The sun shines against the shops and hotels, illuminating their beauty as people stroll on the sidewalk with their Starbucks iced coffee in hand and making their way to work or to lunch with friends in one of the many delicious cafes decorating the sidewalks. Rodeo Drive (located in Beverly Hills) was one of the first places I visited when I moved to Los Angeles. It is located in a city of style, fashion, celebrities, sunshine, and beauty. Rodeo Drive is one of the many beautiful places in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles is one of the most diverse counties in America with 88 cities and over 3.8 million people calling it their home.
LA has great food, amazing places to hike to, and great nightlife. There is also a lot of culture all over LA. Los Angeles county consists of Chinatown, Historic Filipinotown, Koreatown, Little Armenia, Little Ethiopia, Tehrangeles, Little Tokyo, and Thai Town.
When I first moved to LA and would become homesick, I would go to Westwood Blvd (Tehrangeles) and order delicious Persian food just like what my mom used to make.
Stereotypes of LA
LA is usually pegged as a place with movie stars and sunny beaches, and though LA is filled with gorgeous beaches, amazing weather, and the occasional celebrity, there is so much more to it than all that. LA is one of the biggest cities in the world and has numerous things to do and see. There are lively neighborhoods such as Santa Monica, Westwood, Venice, Hollywood, and Beverly Hills. Anywhere you visit in LA will be exciting nonetheless.
LA cuisine
Here are some other places that are extremely delicious:
Bottega Louie, Diddy Riese (only two dollars for a freshly baked cookie sandwich), Pink’s hot dogs, Nobu (expensive but has amazing sushi), Urth Caffe, Perch (the food isn’t that great but the view Is AMAZING), and Beer Belly. These are just a few to start.
APR Tip: LA is known for its sushi and Mexican food so make sure you have both! Ventura Blvd in Studio City has an area called sushi row and is an area solely dedicated to sushi.
Things to do:
The Getty center, the Grove, Lacma, Plate by Plate Los Angeles, UCLA, Griffith park/observatory, and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown LA. If you go to downtown Los Angeles, make sure to dedicate at least two days to it. There is so much history and so many places to go and eat.
For the shopaholics
Shopaholics flock to Los Angeles. There are a variety of shops all around LA including boutiques, warehouses, and malls. I usually head straight to Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica or to small shops located on Main Street in Santa Monica. I’ll stop by Urth Caffe on the way and get some delicious boba tea.
Angelenos
The people in Los Angeles are very nice and hospitable and generally, most people you meet in California are very nice and laid back. The people of LA are aware of their health and have an obsession with kale and yoga. The traffic can become incredibly hectic, but just ask someone walking along the street for a shortcut to where you need to go and they will be happy to help. It will probably even turn into a long conversation; Angelenos love talking about what freeways or streets they take. Los Angeles is a great destination to travel to and one you will never forget.
