The West is the Best

Being a local I can suggest some great places. The Venice Boardwalk is a must. Its great people watching. Buy a cheap t-shirt or some sunglasses. Eat at the Fig Tree Cafe right on the Boardwalk. A nice long walk would be to park down in Marina Del Rey at the end of Washington Street and walk north thru Venice and then finally ending up at the Santa Monica Pier. You will see it all. Driving is a must here and one of the best drives is up PCH (Pacific Coast Hiway) from Santa Monica to Malibu. Or take another drive along Sunset. Turn right off PCH onto Sunset and wind your way into Hollywood. You will pass thru movie star homes, UCLA and star maps sellers and then the sunset strip. The strip is a must but also lots of traffic.

Quick Tips:

Check out Main Street in Venice for some nice stores and coffee shops. Chaya Venice for sushi and star gazing. The promenade in Santa Monica for everything.

Best Way To Get Around:

Must have Car (said in a robot voice). Rent a convertable.

Hama is an old Venice favorite that's been there for years. The sushi is fab and the atmosphere great. There is an outside bar/dining area as well. The place itself is kinda small, but never feels cramped. The service is great and the sushi some of the best.

It's a trendy place so you can check out all the cool cats.

This local place is the place to go for breakfast. The walls are covered in photos from the old days in POP (Pacific Ocean Park).

Lots of historical buildings that are long gone. The tables are big and you can eat on the patio. It's very casual and Californian. The food is good and the omlettes the featured food. They do also have great sandwiches. It's friendly and clean, and there's sometimes a line on weekends.

The Getty is one of the newest museums in Los Angeles. It sits up on the hill with a million dollar view. There are several different buildings housing many types of art works, from painting and ceramics to photography. There are always new shows coming and going. There is a film and poetry program as well.

Even if art is not your thing the view alone is worth it (hopefully on a clear day). But the best is the gardens. Check out the amazing garden display with many different species. A tour is a great way to discover this cultural haven - it's free.

There is a $5.00 parking fee. Reservations are recommended. Call them at 310/440-7300.

This art complex is a nice group of galleries with several art shows going on at once. There is usually some kind of art opening every Saturday night. You can just park your car and walk around, popping into the various spaces. During the day there is a nice cafe to sit at and have lunch. It's easy to walk around and easy to park and usually free.