Walking L.A.

Our Local Expert Says:

This is a classic Los Angeles destination

Description:

This has long been one of L.A.'s most colorful areas and a must-visit for any first-time tourist. Founded at the turn of the last century, Venice was a development inspired by its Italian namesake. Authentic gondolas plied miles of inland waterways lined with rococo palaces. In the 1950s, Venice became the stamping grounds of Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs, and other Beats. In the 1960s, this was the epicenter of L.A.'s hippie scene.

Today, Venice is still one of the world's most engaging bohemian locales. It's not an exaggeration to say that no visit to L.A. would be complete without a stroll along the famous paved beach path, an almost surreal assemblage of every L.A. stereotype -- and then some. Among stalls and stands selling cheap sunglasses, Mexican blankets, and "herbal ecstasy" pills swirls a carnival of humanity that includes bikini-clad in-line skaters, tattooed bikers, tan hunks pumping iron at Muscle Beach, panhandling vets, beautiful wannabes, and plenty of tourists and gawkers. On any given day, you're bound to come across all kinds of performers: mimes, break-dancers, stoned drummers, chain-saw jugglers, talking parrots, and the occasional apocalyptic...

Description:

This memorial is a beautiful place hidden away in Pacific Palisades. It is the resting place for a portion of Mahatma Gandhi's ashes and people from around the world come to pay their respects. The grounds cover ten acres and lie on a former movie set. There is a lake with swans, lush greenery, waterfalls and beautiful statues. A perfect place to spend the day when you need to get away from it all, the memorial is open to visitors of any denomination. This pleasant place was created by Yogi Paramahansa Yogananda in 1950. Services for followers of this yogi are held in a Dutch windmill left over from its days as a movie studio.

Description:

This well-known and popular destination is a pedestrian-only area on 3 blocks of Third Street (from Wilshire to Broadway) in Santa Monica, The attractions here include many stores, restaurants, and street performers. My favorites spots are the art book stores: Arcana and Hennessey & Ingalls. At the Broadway end of the promenade is Santa Monica Place, a modern open-air mall.

Description:

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.

Description:

The Virginia Robinson Estate is the only home in Beverly Hills open to the public. The property consists of a modest 6,000 square-foot mansion with pristine grounds. Virginia Robinson was one of the premier party hosts in Beverly Hills. She played bridge with the likes of Fred Astaire and Charles Boyer on a regular basis. The 90-minute walking tour visits the parlor that provides views into most of the other main rooms, but the real attraction is the six acres of landscaped grounds, which include an Italian terraced hillside, a tropical area and a rose garden. The estate is located just off North Crescent Drive. Reservations must be made several weeks in advance as there are no walk-in visitors allowed.

Description:

Separating the residential and shopping/city center districts of Beverly Hills is this two-mile long park that runs along Santa Monica Boulevard. Built in 1911 when there were still very few homes in the area, the park runs through the entire city and features a rose garden, a lily pond, tall trees, a path for joggers and one of the most impressive collections of cacti anywhere. Two city festivals are held here each year: the Bi-annual Affaire In The Garden held in May and October and the Beverly Hills Food Festival each June. The park is also the site of the Electric Fountain, which was quite a wonder when its multi-colored lights were unveiled in 1931. Admission is free.

Description:

The highlight of the 57 acre Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook park is the 511 ft elevation hilltop peak with a stupendous view. From this peak you can see downtown, the Pacific Ocean, and many of the various city centers along Wilshire Avenue. It really is a grand 360 degree view! Parking at the top of the hill is limited and costs $6. Most people park at the foot of the hill on Jefferson Avenue (for free) and hoof it to the top.

There are a number of ways to make the ascent. If you are full of gusto can you can head straight up the rough staircase with 281 large steps. Alternately, there is a trail that zigzags across the hillside, crossing the stairs a number of times and making the ascent a lot less steep. Finally, you can walk up the paved driveway that leads to the pay parking lot and the visitor's center at the top.

Description:

Head inside the Hollywood Hills and you will be pleasantly surprised by this reservoir from where you can get a great view of the Hollywood sign. It is amazing to realize that this peaceful spot is only a few minutes away from bustling Hollywood Boulevard. There is also a 3.1 mile paved trail around the lake that takes you right across the dam (that broke and flooded Hollywood in the movie Earthquake). No dogs are allowed, and the path usually closes at dusk.

Description:

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...

Description:

This scenic and shady walk on the edge of Griffith Park starts on the west side of Fern Dell Drive, near the intersection with Black Oak Drive. You follow a man-made creek replete with shade loving vegetation. After a short interval (about a quarter of a mile), the path crosses under Fern Dell Drive and soon after you exit the garden.

From here you can continue for a short hike (about a mile) uphill to Griffith Observatory. If you are braced for the continuous mile going uphill, this is actually great low-stress way to access the observatory. There are two branches of this trail up the ravine, making it feel like more like a loop.

Description:

The Angels Flight funicular is piece of historic Los Angeles that dates from 1901 when Bunker Hill was an upscale neighborhood. Since that time the Bunker Hill neighborhood first lost its luster and then was completely razed (the area at the top of the hill is now the site of MOCA and a number of concert halls, including the Gehry Disney landmark). In the 1990's the Angels Flight railway was moved half a block south and became more of a historic landmark ride than a day-to-day transportation solution. Recently the track has been rebuilt yet again (it is a state of the art funicular system with computer monitoring and redundant braking systems). The original cars, named Olivet and Sinai, still ferry people up the steep incline for the super affordable fee of a quarter. This is definitely a great way to both navigate downtown Los Angeles and experience a bit of the city as it once was.

Description:

This theater district (also known as the Broadway district) stretches from Third Street to Olympic Boulevard. It was the first district of its kind to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. There are a dozen major theaters covering a six-block area. Theaters on this strip include the Million Dollar Theater, the Los Angeles Theater and the United Artists Theater. Recently, the L.A. Conservancy has been working to revitalize this district and make it a center of downtown life. They give tours of the area; call the number listed for more information.

Also note this guide of historic theaters through-out the Los Angeles area.

Description:

What started out as a natural arroyo filled with water from a stream is now a notable expansive park and famous neighborhood. Formely known as Elendale, Echo park consists of 26 acres of greenery and a beautiful lake too. Based on a design by Joseph Henry Tomlinson, the park is beautifully conceptualized. Tours of the the park are available, which includes the other neighborhood landmarks like the historic Baxter Steps and the Echo park boathouse. Festivals and other cultural activities too are held in this neighborhood and park with great furor and enthusiasm.

Description:

Elysian Park is a 600-acre park is the second largest in Los Angeles and has been a public park since 1781. There are several unspoiled hiking trails on which to climb. The area known as the Chavez Ravine Arboretum is covered with rare trees planted in the 19th century. There are plenty of picnic areas and there is an artificial lake.

Description:

Camellias -- evergreen flowering shrubs from China and Japan -- were the passion of amateur gardener E. Manchester Boddy, who began planting them here in 1941. Today his 160-acre Descanso Gardens contain more than 100,000 camellias in more than 600 varieties, blooming under a canopy of California oak trees. The shrubs now share the limelight with a 9-acre International Rosarium, home to hundreds of varieties. This is a very relaxing place, with paths and streams that wind through the towering forest, bordering a lake, bird sanctuary, Japanese Garden & Tea House, and Boddy House art museum. Each season features different plants: daffodils, azaleas, tulips, and lilacs in the spring; chrysanthemums in the fall; and so on. Monthly art exhibits are held in the garden's hospitality house, and the Courtyard Café offers light meals daily from 10am to 3pm. Guided tram tours, which cost $3, run Tuesday through Friday at 1, 2, and 3pm, and Saturday and Sunday at 11am and 1, 2, and 3pm. Picnicking is allowed in specified areas.

Description:

The Huntington Library is the jewel in Pasadena's crown. The 207-acre hilltop estate was once home to industrialist and railroad magnate Henry E. Huntington (1850-1927), who bought books on the same massive scale on which he acquired businesses. The continually expanding collection includes dozens of Shakespeare's first editions, Benjamin Franklin's handwritten autobiography, a Gutenberg Bible from the 1450s, and the earliest known manuscript of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Although some rare works are available only to visiting scholars, the library has a regularly changing (and always excellent) exhibit showcasing different items in the collection.

If you prefer canvas to parchment, Huntington also put together a terrific 18th-century British and French art collection. The most celebrated paintings are Gainsborough's The Blue Boy and Pinkie, a companion piece by Sir Thomas Lawrence depicting the youthful aunt of Elizabeth Barrett Browning. These and other works are displayed in the stately Italianate mansion on the crest of this hillside estate, so you can also get a glimpse of its splendid furnishings. American art and Renaissance paintings are exhibited in two additional galleries....