LA area this summer! Help! Q's added in first post

[mom2binsd]

Take a drive up to Malibu, there's a cool shopping center there with Nobu, very yummy restaurant, and other cool shops, I often see celebrities there. Also, Neptune's net is a yummy dive place on Pacific coast highway, (PCH). It's a nest drive up, and you get a great chance to see all the crazy houses that are perched on the cliffs etc.

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[Aishe]

I don't know LA all that well, but Griffith Observatory, CA Science Center, and La Brea Tar Pits definitely are relevant, and I think a 14 year old will love them (if she likes science at all). Allow more time for CA Science Center than the other two because there is a lot to do there.

The Museum of Natural History is right next to the Science Center and also worth a visit.

If you want to venture into the downtown area, my dc like going to Olvera Street and Chinatown.

LA is incredibly diverse so you might like to explore different kinds of foods. You should know that some of the best restaurants in LA are in boring strip malls so never judge a book by its cover.

We always like to visit different universities when we travel and both USC and UCLA are really nice campuses.

The Huntington Gardens are beautiful and the library and art collections are great. My dc love going there.

[Tenasparkl]

I agree that a drive to Malibu would be great. A restaurant or Starbucks up there is probably the best celebrity sighting possibility plus lots of good food and beautiful beaches.

If you decide to go to downtown LA there’s some great stuff to see - Bradbury building, Grand central market, the Broad Museum, Disney Hall, MOCA, Angel’s Flight. Those places are all pretty close together and you can walk to all from a single subway stop.

[essnce629]

I would skip the Walk of Fame. It's so dumpy down there. Smells like urine and tons of homeless people. DH and I were over there for a podcast taping a few weeks ago and couldn't wait to get out of there-- too crowded and loud!

Another vote for the Huntington Library and gardens. It's beautiful.

I like the Science Center and Natural History Museum. And yes to walking around USC afterwards (directly adjacent). They just built a new area, the USC Village, that is super nice.

Yes to Universal Studios.

Another vote for hitting the beach somewhere. Malibu is nice, and where we normally go, but when my half sister who's in her early 20s visited from Kansas we went to Venice Beach for the people watching, boardwalk, and different atmosphere (Santa Monica would be similar and is adjacent). We also had fun at Madame Tussauds Wax Museum which is something touristy that we wouldn't normally do.

When DH's parents visited we took them to the Observatory and it's good for taking outdoor pics and you can see the Hollywood sign in the distance, but it's not one of my favorite places and can be kind of boring.

The Tar Pits is pretty small and I'm not sure I'd make it a priority.

I've never done the Warner Brothers tour but have heard good things about it.

I live in Sherman Oaks, so just 10 minutes from Universal Studios. Traffic sucks so everything takes a while to get to, especially if you're traveling "over the hill" from the valley to Los Angeles and vice versa. And Burbank is in the valley. Just use Waze wherever you go!

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[TwinFoxes]

I would skip the Walk of Fame. It's so dumpy down there. Smells like urine and tons of homeless people. DH and I were over there for a podcast taping a few weeks ago and couldn't wait to get out of there-- too crowded and loud!

Whenever I think of the WoF, my strongest memory is the stench of urine.

OP, if you want to see stars, Beverly Hills is a good bet. When DH and I first moved to LA, we lived in Beverly Hills. We saw stars all of the time at the grocery stores...the Beverly Hills Whole Foods and Bristol Farms, which is a small local chain (great sandwiches, btw) Also walking on Robertson (we lived close to there.) Oh, and The Grove was usually good for a star sighting.But it's all the luck of the draw. I saw Harrison Ford at a Starbucks in Marina del Rey which is really kind of nowhere. I wouldn't make a special trip someplace to try to see stars, because most likely you won't, and it's always kind of anti-climactic. But it is kind of fun when you spot one out in the wild...seeing Harrison Ford was pretty cool.

I love LA. I never did a lot of touristy stuff, but it's a really fun town despite what the haters say.

[kristenk]

Thanks, again, for all of the advice!!

I currently have airline tickets on hold at a decent price, but am trying to figure out if that allows enough time to do most of what we want to do. I think we'll be skipping the walk of fame and adding in a few things you've recommended. The flights I found give us 5 full days and the afternoon/evening of our arrival day. Is that enough time or should I try to add a day or two?

[westwoodmom04]

Whenever I think of the WoF, my strongest memory is the stench of urine.

OP, if you want to see stars, Beverly Hills is a good bet. When DH and I first moved to LA, we lived in Beverly Hills. We saw stars all of the time at the grocery stores...the Beverly Hills Whole Foods and Bristol Farms, which is a small local chain (great sandwiches, btw) Also walking on Robertson (we lived close to there.) Oh, and The Grove was usually good for a star sighting.But it's all the luck of the draw. I saw Harrison Ford at a Starbucks in Marina del Rey which is really kind of nowhere. I wouldn't make a special trip someplace to try to see stars, because most likely you won't, and it's always kind of anti-climactic. But it is kind of fun when you spot one out in the wild...seeing Harrison Ford was pretty cool.

I love LA. I never did a lot of touristy stuff, but it's a really fun town despite what the haters say.

Montana Avenue in Santa Monica and Main Street in Oceam Park are also good for shopping and celebrity sightings.

[georgiegirl]

Venice Beach is a lot of fun. Getty Center is also really cool if you like art and architecture. Definitely skip the Tar Pits. We had to go their on field trips in elementary school and no one was impressed. Pasadena is also very nice. Norton Simon museum has some great modern art. And if you like craftsman architecture, check out the Gamble House. It’s super cool with lots of Tiffany windows. When I’m back visiting my family twice a year, I generally don’t leave Ventura County with the kids (too much traffic.). We love to go up to Santa Barbara though.

We saw lots of celebrities in Calabasas (my dad just moved after living there for 25 years)...grocery store, nail salon, sushi restaurant, just walking at the outdoor mall (promenade.). Jessica Simpson, Sharon and Ozzy, etc.




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[mom2binsd]

I did the Warner Brothers tour, it was fantastic. You get to see so may sets, especially TV shows and depending in hr season, may see actors in between sets. It's very well done and yurt DD is the perfect age to do it. You have to sign up ahead and book but thst helps you plan your day.

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[StantonHyde]

We always fly into Long Beach vs LAX. Much cheaper for us and it is soo easy to negotiate, especially the rental car situation. Makes things much easier.