LA is a great place to visit! This article provides a guide for the solo traveler to Los Angeles.
Whether you are a fan of art and culture, someone who loves the outdoors, or who likes to see art, LA is a great place to visit! This article provides a guide for the solo traveler to Los Angeles.
Exploring the City
Begin your tour of LA, just like a native Los Angelino, and take a drive. LA is known for its quirky architecture and this tour begins with a driving tour of Los Angeles architecture. La Puente, on the way from the LA Airport, is home to the Giant Donut Hole built in 1958. Take a drive through the donut on your way to visit the giant Coca Cola Soda Bottle at South Central Avenue in Los Angeles. Relax in the giant lawn furniture sculptures on Santa Monica Boulevard and then take another drive over to the Monster Scissors on De Soto Avenue in Woodland Hills. The nice thing about this driving tour, is the giant displays are difficult to miss!
Arrive at the ocean, a few minutes away, and take a stroll on the boardwalk in Venice and walk out onto the pier in adjacent Santa Monica. There you can ride the merry-go-round or go for a bumper car ride. The local vendors provide music, exotic gift items, and even a little exotic entertainment-including a chainsaw juggling act. On the way to the freeway to the next location, stop off at the Bergamot Station Art Gallery located at Michigan Avenue off Cloverfield in Santa Monica. The Station has numerous galleries where you can walk from gallery to gallery enjoying diverse art forms and displays.
The tour continues downtown at Angel's Flight at Fourth and Hill Streets. The architectural arches and the funicular tracks are a combination of authentic pieces of the original train and reproductions. Even though the cars are not operating, the arches show the magistry of a former era. The Bunker Hill area was once home to stately Queen Anne homes and a bustling neighborhood. The trolley was the inspiration for the Millard Sheet's oil painting on permanent display at the Wilshire LA County Museum of Art. Stop in for a snack at Grand Central Market directly at the foot of Angel's Flight. The Grand City Market of Los Angeles was established in 1909 on South San Pedro Street in Los Angeles. Tour the vendors and snack on samples or order the specialities of the day.
Continue your tour to Fifth Street in downtown for a visit to the Los Angeles Public Library. The stately building is a landmark built in 1925 and designed by Bertram Goodhue. After a disastrous fire that destroyed portions of the interior, the LAPL was reopened in the 1980s with a new wing designed by Norman Pfeiffer and restoration done to the remaining structure. Murals from the 1920s and 1930s are on display in the older sections and a spectacular rotunda has places for readers to relax in the sun in an interior mall. Vintage and new artwork is on display in every room on every floor. Artwork by artists Julian E. Garnsey, Dean Cornwell, Albert Herter, Jud Fine, Thermon Statom and Renee Petropoulous are represented. Take time to visit the gift store to find a unique collection of historic reproductions and original art for sale. The library coffee bar is an excellent place to take a short break from touring.
Meet the People
One of the quickest ways to meet people is going to the local area Farmers' Markets. Head out Sunday morning to Long Beach Marina, Hollywood, Encino, Brentwood or Beverly Hills. Tuesdays in Culver City, and late in the afternoon on Wednesday visit the Hollywood Sears Farmers' Market or the markets on Adams & Vermont and Huntington Park. Thursday's markets are in El Segundo and Redondo Beach. Whittier, Long Beach Downtown, Hermosa Beach and Venice hold markets on Fridays. The Melrose Place Market in Santa Monica and the North Hollywood Valley Market is held on every Saturday.
The other city market open every day is the Los Angeles Farmer's Market which was established 1934. It is a Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument and it is located across the street from Television City on West Third Street in Los Angeles. Arrive for fresh waffles made to your special order made anytime before the dinner closing time.
Dining with the Locals
The dining plan is designed for a solo visit, since each of the locations on this itinerary either have single or public-type seating.
Breakfast is early at Philippe's, the home of the original French Dip sandwich, where breakfast is a Los Angeles classic! The homemade biscuits and donuts are warm, fresh coffee is only .35 cents, and the eggs are any way you like them. Couples and families are a hindrance in the breakfast traffic at Philippe's, where singles have the advantage in jockying for position in breakfast lines.
Lunch is an adventure at Tail O' the Pup. The hotdog shaped stand was built after World War II and has been a favorite of stars and locals for many years. The Tail serves specialty dogs. Grab a hotdog and munch on a walk over to the Westside Mall. The Tail is located on La Brea and Mircle Mile on North San Vincente Boulevard in West Hollywood.
The Apple Pan is a great place for a dinner when visiting Los Angeles on your own. In fact, seating for more than two is impossible! The small U-shaped counter with red covered swivel stools is a great place to meet business people, perhaps even a film star, when waiting for an open stool. The Pan is a Gourmet Burger Capital, but the Apple Pan also serves tuna and egg sandwiches and a more run-of-the-mill sandwich fare of ham and cheese. Fries are a must, since they are served on a paper plate with a spare plate for the optional ketchup frosting. The desert choice is, of course, a piece of warm apple pie. Lunch is crowded and dinnertime is the easiest time to find a parking spot. The tiny restaurant is located in between giant office buildings on West Pico Boulevard in Los Angeles.
Whether you are a fan of art and culture, someone who loves the outdoors, or someone who likes to eat and shop, LA is a great place to visit and explore!
