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Pip,

Here is some stuff you might do in the area...

Try these things to see in L.A.---Have Fun----->>>>>>>>>>>>

1.Eat at Pinks or Pinkberry or In and Out burger-In and Out has really good chesseburgers.

Their totally fresh French fries ironically I don’t like because they are too “crumbly”? I like McDonalds crispy French

Fries better (even though they are not fresh and are flash frozen. Pinks is OK but not worth a real long wait. They need to clean up and freshen up the street area a little.

2.Farmers Market at the Grove. Go to Charley’s Café in the Farmer’s Market. Go the closest booth to Fairfax. Charlie and Bob are great. Reasonable food at a reasonable price. Charlie is about a 50 year old female…..

(@ Fairfax and W. 3rd)

3.See a movie at Graumin’s Chinese theater

4.Griffith Observatory, note--reservations now required. The new Oschin Planetarium show is the best part of it.

5.Getty Museum in town off 405 (reservations- NO LONGER REQUIRED) First Class Art of many periods and interesting Architecture. Cool Tram Ride and great city pics if it is not smoggy or cloudy.

6.Getty Villa Malibu (reservations)

7.Norton Simon Museum (Pasadena)

8.Hollywood Bowl concerts (arrange parking first)

9.Walk of Fame/Stars (3 ½ miles round trip<warning—lol)

10.Rodeo Drive, (via Rodeo)-walking Rodeo

11.Trolley tours of star homes, Hollywood or downtown

12.Ivy, Kitson (on N. Robertson) , Hotel Marmont,

13.Santa Monica pier (Pacific Park), Mariasol Mexican Restaurant on Pier ****** and 3rd St. promanade, ride ferris wheel (Pacific Wheel) kiddieland, Ivy by the sea… ii…dinosaur/arbors…

14.Bicycling Venice Beach (you can rent bikes) (street performers, muscle beach)

15.Catalina Island (concerts) (catamaran to Avalon) out of Long Beach or Newport beach..the casino.

service now available out of Marina del Rey (Helicopter Service $150. now available out of San Pedro)*****

16. Studio tour (Universal/City Walk or Warner Bros.)

17.check out Disney, Dreamworks, Paramount, NBC

18. Dodger stadium baseball game

19.Downtown L.A.-Lummis house, Angels flight

20.Club at Hyde, Area, Teddy’s, Priviledge, Les Deux, Parc, Mood

Skybar, Roxy, Tryst, Whiskey (a-go-go), The Spyder Club,

The Viper Room, House of Blues.

21.Beverly Hilton, Trader Vics, Sparkles

22.Beverly Hills City Hall and Fritelli’s donuts (Canon Dr., BH)

23.Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf + Tito tacos (Culver City)

24.Huntington Beach Surfing and Surf Museum

(they spend a lot of time and money on constant activities)

25. Disneyland (Anaheim)

26.Knotts Berry Farm, 6 Flags/Magic Mountain

27.Lebrea Tar Pits and Page Museum on Wilshire @Fairfax

( It’s OK, less interesting than anticipated)

28.Lakers basketball- Staples arena

29.L.A. Open at Riviera Country Club

30. L.A. Equestrian Center

31.Big Bear skiing

32.Palm Springs golf and tram ride

33.River Walk and L.A. River Gardens

34.Eat at Mr. Chow’s or Koi or Yamashiro

35.Visit Zuma beach, pier at Malibu and Paradise Cove

36.Foose Auto Design (See Overhaul’in TV Show) and Huntington Beach boardwalk

37.Aquarium of the Pacific (Long Beach) and Queen Mary ii

38.Los Angeles zoo (parking site for Griffith Observatory/Hollywood Bowl)

( not up to L.A. standards frankly)

39.Gene Autrey western museum + Travel Town (railroad museum)

40.Hike up Mt. Lee and visit Bronson (Batman) caves

41. USC. UCLA football, LA Colusium or Rose Bowl

42.Petersen Auto Museum (car “rallys” from Huntington Beach) OK,

see the stars cars and the ferarri collection

43.Hollywood Park race track

44.Dana Point whale watching (75 milles south)

45.San Simeon (250 miles north)

46.Huntington library and gardens (San Marino)

47.Hollywood Wax Museum and Kodak Theater tour

48.Drive Mullholland Drive

49.Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum (across from wax museum)

50.Commerce Casino Club, Commerce, CA.

51.Santa Anita race track, and L.A.. Botanic Gardens -Arcadia, CA.

52.Fred Segal (this is mostly for women and gay guys I guess)

53.Redondo Beach and Pier

54.Beverly Hills Hotel, Polo Lounge

55.Bicycle Club Casino (Bell Gardens, CA.)

56.Mt. Wilson observatory-(UCLA astronomy-Cal. Rt #2))

57.Hollywood sign hike and pics, L.A.pics

58.Beach bonfire—monthy special

(free wood and hotdogs)

59.Drive on Pismo Beach-mention u saw this ad...lol

60.Helicopter tour of L.A..(cheaper than you think and cool too)

61.Gondola ride at Naples Island (Alimitos Bay)

62. Renaissance Festival

63. Haunted Hollywood Tour

64. China town, Korea town

65. Rockwalk at the Guitar Center..

66. Graumans Egyptian Theater

67. Melrose Trading Post (Saturdays only)

68 El Capitan Theater

69. Dominator ship wreck hike

70. Tilmann Japanese garden (San Fernando Valley)

71. Little Tokyo

72.Fashion district-(11th St. + Santee))L.A. Fashion week (bargains)

73. Volley ball and tournaments (Huntington Beach)

74. San Bernadino Route 66 classic car show (Sept.13-16)

75. Descanso Gardens (La Canada)

76. Exposition Park (USC)

77. Brand Park/Glendale library

78. Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles Diner

79. Canter’s Deli or The Pantry

80. Museum of Tolerance

81. Eat at Mortons (Pam is closing at the end of the year)

82. LACMA

83. San Antonio and Temecula winery tours

84. Lake Arrowhead

85. Malibu ocean kayaking (also at Mothers beach- Marina del Rey)

86. Hike Joshua Tree National Park

87. Horse back riding (in the Santa Monica mountains)

88.Water parks-hurricane harbor, soak city, raging rivers

89. L.A. barhopper mystery bus

90. Mission san fernando, mission hills (north 5/405 intersection)

91. Papa Christo’s Thursday Greek Dinner (pico/normandie) Real Store with restaurant attached. This authentic experience including belly dancer and classes for the ladies won’t last in it’s present shape too long as it is sold out on Thursdays now, it’s inexpensive and Chrys’s Daughter graduates from business school next year and if she has any sense will turn this into something bigger. (butI like it as it is). Make sure to make reservations for the Big Fat Greek Thursday Dinner and not just plain dinner **********

92. Mel’s diner (Hollywood and highland)

93. Bob’s Big Boy—Toluca Lake-Riverside Dr.-(Friday nights only 5 to 10:00)******

94. Marina Del Rey Dinner Cruise-Hornblower Co.

95. Segway rentals at Segway L.A. on 1660 Ocean Blvd.—Santa Monica.-Ask for Gianni or Tresa*****

96. Ford’s Theater (across the 101 from the Hollywood Bowl) smaller shows than the Bowl.

97. Spago-Beverly Hills---Great Wolfgang Puck restaurant, Great service, Great professional waiters, Great food

5 starstry the Cobb Salid or Lobster Club sandwich…You might meet Wolfgang…*****

98. Bob Morris’s Paradise Cove Café—Sunday Morning Brunch…the best food ever, right on the beach if you want.****** (North of Malibu maybe 5 miles—look for Paradise Cove signs)*****

99. MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art)

100. Walt Disney Concert Hall (downtown)—stunning architechture…..

Please send good ideas i have forgotten…Thanks

Being that it is LA, there are no "cheap" places to stay; the best you can do is Motel 6 and the second best is hotels.com or expedia.com. Universal Studios is cool at the city walk, if you go make sure to do the studio tour. Unfortunately, LA is greatly overrated, I am afraid you will be disappointed. Anaheim is close to LA, which has Disneyland. Avoid Six Flags at all costs, it is run down and dilapidated. Las Vegas is a 4 hour drive from LA.

First stop...Take a tour of L.A. on one of those tourist buses. It will take you to Chinese Theater, Hollywood Sign, and various important spots in L.A.

There are great tours out on Catalina Island, with guides and glass-bottom boats.

Wait in the crazy long line at Pink's on Labrea and have a totally high calorie filled hot dog.

Visit the museums like the Getty, California Science Center, and the Ripley's Believe It or Not.

Go to a sports game at Dodger Stadium or the Staples Center.

Take a visit to a studio (most of the studios are outside of Hollywood except Paramount...but this is the most boring studio of them all...trust me...I used to work there) such as Universal Studios, Sony Pictures Entertainment, or Warner Brothers. Get tickets to a studio taping. You can google "free Hollywood t.v. tickets".

Visit the observatory in Griffith Park, or go to the Equestian Center. Melrose Avenue, Robertson, and Rodeo for the best shopping. Eat lots of PINKBERRY, go smoke some shisha in a Hookbar in Westwood, and hit up redondo beach.

HOTTEST CLUBS: Area, Mood, Les-Deux and Ritual. Call ahead and try to get on the list. Otherwise, you better line up with a group of hot girls and short skirts.

Hope this helps! Outside all of the smog and people "faking it till they make it"...L.A. isn't really that bad :)

Head to Las Vegas better it's about 4 hours away from los angeles.

O.K. I live in L.a. and the best place to stay would be the beach of course. It's the summer Manhattan Beach, Venice Beach or Malibu r great hang out spots. Lots of clubs, cafes, shopping and excitement. Another place that is cool is Hollywood or Downtown L.a. Hope that helped u!!!

There are literally hundreds of things to do here in LA. Here is my top ten list:

Disneyland: The Happiest Place on Earth. Half a billion visitors can’t be wrong. (Sometimes it seems all at once)

Universal Studios: A theme park that grew out of a studio tour. And Universal City Walk is a fun place to hang out in the evening after your day inside the park.

Hollywood: Hollywood Boulevard is ready for its close-up, thanks to years of urban renewal and renovation. Enjoy the Walk of Fame, Entertainment Museum, Chinese Theatre and more. You can see a lot for free. The Hollywood & Highland complex has lots of shops and restaurants, and the Kodak Theater (home of the Academy Awards). I also like the El Capitan theater, because it has been restored to its former glory.

Rodeo Drive, 90210: Packed with exclusive shops, full of gawkers. They all came to enjoy the excess. Free, unless you intend to buy something.

Venice Beach: Los Angeles kitsch and over-the-top culture at its best. Here you'll find Muscle Beach, street performers and tacky shops galore. Fun, VERY interesting, but I avoid it after dark, when it gets a little TOO interesting for my taste. And it's a short bike ride from Santa Monica Pier.

Santa Monica Beach and Pier: Great beach scene and a classic seaside amusement park, complete with antique carousel that has been in a lot of TV and movies. (The Sting and "Three's Company" come immediately to mind). After visiting the pier, you can ride a bike south a couple miles to Venice Beach.

Santa Monica Third Street Promenade - Downtown Santa Monica's shopping promenade is often the scene of movie star-sightings. Just a short walk from the Santa Monica Pier.

Sunset Boulevard: Perhaps one of the world's most famous streets, it began as a route between the stars' posh neighborhoods and the Hollywood studios. It runs from downtown to the ocean, passing through the "Sunset Strip" on its way. It makes for a fun drive. Along the way, you see a lot of different neighborhoods: Hollywood, West Hollywood, Bel Air, and Pacific Palisades. When you get to the ocean, stop at Gladstone's for Fish.

Queen Mary: Once the largest ship afloat, she's been docked in Long Beach for longer than she sailed, and her elegance never fails to impress. Free to visit. You can actually stay on board, for a price.

Farmers Market and The Grove - A new shopping complex right next to a Los Angeles landmark, The Grove and Farmers Market coexist. Enjoy a movie or shopping, and then take the trolley to the Farmers Market for lunch or dinner. It is right next to CBS, so walk across the lot to see if they are taping "The Price is Right". You might even get in.

TAAB: The Americana at Brand- The newly opened TAAB, developed by the same group that gave us The Grove, breathes new life into Glendale, and gives all those hip people in Eagle Rock and the eastern half of LA a great place to go.

Griffith Park - Home of the Los Angeles Zoo, Griffith Park Observatory, Travel Town, the Greek Theatre, and Gene Autry Museum of Western Heritage.

Getty Museum - The Getty's architecture is so beautiful that it keeps me fascinated. No matter whether you like their art or architecture better (or maybe you'll just enjoy the view), the Getty is sure to please. Free.

Attend a TV taping - You can get free tickets at audiencesunlimited.com, tvtix.com, or see the booth at Universal City walk. It's very interesting to see a show being taped. The most popular, by far, is the Tonight show with Jay Leno. Check the NBC web site for all the details there.

Wicked at the Pantages Theater- Located in the heart of Hollywood, this is an excellent and long running production, the most POPULAR show in LA right now.

Places to eat:

In-N-Out Burger: Multiple locations, best burger in LA, ask anyone.

Pink’s Hot Dogs: 709 N. La Brea, just north of Melrose. You might even see a celebrity. Maybe.

Tommy’s Chili Burgers: Look for the shack, an LA tradition. The original location is at Beverly & Rampart, a couple miles west of downtown.

Canter’s Deli: 419 N. Fairfax, between Beverly & Melrose. Near CBS, you might spot a celebrity.

Phillippe’s: 1001 N. Alameda. Great roast beef sandwiches. Near Union Station and Olvera Street. Watch the mustard, it’s hot.

The Pantry: Corner of Figueroa and 9th, downtown. Huge portions, they never close, GREAT steak and eggs.

Places to Stay:

Since LA is so spread out, there is no single place that is close to EVERYTHING. Most people who come here tend to stay in Hollywood, Santa Monica, or Anaheim.

In Hollywood, I recommend the Renaissance Hotel at Hollywood and Highland, the Best Western Sunset Plaza, or the Holiday Inn Walk of Fame.

In Santa Monica, the Holiday Inn Santa Monica is close to the pier and reasonably priced.

In Anaheim, I recommend the Howard Johnson (HoJo) Anaheim, and the Candy Cane Inn. If you want to splurge and make this a most memorable trip, stay at Disney’s Grand Californian. You get the full Disney experience.

Places to Shop:

Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica

The Grove, Los Angeles

Americana @ Brand, Glendale

Beverly Center, Los Angeles

Citadel Outlets, Commerce

Brea Mall, Brea

The Block at Orange, Orange

South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa

Fashion Island, Newport Beach

Santee Alley, Los Angeles

you want advice? dont go!! well first go to a great hotdog stand called "pinks" the best. check out the capital records building, and china town very vibrant colored place.

HAHA EVERYBOD TALKIN BOUT PINKS ON LA BREA OFF MELROSE . . . BUT IT'S OVER RATED AND THE LINE IS ALWAYS LONG FOR NOTHIN!! 20 MINUTE WAIT FOR A CHILI DOG . . . GET THE PHUCK OUTTA HERE!! LMAO

I live in LA. nothing here bt fake snotty *** people!!. Go to the grove. very good. Try the village idiot on melrose and martel. delicious. Go to the zoo!!