Looking for thigns to do in LA
 

I have been to LA before and have seen a few things. I have been to a few beaches, Sunset, Rodeo, Beverly Center and Santa Monica. Anyone have any suggestions for a few days in LA next week or so? Thanks!

If you like art, go see the Getty. Reservations no longer required, costs only $5 for parking. Well worth the $5.

Check out Chinatown and Little Japan. Parking probably more than $5.

Take the tram tour at Universal Studios. Spend a day at Disneyland, easily the happiest place on earth.

Visit the Reagan Library in Simi Valley (to check out a former Air Force One 707, if nothing else).

Have fun. http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...orum/smile.gif

All of what FWAAA said plus: California Science Center and the Natural History Museum near USC, Huntington Library in Pasadena, take in a Lakers game, Santa Monica Pier and 3rd Street...

Rather than Universal, take the opportunity to take a more in-depth look at moviemaking.

At the Warner Brothers Studios Tour, you get to see actual film-making activities (not staged "pretend" activities) - whe I took the tour years ago, my father and I watched the sound editors loop a section of the Paul Newman film 'Absence of Malice'.

http://wbsf.warnerbros.com/indexvipredir.html

(Paramount also had a tour, but suspended it in the aftermath of 9/11 and AFAIK never restarted it).

We went to a taping of Jeopardy and The Tonight Show. They were both pretty interesting. I wanted to see Raymond but it wasn't available that week.

You can walk on the beach and watch the planes fly into LAX. Go down and eat seafood along the boardwalk area.

Did lots of hiking in mountain/canyon parks in the Hollywood Hills area.

The Gene Autry Western Museum was fun--especially for my husband who's a cowboy and western movie fan.

I enjoyed a Hispanic type market in the downtown area of LA. Can't remember the name but it had some great places to eat and lots of spices, candy, dried nuts, fruit and other food items unusual to where I live.

We visited a Thai temple on a Sunday and participated in the food fair conducted by ladies of the temple. The people were friendly and nice. Sweet Willie had posted about this under the food section and it was great.

We also visited Marilyn Monroe's mausoleum as this is something I'd read about since I was child.

Also, I second the Getty. It was great and what a location.

Second the Getty and the Third Street Promenade.

Also breakfast or lunch and sightseeing in Malibu is beautiful.

Griffith Park would be interesting, but I think the Observatory (seen in many movies/shows) is still closed. Even if it is closed, you can drive up there and have a very nice view (if you hit it on a clear day).

Excellent suggestions!

Grand Central Market

http://www.grandcentralsquare.com/


This is Westwood Memorial Park, near UCLA in Westwood. The entrance is hard to find (enter the address '1218 Glendon Avenue, Los Angeles CA' into Mapquest for a map). From the corner of Wilshire and Westwood Boulevards, go east one block (stay in right lane) - turn right, into the driveway that is just in front of the Avco Center Cinemas, and drive past the parking garage through a small set of gates. Bear left at the first turn to get close to the Monroe masoleum area. This site tells about her gravesite and many others in this small cemetety:

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fa...emeteryid=8440


A couple of other ideas:

Japanese food in Japan Town (on 1st Street, a couple of blocks south of the City Hall/Disney Hall complexes - this is separate from Chinatown) - no English spoken in some of the places, and that's half the fun http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...orum/smile.gif

The Museum of Television and Radio has a West Coast lcation on Beverly Drive in beverly Hills:

http://www.mtr.org/welcome.htm


Lots of interesting architecture, including some concrete-block Frank Lloyd Wright houses:

http://www.ennisbrownhouse.org/





[This message has been edited by Non-NonRev (edited Jan 13, 2004).]

THe Pasadena area has lots of good stuff.

The Huntington Library is actually in San Marino, just over the border from Pasadena. The gardens alone are worth a visit, but the library and museum are interesting too.

http://www.huntington.org/

If you are into architecture (or Arts and Crafts style generally), the Gamble House in Pasadena is spectacular.

http://www-gamblehouse.usc.edu/

Old Pasadena and Paseo Colorado have a number of interesting restaurants.

Also in Pasadena is the renowned Norton Simon Museum.

http://www.nortonsimon.org/aboutnsm/

In addition to the Getty Museum and the Huntington Library, I would strongly recommend the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena. It has a very nice collection of paintings and sculpture and is not as busy as the Getty or the LA County Museum of Art.

In December I walked around the new Walt Disney Concert Hall, which I think is well worth your half-hour or hour, if you're not catching a concert there.

Does anyone have suggestions for hiking or such in the San Gabriel Mountains (for future reference)? Thanks.

Catch a Lakers, Clippers or Kings game at Staples Center.

All good ideas so far. I personally liked Venice BEach. Some good street performers there. There is also a stand to get tickets for different TV shows.

The La Brea tar pits and museum is also pretty cool if you're into nature.