guide (79)

Victorian manors on Carroll Avenue in Echo Park

Hidden Gems in Echo Park

09/23/2014

Esther Tseng

Flanked by Elysian Park, Elysian Valley, Silver Lake and Chinatown, Echo Park is a historic and diverse neighborhood where you’ll find everything from Dodger Stadium, the home of our beloved Los Angeles Dodgers, to Echo Park Lake, which reopened recently after a $45-million renovation. Locals and visitors alike enjoy paddle-boating around the lake, while the surrounding area continues to experience a retail, recreation and restaurant renaissance. Read on to find out more about Echo Park hidden gems, and discover an entirely different side of the neighborhood.

Read More →

Girl dancing at La Plaza de Cultura y Artes

A Three-Day Los Angeles Itinerary for Latino Culture

08/11/2014

Wiebke Schuster

The past, present and future of Los Angeles have been shaped by the rich diversity of its cultures. Nearly half of L.A.'s residents can trace their roots to Latin American origins, from Mexico and Peru to El Salvador and Costa Rica. Each year from Sept. 15 – Oct. 15, Angelenos and visitors of all backgrounds celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month, which honors the cultural heritage and traditions of the Latino population.

Los Angeles was officially founded on Sept. 4, 1781, centuries after European explorers first arrived in the region in 1542. The cradle of L.A. is El Pueblo de Los Angeles, a historic district located in the oldest section of the city. The area includes landmarks such as Los Angeles Plaza, La Placita Church, and Olvera Street, the lively outdoor Mexican marketplace where visitors can find anything from handmade leather goods to custard filled churros.

National Hispanic Heritage Month is the perfect time to experience L.A.’s vibrant and diverse cultures. The following three-day guide explores historic and modern Latino culture in Downtown, then takes you west to Museum Row and West L.A.

Read More →

Hidden Gems in Los Feliz

06/26/2014

Esther Tseng

Whether it's the Hills, Estate, Knolls or Village of Los Feliz, this neighborhood is proudly inhabited by a diverse cultures, ages and incomes. Along with Griffith Park to the north, Los Feliz made up one of the first land grants in California, to Corporal José Vicente Feliz.

With Hollywood to the west, Silver Lake to the south and Atwater village to the east, the hillside neighborhood is home to some of the most outstanding architecture in Los Angeles County, but also the birthplace of many a motion picture and TV studio. Read on and discover the must-see, hidden gems of Los Feliz, from an architectural landmark to a red-hot dining destination.

Read More →

Hidden Gems in Silver Lake

05/30/2014

Esther Tseng

Silver Lake is one of L.A.'s most featured neighborhoods, named after one of two reservoirs around which it was drawn. Sunset Junction, Silver Lake's urban center, is located at the intersection of Santa Monica and Sunset Boulevards, two main L.A. streets that otherwise run parallel all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Until the mid-1950s, the Junction served as the site of the branching of two inter-urban railway lines. The neighborhood was also home to Walt Disney's first large studio from 1925 to 1939, located at Hyperion Avenue and Griffith Park Boulevard. Since then, the area has become renowned as a community that’s continuously in flux, home to a population that is diverse even by Los Angeles County's multicultural standards. Despite all the recent Silver Lake media coverage, it can still be hard to find the lesser known places worth visiting. Read on to discover Silver Lake’s must-see hidden gems.

Read More →

Mothershucker Platter at Fishing with Dynamite

Hidden Gems in the Beach Cities of Los Angeles

04/27/2014

Esther Tseng

The three sister Beach Cities in the South Bay of Los Angeles - Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Redondo Beach - represent a unique L.A. beach culture that can only be experienced in the flesh. The real estate in the area is consistently ranked as some of the most expensive in the country, thanks to spectacular coastal views and its proximity to the ocean. Aerospace, maritime and other industries fuel the economy here, but visitors will be privy to a beach community focused around activities taking place along The Strand, on beautiful beaches, and bustling piers located in each of these cities. Whether you're into biking, beach volleyball, sunbathing, surfing, swimming, body surfing, paddle boarding or simply walking and sightseeing or dining, the Beach Cities offer a slice of Southern California that you just can't miss. Read on and discover the hidden gems in the beautiful Beach Cities of L.A.

Read More →

Lock & Key

Discover Koreatown Car Free: Nightlife

04/18/2014

Discover Los Angeles

When it comes to cultural stature among both locals and visitors as well as population and sheer physical size, Koreatown is growing as fast as any L.A. district. Said to pack about 300,000 people in its five square miles, K-town contains the dining and entertainment options represent the best of the region. And with the Metro Rail Purple Line running down its Wilshire Boulevard spine (not to mention the area’s challenging parking), K-town is ideal for exploring car free. Discover the nightlife of one of L.A.'s most dynamic neighborhoods, from dinner to concerts at a landmark venue, and craft cocktails at a speakeasy.

Read More →

Annenberg Space for Photography in Century City

Hidden Gems in Century City

04/07/2014

Esther Tseng

Century City originated as the backlot of 20th Century Fox. With the advent of television representing tough competition for the studio and a budget for the movie Cleopatra spiraling out of control, the studio sold portions of its backlot to Alcoa Inc. and William Zeckendorf with the option to lease 75 acres back.

Welton Becket - who designed landmarks such as the Capitol Records building, Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, and the Cinerama Dome - as well as other architects were hired to develop a masterplan for the brand new commercial and residential city-within-a-city, using aluminum for high rises. The city was designed with pedestrian bridges and wide boulevards to ease crowding. Today, Century City is a center of business and commerce in Los Angeles, so it can be easy to overlook the public places worth visiting. Read on and discover 10 hidden gems in Century City.

Read More →

The Sunset Strip, viewed from the Mondrian

A 72-Hour Itinerary of Los Angeles Nightlife

03/14/2014

Discover Los Angeles

Daytime in Los Angeles serves up sunny beaches, rolling golf courses, and the hike-inspiring Santa Monica Mountains. But when night falls, another side of the city awakens. This is when the town comes alive with dining, music, clubbing, and much more. Get ready for L.A. after hours with this three-night itinerary.

Read More →

Gay Los Angeles: Romantic Dining

03/14/2014

Frontiers LA

It's time for your romantic L.A. getaway - you’ve got the roses, you’ve got the chocolates, you’ve got your lucky pair of undies on - now it’s time to figure out your dinner plans. We’ve put together a special evening just for you, starting with champagne and ending with cupcakes. Anything that comes in between (or after) is just a bonus.

Read More →

Jennifer Lopez at the Hollywood Walk of Fame

A 72-Hour Los Angeles Itinerary for Celebrity Spotting

03/13/2014

Discover Los Angeles

Red carpets, flashing cameras, couture in motion - these are some of the hallmarks of famous Hollywood moments ascribed to Los Angeles. Determined to meet a celebrity while visiting, or at least walk in their footsteps? These itineraries are a “shoe-in” - stiletto style.

Read More →

Pages