Whenever I'm on the West Coast or in California, Los Angeles is a must stop. I like the atmosphere, the people and of course the food.
For this trip, I only had two days to be in Los Angeles (LA) and I tried to organize myself to take advantage of the time and do (and see) as much as possible in that period . The plan was to arrive very early on Saturday morning to be able to go and enjoy: Downtown LA, Hollywood Boulevard and LACMA.
I'll start by saying that public transportation in LA is very good, quite on time and very affordable prices. For the Metro or the buses, you can get a card that allows you to use the services however many times you want the whole day for only $4.50. From LAX airport to Downtown LA, I took a private bus service for $10. The bus runs to Union Station in the heart of Downtown. Once at Union Station, going to any other part of the city is quite easy.
At Union Station I took the Metro B Line (red) to Grand Park Station and walked about two blocks to Grand Central Market. This place is legendary in the city of Los Angeles where you can find different restaurants, many of them Mexican food, but there are other stalls with Asian food, drinks, desserts, sweets, fruits and more. There is also a market with different crafts and merchandise for sale that you can enjoy before or after eating.
Grand Central Market is also a super Instagram heaven. It has many elements that are perfect for that photo or video opportunity . So, if you're in Downtown LA, take a look around and let me know.
If you walk two or three blocks, you can visit the Santee Alley area better known as Los Callejones in the Fashion District. Here you will find everything you are looking for and even what you are not : from clothing, jewelry, shoes, fabrics, flowers and much more. The Fashion District has approximately 107 blocks where you can find everything you need for your wholesale or retail purchases.
I ate some delicious carnitas tacos at Grand Central Market for lunch and after several purchases at Los Callejones, I was ready to go to my hotel. I took the Subway to Hollywood Boulevard. From the stop to my hotel, it was only 3-4 blocks, so I dedicated myself to walking along the boulevard, seeing the stars, some shops and acclimatizing myself to the city and its flow.
I dedicated the afternoon to LACMA. LACMA is the Los Angeles County Museum; it was founded in 1961 and is home to over 145,000 pieces of art and is the largest museum in the western United States. Among all his pieces of art, LACMA has one in particular that attracts hundreds of thousands of people every year: Urban Light.
The piece is titled Urban Light by artist Chris Burden and is made up of utility poles from different cities in Southern California that were restored for this exhibition.
This piece is located right at the entrance of the museum and is the perfect spot for that special photo. I recommend arriving at a time when you can see them before and after they are turned on. The contrast with the sunset is simply magical. This is one of those spots that you will only find in Los Angeles.
Once inside the museum grounds you have different options: you can enjoy live music every Saturday during the summer months, look at the exhibitions and more. It also has the perfect spot to have a picnic and hang out with friends on a phenomenal afternoon in the city outdoors. Or you can enjoy a food and drink with your friends in a designated area .
You can enjoy all the museum’s exhibitions and of course, its gardens. In the garden, you will find The Zodiac Project by Ai Weiwei or Levitated Mass by Michael Heizer while you enjoy the sun and the good weather of the city.
After a beautiful evening at the museum, I took the bus back to the Hollywood Boulevard area for dinner…and this is where things get interesting. There are so many options for dinner that it is very difficult to make a choice. You will find everything from street stalls to five-star restaurants.
For dinner I recommend you look for options on Yelp or Google Maps. For me, Google Maps is a super tool that I use all the time and is an essential part of my trips. Once you know where you are, you can search for "restaurants”, and it gives you many options with their ratings. There you can see and read the reviews and make a decision.
That Saturday night, I went to dinner at an Italian restaurant near the hotel. The food was spectacular and the atmosphere of the hotel wonderful, very Los Angeles style.
Other recommendations to do and see in Los Angeles:
• Hollywood: take a stroll, walk, and explore every corner
• Santa Monica Pier and Beach
• Venice Beach Boardwalk
• Griffith Observatory
• Korean Town
•Downtown LA
•Grand Park
• All of the food
• And everything you want to do
Comments