New in the City of Angels? Well, don’t fret. You can’t imagine how lucky you are, visiting the biggest city in the state of California and the second-largest city in the United States. You should already have a list of things that you’d want to do while visiting LA, right?
Well, if your answer is no, then that is also not surprising. Los Angeles is quite the big city and with so many places to visit and activities to choose from, it can be intimidating and somewhat taxing to identify which places you’d want to visit first. For that reason, we compiled a list of the best places to visit for those who are enjoying their first time in Los Angeles.
First of all, you’d want to know the basics:
City: Los Angeles
State: California
City Nicknames: City of Angels, La-la Land, Tinseltown, L.A
Population: 3.9 million
Locals are known as: Los Angelino, Angelino
The nearest body of water: The Pacific Ocean
The city is famous for: Hollywood, beaches, movie stars, sports, museums
Annual number of tourists: 50 million tourists as of 2019
Getting Around LA
From the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), you can take a cab to take you wherever you need to go. After that, you can take your pick between taking the cab, going Uber, or simply renting a car so you can drive wherever you need to go. There is one thing you need to remember though; always be aware of traffic and parking signs when driving. LA is a city where they take parking tickets very seriously. And it’ll really show on the price too!
When driving around LA, here are some very important facts to help you get from one place to the other:
- LA is huge, so having your own car in the city is truly an advantage. Rent a car to save money or you can also go with Uber.
- To get from San Diego to LA, take 1-5 North for 120 miles all the way up to Los Angeles. The drive should take about 2 hours, even without any incidents or the usual traffic. But be prepared for long travel hours because heavy traffic is always a thing in a huge city like L.A.
- From LA to Hollywood, the drive is usually around 30 minutes to 1 hour. Of course, the driving experience is still dependent on how much car traffic is present.
- From San Francisco to Los Angeles, driving takes around 5 hours and 30 minutes. Just take the 1-5 South road and you should be good to go.
What to Do while in LA?
For first-time visitors, LA is overloaded with all sorts of activities and fun places to choose from. You have beaches, amusement parks, museums, sports centers, and especially Hollywood, the movie and entertainment capital of the world.
For first-timers in LA, you need to add these things to your bucket list:
- Hike a dusty trail to the Hollywood sign
- Shop like there’s no tomorrow on Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills
- Watch the amazing California sunsets at Santa Monica Pier
- Take a walk and enjoy the culture and art of Venice Beach
- Watch a live Talk show or Gameshow
- Tour a movie studio
- Explore Hollywood, from the TCL Chinese Theater to the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame
- Cruise around Mulholland Drive
- Explore the Griffith Observatory
- Enjoy the sights and sounds of Downtown Los Angeles
- Work on your tan at Santa Monica or in any of the popular Los Angeles Beaches
Where to Eat in LA?
Los Angeles, being the modern city that it is, is full of people coming together from different cultures. Therefore, it’s a great melting pot of delicious food ready to be served to hungry patrons.
For first time visitors in Los Angeles, some of the best restaurants to check out are the following:
Hollywood
Salt’s Cure
Pizzeria Mozza
Musso & Frank Grill
Beverly Hills
Maude
The Grill on the Alley
The Cheesecake Factory
Spago
Downtown LA
Cole’s French Dip
Sonoratown
Wurstkuche
Nickel Diner
Where to Stay in LA?
Since it is the biggest city in the state of California, first-time visitors can already expect a good number of hotels and motels in Los Angeles. For those who are traveling in style and have a good amount of money to spare for their accommodations, then you can head over to the Kimpton Everly Hotel for a comfortable stay in the city.
For those who are traveling on just the right amount of budget, consider the Loews Hollywood Hotel. It’s not as fancy as the Kimpton Everly hotel, but it is near Hollywood and the price per room is just about right.
Finally, for first-time visitors who are on a tight budget, your option would be to book a room at the Hotel Hollywood. For just $100 per night and with free complimentary breakfast, it’s the best hotel near Hollywood that’ll give you a bang for your buck. Steven Taylor, LA
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