Los Angeles Essentials

By Jesus Sanchez, FrontDoor.com | Published: 11/25/2008

The outdoor restaurants, shops and cafes of Old Pasadena offer a romantic setting for young couples.

Entertainment Essentials: Best Places to ...

HAVE FUN FOR FREE

Chinatown Art Gallery Openings, 900 block of Chung King Road
The shopping alley known as Chung King Road has been reborn as a hot spot to catch the rising stars of the city's art scene. Walk under colorful lanterns and neon dragons as you gallery hop and snack your way through multiple art openings held in former souvenir shops.

Stroll along the canals of Venice and Naples
Venice Canals, Northeast of Washington Boulevard and Pacific Avenue
Naples Canals, South of Second Street, Long Beach
There's no charge to stroll along the canals of Venice and Naples, two beachside neighborhoods, packed with lush gardens, architecturally interesting homes and charming foot bridges. Better yet, all the crowds are at the beach a few blocks away. While you might spot a celebrity strolling along a canal in Venice, head to Naples in December for holiday displays and an annual boat parade.

Palos Verdes Drive & Point Vicente Interpretive Center, 31501 Palos Verdes Drive West, Rancho Palos Verdes
Palos Verdes Drive loops around the hilly Palos Verdes Peninsula, where towering cliffs loom above rocky coves and fog sweeps across green hillsides dotted with the red-tile roofs of Mediterranean-style homes. Take a break at the Point Vicente Interpretive Center, a mini museum devoted to the peninsula's natural history. Stop by between December and April, and you may catch sight of a Pacific Gray Whale during their annual migration.

MEET NEW PEOPLE

Los Angeles Conservancy Walking Tours, Downtown Los Angeles
Want to meet like-minded people interested in the arts, architecture and local history? Then take a downtown Los Angeles walking tour offered by the Los Angeles Conservancy, one of the nation's largest historic preservation groups. End a tour of the Art Deco masterpieces of downtown Los Angeles by inviting your newfound friends for a drink or a meal at one of downtown's new hot spots.

TAKE A DATE

Old Pasadena
The renovated century-old brick storefronts and warehouses of Old Pasadena, on the western end of town, provide a romantic backdrop for a Saturday afternoon or a weekday evening of shopping and dining. There is no shortage of outdoor cafes and restaurants to take advantage of warm nights. The sidewalks along Colorado Boulevard are usually jammed, particularly on weekend evenings. Best to stay on the side streets, like Green and Union, which are only a block away but much less hectic.

TAKE THE KIDS

Metrolink train ride from Union Station, 800 North Alameda
If your kids love trains, why not take them on the real thing? Metrolink commuter trains run frequently enough on weekends from L.A.'s historic Union Station that you can spend a few hours or an entire day on a round-trip adventure. Take a morning train to San Juan Capistrano, and tour the historic mission and picturesque downtown. Eat lunch and return home in time for a pre-dinner nap.

Aquarium of the Pacific, 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach
You can't go wrong with taking the family to see, and even touch, the marine life that inhabits the huge indoor tanks and outdoor pools of the Aquarium of the Pacific. But kids love things that move, so call the aquarium in advance to reserve some seats on a 45-minute boat tour of Long Beach Harbor, one of the nation's largest and busiest seaports.

PEOPLE WATCH

The Grove, Third and Fairfax Streets
It shouldn't be too surprising that a mall is one of the best places to people watch in Los Angeles. The Grove, which rises beside the food stalls of the beloved Farmers Market, resembles a Disneyland-like Main Street lined with national chain stores and restaurants. It's contrived but wildly popular, drawing a diverse crowd of shoppers and scenesters. How can you not love a place where the main fountain shoots up jets of water in tune with songs by Donna Summer and Frank Sinatra?

GRAB A BEER

Father's Office, 1018 Montana Avenue, Santa Monica
It's tiny. The beers are pricey, and the wait to get in can be long. But this Santa Monica pub boasts a huge selection of micro brews on tap that keeps the crowds coming. You can expect a shorter wait at their new Culver City location.

DANCE

Akbar, 4356 Sunset Blvd.
Skip the velvet ropes and $10 cover charges of Hollywood dance clubs and nightspots. Drive a few miles east to Akbar, located next to a fast-food parking lot and a late-night diner, and dance yourself silly in a mixed crowd of straight and gay dancing machines.

WATCH A MOVIE

ArcLight Hollywood, 6360 W. Sunset Blvd.
A general admission ticket will set you back $14.50 on a weekend night. But you won't hear many complaints or see many empty seats in this high-tech movie palace featuring the latest in sound and projection systems. Some of the best seats in the house, however, are in the Balcony Bar, which overlooks the long lines and scene in the cavernous lobby. If you don't have enough time to sip a cocktail by showtime, don't worry. You can enjoy a drink inside the theaters on weekend and Thursday nights.

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