When I graduated college, I moved to LA while my brother and most of my close friends headed to New York City. I lived in NYC for a summer during college, but felt that LA had the right combination of what I was looking for in both the short and the long term. I joked that I’d be waiting for them all in a decade on the West Coast Best Coast. Little did I know.
7 years later, the migration west has started. Some to SF or Denver, others to LA :) Obviously, a global pandemic nudged the timeline along a bit earlier than expected, but I’m glad to have my brother and his girlfriend with me in the same city for the first time since high school.
To welcome them, I’ve pulled together a list of 12 COVID-friendly gems to discover in LA. Keep in mind, this means we’re leaving out music venues, indoor dining, historic theatres, fitness studios, and so many other things that make this city special.
Welcome, big bro. I’ve come to love this city so much and I know you will, too. I hope that we can keep you here, even in a post-COVID world.
1 — Hikes — so many great and accessible ones, but a few of my favorites are: Franklin Canyon Lake, Fryman Canyon, Tree People, Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook, Los Leones Trail, Solstice Canyon, and Paseo Miramar. Once you graduate from these, we can do these together :)
2 — Griffith Park & Observatory — Griffith has a special place in my heart, so it gets its own category. My ideal Sunday: coffee and pastry from Trails Cafe, hike up to the Observatory, explore there a bit, then hike to the top of Mt Hollywood. After hiking, I’d normally force brunch at Little Dom’s (in a non-COVID world) and the ultimate requirement: an order of blueberry ricotta pancakes for the table.
3 — Barnsdall Art Park* + self-guided Architecture Tour — I frequent Barnsdall and think you will, too, but before you pick just one, you should poke around all the classic Frank Lloyd Wright and Frank Gehry architecture in the city. *Apparently, the Barnsdall Art Park is closed during Covid, so keep this one for later :)
4 — Huntington Library and Gardens —Out in Pasadena, I’m a sucker for the gardens but the whole property is worth exploring.
5 — Venice Canals — walk around the canals, they’re my favorite part of Venice, and then you can stroll down Abbott Kinney to see the shops and pop in Erewhon, the bougiest grocery store in the world.
6 — Mulholland Drive — get on just north of the Hollywood Bowl near the 101 and head west all the way to Skirball. Cut through Encino and Tarzana and you can continue the drive on Mulholland Highway. Stop for the views :)
7 — Malibu PCH drive — Take a day and drive from the Valley to the ocean on Mulholland Highway, Topanga Canyon, or Kanan Dume Rd. Then, double back up and back down the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH). You’ll want to explore Zuma Beach, Point Mugu, and/or El Matador State Beach for your beautiful-beach-fix, as well as Malibu Seafood, Broad Street Oyster Co, and/or Reel Inn for your coastal-seafood-fix.
8 — Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine—Not too far from your Malibu drive, the Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine is a beautiful escape tucked just within the city.
9 — Watts Towers — Featured in so many movies and games (shoutout basically every GTA), Watts Towers are a collection of sculptures in Watts constructed between 1921 and 1954. The tallest one is almost 100 feet tall.
10 — Salvation Mountain, Slab City, and Joshua Tree — requires some car commitment here, but if you leave early enough, you can drive out to the famed Salvation Mountain, through Slab City (check out East Jesus), and around Joshua Tree before driving home all in one day.
11 — Farmer’s Markets — LA has more Farmer’s Markets than any city in the world (I read that somewhere). Find your favorite one! Make something delicious with the fresh ingredients.
12 — The late Jonathan Gold’s restaurant list — I ate my way through this city with his annual list as my guide, introducing me and my tastebuds to nooks and crannies I would’ve otherwise never seen. Get take out from as many of these places as you can, keep them in business, and stuff your face with joy. You can’t go wrong. You don’t understand LA if you don’t understand Jonathan Gold.
Enjoy!
Subscribe
If you liked this post, subscribe here to be emailed whenever I write something new!