First Time in Los Angeles

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Union Station, completed in 1939, is one of the finest examples of California mission-style architecture and one of the last of America's great rail stations. It was built with the opulence and attention to detail that characterize 1930s WPA projects, such as its cathedral-like size and richly paneled ticket lobby and waiting area. When you're strolling through these grand historic halls, it's easy to imagine the glamorous movie stars who once boarded The City of Los Angeles and The Super Chief to journey back East during the glory days of rail travel; it's also easy to picture the many heartfelt reunions between returning soldiers and loved ones following the victorious end to World War II, in the station's heyday. Movies shot here include Bugsy, The Way We Were, and Blade Runner. There's always been a restaurant in the station; the latest to occupy this unusually beautiful setting is Traxx.

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This adobe structure, built by Don Francisco Avila, is considered the oldest existing house in Los Angeles. By modern standards the home is quite small, though at the time it was the largest in the area. Although it has been heavily restored, much of the original walls survive today. It now functions as a museum with the interior having been refurbished to include a four-post bed and other furniture from the era.

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Japan's top architect, Arata Isozaki, built this museum in 1986. The series of bright galleries with exposed vaults display some of this century's finest artwork. Works by Mark Rothco, Franz Kline, Claes Oldenburg and more are displayed year-round. In addition to the curators, artists and critics frequently give guided tours. Inside the museum is a great restaurant called Patinette serving great Mediterranean cuisine. For further information check the website.

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The strikingly beautiful Walt Disney Concert Hall isn't just the new home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic; it's a key element in an urban revitalization effort now underway Downtown. The Walt Disney family insisted on the best and, with an initial gift of $50 million to build a world-class performance venue, that's what they got: A masterpiece of design by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry, and an acoustical quality that equals or surpasses those of the best concert halls in the world. Similar to Gehry's most famous architectural masterpiece, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, the concert hall's dramatic stainless-steel exterior consists of a series of undulating curved surfaces that partially envelop the entire building, presenting multiple glimmering facades to the surrounding neighborhood. Within is a dazzling 2,273-seat auditorium replete with curved woods and a dazzling array of organ pipes (also designed by Gehry), as well as Joachim Splichal's Patina restaurant, the hip Concert Hall Cafe, a bookstore, and a gift shop.

The 3 1/2-acre Concert Hall is open to the public for viewing, but to witness it in its full glory, do whatever it takes to attend a concert by the world-class Los Angeles Philharmonic. Also highly recommended are the $12 audio tours, which lead visitors through the Concert Hall's history from conception to creation. The 45-minute self-guided tour is narrated by actor John Lithgow and includes interviews with Frank Gehry, Los Angeles Philharmonic music director Esa-Pekka Salonen, and acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota, among others. One big caveat is that you see just about everything except the auditorium: There's almost always a rehearsal in progress and the acoustics are so good that there's no discreet way to sneak a peek. The audio tours are available on most non-matinee days from 10am to 2pm (be sure to check their website for the monthly tour schedule).

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This National Historic Landmark, built in 1893 and designed by George Wyman, is Los Angeles's oldest commercial building and one of the city's most revered architectural achievements. Legend has it that an inexperienced draftsman named George Wyman accepted the $125,000 commission after communicating with his dead brother through a Ouija board. Capped by a magical five-story skylight, Bradbury's courtyard combines glazed brick, ornate Mexican tile floors, rich Belgian marble, Art Nouveau grillwork, handsome oak paneling, and lacelike wrought-iron railings -- it's one of the great interior spaces of the 19th century. The glass-topped atrium is often used as a movie and TV set; you've probably seen it before in Chinatown and Blade Runner.

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Like nearby Chinatown, this redeveloped ethnic neighborhood isn't home to the majority of Angelenos of Japanese ancestry; suburban Gardena has that distinction. But Little Tokyo functions as the community's cultural focal point and is home to several malls filled with bakeries, bookshops, restaurants, and boutiques, as well as the occasional Buddhist temple. The Japanese American National Museum is here, as is the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center, 244 S. San Pedro St. (tel. 213/628-2725; www.jaccc.org), which regularly offers traditional Kabuki dramas and modern music concerts.

Unfortunately Little Tokyo is shabbier than almost any district in the Japanese capital, and it has difficulty holding a visitor's attention for much longer than the time it takes to eat lunch. Exceptions to this rule come twice yearly, during the Cherry Blossom Festival in spring and Nisei Week in late summer. Both heritage festivals celebrate Japanese culture with parades, traditional Ondo street dancing, a carnival, and an arts fair. The Japanese American Network provides a community calendar, a map of Little Tokyo points of interest, and useful Web links online at www.janet.org/janet_little_tokyo/ja_little_tokyo.html.

Our Local Expert Says:

On Friday evenings, during the summer, you can frequently catch a classic movie. Cinespia.org has all the listings and times. The broadcasts are tastefully done and surreal. Watch a movie surrounded by the graves and memorials of those who probably helped make them.

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Sitting on 100 acres of land next to Paramount Studios, Hollywood Forever Cemetery is probably the most significant and impressive celebrity cemetery in Los Angeles. It is the final resting place of some of the most important players in the early years of the Entertainment Industry. Visitors to Hollywood Forever Cemetery can find the graves of such notables as Rudolph Valentino, Mel Blanc, Cecil B. DeMille and Douglas Fairbanks. In star-studded fashion, the extravagance of the graves and mausoleums match the extravagance of life in Hollywood. Ornate tombs modeled after Rome, Greece and Egypt can be found all over Hollywood Forever Cemetery. During the summer, visitors can see classic movies with hundreds of locals who gather in the cemetery.

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Made world-famous in the film Rebel Without a Cause, Griffith Observatory's bronze domes have been Hollywood Hills landmarks since 1935. Closed for renovation for what seemed like forever, it finally reopened in November of 2006 after a $93-million overhaul. The central dome houses the 300-seat Samuel Oschin Planetarium, where hourly screenings of a narrated half-hour projection show called "Centered in the Universe" reveal the stars and planets that are hidden from the naked eye by the city's ubiquitous lights and smog.

The observatory also features 60 space-related exhibits designed to "sparkle your imagination," the highlight being the largest astronomically accurate image ever produced -- a 20*152-foot porcelain enamel dazzler that's cleverly called "The Big Picture." It supposedly encompasses a million galaxies, but I lost count after 11. There's also a new 200-seat Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon Theater (go Spock!), a Wolfgang Puck "Café at the End of the Universe," and several Zeiss and solar telescopes for public use both day and night.

Truth be told, most locals never actually go inside the observatory; they come to this spot on the south slope of Mount Hollywood for the unparalleled city views. On warm nights, with the lights twinkling below, this is one of the most romantic places in L.A.

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When the Hollywood honchos realized how limited the footprint space was at Grauman's Chinese Theatre, they came up with another way to pay tribute to the stars. Since 1960, more than 2,200 celebrities have been honored along the world's most famous sidewalk. Each bronze medallion, set into the center of a terrazzo star, pays homage to a famous television, film, radio, theater, or recording personality. Although about a third of them are just about as obscure as Michael Jackson's sexual preference -- their fame simply hasn't withstood the test of time -- millions of visitors are thrilled by the sight of famous names like James Dean (1719 Vine St.), John Lennon (1750 Vine St.), Marlon Brando (1765 Vine St.), Rudolph Valentino (6164 Hollywood Blvd.), Marilyn Monroe (6744 Hollywood Blvd.), Elvis Presley (6777 Hollywood Blvd.), Greta Garbo (6901 Hollywood Blvd.), Louis Armstrong (7000 Hollywood Blvd.), Barbra Streisand (6925 Hollywood Blvd.), and Eddie Murphy (7000 Hollywood Blvd.). Gene Autry is all over the place: The singing cowboy earned five different stars (a sidewalk record), one in each category.

The sight of bikers, metalheads, homeless wanderers, and hordes of disoriented tourists all treading on memorials to Hollywood's greats makes for a bizarre and somewhat tacky tribute. But the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce has been doing a terrific job sprucing up the pedestrian experience with filmstrip crosswalks, swaying palms, and more. And at least 1 weekend a month, a group of fans calling themselves Star Polishers busy themselves scrubbing tarnished medallions.

The legendary sidewalk is continually adding new names, such as Muhammad Ali in front of the Kodak Theatre. The public is invited to attend dedication ceremonies; the honoree -- who pays a whopping $15,000 for the eternal upkeep -- is usually in attendance. Contact the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, 6255 Sunset Blvd., Ste. 911, Hollywood, CA 90028 (tel. 323/469-8311), for information on who's being honored this week.

Our Local Expert Says:

There is something for everyone in their huge collection

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For more than 50 years LACMA has been one of the finest art museums in the nation, housing a 110,000-piece collection that includes works by Degas, Rembrandt, Hockney, and Monet. The huge 20-acre complex -- it's the largest visual arts museum west of Chicago -- has been expanded even more with the recent opening of the $56-million, three-story Broad Contemporary Art Museum (also known as BCAM). Boasting 60,000 square feet of exhibition space, it's the first new art museum built in L.A. since the Getty Center opened in 1997. BCAM is one of the largest column-free art spaces in the U.S., and opening installations include works by such contemporary artists as Richard Serra, Jeff Koons, Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol, and Roy Lichtenstein.

Other highlights include LACMA's Pavilion for Japanese Art, which has exterior walls made of Kalwall, a translucent material that, like shoji screens, permits the entry of soft natural light. Inside is a collection of Japanese Edo paintings that's rivaled only by the holdings of the emperor of Japan. The Ahmanson Building houses the majority of the museum's permanent collections -- everything from 2,000-year-old pre-Columbian Mexican ceramics to 19th-century portraiture, to a unique glass collection spanning the centuries. Other displays include one of the nation's largest holdings of costumes and textiles, and an important Indian and Southeast Asian art collection. Free 50-minute guided tours of many of LACMA's special exhibitions are offered weekly -- check the museum's online calendar for times and locations.

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In Short
For more than a century, this landmark eatery has been serving Angelenos the original French dip sandwich. Situated between Dodger Stadium and Union Station, this cavernous spot is decorated with baseball and train motifs, long tables for communal dining and sawdust on the floor. There's standard deli fare--soups, sandwiches, salads, plus a slew of pies--but everyone knows that everyone comes here for the famed sandwich. Meat (beef, pork, lamb, ham or turkey) is dunked in au jus and layered in a perfect French roll. Sides are classics as well--think crispy slaw and creamy macaroni salad. There's also a wide choice of pickled things--tangy beets, purple eggs, pigs' feet and, of course, a full complement of pickles. Wash your big dipper down with a cold brew or a glass of cabernet from the extensive wine list.

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This is one of the last remaining old L.A. eateries in downtown. In years gone by, Angeleno families would make a trip here for dinner as a special Sunday outing. If you are looking for a square meal while making the rounds of downtown points of interest, it will not disappoint you. Located right in the heart of Broadway, the clientele is mostly Latino. During the week it is primarily shoppers and workers from the nearby stores, but there are more families on weekends. The decor is cornball tropical island complete with faux streams and brooks. If you were taken here as a child, there were memorable choices, such as the Jell-O with whipped cream topping or the pineapple upside down cake. Heavier fare includes the standard mashed potatoes and gravy, roast beef, fish, or chicken. Of course this is just a sampling of the many dishes offered, past and present, at this venerable dining spot.

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Since 1928, this L.A. standby has been offering 24-hour casual dining in the heart of the Fairfax district. You'll find the food here authentic and the people-watching amazing. Everyone from The Wallflowers to K.D. Lang and Madonna has stopped in to eat here. Favorites include the in-house pickled corned beef pastrami, the hot corned beef, the tender beef brisket and the many offerings from the in-house bakery. Next door is the Kibitz Room, where there's live music most nights. A full bar and decent wines work well with the food.

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This haute macrobiotic bistro gleams inside with glass deli cases, smooth wooden tables and white tile while tables beneath market umbrellas. Attracting a hodgepodge of locals ranging from young moms with babies in slings to 70-something hippies to Melrose fashionistas, this is where everyone can enjoy healthy dining courtesy of the former private chefs of Gwyneth Paltrow and Madonna. The menu offers macrobiotic cuisine made without refined sugar, dairy products, meat or egg. Rice bowls, salads, healthy burgers, panini, wraps and sushi highlight organic ingredients. Japanese breakfast is a lovely bento box of miso-broiled black cod, steamed pumpkin, tiny Japanese salads and hijiki. Meanwhile, the organic patisserie case is filled with eye-popping goodies like scones and muffins, chocolate mousse cake, praline nut tart and green tea truffles.

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AOC is a prominent social hangout in Los Angeles. The earthy tones, modern decor and a swish bar counter make a good first impression. Guests can choose to seat themselves at either of the two levels, but the patio upstairs is less noisy. Order from an extensive menu of cheeses, salads, interesting small plates, and desserts—the service pleases to the punch! And when there is a gaggle of Hollywood starlets visiting, it is even more fun!

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There are no tables -- just a U-shape counter -- at this classic American burger shack and hugely popular L.A. landmark. Open since 1947, the Apple Pan is a diner that looks -- and acts -- the part. It's famous for juicy burgers, grumpy service, and an authentic frills-free atmosphere. The hickory burger is best, though the tuna sandwich also has its share of fans. Ham, egg-salad, and Swiss-cheese sandwiches round out the menu. Definitely order fries, and if you're in the mood, the house-baked apple pie. Expect to wait a bit during the lunch rush (don't worry, the line moves pretty fast).

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Downtown L.A.'s skyline frames the ultimate outdoor pool and lounge party. Large couches--the preferred spot for groups of friends--are conveniently located only a huff and puff away from the roomy dance floor. Just around the corner lies the Roof's singular bar. Looking like the set of a White Stripes video, the vibrant candy apple-red bar contrasts with a stark white wall. For more visual stimuli, there's a projector screening epic Tinseltown flicks (yes, that's "Wizard of Oz") on the wall of an adjacent building. A small pool lined with chaise lounges offers stacks of towels for anyone brave (or drunk) enough to take a dip. This spot is hopping any night of the week with hipsters, in-the-know tourists, and others vying for a turn in one of the vibrating space-pod waterbeds.

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This upscale lounge is more than just another hip downtown bar. As once home to the first power plant in Los Angeles, the historic Edison houses a number of artifacts from the bygone era. The Edison provides its customers with the opportunity not just to have a drink with some friends, but also to share a cocktail with history itself. Luxurious without feeling stuffy, The Edison is home to one of the most popular dance floors in downtown L.A. The Edison's industrial architectural style is an attraction in and of itself; check out the grandiose staircase that connects up to the Higgins Building.

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Hugely popular with L.A. hipsters because of its longevity, location, often-overlooked cuisine, and elegant ambience, "the Den" was pushed into the mainstream of L.A. nightlife thanks to its inclusion in the movie Swingers. But it's the timeless lounge act of Marty and Elayne (the couple has been performing there up to 5 nights a week since 1982) that has proven that, fad or no fad, this place is always cool. Sidle up to the bar for a blue glass of the house classic, Blood and Sand -- a space-age margarita of sorts.

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Enjoy the view of the city from this pagoda-and-garden perch in the Hollywood Hills. Though the place has long been considered a "special-occasion" Japanese restaurant, I prefer to sit in the lounge -- mai tai in hand -- and watch Hollywood's dancing searchlights dot the night sky. Great sushi and even better specialty drinks. There's no cover, but there's also no way around the $6 valet parking fee.

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Just as movie fans must walk the Hollywood Walk of Fame, fans of music must walk the aisles of Amoeba. With nearly 1 million new and used CDs, LPs, 45s, and 78s, as well as DVDs and other video formats, Amoeba prides itself on its breadth and depth with music of every genre from hip-hop, pop, rock, jazz, and country, to R&B, folk, classical, blues, reggae, dance, and so on. With the largest collection of vinyl albums in one location anywhere on the planet, they also stock a huge assortment of new and vintage music and film-oriented posters.

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If you want to see everything that L.A. shopping is known for, there is no better place than here, especially on a Sunday afternoon. You can find expensive showrooms between La Cienega and Crescent Heights (Fred Segal, Miu Miu). If you are not a brand freak, you can hit one of the reasonably priced boutiques. You really haven't "done L.A." until you have been here. Credit cards accepted vary by store.

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Now entering its 8th decade, the original market was little more than an empty lot with wooden stands set up by farmers during the Depression so they could sell directly to city dwellers. Eventually, permanent buildings grew up, including the trademark shingled 10-story clock tower. Today the place has evolved into a sprawling marketplace with a carnival atmosphere, a kind of "turf" version of San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf. About 70 restaurants, shops, and grocers cater to a mix of workers from the CBS Television City complex, locals, and tourists brought here by the busload. Retailers sell greeting cards, kitchen implements, candles, and souvenirs, but everyone comes for the food stands, which offer oysters, hot doughnuts, Cajun gumbo, fresh-squeezed orange juice, corned beef sandwiches, fresh-pressed peanut butter, and all kinds of international fast foods. You can still buy produce here -- it's no longer a farm-fresh bargain, but the selection's better than at the grocery store. Don't miss Kokomo (tel. 323/933-0773), a "gourmet" outdoor coffee shop that has become a power breakfast spot for showbiz types. Red turkey hash and sweet-potato fries are the dishes that keep them coming back. The seafood gumbo and gumbo ya ya at the Gumbo Pot (tel. 323/933-0358) are also very popular.

At the eastern end of the Farmers Market is the Grove, a massive 575,000-square-foot Vegas-style retail complex composed of various architectural styles ranging from Art Deco to Italian Renaissance. Miniature streets link the Grove to the Market via a double-deck electric trolley. Granted, it's all a bit Disney-gaudy, but the locals love it. Where else can you power-shop until noon, check all your bags at a drop-off station, get a spa treatment at Amadeus Aveda Spa (tel. 323/297-0311; www.amadeusspa.com), see a movie at the 14-screen Grove Theatre (tel. 323/692-0829; www.thegrovela.com), have an early dinner at Maggiano's Little Italy (tel. 323/965-9665; www.maggianos.com), and be home by 7pm?

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When the eight-story Beverly Center opened on L.A.'s Westside, there was more than a bit of concern about the impending "mallification" of Los Angeles. Loved for its convenience and disdained for its penitentiary-style architecture (and the "no validations" parking fee), Beverly Center contains about 160 standard mall shops, including the wildly popular H&M, and even a few boutiques that are open by advance reservation only (so L.A.). It's anchored on opposite sides by Macy's and Bloomingdale's department stores. You can see it from blocks away, looking like a gigantic climbing wall.

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Find any designer label you can think of shopping on Rodeo Drive. There are more than 100 stores featuring the high-end stylings of famous designers like Versace, Cartier, Jimmy Choo and plenty of others. Clothing, jewelry, beauty items, and even home furnishings can all be found on this one very expensive street in Beverly Hills. After a long day of shopping, get some rest at posh hotels nearby, including the Beverly Wilshire and the Beverly Hills Hotel.

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Once a station for the Red Car trolley line, this industrial space is now home to the Santa Monica Museum of Art, plus two dozen art galleries, a cafe, a bookstore, and offices. Most of the galleries are closed Monday. The train yard is located at the terminus of Michigan Avenue, west of Cloverfield Boulevard.

The wide variety of exhibits changes often: Julius Shulman's black-and-white photo retrospective of L.A.'s Case Study Houses; a provocative exhibit of Vietnam War propaganda posters from the United States and Vietnam; whimsical furniture constructed entirely of corrugated cardboard. A sampling of offerings includes the Gallery of Functional Art (tel. 310/829-6990), which features one-of-a-kind and limited-edition furniture, lighting, bathroom fixtures, and other functional art pieces, as well as smaller items like jewelry, flatware, ceramics, and glass. The Rosamund Felsen Gallery (tel. 310/828-8488) is well known for showcasing L.A.-based contemporary artists; this is a good place to get a taste of current trends. Track 16 Gallery (tel. 310/264-4678) has exhibitions that range from pop art to avant-garde inventiveness.

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The largest home ever built in Beverly Hills is this 55-room English Tudor Mansion constructed by Edward L. Doheny in 1928. A gift to his son, it was built for more than $50 million dollars, and includes a 16-acre garden. The grounds have been used as a public park, and the home itself for varying purposes, most recently for the activities of the American Film Institute. Dozens of films have been shot here, including The Loved One, The Bodyguard, The Witches of Eastwick and Death Becomes Her. The interior of the mansion is closed to the public, but the exterior and surrounding park is completely open for visitors. Admission is free and complimentary parking is available within the gates.

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This mini-amusement park provides the centerpiece of the Santa Monica Pier. The park itself comprises a large Ferris wheel, a dragon swing, a small roller coaster, an action ride theater and a number of other rides geared towards children. A host of free shows can also be seen here, including concerts on Sunday nights, karaoke, animal shows and more. Built in 1988 after a storm destroyed the end of the pier, the park has been the center of pier activity ever since. Park schedule varies widely according to time of year and holidays; be sure to check the Web site or call for specific day information.

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Point Dume State Beach preserves a wide strip of white-sand beaches backed by tall bluffs and the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area west of Los Angeles. The park encompasses headlands, cliffs, secluded coves and tidepools. The beach offers views of the coast, including the sight of migrating California gray whales between November and May. Amenities include hiking trails, restrooms and lifeguard stations.

Recreation opportunities abound at this State Beach. Visitors can enjoy hiking, sun bathing, viewing scenery, wildlife watching and surfing. Swimming is permitted at Point Dume, but bathers should be aware of strong currents that sometimes exist.

This beach is located in Los Angeles County,18 miles west of Santa Monica. The entrance is on Westward Road.

Our Local Expert Says:

It's the Vatican City of Orange County - a world unto itself and an unforgettable experience for adults and children alike.

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Opened in 1955 and with the construction overseen by Walter Elias Disney himself, the Anaheim Disneyland will always be the original Magic Kingdom. Open all year round, Mickey Mouse, Snow White and friends are always in attendance to greet you and your family. The park itself is divided into a series of distinct 'realms' populated with various rides and experiences. Besides that, an itinerary of parades and a shopping district help to broaden out the experience. The hours at Disneyland change according to whichever season you're visiting in, so ensure you check the website or call before finalizing your plans - you don't want to miss out on having the insanely infectious "It's a Small World" tune running through your head.

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One of the most fabulous homes in Beverly Hills has curiously never been inhabited by any of its stars. Constructed in 1921 by art director Harry C. Oliver and aptly nicknamed the "Witch's House," Spadena House really does look like it belongs in a fantasy world, with its jagged, peaked roof and mullioned windows. A testament to its true wackiness, the house was originally located in Culver City, but was moved because admirers frequently caused traffic problems. Unfortunately, today the house is a private residence and is not open to the public.