It’s time for another instalment in my series inviting blogger and Instagrammer friends around the world to reveal insider tips for their home towns. Today it’s the turn of Allan Torp from design, travel and lifestyle blog Bungalow 5, who splits his time between Copenhagen, where he’s from, and Los Angeles, where his husband is based. His Instagram photos always make me want to book a flight to California, and I’m very grateful that he’s taken the time to share his LA.
Allan says: “Summing up LA in just a few words is almost impossible due to the great diversity it offers. On one side, the western part of the city, it’s all about the hills, the views, the beaches, and chilling with coffee and good food; the east side has the high rise of Downtown, with that up-and-coming sense of change.
“As a teenager I dreamt about visiting LA. I was highly influenced by Beverly Hills 90210, where it all seemed like one little community, but that’s so far from the truth. LA is massive. It’s a city that swallows you whole, and despite the bad rep it sometimes gets for its congestion, I love it. It’s sunny year-round, perpetually laid-back and full of creative talent. There are a million great places to eat, drink and have fun, which makes it impossible to share everything, but here’s my list of the things I think you should check out – especially if it’s your first visit. Be prepared for a lot of car time if you want to cover everything.”
Sightseeing & culture
The Hollywood sign
“It might be a big cliché, but nothing says LA more than the Hollywood sign, and it makes me smile every time I see it. You get the best view of the sign itself at the end of Deronda Drive, where you can walk through the gate and up a small hill for a direct, close-up glimpse. From there it’s a pretty simple hike to the top, to see the sign from behind and get an amazing view of the city.”
The Getty
“This is one of those museums which is best experienced from the outside, though the exhibitions change from time to time. It’s a stunning, white Richard Meier masterpiece. And the view doesn’t make it any worse.”
The Getty Center, 1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90049
Stahl House
“Probably one of the most iconic houses in LA, Stahl House (also known as Case Study House No. 22) was designed by Pierre Koenig in 1960 and immortalized in the stunning pictures taken by Julius Shulman. Today you can get access by booking one of the two daily tours. It’s a must.”
Stahl House,1635 Woods Drive, West Hollywood, CA 90069
Walt Disney Concert Hall
“I’m really drawn towards this shiny architectural pearl, created by Frank Gehry. Even though the building also has an amazing interior, it’s the exterior I go for. The steel construction is almost an LA version of the Sydney opera house.”
Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 South Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Griffith Observatory
“If you visit the Hollywood sign, you should also swing by this iconic observatory to get a fantastic view of the city. Go late, have a picnic on the lawn, and wait for the sunset to see the city streets light up below. Pick a weekday for fewer tourists.”
Griffith Observatory, 2800 East Observatory Road, Los Angeles, CA 90027
The Venice Canals
“Apparently much of LA was planned to be like Venice, but only a very small corner made it. Jump on one of the many rental scooters, visit the canals with their funky houses, and find one of the cool little bridges for that perfect picture with a reflection in the calm waters.”
Eating & drinking
Little Prince
“This Santa Monica gem is one of my favourite places for weekend brunch. We found it by coincidence and have taken all our visiting friends ever since. It serves laid-back, farm-to-table food at its very best. Get a seat by the long table in the middle, or at the bar with a direct view of the wood-burning oven where many of the dishes are made, including their very sticky cinnamon buns. One is enough for two-three people after you’ve had your main. They sell out pretty quickly, so come early.”
Little Prince, 2424 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90405
Little Pine
“You’ll find a lot of great vegetarian and vegan restaurants around LA, but this is one of my favourites. It’s located in Los Feliz and owned by Moby, who is frequently hiding out in a corner.”
Little Pine, 2870 Rowena Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90039
The Butcher’s Daughter
“If you decide to take a walk down Abbot Kinney, the famous street in Venice, make sure to have your lunch at The Butcher’s Daughter – a very popular vegan/vegetarian spot. See if you can snap up a table on the patio, so you can people-watch while you jump into all the tasty dishes. The gluten-free cauliflower pizzas are sooo good!”
The Butcher’s Daughter, 1205 Abbot Kinney Road, Venice, CA 90291
Rustic Canyon
“This is a new favourite of mine. It even got a Michelin star in 2019. Like most other restaurants in LA, everything is family-style – which is mostly just a way for the kitchen to serve dishes as they’re ready. Get a main dish each and add a side to share. They also make excellent cocktails.”
Rustic Canyon, 1119 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA 90401
Coffee
“There are too many coffee shops around LA to cover here, but you’ll find many cool spots so you don’t need to go near Starbucks. My favourites are spread all over town, so depending on my mood and where I am, I head for Verve, Alfred or Intelligentsia.”
Various branches across the city; see the websites above for locations and addresses
Jeni’s
“I think that right after coffee shops, ice-cream stores are the biggest industry in LA (obviously, I know that’s not true!). There are so many different ones to choose from, so it comes down to flavour. I live for Jeni’s and its fair-trade ice creams. Favourite variety? Salted peanut butter with chocolate flecks.”
Jenni’s, branches at Los Feliz (1954 Hillhurst Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90027), Venice (540 Rose Avenue, Venice, CA 90291) and Larchmont (123 North Larchmont Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90004)
Jon & Vinny’s
“Jon & Vinny’s serves excellent Italian food wrapped in great interiors. They do the best pizzas I have managed to find. Real pizzas – none of those massive cheese-filled crusts, just super-thin bases with amazing toppings. It’s my go-to after visiting the Getty, as it’s close by – and there’s an Alfred coffee shop just next door.”
Jon & Vinny’s, 11938 San Vicente Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90049; also a branch at 412 North Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90036
Thanks Allan!
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is served by flights from all over the world. Car hire or taxis are pretty much essential for exploring once you’re there, though there’s also a metro plus bikes and scooters for hire.
All restaurant photos via the venues themselves; other images via Unsplash (photographers from top: Krys Amon, Chandra Oh, Tamara Garcevic, Michael Haslim, Anthony Menecol, Adrian Duenas, Frank Zhang, Rachael Ren, Alexis Balinoff, Nathan Dumlao and Stephen Leonardi)
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