I have an interview in Los Angeles on Monday, and the W and I are heading out for the weekend, to check the place out. I want to know where to go and what to see, but from a standpoint of "do we want to live here?" What neigborhoods should we be checking out, where are the grocery stores, reasonable places to eat, that sort of thing. I'm sure we'll still do a touristy thing or two, I just don't want to plan the days around the idea that we'll never come back.
Some useful information: a) I'd be working in Century City (next to the Shopping Center); the W will probably end up at either UCLA or USC. b) In general, house > apartment. c) I have a big dog who likes walks, so nearby parks are a plus.
On the other hand, if we don't move here, I'd hate to have spent the entire weekend just looking at cul-de-sacs in Westwood. What should we do with 2.5 days in L.A.? Something nice to see, maybe a decent meal (I do notice my hotel is right near Craft, but someone doesn't like steak), a few drinks?
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
HEAVEN, IS THIS HEAVEN, WHERE WE ARE? A request, via J. Bowman:
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Craft (at least original Craft) is not a steakhouse at all. I haven't been to original recipe Craft, but have been to Craftbar, Craftsteak (both NY and Vegas), and Wichcraft, and there are plenty of non-steak options at all. I know there have been some quality control issues at some of the Craft outposts, but worth trying.
ReplyDeleteI always recommend a few hours at the Getty if you're in LA for such a short amount of time. Free admission and it was only $5 to park - might be more now. The grounds/views are spectacular and the art collection is amazing.
ReplyDeleteSushi in Los Angeles is better than sushi anywhere else in the country. I'm partial to R-23 (hidden in an industrial district a few blocks from Skid Row in a twee space with cardboard chairs designed by Frank Gehry), but a dinner at Nobu will get more nods when you have cocktail-party conversation outside of LA.
ReplyDeleteGrand Central Market in downtown is a great place to wander for a couple of hours if you're in LA over a weekend--get a great cheap lunch at one of the ethnic food stands, and then walk around downtown to see the architecture, and stop in at the Museum of Contemporary Art. Instead of climbing that big hill, take the recently reopened Angels Flight, the nation's shortest funicular railroad.
Santa Monica Pier is a bit of a tourist trap, but walking around that and the Third Street Promenade can be a pleasant experience when the weather is good, and the weather is usually good. My favorite greasy-spoon Indian restaurant in the entire nation, Gate of India, is right there on Santa Monica Boulevard between Ocean and First. Skip the buffet, order the saag paneer and chicken makhni. In terms of finding a house, I don't know what your budget is, but you could do worse in finding a neighborhood than starting at Ocean and Santa Monica and working your way east to Century City. You can take a detour going North on Bundy to see the Nicole Brown Simpson house and where Monica Lewinsky grew up--there are some nice small houses in that neighborhood as well.
I lived near where the Grove is now; that quadrilateral between San Vicente, Melrose, La Brea, and 6th Street has some good housing, and is pretty close to Century City, though may feel like a bit of a shlep to UCLA (less so to USC).
In terms of other eating experiences, google for Jonathan Gold's annual list and for the food trucks.
Get a seismic evaluation and check the crime reports before you buy anywhere.
Though I've lived in LA for a dozen years, I'm a lousy resource for this sort of thing, because I don't get out much, but I'll second the Getty rec, as we're supposed to have beautiful weather this coming weekend (mid 70s and sunny!), and the Getty is especially delightful when it's sunny out. UCLA and USC are far enough apart that you might want to know for sure before committing to any neighborhood, but Larchmont Village is very pretty, and halfway-ish between Century City and USC. Pricy, of course, but what out here isn't?
ReplyDeleteI don't really know anything about nice food, but Pizzeria Mozza was delicious when I was there just a couple months ago. And my favorite pub will always be The Cat and Fiddle, on Sunset. Not at all trendy, but very easy, and the food isn't abominable. Jones, on Santa Monica, is also nice, as is Lola's, on Fairfax. Both of those are a bit more upscale.
I'm very far from an expert on L.A. (my visits are usually a bizarre jumble of visits with locals and lots of conference time at the same hotel where I'm guessing you'll be staying), but I've been to that very Craft and I can second that it's easy for non-meat eaters. I don't eat red meat and had one the best meals I've ever experienced there (was there within a week or so of opening, Tom was still there and making the rounds). Wish I had other advice . . . I usually just go where friends take me.
ReplyDeleteI would definitely recommend Miracle Mile area. I moved out here two years ago and have been surprised by how much walking is part of the culture of this area. You could make a lovely day of this loop: Farmer's Market for breakfast (3rd & Fairfax), a stroll through The Grove, and then through the Nordstroms to Pan Pacific Park (great dog walking, plus soccer playing and yoga stretching), cross 3rd for some star sighting at the Whole Foods, then walk down Fairfax to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (fantastic stuff to see there) and meander through the garden/park to the La Brea Tar Pits on Wilshire (across from a group of buildings that house a bunch of entertainment media centers). For a low key lunch eat at The Black Dog Cafe. For something more Fairfax District-y, walk back up Fairfax to Canters or for something more LA-y, walk back up to Fairfax, take a left on 3rd and hit any of the restaurants on that strip (AOC, Joan's on Third, Toast). Or, for gourmet vegan, get in the car and drive to La Cienega, take a right, and two-three blocks down is Real Food Daily.
ReplyDeleteAll that territory--Fairfax to La Brea, 6th to Olympic--is filled with 1920s Spanish style buildings with apartments -and- houses. People are always walking everywhere. And it's an easy ride to Century City and equi-distant between USC and UCLA. Plus? A Trader Joe's, the Whole Foods, a Smart & Final, and two Ralphs. Plus a CVS, a Walgreens, and a Rite Aid. And a dry cleaner, nail salon, sushi restaurant, two banks, a Starbucks, and some local-it-feels-good-to-be-a-patron local places.
Another thought? Stroll around Culver City. The rents/prices are a little easier, there's a great Trader Joe's in the downtown area, and there are some incredible restaurants there (for both the vegetable-only and meat-plus eaters). And then you could go to the Museum of Jurassic Technology which is an Only-In-LA fantastic place.
Also (sorry) is Jewish stuff at all an interest? Miracle Mile is where Ikar is located which is an incredibly interesting community where social-justice meets it's-fun-to-be-Jewish.
ReplyDeleteOMG, I LOVE R-23!! I have never met anyone else (in real life or online) that knows it exists, but it is fabulous for good sushi. My hubby and I were regulars there when we lived in LA.
ReplyDeleteIf you do the Farmer's Market, as recommended by LH above, try the crepes place. Fantastic food, and someplace I make a point to visit every time I head back.
ReplyDeleteI always lived closer to downtown, so I'm no help on that front, though you could look at Los Feliz if the west side ends up being too expensive for a house. Hubby and I lived in Los Feliz and loved it. Close to a bunch of stuff, and can be an actual walkable neighborhood, depending on where you live. Still, as I mentioned, closer to downtown. I commuted to Century City from there, and it took me 30-45 minutes each way.
Spacewoman and I lived in LA for 9 years (well, she lived there for 8). I worked in Century City; she worked downtown. We lived the entire time basically on the border between West Hollywood and Los Angeles, about 4 miles from Century City, in what real estate agents sometimes refer to as "Beverly Hills Adjacent," but what locals more often refer to as either West Hollywood or Melrose. I would say our neighborhood was more or less the area bounded by La Cienega to the west, 3rd Street to the south, Highland to the east, and Santa Monica to the north. There's a pretty wide range of possibilities in that neighborhood, from small four-unit 1200-square-foot apartments built in the teens and twenties to large modern apartment buildings to small, medium, and large houses. The benefit of the neighborhood is that there is a ton of stuff you can walk to -- shopping, eating, doing other stuff. If you work in Century City, a lot of people will live in Westwood, Brentwood, and Santa Monica, but the areas east of Beverly Hills have the best old housing stock and the best atmosphere, unless you are in a fraternity or are getting your SAG card. Also, if you were to put every hobby on a continuum from "avid golfer" on the left to "modern primitive performance art," on the right, and then superimpose it on a map of LA running from Santa Monica to Silver Lake, the only places it would be inaccurate would be Beverly Hills and Koreatown.
ReplyDeleteGrocery stores: Bristol Farms in LA has the best, freshest produce of any large supermarket chain you will ever find. That's a benefit of living in LA. Gelson's has pretty good produce and is slightly less upscale but with a wider variety of stuff. Ralph's is the biggest chain, better prices but less niche stuff. Grocery stores in LA are really good. The absolute best thing about LA (and I've said this before) is that you can get spicy tuna bowl (diced sushi-grade tuna with spicy mayonnaise over rice in a bowl) at most supermarkets.
Another thing: do not underestimate the value of working next to the Century City Westfield. Every year, I could do all my Christmas shopping right there with my car parked in my office garage. When I was working my ass off, I could go over and buy socks, underwear, and dress shirts.
I do not know where you live now, but here's another thing about LA that I miss: delivery food. I did not realize that unlimited variety of delivery food is limited to maybe four cities in America until I left LA.
I forgot -- sushi. Ted's right, sushi is better in LA than anywhere else in America. Matsuhisa isn't exactly sushi (though it has sushi), but it's phenomenally expensive and you can get Nobu food in a half-dozen cities now. Our favorite sushi place was Sasabune, which is not as good now that it moved to a bigger space on Wilshire in West LA, but it's still great. Get the omikase and don't argue. The other best omikase is Sushi Nozawa, aka Sushi Nazi, in a strip mall on Ventura Boulevard in the valley. It is famous for being the place where Nozawa threw Albert Brooks out for asking for lemon on his sushi. Again, trust the chef. For a hipster sushi experience, there's Sushi Roku (the Matsuhisa crowd without Matsuhisa prices or quality). For a really good sushi meal at a much lower price and without any attention to ambience, Crazy Fish on Olympic and Doheny. For an eclectic mostly-sushi Japanese meal that is great and surprisingly inventive at a relatively decent price, but extremely cramped, Hirozen on Beverly.
ReplyDeleteFor LA Mexican food, La Serenata on Olympic (or Pico?) in West LA. Or, for more hipstery Mexican in a more hipstery neighborhood, Mexico City.
I know there's good (great) steak in LA, but going to LA for the steak seems wrong. The fish in LA is where it's at. Or the Mexican.
ReplyDeleteI also recommend the Getty. Parking is now $15 a car, still kind of a bargain. Now, the collection is not that great. The building, the garden and the view are, however.
ReplyDeletePlease don't go to Mexico City. It's really popular as a bar/meeting place/watering hole, but the food is terrible, especially if you have any appreciation at all for Mexican food. It's in my old neighborhood, as I mentioned, and I agree with Isaac that it's quite hipstery, but the food is so incredibly bad.
ReplyDeleteI worked in Spaceman's building, and I agree: Century City Westfield is one Nordstrom's short of being the perfect mall.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that the groceries in LA are the best groceries in America, and Spaceman didn't even mention Trader Joe's or the phenomenal Asian store in Little Tokyo. One correction, though: Ralphs has no apostrophe, being named after Mr. Ralphs, rather than a guy named Ralph.
For Mexican food that's delicious and won't kill your wallet you could go to Loteria Grill; they've got a small place in the Farmer's Market and a real restaurant in West Hollywood.
ReplyDeleteBut if you want a really good meal that may possibly kill your wallet I say go to Pizzeria Mozza on the corner of Highland and Melrose. If it's just the two of you, don't worry about reservations. Go around 7-7:30 and ask for a place at the bar.
Further away than the Westside, but of course people still do the commute to Century City and West LA, is the South Bay. Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach are great areas (Hermosa Beach also, but tiny and a younger, partier vibe). Plenty of good restaurants, public parks, and great neighborhoods. And the beach, did I mention the beach?
ReplyDeleteA favorite for dinner if you're up on the Westside is C&O Trattoria at the end of Washington Blvd just before the pier. Pretty good Italian food, chianti by the glass on the honor system, Killer Garlic Rolls, and around 8pm every night, the entire restaurant sings "That's Amore."
http://www.cotrattoria.com/about.html
Isaac -- The "Adjacent" concept is one of my most favorite LA things! To this day, I'll tack it on to other cities/areas where I am, but somehow, it just isn't the same :) And adjacent is infinitely better than "P.O."!
Jumping in late to toss in a few other thoughts:
ReplyDeleteFirst: agree with the recommendations for Loteria Grill (Farmer's Market one is great if you want to kill two birds with one stone); the Getty; sushi; and I think someone mentioned AOC, which is my favorite nicer, expensive restaurant in L.A. It's tapas, and if you go there, get the roasted dates stuffed in parmesan wrapped in bacon. If you're not a fan of tapas and want to try a different Suzanne Goin restaurant, Lucques is also wonderful.
My brother and sister-in-law also lived in "Beverly Hills adjacent" for a while and it's lovely, and an excellent area for Century City/UCLA commuting. Miracle Mile/Hancock Park for more central, if you want a little closer to USC. I am an east side girl, living in Pasadena, and also adore Silverlake and Los Feliz areas, which would be great for the USC commute and terrible for the Century City commute.
Other recs: if you hit downtown, visit the Bradbury building, ride Angel's Flight, and eat at the Lazy Ox. Or eat at Cole's, one of the two places that claim to have invented the French Dip. I prefer it because they have spicy pickles that are amazing, and a bar in the very back that doesn't open till 8 and you have to hunt for called the Varnish, that does handmixed classic cocktails like sloe-gin fizzes and such, that are wonderful. I love downtown -- the Edison is another great downtown place for drinks because it's an architecturally and visually stunning bar, but it tends to fill with pretentious douchebags, so it's better for happy hour rather than a weekend.
Father's Office in Culver City (another great area to eat. play, live) is always in the running for best burger in L.A. and is my favorite, but no substitutions, you have to take the burger as they make it. They also have a kajillion beers on tap.
If you do end up moving out here, let us know, as I, and I'm sure everyone else, have fun recommendations for stuff to do in the summer (Hollywood Bowl concerts; classic movie screenings in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery) and more.
I will say that if you were in a fraternity or sorority, you may prefer the South Bay. If you were not, or if you're trying to put some distance between you and that, don't live in the South Bay. I'm not saying that Manhattan Beach or Redondo are areas full of current fraternity members -- it's more that that's where people who were really into their fraternities or sororities go when they grow up. You can get a beach-y vibe in Venice without that same atmosphere.
ReplyDeleteAlso, all of the advice I've given on where to live has to be calibrated to whether you're looking for an apartment, a condo, a starter house, or a forever house. Your options are wildly different when you move from one of those categories to another.
Tracy H -- as 11 other people here know, my fantasy football team, which started in LA and is now in Oakland, is known as the Beverly Hills-Adjacent Street Parkers of Greater Fairyland.
ReplyDeleteI'm a native Angelena who still visits regularly. The best residential neighborhoods w/ Century City proximity (and not far from UCLA/USC) are Beverlywood (think Pico/Robertson South to the Santa Monica Freeway) and Mar Vista (the region West of Westwood and East of Santa Monica). Parks, libraries, supermarkets abound.
ReplyDeleteI love downtown and recommend a visit to the Cathedral and Disney Hall, and maybe a ride on the train south to 103rd Street to see Watts Towers, one of the most amazing structures in the city. While downtown, try to visit the Bradbury Building (scene of many films, including 500 Days of Summer).
If you're in Westwood, the Hammer Museum is worth a visit.
A favorite restaurant of mine is Hal's in Venice on Abbott Kinney. Not cheap, but very cool and a very LA menu. Another is Wharo, a Korean grill in a mall on Lincoln just south of Washington Boulverad, between Venice and Marina Del Rey. There's a billion fabu restaurants in Culver City (LA mag or the Weekly will have the best ones). And you should take the Pacific Coast Highway north from the Santa Monica pier and drive north to Malibu, just for the scenery. Duke's restaurant overlooks the ocean and is very scenic.
If you do go the the Santa Monica pier (which I am fond of), you can rent bicycles and ride the trail south to Venice and pass Muscle Beach (setting for White Men Can't Jump) and all the hippie shops. Right near the pier on Nielsen (I think) is Cora's Cafe, which is very hip and pleasant.
By the way, on food, there was a New York Times article five or ten years ago that asserted that there were only two good Jewish deli restaurants in America. One was in NY; can't remember which. The other was Langer's in LA, right by MacArthur Park. Shady neighborhood, but it's where my boss and I go whenever we're in town for a hearing.
ReplyDeleteP.S.: the best deli in the United States is Langer's, near MacArthur Park downtown. The Pastrami sandwich gleams.
ReplyDeleteJINX.
ReplyDeleteGuilty as charged. Venice is waaaay too hippie dippy for this sorority girl (many years out of her large Pac 10, er 12, university!). Drum circles just ain't my thing!
ReplyDeleteYou never met anyone who knows it exists? I have a framed photo of the graffiti in the alley across from it, in those bricked-up loading bays. The graffiti is done by Sci-Arc students, and is ridiculously great and avant-garde.
ReplyDeleteIncidentally, Manhattan Beach to Century City/UCLA in rush hour will take many years off your life.
ReplyDeleteAwesome!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the suggestions. We're big fans of both Mexican and Japanese food, so finding good representatives of both can help me sell a cross-country move. We'll run through the neighborhood suggestions tonight, but I think a beach trip is definitely in order.
Craft Atlanta was not very good at all. Bad even.
ReplyDeleteI still recall spacewoman's mourning for the lack of spice tuna bowls in NoCal.
ReplyDeleteWhen I went, it was all summer associates.
ReplyDeleteBtw, you can now get them at the Whole Foods in Chicago. Spacewoman, I thought of you when I had one.
ReplyDeleteI hear the secret is getting there when it opens.
ReplyDeleteBeen running around all day so of course I miss prime time for a thread where I can actually be helpful. I second/third/fourth/etc most of what's been said above, though unfortunately IMO Crazy Fish sushi has declined in quality in recent years - I loved it in the 03-05 era, went back recently and thought it was somewhat gross.
ReplyDeleteIf you want a Hollywood-type evening, dinner/drinks at the Chateau Marmont never fail - you'll see a few stars (or at least "stars") and the food/drinks aren't bad either.
My favorite Mexican place is El Compadre, on Sunset and Vista, though the restaurant's website brings back flashes of the earlier conversation of "things a restaurant's website should never do."
And why don't all us Angelinos ever have a Throwing Things drinks night? Let's make the east coast jealous!
Is that the place that used to be a run-down pizzeria, right next to the TV repair store that became an art installation?
ReplyDeleteWe don't get there until Saturday, so you're still helpful :)
ReplyDeleteI thought Father's Office was the second most overrated burger I ever had, FWIW. Good beer selection, though.
ReplyDeleteMy sister and brother-in-law are renters in Silverlake, right off the reservoir - I can't speak to ease of commute at all, but that area and neighboring Los Feliz seemed, from my short visit last month, to be someplace where I'd enjoy living. They drove me all around the city over the course of my stay, and frankly I was impressed just by the variety of livable neighborhoods (at least to this guy, who spent nearly 20 years living in various Philadelphia neighborhoods) we went through. They used to rent in West Hollywood, on Mansfield -- sounds close to where the Spacepeople lived.
ReplyDeleteNot sure whether I can get any more specific info from them before you depart, but if so, I'll post.
Also, if you have a chance and like small batch ice cream, try a little place salled Scoops, in Koreatown.
I didn't get to Father's Office when I visited L.A. last month, but I did go to Umami Burger in Los Feliz, and it was great, also with a solid beer list (not nearly as extensive as FO sounds, though).
ReplyDeleteScoops is famous for their brown bread ice cream. If that sounds good, I would recommend going to Golden State, which is on Fairfax, and has a burger/sandwich menu primarily made with local ingredients/sources. They take pride in their beers and, obviously, also serve Scoops.
ReplyDeletePhew, thanks! :) Have the best time - I think I speak for all the LA and ex-LA people on the blog that we'd love to hear what you loved/hated/etc.
ReplyDeletePS - this is obviously Golden Globes weekend, so some of the snazzier restaurants might be harder to get into, but on the flip side, more star sightings...
ReplyDelete