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| Not a bad view for a dirty, gritty city |
We
had been forewarned about LA – it's traffic is a nightmare, it's
dirty, there is a lot of homelessness, it's too big, etc.
And
while I will agree with most of the above statements, we loved it.
Yes
the traffic is shite, but what city's traffic isn't. Yes it's a big
dirty city, but what else did you expect. And I would say it doesn't
have any more or less homeless people getting about than any other
west coast city.
I
think most people have an issue with LA because it is often the first
city they fly into. People hold it in the same regard as New York –
when you think of the USA, it's often NY and LA for a lot of people.
LA is assumed to be just like in the movies – Hollywood in all it's
glitz and glamour but it's not. Downtown is like any other downtown,
and Hollywood and Beverly Hills are just suburbs but if you plan it
right, LA has a lot to offer if you know what you want to do.
The 'Hollywood' sign and LA viewed from Runyon Canyon
I
would recommend giving yourself half a day to check out Hollywood,
the Walk of Fame, Runyon Canyon and the Hollywood sign. I suppose a
lot of people have high expectations of these things and may be
somewhat disappointed with the reality, but I'm not too sure what
more they expect. Have a walk around, take some 'tourist' snaps and
get outta there.
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| TLC Chinese Theatre |
I
would highly recommend trying to get to a show – whether it be a
Broadway show at LA Theatre, getting to a game at Staples Center or
Dodger Stadium, or a visit to one of the theme parks within the area
(Disneyland or Universal) – I really think if more people got to
one of these attractions LA wouldn't have such a bad reputation.
And
then there is the best type of show – the free ones. When you next
have to spend a night or so in LA sign yourself up to one of the many
free live recording shows that are on offer in LA – the list is
long and illustrious, it just depends on what you want to see. Try
the Ellen DeGeneres show for free shite (and if you are that way
inclined – I'm thinking of you Mike!), try Jimmy Kimmel for some
laughs, and try Sports Nation for some sports comedy. These are just
a few, and I'm sure there are plenty more available, again it's just
about finding out what you want to do and letting LA provide! We
caught Sports Nation, and although most of it went over Nic's head
she still enjoyed it, and I was in my element. For those that haven't
seen the show it's a comedic sports talk show co-hosted by the guy
everyone who knows nothing about boxing hates – Max Kellerman!
STAPLES Center & Sports Nation
And
like all cities that are to be considered good in the hefty opinion
of yours truly, LA has some fairly decent beaches, some classic
Californian beaches and others with a slightly different ambiance.
Venice Beach had me entertained for hours, and I didn't even get in
the water. Muscle Beach is all it's cracked up to be! Loved it. Then
there are the plethora of sports courts available for public use –
basketball, paddle tennis (a smaller version of your standard tennis
using, as the name suggests, paddles), American Handball (tennis
against a wall without the racquet), skate parks, both street and
vert. A bloke could be, and was, entertained for hours. And yes there
are a number of eclectic people hanging about, but they really just
add to the atmosphere! Take a walk around the canals if the beach is
a little too dirty for your liking!
Venice Beach and its activities
Redondo,
Hermosa, Manhattan and Santa Monica are like all other beaches on
California – white sands, crowded, complete with the standard pier
and a number of volleyball courts. We caught one of the best sunsets
I have seen for years down at Manhattan where there was some
surprising surf on offer around the pier.
Manhattan Beach
I am
going to go out on a limb here and say the LA was better than San
Diego. There I said it. However I don't feel the need to go back to
either in a rush!
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