I lived in Los Angeles for 3 years and despite really trying to love it, and doing nearly all the things, I never really did. It just never felt like home to me. It is an objectively beautiful area and within a 2-hour drive you can do so many different things. The geography alone is kind of insane – beaches, mountains, desert, snow in the winter if you drive far enough. It’s one of the only major cities in the U.S. where you can surf in the morning and ski in the afternoon.
I had a nice birthday there (you can read about that in a separate post)
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- Classic Landmarks & Tourist Destinations
- Hikes
- Neighborhoods & Vibes
- Restaurants I Actually Like
- Honorable Mention for Vibe
- Best Day Trips from Los Angeles
Classic Landmarks & Tourist Destinations
These are the places everyone thinks of when they think of LA. They’re iconic. If I were showing someone around LA, I’d present these landmarks first, like “which ones are most important to you?” and build the itinerary from there.
- Hollywood Sign – The symbol of the entertainment industry that transformed LA in the early 1900s. Originally built in 1923 as a real estate advertisement (“Hollywoodland”), it became shorthand for fame, ambition, and illusion.
- Hollywood Walk of Fame – Touristy, chaotic, kind of grimy — but culturally significant. Over 2,700 stars honoring actors, musicians, directors, and fictional characters tied to the entertainment industry.
- Santa Monica – Classic beach city energy. The pier is photogenic, sunsets are beautiful, and the beach is wide and accessible. There’s also a very visible unhoused population — part of LA’s broader housing crisis — so you’ll see both wealth and struggle within blocks of each other.
- Beverly Hills – Old Hollywood wealth meets modern luxury branding. Rodeo Drive is immaculate, expensive, and very curated.
- Malibu – Dramatic cliffs, Pacific Coast Highway views, and some of the most beautiful coastline in California. It feels removed from the chaos of the city.
- Runyon Canyon Park – Probably the most popular hike for visitors, and overall. If I recommend one, it’s always this one.
Hikes
Culver City Stairs – if you’re in shape you can get to the top in 7 minutes. Many people do this one again and again, others it could take a few hours.
Neighborhoods & Vibes
This is where LA actually becomes interesting — because it’s not one city, it’s dozens of micro-cities stitched together.
Mexican & Chicano LA
LA has the largest Mexican-origin population outside of Mexico. The city was part of Mexico until 1848, so the cultural presence isn’t “immigrant add-on” — it’s foundational. In places like Boyle Heights and East LA, Spanish dominates, murals are political, and the food is regionally specific.
Koreatown
One of the largest Korean communities outside of Korea. Dense, lively, late-night food culture. Korean immigration increased heavily after the 1965 Immigration Act, and today it’s one of the most dynamic food neighborhoods in the city.
Thai Town
The first officially designated Thai Town in the United States. Small but culturally specific — regional dishes you don’t see elsewhere in America.
Little Tokyo
One of only three historic Japantowns left in the U.S. It survived WWII incarceration of Japanese Americans and rebuilt. Walking through it feels historically layered.
Chinatown
Exists — but not the strongest Chinatown in the country. A lot of the best Chinese food is actually in the San Gabriel Valley (Alhambra, Monterey Park).
Persian / Iranian LA – “Tehrangeles”
LA has one of the largest Iranian populations outside of Iran, especially concentrated in Westwood — sometimes nicknamed “Tehrangeles.”
A lot of Iranian immigrants came after the 1979 Iranian Revolution, and West LA became a cultural hub. Persian grocery stores, bakeries, tea houses, kabob spots — it’s deeply rooted. You’ll hear Farsi walking down the street.
If you’ve never had proper Persian food — saffron rice, stews like ghormeh sabzi, fresh sangak bread — LA is one of the best places in the U.S. to try it.
Armenian Los Angeles
LA also has one of the largest Armenian populations in the world outside of Armenia, particularly in Glendale. Armenian immigration increased after the Armenian Genocide in the early 20th century and continued in later decades due to political instability in the region.
Glendale feels distinctly Armenian in parts — bakeries, churches, signage in Armenian, strong family culture. Armenian food overlaps with Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavors but has its own identity. It’s another example of how LA holds entire diasporas within it.
Little Ethiopia
There’s also Little Ethiopia near Fairfax — a small but culturally specific strip of Ethiopian restaurants and businesses.
LA has one of the largest Ethiopian communities in the U.S. outside of Washington, D.C. Injera, spicy lentils, tibs, coffee ceremonies — it’s its own world within a few blocks. It’s not flashy, but it’s real.
South LA: Inglewood & Crenshaw
Historically Black LA, shaped by the Great Migration. Immensely influential in hip-hop and culture (think Ice Cube and Nipsey Hussle). West Adams especially is changing fast — heavy gentrification next to long-standing community institutions.
Silver Lake
White. Definition of gentrification, indie coffee shops, vintage stores. Cool, maybe to a fault.
Atwater Village
Boutique-y, small businesses, feels curated and residential.
Highland Park
One main walkable stretch with bars and small venues. One of LA’s oldest neighborhoods, now rapidly transforming.
Restaurants I Actually Like in LA
LA is one of the best food cities in America — but you have to know where to go. Not going to overthink this. The first places that come to mind are probably the right ones.
The Standouts
- Guelaguetza – Oaxacan food in Koreatown. Award-winning. Not expensive. Mole that actually tastes layered and deep, not sweet and flat. It’s been around forever and feels rooted. I’ve taken several out of town guests here and everyone loves it.
- Damian – Swanky, yes. But actually good. The duck carnitas is one of the best things I’ve eaten in LA. This is one of the few “fancy LA” spots where the food lives up to the interior.
- Du-par’s (at The Grove) – I used to live near The Grove and genuinely love it. There are a lot of fun diners in LA and this one is solid. Old-school, comfort food, very classic American.
- Laurel Hardware – String lights, indoor-outdoor flow, farm-to-table energy but actually good food. This is the “LA dinner” vibe people imagine.
- Chengdu Taste – Chinese food in Alhambra (San Gabriel Valley). Proper Sichuan spice. Mouth-numbing in the right way. This is where you go for real regional Chinese food.
- Loreto – Near Atwater Village. Seafood-heavy Mexican menu. Cool but not obnoxious.
- Tsubaki – In Echo Park. Japanese small plates. Intimate, cozy, very good sake list.
- Johnny’s Pastrami – In West Adams. An institution. Neon sign, old-school vibe. Feels like LA history.
- Pijja Palace – In Silver Lake. Pasta but with Indian flavors. It sounds confusing but it works. It’s famous for a reason.
- Salt’s Cure – The pancakes. That’s it. That’s the reason. The oatmeal griddle cakes are what they’re known for and they’re actually worth it.
- Cento Pasta Bar – Good pasta. I’ve been a couple times. Consistent.
- Republique – French. Good for brunch, good for dinner. Beautiful space, strong bakery program.
- Leo’s Taco Truck – No visit to LA is complete without truck tacos. This is the best. Al pastor carved off the trompo. Eat it standing up.
Honorable Mention for Vibe
Sometimes you go somewhere because the space feels like LA, and not for the food.
- Openaire – The plant ceiling. The light. It feels like you’re eating inside a greenhouse in the middle of the city.
- The Prince (Koreatown) – Dark, moody, old-school. It used to be a 1920s bar and you can feel it. It’s been in movies and shows. Feels cinematic.
- Craigs –
Best Day Trips from Los Angeles
One of the best things about visiting Los Angeles is how much you can see within 1–3 hours.
- Joshua Tree National Park – High desert, surreal rock formations, incredible stargazing.
- Santa Barbara – Spanish colonial architecture, red-tile roofs, coastal elegance.
- Temecula – Southern California wine country without Napa prices.
- Ojai – Artsy, spiritual, quiet.
- Huntington Beach – Classic surf culture.
- Laguna Beach – Dramatic coves and art galleries.
- Murrieta Hot Springs – Mineral springs wellness retreat.
- Palm Springs – Mid-century modern, desert heat, pool culture.
- Anza-Borrego Desert State Park – Massive desert landscapes, spring wildflowers.
- Channel Islands National Park – Boat-access only, wild, untouched.
- Las Vegas – 4–5 hour desert road trip that feels like a rite of passage.