What are fun things To do In Los Angeles?
 

I'm going to be traveling to Los Angeles in a few weeks and was wondering if anyone knew of cool "non-touristy" things to do. Any recommendations on Coffee Shops, Night clubs or concert venues would be very helpful.

Below are a few of my favorite things to do in LA. Have fun

Go to Venice Beach, just to see it. It is quite the place.
If you're into cars, and have a rental car find The Snake, you may meet Jay Leno. This is definitely not a tourist spot!
Lunch at in and out burger Sepulveda and plane spotting.
Dinner at Caffe Pinguini a very local off the beaten path Italian restaurant with brilliant food, regular low key celebrities.
Dinner at Fritto Misto a ultra local Italian restaurant, and very good home cooking.

The Page museum at the La Brea Tar Pits is one of my favorite museums.
If you want to hike, skip Runyon Canyon and Griffith Park, and go into the San Gabriels either by driving up the 2 or leaving from the Pasadena/Sierra Madre/Monrovia area. Dan's Hiking Trails has listings (and there are many others googleable).
If you want live music, check out the clubs around Echo Park/Silverlake for a less hollywoody experience. The Echo/Echoplex, The Satellite, and Silverlake Lounge often have good acts and are much cheaper than in Hollywood. There are some other small clubs around DTLA that will be very non-touristy.
If you're a cyclist at all, the velodrome at the StubHub center in Carson is a facility you won't find anywhere else. I think they still offer one-off "taster" rides for $20 or so, and you can check out the schedule of events at lavelodrome.org
For interesting food, check out reviews by Jonathan Gold in the LA Times (and older ones in the LA Weekly). Many of the best restaurants in LA are cheap places in dumpy strip malls, and he reviews lots of them. If you're reading reviews that are more than a year old, check google maps that the place still exists because restaurants do close and/or move.
Some places I like that would be hard to find elsewhere are Guelaguetza (Oaxacan), Beverly Soon Tofu (Korean), 101 Noodle Express (chinese, I go to the one across the street from Din Tai Fung, get the beef roll and dumplings), Hunan Chili King (on Valley in San Gabriel), All my favorite Sichuan places seem to have closed, but it looks like HuoLala at Garfield and Garvey (where one of the old Chung King's was) is their current descendant for sichuan hot pot. And Golden Deli for vietnamese. There are also lots of good restaurants in Little Tokyo on the edge of DTLA.

Tito's Tacos in Culver City, near the 405 and Washington. I was there 2-3 times a week when I lived nearby, and I still go anytime I pass through.

You can tell when they're open because there'll be a line out to the street at all times of day or night.

Los Angeles is a big place. Where are you going to be? That makes a difference. Some great places in Long Beach, Manhattan Beach and others. But if you are in Hollywood, they don't make sense to recommend.

Don't know about 'cool"...but the Nethercutt Collection is a slightly different type of museum.....if you like classic cars (all of which are in working order and driven...) and really clever automated musical instrument players (to me those are the 2 most memorable parts of the collection)

(Tours only available a few days a week....advance booking is mandatory but can be done on their website)

Catalina Island

Like others have said, a lot will depend on where you're situated and what your interests are.

Coffee Shop: If you're in DTLA my fav is Nossa Familia in the lobby of the Cal Edison building
Nightclubs: Not really into this scene but quite a few in the Hollywood area. If you prefer lounges DTLA has a lot of rooftop bars with very nice views; 71 Above, Spire 73, Perch
Concert Venues: So many depending on what you're looking for and what type of music is playing. Not many venues that I would say are poor choices, so I'd look for the act you would like best.

Take the Blue Line from downtown LA to Long Beach. Definitely not touristy, but an...interesting ride. You will pass by the magnaminous Watts Towers and the the world famous Crystal Casino! It is a journey you will not soon forget. Once you get to LB, take advantage of the countless dive bars with the lowest drink prices in the area. Queen Mary has a nice bar, as well. You used to be able to enter for free if you tell them you are going to the bar, but I think the new owners have clamped down on that. It is still very interesting to explore. They have an old Soviet submarine there, as well.

Little Tokyo is a nice area to wander around, and there are countless museums in and around downtown LA. You can go to the top of the LA City Hall during the day on weekdays for free. Just enter on Main Street. It is definitely a historic art deco icon, and it offers a good view of the area. Union Station and Olivera Street are right next door and also worth a walk through.

Check out LA Weekly for a list of all the music venues and concerts, there are dozens of them every week.

For concerts, check for free shows around town. I used to go to It's a School Night at Bardot in Hollywood often. Usually touring indie rock/pop groups with some national buzz. There are also free shows at The Satellite, The Echo, and The Bootleg Theater on Mondays. Also enjoyed the indie electronic DJ sets/dance party called Dance Yourself Clean at The Satellite. The Echo spins funk music on Wednesdays and it was always a good time.

Any suggestions for someone staying in BH?

Welcome to FlyerTalk!

There are a lot of good suggestions in the following encyclopaedic thread:

Definitely check out either the Hollywood Bowl or Greek Theater.

Also the Getty is touristy, but imho it's a can't miss.

If you want to check out a nice little beach, I recommend El Matador.

Well without knowing what your interests are, but only your location, this may, or may not be helpful -

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences is located in Beverly Hills, at 8949 Wilshire Blvd, and they hold events open to the public.
Here's a link to their Calendar:
Events Oscars.org Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

For instance, on June 11 they are screening "2001: A Space Odyssey" with the "unrestored" 70mm print recently shown at Cannes and Christoper Nolan will be there presenting it. It's currently sold out with a Stand By Line, but it's an example of what's on offer:
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) Oscars.org Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

So if interested in film, it would make sense to see if AMPAS is offering something to your liking during your dates and reserve tickets well in advance of your stay.

"Grease" 40th Anniversary AMPAS Screening on August 15th with Cast
 

For those interested:

Tickets will go on sale July 25th for the Academy's presentation of "Grease".

In celebration of its 40th anniversary, actors John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Barry Pearl and Didi Cohn will be there, as well as director Randal Kleiser. Usually what happens is the film is shown, and then the guests take the stage for a nostalgic discussion and Q&A. This evening will be hosted by Margaret Cho.

Academy Members and the general audience attend these events, General Audience tickets are usually $5.

Here's the link:
https://www.oscars.org/events/grease...th-anniversary

(When tickets go onsale that page will contain a "Buy Ticket" link.)