City of Stars, Are You Shining Just for Me LA?

Now LA was interesting, but the traffic makes me want to avoid it again at all costs. This is especially true if you have your car, because parking is ridiculous. I was very disappointed about this in spite of extensive research in advance that should’ve saved me a lot of money, so consider that in your planning.

Where do you want to stay?

I popped around a couple spots in the city, so I have a few ideas offhand. I started out at Surf City Hostel which had a view of Hermosa Beach. Only a minute or two and I would be toes deep in the sand. This was favorite hostel for one reason, and one reason only, the free parking. Only a 10 min walk away, and surprisingly quite safe in my opinion. The area was very calm and aesthetically pleasing.

At Surf City Hostel, I got the room to myself in the hostel, but the bed was definitely very uncomfortable and I got one small pillow, so I wouldn’t call the hostel great or noticeably clean. It was nice to have a chance to read on the beach, and it was nice and warm from the sun, in spite of it being January… but that does explain the empty beach.

I moved into my next accommodation the next day, and this was in downtown LA, Somewhere between 30-45 minutes drive from the beach, but nowhere near a good place for free or even cheap parking (definitely nothing less than $20 a night). And this hotel was called Freehand Hotel. It was a bit of an odd stay since it doubled as a hotel and a hostel.

As an avid solo budgeter, I chose the hostel room which had 8 people in it of mixed genders and a shared bathroom in a suite. I would highly recommend booking on HostelWorld also, because when I added an extra day it cost a big chunk extra to book directly from the hotel for the same bed. There was a kitchen available for use in the basement as well, but not exactly a common area. It was pretty pricey consideration the quarters and the lack of parking. I stayed for 3 days, and each day had worse luck finding affordable parking. I even paid more on parking than the accommodation on the last night (equivalent to the valet price).

The cool thing about Freehand was the rooftop bar and pool. The only issue is that it was winter, and they don’t open the rooftop until at least 10 or 11am, and it closed by 11pm too. I was looking forward to catching the sunrise up there, but couldn’t access it on my own time. I met some interesting people in my hostel room, so I was excited to meet and hang out with new people on my journey. The other bright side worth mentioning is that the building is super aesthetic.

What Do You Want to See?

I started out on the lookout for some murals, so I went over to the Arts District which is a great area to see plenty of them. I was a bit confused of what was supposed to be there, so I just found some spots to take cool pictures, and left without any interest in any of the shops around.

Afterwards, I headed to The Last Bookstore, which is a massive bookstore with two floors and incredible art created from the books and other literary ideas that’s good for looking at and photo ops. There is a book vault, a book tower, a book cutout, etc.

Luckily, later that night, I met some new people at a party I went to on Newport Beach. I had a couple friends who lived in the area, so that’s how those plans sparked. I had a lot of fun going there, but am keeping in mind for the future that the bus/train system is so unreliable, and I should just plan to drive always if I can. That is the most frustrating part though because the traffic is awful, but still considerably better than relying on public transport. The downfall of the American Transportation industry. Unfortunately, this was the case in almost every city.

I had a concert that night in Long Beach, CA, so I had to leave a little early to get there on time. I ended up missing the opener (Jeff Rosenstock), but at least I saw the whole performance of Joyce Manor.

Next up, I took a drive down Hollywood Blvd. I was going to play parking by ear there, because I knew that walking down the street would be just about as climactic as driving down the street. Ultimately, there was nothing akin to affordable or available parking, and just seeing the masses of tourists crossing the street put me off of considering it. I got to see the Walk of Fame from afar, David Dobrik’s pizza shop, and all the other classic Hollywood staples. I’m glad I did it, and definitely don’t regret making it a very short part of my trip. Surprisingly the traffic over there was pretty light, to my dismay since I wanted to cruise past these spots pretty slow.

The Greystone Mansion was up next on my itinerary. You might know this place from the many popular movies filmed there, like Spiderman (w/James Franco), The Big Lebowski, X-Men, and too many popular films and tv shows to keep listing. I would like to point out that this is probably the only place I went to that was free to explore AND to park. I will definitely be back again when the garden is in bloom.

There is a lot of ground to cover around there, but it’s well worth it. The building is gorgeous, and it overlooks all of Hollywood. Strangely, there is no picnicking allowed, but to me it looks like a perfect picnic spot. I’m sure it gets pretty crowded in the summer, but luckily I was one of maybe 10 people on the premises that day.

From there, I did a pretty iconic drive overlooking most of L.A. with some insane views. The road is called Mulholland Dr. (also a movie with that title) and it is well worth the extra time it adds to see the windy rolling hills.

Surprise, Surprise. And I ended my time in LA with some souvenir shopping in the area. I also got the chance to stop at one of the Buffalo Exchange shops, which is like trendy thrift shopping (you can bring stuff in for money too). It was definitely the best thrift shop I’ve ever been to. All the clothes are curated, and if they’re out of season, they’re still on the racks and they’re discounted. I highly recommend checking one of these, there are 40 locations across the U.S.

Make sure you check out the Malibu Pier if you want to avoided the crowded, amusement park one, the Santa Monica pier. Both are great options, but they have very different vibes and food options.

If you want some more suggestions, consider checking out El Capitan, which is a gorgeous interior theatre. If you can get a ticket, then try out The Comedy Store which is a well-known comedy club. Angel’s Flight is also something cute that would be fun, it’s a little coaster with city views.

Looking for some food or drink ideas?

I started out by heading to Chinatown to get this chicken sandwich that claimed to be the best in the country. It was called Howlin’ Rays, and it took a good 20 minutes to find free parking in the area, but I did it. The guy that took my order actually ended up giving me my sandwich for free to help cover some gas or something for me in the future. That was probably the biggest act of kindness that I’ve encountered on this trip.

Also, not going to lie, it was one of the best fried chicken sandwiches I’ve ever had… but Flip the Bird certainly gives them a run for their money. I ate this Howlin’ Rays sandwich in a park nearby, since the seating was quite limited in the area.

I grabbed a drink at the Malibu Farm Restaurant, which cost me $20, but the ambiance was worth it and the drink was pretty good (pictured). I did check out the Santa Monica pier next to grab some happy hour drinks and see the sunset. Parking was about $7, so that sucked, but I got to see a pretty great sunset and hangout for a while so that was nice. I walked around the area at the top of the pier by the road for a little while before my next accommodation.

Of course, afterwards I couldn’t resist getting the same chicken sandwich I had tried years prior. Just as expensive as last time, and a bit more anticlimactic, the sandwich was still worth it. You can find it at the end of the Malibu pier at Malibu Farm Pier Café.

It’s all organic, so at least you’re paying more for some healthy ingredients. Most of the spots I went to, I would have a book to read to pass the time. It would have been good to visit these places with friends or alone, so take your pick!

Another good spot for some food is Café Bonaparte which has some great breakfast in the Hermosa Beach area. The omelet I got was very good, and pretty big so it was worth the slightly expensive cost.

I also skirted over to Venice Beach to go to the High Rooftop Lounge at the top of Hotel Erwin. The bar is literally called “High,” it was awesome. Seemed to be occupied by a lot of parents and a couple of boujee younger people, so it was an interesting vibe, but a great spot to visit with friends. Would be great to catch the sunset.

If you’re in downtown LA, you might find yourself nearby the Golden Gopher. They have some great drink specials, so that’s definitely worth a consideration, especially if you’re near the Freehand Hostel where I was staying.

High, How Are You?

Since I was in a legal state, I of course have to mention dispensaries in the area. As someone who has frequented many dispensaries around the U.S., this was my favorite. It was called Green Goddess Collective (there are multiple locations, but check out the Venice Beach one).

I would like to add a location that was highly recommended to me (too late for me to check it out though). The Artist’s Tree Lounge/Dispensary. It’s a smoking club, where you can smoke inside. Currently unable to get a liquor license, but they’re working on it. I have ever intention to check this place out when I return to the area, you should too if you like to smoke.

And while I wish I made it everywhere that I had researched, my eyes are always bigger than my stomach… or I guess my time. Here are the food spots I was suggested to check out, but missed. Perch Rooftop Bar (happy hour!), Venice Ale House (food), Whaler (drinks), Paradise Cove (beach cafe), and Escala K-Town (happy hour!). Check this out for some more rooftop bar spots in LA!

Highlights:

• Malibu Pier
• Greystone Mansion
• Hermosa Beach
• The Last Bookstore
• Santa Monica Pier (touristy, but still a staple)
• Howlin’ Rays
• Green Goddess Collective
• Buffalo Exchange
• Artist Tree Lounge/Dispensary
• Surf City Hostel
• Freehand Hostel/hotel