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Old 2 Mar 19, 06:29 PM  
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#1
TinaP
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Looking for people who like LA

Not being cheeky but I would only like to hear from people who like LA, there's enough info on the bad points.

So, I've booked the flights into SF and out of SD but now feeling a bit over it with all the negativity. On another forum (not sure I can name it, initials TA ) I was told on the SF forum not to bother coming if I couldn't afford a hotel in the city, was told to use google when I asked for route info and told to just fly to LA if I didn't have 4-5 days for the coast road. Then, have been lurking here and nothing only negativity about LA. Aaargh. I'd just forget the whole thing but the flights are non refundable.

So for LA, it's my sister and I going for 5 nights. We had been most looking forward to LA when we booked. We are big movie/telly fans and old Hollywood in general. We also love theatre, concerts, museums and outdoor hiking and biking. So far we've decided on visiting The Broad, seeing a show in Hollywood Bowl, driving up to Malibu to have dinner at Duke's and going to the jazz brunch at Beverly Hills hotel.

So, LA lovers if you're out there, have you any other suggestions? Reading the negative reports it does seem to be a pattern that those people visit Hollywood Blvd and Santa Monica only so I'm thinking/hoping that by exploring the rest of the city we could have a better experience.

The tourist websites and the brochures make everything look great but then it's so hard to find some good reports from those who've been. Trying to get myself excited about the trip again.

Thanks.
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Old 2 Mar 19, 06:44 PM  
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shack69
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Well what can i say about LA specifically. Its a massive area and like any major city has problems. But this should not out you off. The good bits are still good and if you willing to look at some not so obivous places it can be great. I see you are looking at some specific places so you have done your home work and i expect you will like these. Hollywoods blvd is a tourist trap and go too far and you will see the less glamourous side , but for me this is part of the appeal. Hollywood has always been a melting pot and will always be. If you go just 2 block back from the blvd you can find a hiking trail in runyon canyon park, which is great place to walk and if you manage to get to the top you get a great view over LA. Moving to the beaches they have some lovely ones.
One thing we found in greater LA was that places seemed to wind down earlier, so bear this in mind when thinking about evening food.
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Old 2 Mar 19, 06:53 PM  
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TinaP
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Oh Runyon Canyon looks great, thanks so much for that. We love big cities, New York is somewhere I keep returning to, we loved Chicago and Paris and I lived in London for years so we won't be put off by some urban grit.
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Old 2 Mar 19, 07:14 PM  
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Olympiad
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Love LA. Been 4 times and still have an ever growing list of things I want to do.
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Old 2 Mar 19, 07:15 PM  
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landandword17
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Hi Tina.

I loved LA and wasn’t keen on Las Vegas which is the opposite of most people so maybe I can help. NYC is my fav city too. Like you, I’m a big movie/tv nut and my husband loves classic rock. I’m always threatening to write a report of our 2 trips to LA but never get around to it.

So first up you’ll love the Beverly Hills hotel. The brunch is delicious, the band is great, it’s not stuffy at all and we’ve always had s celebrity sighting in there. Jason Statham and Jonah Hill the first year. Celia Imrie and Sharon Stone last year.

The Broad is great, see the Disney concert hall next door, the Bradbury building and have a sandwich in Egg Slut.

Union Station is beautiful and Olivera Street is a well worth a visit. They’re close by.

West Hollywood is very walkable and safe. Great restaurants and bars and the Comedy Store is a good night out. The Laugh Factory is close by and often has a celebrity headliner so check the listings before you go.

The Hollywood Bowl is fantastic. You’ll love it. Great venue and so picturesque. If you can’t swing a box seat get one of the super seats. Bring a picnic, get there early and enjoy the atmosphere. Don’t drive though, Lyft and Uber pick up from a designated area afterwords.

LACMA and the Getty Centre are world class museums too. Getty Center has gorgeous views and a lovely cafe.

Since you’re also old Hollywood fans, look at the blog Vintage Los Angeles. It’s on Facebook to and she posts places that are connected to old stars, classic movie locations and the like. We got lots of ideas from there.

The Stahl house is worth a visit.

If you want a beach day go to Malibu rather than Santa Monica but the bike path between Santa Monica and Venice Beach is lovely.

Another good hike is Lake Hollywood. Griffith Park has lots of trails but we never got the time to try them.

Dan Tana’s, La Scala, Musso and Frank, Nate n AL’s and Barneys Beanery are all good dinner choices with lots of old Hollywood history.

The Grove/Farmers market is a good lunch and shopping spot. They give out free blankets to lie on the lawn there so you can have a snooze after lunch! Nice cinema there too.

Check out rooftop cinema club and Street Food Cinema. We went to see La La Land at the Rooftop Cinema Club, on the roof of a building in Hollywood and it was a great night.

The tour of the Kodak theatre includes holding an Oscar.

Paramount night tour is a great tour for those of us who love the classics. You’ll see Lucille Balls office, Mae West’s, Cary Grants, the gates from “Sunset Blvd” etc...

And finally if you love theatre there’s of Broadway shows that play in LA. The Pantages in Hollywood had Hamilton last year. Lovely theatre.

Edited at 07:18 PM.
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Old 2 Mar 19, 07:30 PM  
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landandword17
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Just to add.. you can easily look up the houses of your favourite stars (some of the old ones have been replaced with big glass mansions but many are still standing) and do a self drive rather than a tour. Calabasas (Kardashian’s area) is gated but Bel Air is accessible, you can drive through the gates and the bar in the Bel Air hotel is a nice spot to round off the afternoon. TCM do a tour focused on the classics but I haven’t taken it.

If you’re doing Warner Bros, keep driving into Burbank and you can see Disney studios (no tours), NBC studios and some parks and a park named for Bette Davis. Forest Lawns cemetery is out that way too overlooking Disney studios. Husband wanted to go last year to see the Debie Reynolds/Carrie Fisher grave and it was a nice peaceful area to stroll through. We had coffee and pastries after in Porto’s Bakery. Coming back turn right into Ventura just below Universal studios and you go out to CBS Radford where Mary Tyler Moore, Seinfeld and all the classic sitcoms were done.

Go to 1iota for free tickets to a taping of a show. We saw Will & Grace being filmed last year and it was a real highlight.

Hope I haven’t rattled on too much!
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Old 2 Mar 19, 08:47 PM  
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Tinkermom
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Really informative thread, thanks for asking the question TinaP! We’ve been to LA before but I’ve learned loads from this.
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Old 2 Mar 19, 11:09 PM  
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Buzz242
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We've visited LA a few times, we love the Farmers Market area. Lots of places to sit down and relax, on one occasion they had live music.
We've walked from Santa Monica pier down to Venice Beach a few times but you can hire bikes and go further. We stopped at Marina del Rey one afternoon and visited the Cheesecake Factory (there are loads in California) it was very peaceful and a break from all the hustle and bustle. I'd definitely recommend taking a tour so you can see all the main tourist spots.
Have a great time
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Old 3 Mar 19, 12:01 AM  
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TinaP
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Wow landandword17, what a list! Thanks so much. I've printed it out and I will get researching tomorrow and hopefully you won't me asking follow up questions. I've followed Vintage Los Angeles on FB and will look through it too. Thrilled to hear you rate the Hollywood Bowl and the Polo Lounge brunch. I read a lot of memoirs and books about the film industry and its mentioned so many times I felt we just had to go when we were there.

My sister would have to be resuscitated if we got to see Will and Grace being filmed. OMG! There's no tickets on the site now, I assume they are released later in the year. Were they hard to get, I think I won't tell her and then if I can get them I will surprise her with them on the plane. We'd love to do show too, where did you buy the Hamilton tickets from and did you book in advance. Also my sister is the big 3-0 when we are there is there any of the restaurants you'd rate for a birthday dinner? She loves the likes of Audrey Hepburn, Steve McQueen, Bette Davis, Liz Taylor. I'll lookl them all up myself just any pointers thanks again.
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Old 3 Mar 19, 01:00 AM  
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landandword17
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Yes please do ask any follow ups. Always love sharing my LA love!

The tickets for W&G were released about a month before. They film on Wednesdays in Universal Studios. You get to see the Universal studio tour tram passing from the wait area. You get notification that you have tickets 2 weeks before. I followed them on Twitter (1iota) and they post when dates are released. They do Jimmy Kimmel too and a few others. There’s other sites that do other shows.

The Polo Longe will play a birthday request for your sister and give her a birthday dessert so let them know you’re celebrating when you reserve and you will need reservations for the brunch. Musso and Frank is real old Hollywood and there’s a mural just around the corner with all the greats, Hepburn and Taylor are on it for sure. The Beverly Hilton “pretty woman hotel” had a steak house, Steve McQueen had a suite there. Drive Mulholland too if you want to follow in Steve’s footsteps. Lovely drive with great views, do it on a weekday when it’s quiet. And Liz Taylor had a bungalow in the Beverly Hills hotel. After your brunch you can walk the grounds and see it. The grounds are stunning, there’s some pictures of former guests and there’s stars on the back of the menus too. Nate n Als is cheap deli food, delicious but not birthday meal good. Full of locals and just a great authentic place. Dan Tana’s is old school Italian. The bar tender is about 90 and he’s been there for 50 years. He served Sinatra and it’s a cosy place with red leather booths and great pasta. There’s some nice rooftop bars too and afternoons teas but surprisingly LA isn’t party central. No real bar scene and things close early as a previous poster said. The Chateu Marmont is another legendary place but haven’t been.

We got the Hamilton tickets from the Pantages website a few months before. Another place for Broadway shows is the Ahmanson. The Geffen does plays rather than musicals. The Paley Center hold screenings and Q&As with actors so well worth checking their calendar too. They do a festival every year introducing that seasons lineup. We didn’t go but we walked past and the lineup was good. The Greek theatre is another outdoor venue near the Griffith observatory. Do not drive to the observatory on a night the Greek has a show!

The Hollywood Forever cemetery is also a concert venue/outdoor cinema, only in LA! It’s behind Paramount Studios and near Pinks Hotdogs and the Groundlings theatre (Lisa Kudrow and Melissa McCarthy are former students). So you can group them all together. We generally do that to avoid driving all over the city

Edited at 01:08 AM.
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