Going to LA in 20 days - 1st time! Fun stuff to do?

Page 2 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.
Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
B

bfdd

Lifer
Feb 3, 2007
13,312
1
0
DanTMWTMP said:
it's kind of cold now isn't it? Prime time to hit the mountains, or take on the extensive night life and diverse restaurants.

or just hit up the getty center, and conclude the day at santa monica pier, 3rd street.
Click to expand...

Yeah it's been really cool this year. Not going to see a lot of snow boarding and surfing same day this year I don't think like we had the last couple.
 
J

JPS35

Senior member
Apr 9, 2006
890
83
91
I can't believe nobody has suggested the proverbial "Hookers and Blow"...C'mon, it's LA for crying out loud.
 
manimal

manimal

Lifer
Mar 30, 2007
13,559
8
0
First everyone must go to the sky bar and see how pretentious the wannabe's are. Then go to the Whisky and see the really cool people. Then go have a mojito at the bar marmont where the really cool people go to be on the down low..

The standard is a decent place to have a drink as well....The sunset tower is worth a look since it changed over from the argyle...the top floor is where betty davis died if I remember correctly. The bar there near the pool is where the movie "the player" had one of its best scenes..

Take a drive up the hill and check out blue jay way street where George Harrison lost his mind for a bit....


Dont forget to order beer and cigarettes at 5 am from pink dot...

Its been a few years since I have lived in LA so the new trendy places are foreign to me.

There is the BEST THAI food you will ever have in silverlake where a thai elvis impersonator has a show every friday and saturday night but I was always so drunk or high at the time I cannot remember for the life of me the name...
 
B

bfdd

Lifer
Feb 3, 2007
13,312
1
0
Oh you can probably find the best Korean food outside of Korea here in Los Angeles as well.
 
Ns1

Ns1

No Lifer
Jun 17, 2001
55,420
1,600
126
JS80 said:
what about philly chzstk? south street shut down in westwood...
Click to expand...

oh what? I stick to Philly's Best. Good enough and consistent, + malt vinegar to boot. Terrible onion rings tho.

There's a south street by me too. huge downhill alert last time I checked.
 
GrantMeThePower

GrantMeThePower

Platinum Member
Jun 10, 2005
2,923
2
0
DingDingDao said:
Lots of cool spots downtown:
-Check out LA Live (yeah it's touristy but who cares) and have a drink at The Ritz Carlton @ LA Live.
-Bars: Seven Grand, Edison
-Food: Wurstkuche, The Lazy Ox Canteen

Definitely hit up the Getty Center and/or Getty Villa (in Malibu). Two completely different experiences, both worth doing.
Click to expand...

Very much agree with these recommendations. This guy knows LA and not just hollywood.

I have a feeling that a lot of people want to go to Hollywood when they go to LA...and thats all well and good, but it sort of blows. One night is all you need, and do the bar hopping thing. Don't even bother with sky bar or the standard. I'd say if you need hollywood, start down on La Cieniga and go to Bourdoir/STK (you can eat at STK). nearby is also the belmont. Go up to sunset if you must and see if there is anything good at the Roxy or the Whiskey. The viper room is also still fun sometimes but smaller. House of Blues is actually worth being on sunset for if there is someone you want to see. Still a shit show, but not as bad as the sky bar is saddle ranch.

Down a bit on melrose are a couple worth while places to grab a drink-El Guapo (they have beer pong) or, for more of a restuarant/bar is the Villiage Idiot.

DingDingDao also recommended Old town pasadena...but i dont know if i would. Its one thing to go there if you live in LA and have been everywhere else, but its not really worth the time otherwise. Instead, i'd say go to Santa Monica. You can check out 3rd street, walk down ocean and easily take a cab to Venice.

If you've never been to an observatory before, the Griffith Park Observatory is worth it.

Also, check out the Derby's show list and see if they have swing music on a night you're near there. People that really know how to swing dance are there and its fun to watch and drink and listen to the music even if the swing dancing isn't your thing.

Korean BBQ in koreatown is awesome. So is karaoke. (its better in koreatown than in little tokyo).

There are a couple really good pastrami places too. Langers and (my personal fave) Johnnies Pastrami on sepulveda. Ask for it with cole slaw in the sandwich. trust.

The south bay (hermosa/manhattan) is better than huntington. Newport is the best beach to the south, malibu's smaller beaches best to the north. That being said, its been freakin cold the past couple weeks (for us). Not really beach weather.

If you're into mountain biking or rock climbing there is a lot of good stuff in the area too.

EDIT- just realized i typed all that and the OP hasn't even responded in the thread since he started it. Oh well.
 
Last edited:
DingDingDao

DingDingDao

Diamond Member
Jun 9, 2004
3,044
0
71
GrantMeThePower said:
Very much agree with these recommendations. This guy knows LA and not just hollywood.

I have a feeling that a lot of people want to go to Hollywood when they go to LA...and thats all well and good, but it sort of blows. One night is all you need, and do the bar hopping thing. Don't even bother with sky bar or the standard. I'd say if you need hollywood, start down on La Cieniga and go to Bourdoir/STK (you can eat at STK). nearby is also the belmont. Go up to sunset if you must and see if there is anything good at the Roxy or the Whiskey. The viper room is also still fun sometimes but smaller. House of Blues is actually worth being on sunset for if there is someone you want to see. Still a shit show, but not as bad as the sky bar is saddle ranch.

Down a bit on melrose are a couple worth while places to grab a drink-El Guapo (they have beer pong) or, for more of a restuarant/bar is the Villiage Idiot.

DingDingDao also recommended Old town pasadena...but i dont know if i would. Its one thing to go there if you live in LA and have been everywhere else, but its not really worth the time otherwise. Instead, i'd say go to Santa Monica. You can check out 3rd street, walk down ocean and easily take a cab to Venice.

If you've never been to an observatory before, the Griffith Park Observatory is worth it.

Also, check out the Derby's show list and see if they have swing music on a night you're near there. People that really know how to swing dance are there and its fun to watch and drink and listen to the music even if the swing dancing isn't your thing.

Korean BBQ in koreatown is awesome. So is karaoke. (its better in koreatown than in little tokyo).

There are a couple really good pastrami places too. Langers and (my personal fave) Johnnies Pastrami on sepulveda. As for it with cole slaw in the sandwich. trust.

The south bay (hermosa/manhattan) is better than huntington. Newport is the best beach to the south, malibu's smaller beaches best to the north. That being said, its been freakin cold the past couple weeks (for us). Not really beach weather.

If you're into mountain biking or rock climbing there is a lot of good stuff in the area too.

EDIT- just realized i typed all that and the OP hasn't even responded in the thread since he started it. Oh well.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the rep :D I'm partial to Old Town Pas mostly because I lived off Green St/Fair Oaks for 5 years, but I agree it tends to be a generic shopping experience.

+1 Village Idiot on Melrose
+1 Johnnie's on Sepulveda (and while you're there walk around the corner and get a taco at Tito's)
+1 KBBQ in K-town (Manna is popular but my personal fave is Soot bul jeep)
 
Ns1

Ns1

No Lifer
Jun 17, 2001
55,420
1,600
126
DingDingDao said:
+1 KBBQ in K-town (Manna is popular but my personal fave is Soot bul jeep)
Click to expand...

Parks > *

You can get kbbq like manna ANYWHERE.

good luck finding a restaurant like Parks in (insert your shitty city here)
 
GrantMeThePower

GrantMeThePower

Platinum Member
Jun 10, 2005
2,923
2
0
JS80 said:
STK SUX. Go to Cut if you are willing to shell out the dough. Or Mastro's.
Click to expand...

Oh, i agree. I only mentioned it because i think Boudoir is cool if you feel you have to do the hollywood bar thing.

in fact, a better thing to do if you're going to be in that area and want to eat first could be to get tacos at El Carmens.

If you DO decide to go over to Pasadena, and since people are talking about steak houses, Arroyo Chop House is worth a mention. Great steaks and less pretense.

Cut is indeed impressive, but its less about the steaks there as it is the marrows, the tongue, the tripe. It is also very expensive. That being said, great steaks too. If I'm correct, they also fly in meat from Japan. That being said, there is also a Cut in Vegas now, so you don't have to hit it up in LA.
 
GrantMeThePower

GrantMeThePower

Platinum Member
Jun 10, 2005
2,923
2
0
Ns1 said:
Parks > *

You can get kbbq like manna ANYWHERE.

good luck finding a restaurant like Parks in (insert your shitty city here)
Click to expand...

I guess I need to check out Parks. Do you have an address? I usually go to tahoe galbi (sp?).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom