Tell me about LA

JCbride2015

I'm going on my first "business" trip, y'all!  Our firm is sending all the first-year associates to headquarters in LA for a week of training at the end of January.  I've never been to the West coast so I'm ridiculously excited.  I won't have a ton of extra time, but I will have Monday afternoon, Friday night, and Saturday morning free and I'm hoping to make a quick tourist stop or two.

--Tips for dressing for the weather in January?

--Where should I go that would be a short visit but still fun?

--Where should I eat?  I'm staying in what I think I'd call the downtown area.  S Grand Ave near Pershing Square.

blabla89

Definitely check out the touristy stuff in Hollywood - see some of the Walk of Fame, the Chinese Theater, etc. I was there by myself for a job interview several years ago so in my free time I did one of the hop on/hop off tours and it was a pretty good way to see the city. I also definitely recommend the Getty, but you could spend a whole day there.

pinkcow13

Awesome!!!!! That's really exciting! My college roomie lives out in LA, so I can ask her for some recommendations if you need more.

We went to LA for almost a week a few years ago. We went to the walk of Fame, and saw all the stars hand imprints. We drove near the Hollywood sign. FI and I spent a day on Rodeo Drive, and walked around and took pics, and took pics of the hotel in "Pretty Woman." We went in a couple of stores to browse, and then went to a bar near there for a couple of drinks. I remember we also did dinner in downtown LA one night. That is all I really remember, because they also took us to other areas in Cali, but I will text her for more recommendations.

Oh, and we went to Venice beach, where I got amazing fish tacos! Venice Beach was so cool, we rented bikes and rode around. There are so many interesting people there. Oh, and tons of "Kush Doctors." Not sure how the weather will be, but I definitely recommend going there and walking on the boardwalk.

I LOVED California. The vibe was very cool and laid back. And it was so sunny and beautiful. Oh, and you might as well try In 'n Out burger while you're out there!

JCbride2015

I don't really even like burgers, but In 'N Out is definitely on the must-try list!

princessofgenovia

Weather wise, warmer during the day but it can get really cool at night, layers are your BFF. 

You won't need to bundle up, but I'd make sure to bring a light jacket or hoodie for the evening.

JennyColada

Oooo. We should meet for lunch! We can totally go to Little Tokyo and I can take you to a legit ramen house!

It's chilly, but generally a sweatshirt is all you need. So you'll probably think it's hot!

jenna8984

Will you have a rental car? If you've never been out west you should definitely drive to either Santa Monica beach or Huntington Beach. They are 20 min/ 45 min respectively and are both gorgeous. I went in January and it was about 65 degrees during the day, did not swim but was still wearing a tank top.

JennyColada

jenna8984 said:

Will you have a rental car? If you've never been out west you should definitely drive to either Santa Monica beach or Huntington Beach. They are 20 min/ 45 min respectively and are both gorgeous. I went in January and it was about 65 degrees during the day, did not swim but was still wearing a tank top.

Who can get to SM in 20 minutes?!

JCbride2015

jenna8984 said:

Will you have a rental car? If you've never been out west you should definitely drive to either Santa Monica beach or Huntington Beach. They are 20 min/ 45 min respectively and are both gorgeous. I went in January and it was about 65 degrees during the day, did not swim but was still wearing a tank top.

Nope, no rental car and probably not enough time for that.  I'll only have a few hours at a time off of work.

levioosa

Well, it's cold as hell here right now (for me that means it was 32 out last night), and the past week it hasn't quite broken 62, but it might be 80 on Tuesday apparently, so bring layers.  Unless you're planning on going to Big Bear or Arrowhead to ski or something you probably won't need a jacket that would be snow worthy. 

Santa Monica is nice to visit.  If you like to walk, you could walk from Santa Monica to Venice Beach.  Venice Beach has a lot of....interesting people there. lol

USC does have a beautiful campus if you like architecture.

You could do the touristy thing in Hollywood, visit Griffith Observatory, and, if you like ancient Greek art and museums, the Getty Villa is my favorite. The Getty itself has a great view of LA and art too.  The Getty Villa requires a "reservation," but The Getty does not.  

If you like hiking and wanted to do a "touristy" hike, you could hike up to the Hollywood sign.  

Disneyland is close by as well, if that's on you're bucket list.  It's pretty expensive for a day though and might not be worth it to you this trip if you'd like to explore more around Southern California.

Pasadena is near LA and has a bunch of nice architecture and downtown on Colorado has a bunch of little bars and restaurants.  

Huntington Beach has a baby night-life (obviously not the same that LA is going to have).  Fred's has good margaritas.    

Get In N Out.  

Sorry I don't have more "IN LA" recommendations.  I honestly hate the traffic and try to stay away from it even though it's only 30 minutes away.  It's almost never a 30 minute drive now.   

jenna8984

JennyColada said:

Will you have a rental car? If you've never been out west you should definitely drive to either Santa Monica beach or Huntington Beach. They are 20 min/ 45 min respectively and are both gorgeous. I went in January and it was about 65 degrees during the day, did not swim but was still wearing a tank top.

Who can get to SM in 20 minutes?!

Sorry, I haven't been there in about 8 years so I just googled it, forgot about the horrid traffic!

lacqueredlover

Ugh I'm so not a fan of LA but my big bro and sis in law live there and I was just there for 4 days with my fam.  Definitely dress in layers!

You MUST go to Gusto for dinner if you have time, unbelievable italian food.  Pistola, Boa and Mastro's are other faves of mine there

labro

Nobody else has mentioned this one yet but we were visiting family in Anaheim last year and they took us to LA to visit the La Brea tarpits. I thought it was really cool....there's still tar bubbling out of the ground all over the place. I honestly don't remember what area of town it was in, but I really enjoyed our visit and it can be a quick visit or a long visit if you want it to be. I thought the museum attached to it was also decent.

JennyColada

I'm a big fan of Olvera St (you can get there via the subway from Pershing Square which is near where you're staying). It's basically Little Mexico. From there you can walk to Little Tokyo or Chinatown. Lots of good grub.

You can also take the red line subway to Hollywoood x Highland/Kodak Theater/downtown Hollywood. Good souvineers spot and nice tourist area. You can so get decent views of the Hollywood sign (if you're up for it, I'm happy to meet you for lunch and drive you to my favorite scenic spot too!) and Hollywood Blvd has all the stars on the sidewalk.

What to eat kinda depends on your price point. I'm totally biased but love Bouchon (french/American). But there are tons of famous eateries in Rodeo area. Aside from the super snazzy places I'd say: Pinks (hot dogs), Sprinkles (cupcakes), In N Out or Bob's Big Boy (burgers), Mel's Drive In (a diner, not actually a drive in). Oh, and you should totally get fresh fruit from the Mexican guy with a cart on the street. With chile and lime!

Also, you could really utilize Uber to get around. Very useful since many places are "close" but not convenient (like Pinks, Santa Monica, Rodeo Dr, The Grove).

JCbride2015

@JennyColada I'm not sure what my daily schedule will be yet (I'll find out later) but I'd love to meet up and say hi!  I'll PM you closer to the trip.    Thanks for the tips!

JennyColada

Sweet. I'm ok if you don't feel comfortable/don't have time. But I actually love doing random tourist stuff. Plus if gives me a good excuse to chow down.

As of tomorrow I'm unemployed so I may have lots of free time towards the end of January.

A lot of the stuff is pretty good for groups, so you could probably do that with your co-workers too if you're all wondering what to eat. I know that on business trips time is tight and they might spring "optional" events on you last minute, so no pressure!

JCbride2015

JennyColada said:

Sweet. I'm ok if you don't feel comfortable/don't have time. But I actually love doing random tourist stuff. Plus if gives me a good excuse to chow down. As of tomorrow I'm unemployed so I may have lots of free time towards the end of January. A lot of the stuff is pretty good for groups, so you could probably do that with your co-workers too if you're all wondering what to eat. I know that on business trips time is tight and they might spring "optional" events on you last minute, so no pressure!

Oh no-- I'm sorry to hear about your job!  Are you trying to transition to something else or was this unwanted?

I might have time on Monday afternoon actually, but it totally depends on when the rest of my colleagues get in and if there's a project I will need to work on.  But I really would love to meet up so I'll let you know either way!

JennyColada

I'm trying to transition, so I took a temp position and the position ends tomorrow. But I've been really lagging on finding a permanent position since one of the girls is considering putting her notice in soon and I'd really like that job!

JCbride2015

JennyColada said:

I'm trying to transition, so I took a temp position and the position ends tomorrow. But I've been really lagging on finding a permanent position since one of the girls is considering putting her notice in soon and I'd really like that job!

Hope it works out for you!

JennyColada

Thanks! I hope so too. But I'm lucky to have DH since he's 110% supportive.

Katiemorchak

Check out grand central market if you're in downtown.

Half indoor / half outdoor food market near pershing sq. 

All different types of food. My favorites are Belcampo Butcher Shop - best burger in downtown LA, egg slut - really famous egg sandwiches

Ndelible

Congratulations and welcome!  You'll be downtown and it rocks!

Places to eat:

Bottega Louie

The Water Grill

Phillipe's

Yang Chow

Senor Fish

Chaya

Juicy Lucy's

Umami Burger

Nightspots:

The Edison

The Perch

The Standard

Places to see:

The Disney Hall

Fig + 7th

Staples Center

Little Toyko

MOCA

Our Lady Cathedral

Grand Park

Union Station

Olvera Street

Red line to Hollywood:

Roosevelt Hotel

Chinese Theatre

Hollywood & Highland

Amoeba Records

ARC Light Theatre

All the other cool stuff on Hollywood

Umami Burger - gourmet burgers, including veggie options

Sunset Strip:

Chateau Marmont

Gold line to Pasadena:

Norton Simon museum

Oldtown

Miracle Mile:

LaBrea Tar Pits

LACMA

Craft & Folk Art Museums

The Grove

Farmer's Market

Beverly Center

Those nearby neighborhoods/cities are great for just hanging out:

Beverly Hills

Santa Monica

Venice

Marina del Rey

Weather - Anything from 30 to 80.  Layer.  A good coat, not too heavy for nighttime. 

Enjoy.  Great shopping all over, except downtown.  January is sale time.

Hope you have a great time!!!!

[Deleted User]

Beverly Hills is nice to drive around, and it's interesting to window shop on Rodeo Drive.  There's also a Neiman Marcus within walking distance.  Check out the Regent Beverly Wilshire.  You can go to the bar for a drink.  It's a stunning hotel.

With parking, there's a place on Wilshire I believe that you can get valet parking if you want to walk on Rodeo.  I can't think of the building though.  It has a salon that I now don't remember the name of.  

Robertson Boulevard is a popular shopping section and many celebrities shop there.