The Complete Beginners Guide to LA from Steven Taylor

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. 

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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 

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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 

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Beverly Hills 

• Maude 

• The Grill on the Alley 

• The Cheesecake Factory 

• Spago 

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Downtown LA 

• Cole’s French Dip 

• Sonoratown 

• Wurstkuche 

• Nickel Diner 

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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 

Steven Taylor’s LA Guide to Nature

When Steven Taylor becomes bored of the concrete pavements of Los Angeles, he knows it’s time to go back to Mother Nature for some one-on-one time. 

Yes, even if the proud and lovely city of Los Angeles is filled with concrete buildings, cemented pavements, and towering skyscrapers, it also has nature parks and reserves too. Steven Taylor also believes it is a good idea to visit these nature parks and reserves as a way of supporting the local government of Los Angeles with getting funds to protect the 63,000 acres of parks, lakes, hiking trails, and gardens. 

So without further ado, here is Steven Taylor’s recommendation for experiencing the greatness of Mother Nature while in Los Angeles. 

The Griffith Park 

First on Steven Taylor’s LA list is the beautiful Griffith Park.  

Located on top of the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains, Griffith Park is a favorite among families who are visiting or taking a tour among the many beautiful parks and nature reserves of LA. Compared to other parks, such as New York’s Central Park and San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, Griffith Park offers a lot of exciting outdoor activities not just for families, but for a group of friends as well. 

Griffith Park also offers an awesome view of the entire city of LA. Bird watchers will also appreciate the park because of its rugged nature. There have been many species of birds that were found living in the huge trees that surround the park.  

Runyon Canyon Park 

Another popular LA attraction, Runyon Canyon Park is the perfect place for dog lovers. They can take their canine companions and have fun for hours just running around the place. Just make sure to keep an eye out for that pooch or else, you’ll be wandering around the place because the dog chased a squirrel or a rabbit! 

Runyon Canyon Park is also a good place for hiking trips. The terrain will prove to be a challenge for most hikers, therefore they are going to enjoy their time there. 

Echo Park  

Another great place to visit while in LA is Echo Park. Located in East Los Angeles, Echo Park’s main attraction is the huge pond where visitors can take boat rides. Pedal boats and picnic tables are also available for families and friends to enjoy. Fishing is also allowed in the park. 

Topanga State Park 

Last but not least on Steven Taylor’s LA list of natural attractions in LA is the rugged Topanga State Park. A huge sprawling state park located near Topanga Canyon Boulevard and the Pacific Coast Highway, this park is considered a historical and cultural landmark as well. Visitors can take part in many activities, such as horseback riding, hiking, and overnight primitive camping.  

The area around the state park is also perfect for taking your favorite dog out for a walk together. However, take note as to which parts of the park you can freely and safely take your beloved dog out for a hiking trip together with you. 

Originally published at https://steventaylorlandlord.com on November 3, 2021.

On Southern Californian Weather and Activities to Do

When in Southern California, the barometer for your daily activities should be the weather. Trust me, living in this wonderful place for years should tell you that I’m correct. Of course, nothing is permanent in this world; most especially the weather. While try as we might predict what weather’s going to come out for the next day, it’s up to science to help us gain an advantage over our planet’s unpredictable weather. 

So if we take a look at this Southern Californian weather forecast, it says that we are going to have sunny and breezy weather for the full seven days. So that’s a week of hot weather. If that doesn’t excite you, then nothing will. It’s the perfect time and weather to go to the beach. And if that’s not your thing, you can also take this time to go on a mountain adventure with some friends. Because of the dry weather, mountain trekking and camping should be a blast. 

And speaking of camping, the weather is perfect for such an activity too. Whether it’s camping just right across your front lawn, or you want to make it all fancy and take your entire family or friends for a camping trip to Moro Campground, then you are most certainly going to do just that. Be prepared to stock up on food, gas, and not feed the animals when staying in the camping grounds! 

Finally, this fine and sunny weather is also the perfect time to treat your kids to an amusement or theme park. Southern California is ripe with many amusement parks, pool resorts, and theme parks. Just make sure you bring food and a lot of water, an umbrella, and some hats. Remember, it’s going to be a very hot day and you’ll need to get out of the shade every so often. This is especially important for kids, who are more prone to heatstroke. 

Take your pick from Knott’s Berry Farm, Adventure City, and Pacific Park to Universal Studios Hollywood, Six Flags Magic Mountain, and Disney California Adventure. If that’s not your style and you’d rather get wet, then there are a lot of water parks to choose from too. There’s Raging Water Los Angeles, Buccaneer Cove at Castle Park, and the Great Wolf Lodge Water Park. Not only will your kids enjoy it, but you and the rest of the adults as well!  

Just don’t forget to bring the suntan and some decent sunblock too! – Steven Taylor, LA 

Originally published at https://steventaylorlandlord.com on October 28, 2021.

Buying a Home in LA - What Kind of Home Can I Buy?

So you’re ready to buy a home in Los Angeles. After many months of searching and saving enough money to afford the house of your dreams, you are finally ready.  

That’s good and all, but have you thought about the kind of property that you want to buy?  

With LA being a sprawling megapolis with many different types of properties, it is very easy to get confused as to what kind of home you’d like to live in. With that case in mind, let’s help you get that dream house of yours. 

Checking your Budget 

You’ve already established your need to buy a house. But since we’re going to decide on the kind of house that is right for you, you’ll need to rethink your budget once again. Also, buying a house in LA is no laughing matter. The city is notorious for selling the most expensive property known to man. 

In fact, LA County’s median price was 650,000 for a single-family home while a condo would fetch up to $530,000. These prices are from November of 2020, so you can just imagine how much it’d cost people to buy homes in Los Angeles now.  

Keep in mind that this is not to threaten you into buying a home in Los Angeles. This is simply to educate and to give people a good perspective on how much preparation and money you need to prepare for in buying a home in Los Angeles. 

What Kind of Homes can I Buy in LA? 

Once you’ve already determined and prepared your budget, it’s time to have a look at the kind of homes that you can buy in Los Angeles: 

Duplexes/Triplexes - A property with more than one self-contained unit, this house usually has its own kitchen and bathroom. These houses are often quick to disappear since they are always snapped at once by investors. However, these homes are good options for buyers who want to buy homes with an extended family in mind. This property is also a good option for those who want to take on a renter who can help pay for the mortgage. 

Single-family Homes - The classic American-style house that just sits there on its own in its own plot of land. There’s also the option of adding a white picket fence and a pool. Of course, those are sold separately! 

Condos - Now we come to the more luxurious type of home. The condo is basically an apartment that you can buy. Unlike the single-family homes, the condo building and the land beneath where it stands are co-owned by everyone who each bought a unit. The amenities and upkeep of the condo are paid for by a homeowner’s association, which is funded through monthly fees paid by the residents of the condo. 

Townhomes - Townhomes are often attached to neighboring units. These houses offer the space and feel of a single-family home, but they function more like condos. Residents share the ownership of the land around the homes while paying for the monthly homeowner dues. 

Small-lot homes - A unique type of home that can only be seen in LA, the small-lot home look like townhouses from a distance, but they are actually more similar in function with the single-family home. The unit in small-lot homes do not touch and each unit sits on a tiny piece of land. In fact, the land is barely any larger than the small-lot home unit itself! 

Co-ops - Co-ops are still around in LA, but not nearly as much compared in other cities, like New York. These units are similar to condos, except that buyers don’t technically own their units. Instead, what the buyers own are shares in an association that are run by a very powerful board that often vets potential residents. 

Vacant Lots - Finally, you have vacant lots. It is possible to buy land and then build your very own house in Los Angeles, but there are rules and permits that you have to check and follow. Also, the process of building your own house can be very costly.  

Whatever kind of home you’ve decided to buy, always remember to check with an engineer on local building codes. If you’ve decided to get a co-op, a townhouse, or a condo, check in with your local homeowner’s association for more information and for help regarding issues with your unit.  

As for those who managed to buy a single-family home or vacant lot, always make sure to check on building permits and regulations before you start with any construction to avoid issues. 

Originally published at https://steventaylorlandlord.com on October 26, 2021.