SHOPPING
Decades
A dramatic leopard-print staircase sets the tone for this famous boutique, stocked with one of the country’s best selection of designer vintage clothing and accessories.
8214 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90046, 323-655-1960
Fred Segal
It’s hard to imagine any one shop attracting more celebrities than Fred Segal. After 40 years on Melrose Avenue, this ultra-hip boutique is a common destination for who’s who on the Hollywood scene.
8188 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90046, 323-651-1800
Maxfields
Here you’ll find the best of LA’s vintage and avant-garde designs, including men’s and women’s fashions, furniture and home accessories. The store’s provocative window displays have ranged from sharp political statements to a Jerry Garcia tribute.
8825 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90069, 310-274-8800
Michael Kors
Featuring luxurious sportswear and accessories from the Michael Kors Collection.
360 North Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210, 310-777-8862
Michael Kors Lifestyle
Offering a full range of shoes and accessories from the Michael Kors, KORS Michael Kors and the MICHAEL Michael Kors collection as well as a selection of ready-to-wear pieces.
189 The Grove Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90036, 323-549-9500
DINING
Dan Tana’s
Charming and unpretentious, the tightly packed rooms swarm with high-pitched good cheer and the bustle of tuxedoed waiters. Taking its cue from ’50s-era red-sauce joints, the simple Italian menu includes entrees of classics like penne, spaghetti and gnocchi.
9071 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA 90069, 310-275-9444
In-N-Out Burger
Founded in 1948, In-N-Out Burger is known for its eye-catching yellow-arrow logo and red and white interiors. The menu includes fries, beverages and hamburgers on griddled buns. The fries are oversized potatoes with the skins still on and are dunked in cholesterol-free cottonseed oil until just the outsides are done.
7009 Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood, CA 90028, 323-000-1111
Madeo Restaurant
Excellent Beverly Hills people-watching scene. Hollywood heavy-hitters pack the place for both lunch and dinner. Black-and-white photos of old Italy grace the walls and the vast booths are equally appropriate for romantic tête-à-têtes or top-secret business deals.
8897 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048, 310-859-0242
The Tower Bar
Located on the pool and spa deck of the Sunset Tower Hotel, this glamorous cafe offers an airy cabana-style dining room and poolside terrace overlooking some of LA’s best skyline views.
8358 Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA 90069, 323-654-7100
CULTURE
Case Study Houses
Known for mid-century modern architecture, the Case Study Houses were experiments in American residential architecture to design and build affordable and efficient model homes. Many of the houses are located in the Los Angeles area and are designed by renowned architects including Richard Neutra, Charles and Ray Eames and Eero Saarinen.
Best seen by special tours, which can be arranged.
Griffith Observatory
First opened in 1933, this Los Angeles icon is the most visited public observatory in the world. The observatory recently debuted the Samuel Oschin Planetarium, a multilevel exhibit gallery, a bookstore and a Wolfgang Puck café called Café at the End of the Universe.
2800 East Observatory Road, Los Angeles, CA 90027, 213-473-0800
Hollywood and Highland
One of LA’s most popular tourist attractions, Hollywood and Highland is located in the heart of Hollywood. This great walking area includes the famous Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Kodak Theater, home of the Academy Awards.
6801 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90028, 323-817-0220
J. Paul Getty Museum
The Getty Museum contains Western art from the Middle Ages to the present. With an estimated 1.3 million visitors annually, it is one of the most visited museums in the United States. Current exhibits include Irving Penn: Small Trades and Out of Bounds: Images in the Margins of Medieval Manuscripts.
1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90049, 310-440-7300
Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)
With 100,000 objects dating from ancient times to the present, the LACMA is the largest art museum in the western United States. Current exhibits include Pompeii and the Roman Villa, Art and Culture around the Bay of Naples; and Louis Melendez, Master of the Spanish Still Life.
5905 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036, 323-857-6000
Runyon Canyon
In this unique city park, be on the lookout for incognito celebrities in baseball caps and expensive sunglasses hiking with their dogs. The 134-acre park’s main drag is a wide path snaking along the canyon floor, gradually ascending to the scenic point called Cloud’s Rest.
Franklin and Fuller Avenues, 213-485-5572