Los Angeles Nesties
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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
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Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Never been to LA before, would love some suggestions!
DH and I might be in LA (or the area) for a long weekend in a couple of weeks (benefits of a work trip that ends on Thursday and some frequent flyer miles), but neither of us have ever been there before. So, from the perspective of a total novice who knows nothing about the city, I'd love some ideas about where to stay, what to do, neighborhoods to explore, where to eat, etc. DH and I like to do outdoors-y stuff, enjoy good restaurants - nothing really unusual. Any advice or input would be most welcome - thanks!!
Re: Never been to LA before, would love some suggestions!
I live in Boston now but lived in L.A. before. When people would visit us we would always take them to....Sunset Boulevard (The Coffee Bean),.... Beverly Hills (Sprinkles Cupcakes)......., Santa Monica (The Prominade).......Malibu (Gladstones) ......The La Brea Tarpits (I believe its off of Wilshire close to the E! building.....Universal Citiwalk.......Those are a few of my favorites.There is soooo much to do, you should do some research to plan ahead since you're going for such a short time. Enjoy!
I have a regular little tour I do with visitors. We usually like to start at the Getty. Their permanent collection is pretty lame (sometimes they get good special exhibits) but the views of the ocean (and city, if it's clear) are great. You can eat there, it's not bad. Then we drive down Santa Monica or Wilshire. You can stop in Bevery Hills and check that out. I know my 20-something cousins wanted to see all of the trendy shops (Kitson) on Robertson (which is really more West Hollywood).
West Hollywood has tons of fun things to do (that's where I used to live and it was my favorite). Melrose has lots of great stores that get funkier and less pricey as you move east. There are lots of fancy and less fancy restaurants on La Cienega. Sunset strip, of course, draws in the crowds and also offers shopping (some really fancy) and restaurants. Hollywood (it stops being "west" once you move east of La Brea) is fun, too. That's where the Walk of Fame (stars on the ground) is, as well as more shopping and the Hollywood sign. You can catch tour buses there or go to the wax museum or whatever.
All of that will give you a good taste. The poster above me has some interesting suggestions. The Coffee Bean is basically a Starbucks, FYI. The Santa Monica Promenade is fun, but basically a mall with mostly chain stores. The Santa Monica Pier is fun to walk on if you go out there. Malibu is kind of far away from everything else, but if you have a car and the time it is pretty. Universal Citywalk is another mall, a big outdoor one, but people love it. I don't get it, but I don't much care for malls (if you do, people also like The Grove at 3rd and Fairfax. Fairfax is the Jewish district--fun shops and awesome deli, Canter's).
The museums around here are pretty lame. I've never been to the tar pits, but I'm a member of the LACMA and even that disappoints half the time (though their special exhibits are getting better).
That ought to keep you busy for a weekend.
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-Hike Runyan Canyon, a great hike with incredible views and definite celebrity sighting spot
-Eat breakfast at the Griddle on Sunset and Fairfax, long lines are worth the wait because you get great food, huge portions and also will probably see a celebrity.
-Go for drinks at the Dresden, and watch Swingers (the movie) before hand.
-Late at night go and get a Pinks hot dog on LaBrea and Melrose. Long lines, but worth the wait.
Depending on how much you want to spend, you can stay in the Hollywood area or Downtown Los Angeles area. You'll be central to the major parts of LA. I'm C&P from another post I replied to. For good restaurants, I'd suggest The Foundry on Melrose, Engine Company Number 28, Katsuya (great Japanese food), or Del Rae's. Don't forget about In N Out. Other places I've heard are great are Grace, Church and State, and Ruth's Chris Steakhouse.
Also check out the following link: http://www.laweekly.com/
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The La Brea Tar Pits museum has the largest collection of extinct Ice Age mammals in the entire world - it's so unique that the specific geologic area of that period is known as Rancholabrean.
The Fowler Museum at UCLA is unique in its collections (global art and artifacts from Asia, Africa, the Pacifics, and past/present Americas) and dedication to exploring the cultural, anthropological, and historical elements in their exhibits.
The Huntington Gardens are amazing!
I'm not as inspired by the art museums here, although I have seen some great exhibitions at MOCA (the Murakami exhibition) and the Hammer (the Kara Walker).
Griffith Observatory! During the day is cool-you can see the city. And at night you can use their giant telescope.
As I admitted in my post, I have not been to the La Brea Tarpits, so I am willing to concede to you on that point. But one museum does not a burgeoning museum culture make.
I have been to the Fowler; they do rather well with what they have but they are tiny and it isn't much. Whomever curates their special exhibits, however, leaves something to be desired.
The permanent collections at both the Getty and the LACMA are slim. If you love antiquities or the Dutch masters, you may be satisfied. Otherwise, no. Even the special exhibits at the Getty sometimes make me sad (Tim Hawkinson--5 pieces. Really? 5?)
The MOCA, again, small, limited and it has been years since they produced an exhibit I wanted to see (Basquiat). Even then, it was pictures stuffed into rooms with little in the way of line or reason.
I enjoyed the museum of Japanese-American Heritage downtown.
Cities of comparable size across the country (New York, Chicago) put us to absolute shame.
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