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We will visit some of the sights of Los Angeles (LA, Los Angeles), some famous, some not so much.

– Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, California, USA

A little bit of Los Angeles (LA, Los Angeles) and around

Attractions

Walking around Los Angeles

We had a free day and decided to devote it to exploring Los Angeles. This was planned, i.e. We booked the car from Sydney.

From the diary – May 24
7:00 – We got up. It took a long time and slowly to get ready to wake up.
8:00 – Buffet breakfast for $25 per person, today for me, i.e. Ilya decided to order some special omelette for $14.
9:00 – We took the car. Fortunately, it’s not far to go to a nearby hotel. The HERTZ office is located in the Mariot Hotel.

I wanted to visit Japantown and small Japanese gardens in it, stroll through the center with skyscrapers and planned sunset on Mulholand Dr.

is the name of one of the ethnic neighborhoods of downtown Los Angeles. Little Tokyo of Los Angeles is one of only three official Japantowns (Japantown or J-Town) located in the United States. The other two are located in San Jose and San Francisco. And we really liked him.

– Sign in Little Tokyo area

Little Tokyo has a fate similar to that of San Francisco's Japantown. It also appeared at the beginning of the last century, was also deserted due to the internment of the Japanese population during the Second World War, and also managed to be revived after its end. In 1995, Little Tokyo was included in the list of national historical monuments USA.

– An interesting object Little Tokyo is Yagura Tower (櫓, 矢倉) at Village Plaza, which is a replica of a traditional Japanese rural observation tower.

In the past in the area Little Tokyo Up to 30 thousand ethnic Japanese lived there, but their numbers have since declined. According to guidebooks, many Japanese Americans have chosen the suburbs of Los Angeles as their place of residence; in particular, large communities of ethnic Japanese are concentrated in Monterey Park, Torrance, and Gardena.

Rauon is easy to find, and we parked not far away. After a short walk, we had a snack in one of the cafes and went to look for Japanese gardens. I’ll say right away that they are far away. The first garden is located in the Japanese American cultural center and is called – James Irvine Japanese Garden – “Seiryu-en”, the other one at the Doubletree By Hilton Hotel Los Angeles is called Kyoto Gardens.

– James Irvine Japanese Garden – “Seiryu-en”

James Irvine Japanese Garden – “Seiryu-en”
244 S. San Pedro Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
http://www.jaccc.org/garden.php

Kyoto Gardens at Doubletree By Hilton Hotel Los Angeles
120 S Los Angeles St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
http://www.doubletreeladowntown.com/our-hotel/kyoto-gardens

– Weller Court Shopping Centre. In the center there are several restaurants, a karaoke club and a Bubble Tea cafe. The center has several boutiques of expensive clothing. On the territory of the center there is a large bookstore Kinokuniya.

So, walking around Little Tokyo we were approaching the business center Los Angeles.

– Los Angeles City Hall

Los Angeles City Hall located in the city center in the Civic Center area. This 32-story building, 138 meters high, was erected in 1928. On the 27th floor of the building there is Observation deck, open to the public.

Apparently, the prototype of the building was Mausoleum of Mausolus – antique miracle light, which stood for almost 2 millennia. Los Angeles is known for its earthquakes, and the architects took this into account during construction. Los Angeles City Hall built with a huge margin of safety and is able to withstand an earthquake of magnitude 8.

- Downtown Los Angeles

Further our path lay through Grand Park To Walt Disney Concert Hall, which is considered the pearl of downtown. The idea of ​​building a concert hall was proposed by Walt Disenay's widow Lillian, who donated about $50 million for construction in 1987. It was completed in 2003. As a result, Los Angeles received a masterpiece of architecture and design, as well as a concert hall that surpasses the acoustic qualities of the most famous venues in the world. The architect of this masterpiece was Frank Gehry.

– Walt Disney Concert Hall

The building's exterior walls are formed by a series of undulating, curved stainless steel surfaces. The sun reflects off the building and further emphasizes its amazing shape.

Admission to the Walt Disney Concert Hall is free, but the guide highly recommends attending a live concert to experience the atmosphere inside, or taking advantage of the free audio tour that details the history of the concert hall. Concert hall Walt Disney World is the home stage for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra.

– MOCA Museum, Omni Hotel, Angels Flight & Water court at California Plaza

And now just a photo of downtown Los Angeles.

– Water Court at California Plaza – You can stroll among the skyscrapers, in their shadows and relax by the fountains. I was content with taking a picture of the buildings reaching into the sky, but we didn’t go for a walk to the cafes and restaurants on California Plaza, because... It was lunch time 13:30 and there were a lot of people.

– View of 5th Street (W 5th St)

– Pyramid of the Sun – Roof of the Central Library tower

Central Library also known as the Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL). This architectural treasure, built in 1926, is decorated with bas-reliefs of great thinkers, writers and scientists. It is one of the largest libraries in the world. In 2001, the building was renamed, and now it bears the name of Richard Riordan, the former mayor of the city.

Architect Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue made this building unique. He used the Mediterranean and Egyptian architecture Renaissance. The central tower is decorated with tiled mosaics and the Pyramid of the Sun.

– Tower in the center of the frame – AT&T Tower or “Pacific Bell Tower”, height 137 meters – AT&T Switching Center building

– Corner of W 5th St and S Broadway

Walking along 5th Street (W 5th St), we realized that we were leaving the beautiful, prosperous center (or as they like to say “downtown”) and approaching an area that should be bypassed or passed as quickly as possible.

We checked the map and decided to return to Little Tokyo, have a snack and move on. The car is parked nearby.

When I first saw the City of Angels, I was stunned. It was so...gray, so dirty, with homeless people and absolutely terrible architecture.
Later, I began to study this city and realized that the situation here very much depends on the area in which you are located. And yes, beauty must be sought more carefully.

Lately I have been constantly meeting my relatives and friends from Russia. Many people visit Los Angeles for the first time and therefore have to conduct unique excursions. In order not to reinvent the wheel every time, I decided to compile a small guide to the city.

1. In first place, of course, is the famous Walk of Stars in Hollywood. At first I thought that this place was very strange, overused and there was nothing to do there. But every visitor considers it his duty to trample on the stars, check the size of his palms and taste the aroma of Hollywood.
True, having been there for the eighth time, I began to notice the atmosphere of this place. The actors in make-up began to seem funny to me. No, I didn’t come here to hang out on the weekend, but my aversion to Hollywood has disappeared.

2. Next, no less famous place is Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. A small street for a couple of blocks, with famous European (and not only) brand stores, near which it is easy to see a Bugatti, Ferrari and Lamborghini parked. I’m generally silent about Porsche, they are here at every turn. At Christmas, they put up a big Christmas tree here, decorate the streets and it becomes very beautiful.

At the very end of the street, if you cross Santa Monica Blvd, you can see the fairly famous Beverly Hills symbol

3. Santa Monica Pier and Boardwalk (3rd Street). I really love this place, despite the large number of homeless people (almost like in Hollywood). Santa Monica reminds me of a cute European one resort town by the sea. Lots of cafes, street musicians and dancing on weekends, all this makes you fall in love with it.

The pier has been filmed in many films, it is recognizable by the Ferris wheel standing on it (I must say there is a whole mini amusement park there)

4. The Grove Shopping Center. Very beautiful shopping mall made under open air, with fountains and even its own tram. It is especially beautiful around Christmas, when you can meet Santa Claus himself here.

The Farmers Market is also located here. This is simply a celebration of the belly, everything that is sold can be tried on the spot. There are often festivals and sometimes events for children are held. Amazing place

5. Universal Studio. Yes, ticket prices are sometimes steep, but I think it’s a must-see if you’re in Los Angeles. For both adults and children. The effects and technology are amazing. And this year, the whole Harry Potter world has appeared in the park! I only advise you to go on weekdays (like all amusement parks), on weekends there are a lot of people.

6. I really like the area of ​​UCLA and USC universities. This is a huge world, there are cobbled streets, a botanical and Japanese garden, sculptures, everything that evokes the atmosphere of Europe. But UCLA is located in a more pleasant area, but there are 2 interesting museums next to USC.

7. Hollywood sign. There is a small trail (about 2 miles) leading to it; the route, although uphill, is not difficult and can be climbed. When you go upstairs, you find yourself above the letters. You won’t be able to approach the letters themselves; they are behind the fence. But there is no need to waste time getting up; there is a point from where you can take great shots. I warn you, along the road it will be written everywhere that there is no access to the Hollywood sign, but in fact, the gate there is open and there are parking spaces (a little lower from the entrance). Located here, in the same place for orientation, the address of a nearby house

8. Griffith Observatory. From here you can enjoy a panoramic view of the city, beautiful both day and night. By sunset, as a rule, a lot of cars gather. And if the weather is clear in the evening, you can look through a real telescope! I managed to see Jupiter. There is a museum inside the observatory (free, as is the telescope). And there is also a fulldome show (costs about 15-20 dollars)

9. Venice district. Quite an iconic place in Los Angeles, with skaters, homeless people, jocks and drug addicts (yes, such a variety). Trade tents stretch along the promenade, and the spirit of freedom is in the air. I really don’t like this place, but as a tourist, it’s worth coming here to see the city from a slightly different side.

There are Canals near the beach, I really like them, it may not be worth going there on purpose, but if you’ve already decided to take a walk along Venice Beach, then it’s worth visiting the canals. After the beach it is very peaceful and calm there.

10. Getty Center. In all guidebooks it is almost in first place, I think this is because of a couple of originals by Monet and Van Gogh. It seemed to me that for such a territory the collection of paintings there was rather poor. I very clearly felt the unfilledness of the room.

11. And of course Downtown Los Angeles. High-rise buildings are one of business cards cities. In reality, everything is not so simple. There are the most beautiful neighborhoods that are very reminiscent of New York buildings. As a rule, the neighborhoods are close to the Staples Center (this is somewhere in the western part of downtown). But even there you shouldn’t walk around the gateways and in dark time days.

There's still a lot in downtown good restaurants on top of high-rise buildings with an amazing view, I like to sit there after sunset when the city plays with its lights.

In any case, you should avoid the area to the east known as Skid Row. This is a place where homeless people, drug addicts and mentally unstable people live. If you really want extreme sports, then in the daytime you can drive past by car, with the windows and doors closed. Here is a picture to understand the situation (whoever wants to google even more of this beauty)

This is how different it is, the City of Angels. You can see both the very rich and the very bottom.

As for transport, the best way to get around in Los Angeles is by car, of course there are buses and subways. But, for example, it will take about two to get from Santa Monica to Hollywood by public transport! hours with transfer. There is an option with the Starline tourist bus cruising around the city. It has 4 routes and you can get on and off at stops. Tickets are valid for 24/48/74 hours. The only drawback is the need for knowledge in English, since Russian does not appear in the 9 languages ​​provided.

Well, that’s probably all the main attractions. It would be possible to add a couple more points, but this would require a full-fledged visit to LA, for two weeks.

To get to know Los Angeles better, it’s worth taking a short walk through the historical center of the city, possibly with trips to public transport. I offer my route, which will take about 4 hours, comfortable shoes, a camera, a bottle of water (if in summer) - everything you need for this walk.

So, we parked in a paid parking lot on Alameda St for about $15 a day. You can cheat and park in some shopping center for free, but with Validation, i.e. you need to buy something in this shopping center and ask the seller to stamp your parking ticket. You can even buy coffee at Starbucks and get a stamp. By the way, I recommend this method of parking throughout Los Angeles.

Here is a map of the city center where we walked:

We started our walk by visiting the famous transport station in a beautiful Spanish style at 800 N Alameda St, Union Station, which was built back in 1939. By the way, the film “Catch Me If You Can” with DiCaprio was filmed at this station.

After leaving Union Station, go to Alameda str. Olvera Street, where there is a small Mexican market, where you can buy various souvenirs, clothes, beautiful leather bags, Mexican sweets and other things. By the way, the prices there are not particularly high. You can just walk through the market and feel the Mexican flavor.





This market has the oldest residential building in Los Angeles that has survived to this day, it is a house museum. You can go there for free. This is a Mexican house consisting of a courtyard, an outdoor oven and the house itself: all this forms a square with a courtyard in the center. There you can watch a video with the history of the house and the area, talk to a woman worker, read various inscriptions, walk around the house itself and see how they used to live. By the way, nothing about the situation surprised me, since something similar can still be found in our villages, but my American friend was at a loss as to how one could use a wooden sofa and bathe in a basin)))

If you're hungry by this point, everyone recommends going to the famous cafe near the market at 1001 N. Alameda St, which has been open since 1908, where you can try some of the most delicious French Dip Sandwiches, but unfortunately we didn't go there. didn’t make it, but there are about 4000 reviews about this place on http://www.yelp.com/biz/philippe-the-original-los-angeles

After the market we went to Little Tokio, you can go along Main or Alameda st. This is a Japanese area Los Angeles, where there are many shops with their goods, there is even a large shopping center, many restaurants.

We met a Japanese Buddhist monastery along the way and decided that if we didn’t go there, the walk wouldn’t be complete. We rang the doorbell, a monk opened it for us and politely invited us inside. There was no service at that time, so the hall was empty. Inside, everything is bright, in candles, Buddha sits in the middle, as in any monastery, but in the hall itself there are benches in the American style. Of course, the monk understood that we were just tourists, but he was very kind and told us about the monastery itself, about their services, and how everything happens.

Little Tokio itself is not very large, but you can buy almost all goods there.





After Little Tokio, we returned to our parking lot along Main St and took photographs of the city and the buildings of government administration services.

There you can see a sign with the names of all the sisters of the city of Los Angeles




By the way, you can still find a lot of homeless people there who just sleep on the street

We crossed the bridge over the highway and returned to the market.

We were lucky, just at that time small area near the market there was a performance by the Indians, who gathered a large crowd of onlookers, including us.



Near that square there is a museum of the first Chinese in Los Angeles, admission there is about 3 dollars and there are also constantly changing art exhibitions.

The oldest Catholic church in Los Angeles is also located next to the square (near the market).

After the historical Downtown of Los Angeles and Little Tokio have already been explored, you can go to one very extravagant place -

Speaking of Los Angeles, there is no point in looking for a capacious film image - this is a city that, if it disappears, can be reconstructed from hundreds of kilometers of film filmed here. Coming here, you will simply piece it together, like a mosaic, from the many films you have watched. Paradoxically, you will be surprised to note that you have already been on a tour of Los Angeles more than once. The traveler will also see the city itself in many ways through flickering film frames: on an excursion in Los Angeles, and simply when moving around it, you often cannot do without a car.

They used to say about Los Angeles that it was thirty suburbs in search of a center, and although it is now dominated by the skyscrapers of Downtown, each city district retains its own identity. A walk through Los Angeles can lead you not only to Beverly Hills with its palm trees and sky-high prices or to the HOLLYWOOD sign on the hills, but also to a whole street of vintage shops, to one of the first movie theaters in the USA, to a farmers market, to an unsafe Mexican quarter and to authentic Chinese. Don't be afraid to see the old, dirty one-story Los Angeles - here you will come closer to unraveling the phenomenon of this place, where three centuries ago there were not even fifty inhabitants.

Tours of Los Angeles in Russian are by no means uncommon, because almost the largest Russian community in the United States lives here. Locals ready to show you everything, from the oldest building in the city to the shops where stars buy clothes, from the hall where the mayor meets with townspeople, to the giant observatory-museum - in a word, immerse you in the cycle of fashion, cinema, art, fame - eternal lures, who call dreamers and entrepreneurs to Los Angeles. The guide may even offer to make a short video about your walk (have you forgotten where you are?).

Los Angeles is a city where your route will be determined, if not by your cinematic taste, then by your ambitions, because only on the spot you will fully feel where the demons of the City of Angels live.

 

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