uber, bike, scooter, or Metro Micro. When booking a hotel, pay close attention to the cardinal address that is opposite “Hollywood”.
Just to the east, Hollywood is home to all of those familiar Tinseltown attractions, along with a lot of grime and disappointment. The neighborhood is divided by Highway 101; you won't find many well-known sites in East Hollywood, but it's home to Barnsdall Art Park and Hollyhock House, Thai Town, and Little Armenia. Midwesterners began flooding Los Angeles in the late 19th century, and the names of the city derived from Spanish have not been the same since. Forget everything you know about the Spanish language and instead pronounce everything L.
A.-style. That means that San Pedro becomes “San Pee-droh”, Sepúlveda sounds like “Suh-pull-veh-duh” and Los Feliz is somewhat controversial “Los Fee-lisz”. The rodeo (“Roh-day-oh”) is one of the few exceptions. Also look for some non-Spanish outliers, such as Wilshire (“Will-sher”) and The Broad (rhymes with “ode”).
For us, an ideal adventure with L. A. would involve an afternoon atop the Getty Center or Huntington Library, lunch at Grand Central Market, sunset in Zuma or El Matador State Beach and a night gazing at the city from the Griffith Observatory. If you really want to get to know the city, this whole story of things to do will keep you busy. In addition to a little morning fog (known as May Gray and June Bloom in their required months), you can expect it to be sunny almost 300 days a year.
Unless there's a tropical storm hitting northern Mexico, you won't see a drop of rain in summer. In winter, there may only be a handful of rainy days. When the sun rises, it can get quite hot, especially in summer and fall, and particularly in the valley (gusts of Santa Ana's windy days bring digital triple temperatures during the day). But at night, you'll really regret wearing shorts while learning that 70 degrees doesn't actually feel hot at all. Oh, and the ocean? The water temperature barely exceeds 70 degrees in summer.
You can keep it casual and wear flip flops anywhere. Going from bar to bar isn't possible in most neighborhoods and the last call is “early” at 2 in the morning, but it's never far from a fantastic hiking trail. You'll need to make reservations for République or Bestia weeks in advance, but you can head to the Taco Zone Truck for a heaven-sent taco at 2 in the morning. It's possible to surf in the morning, ski in the afternoon and arrive at Disneyland just in time for fireworks. Los Angeles is an incredible place once you learn to embrace everything it has to offer - contradictions and all that. With 35 million tourists visiting each year, LA is considered a safe place.
While there is no doubt that there is crime in a large metropolitan city like Los Angeles, these crimes are mainly located in certain neighborhoods such as Skid Row due to its homeless community, South Central and Compton. With standard precautions and considering which areas to avoid tourists should have a pleasant and safe stay. Are you going to rent a car? If so LA can be a lot of fun! There's great art and architecture at The Getty Center or Huntington Library; fun amusement parks; sandy beaches; Venice Beach where people are weird and fun to watch; nightlife in Hollywood; plus you can easily take the train from Los Angeles to San Diego for a couple of days. Los Angeles is an amazing place once you learn to love it - so why not plan your next vacation here?.
