I recently returned from 10 days in LA. I wasn't sure if I would like it but I most certainly did.
The mix of grunge and glamour reminded me of Kings Cross in Sydney (but with actual celebrities). Everything is something.... your local cafe turns out to be where they film Entourage, the house on the corner is Batman's lair, the post office is the police centre from Beverly Hills Cops. That bit of sidewalk is where River died, that door is where Britney came out of knickerless.... and so it goes. You will learn these things if you take one of the hollywood homes tours!!
Here's my tips if you're visiting LA:
Stay: The Standard Hotel. But make sure you stay in the Hollywood one on Sunset Blvd rather then the Downtown LA one... that aggesss away from everything! It's well priced, immaculate and hip (Cameron Diaz and Leo DiCaprio own it) And the staff will bend over backwards to help you.
www.standardhotels.com
Eat: The Chateau Marmont - you must, you need to have dinner in the garden here. It's simply stunning. But you'll have to make do with your memories alone as there are no cameras allowed. Celebs pay around $4000 to stay here, which guarantees them absolute privacy (think R-Patz and K-Stew who reside here when they're in town). For this reason it's great for star spotting - we were seated next to Lindsay! And the food and service were delicious to boot. Not as expensive as you would think either - it was a pleasant surprise when we received the bill at the end of the evening.
www.chateaumarmont.com
Shop: Robertsons Blvd, Rodeo Drive (even if you cant afford anything.... stroll down and look for the yellow rolls parked in front of the yellow shop. It'll cost you $1500 just to browse in this one!), The Grove (fab outdoor shopping mall) and the Beverly Centre. Don't miss Maxfields on the corner of Robertsons and Melrose Ave. You wont be able to afford anything but it's fun to browse the amazing merchandising, Hermes everything and incredible jewels. Kitson is also a fun store which is well priced so you can actually walk away with some fun stuff.
Visit: Disneyland. The happiest place on earth - what else needs to be said!
See: LA's surprisingly fantastic art galleries.
www.moca.org
Don't miss: The Santa Monica pier and Venice Beach
You can catch the bus down (takes about 45 mins) for $1.25. Bargain! Then hire a bike and ride along the cycle track all the way from SM to VB. It's full of crazies who are hilarious to chat to and make sure to check out Muscle Gym and the skate park (full of hotties)
Snack on: Churros. It's like a long thing pretzel. Covered in so much sugar that you can practically feel your teeth rotting but so delicious it's worth it.
Let me know if you head over... or if you have any favourite spots that I've missed!
