The city of Los Angeles is often seen as one of the quintessential California destinations. After all, isn’t it the capitol? (no). But whether you’ve exhausted your Disneyland, Hollywood, and Universal Studios plans, have come to visit family and are now plum out of things to do, or simply said, “Lets go to Los Angeles”, and are now there, you may eventually find yourself with large swaths of time left unfilled. In this event, here is a list of four things you can do in Los Angeles when you haven’t got anything to do in the Los Angeles area.
1. Go to the beach
There is no shortage of beaches in the Los Angeles area, and going to the beach is a great way to waste at least half a day. For more crowded beaches with lots of local amenities, check out Santa Monica Beach, which is near the Santa Monica Beach Boardwalk, as well as many local shops and restaurants. Another option is Venice Beach, where you can spend time in the waves, and on the Venice Beach Boardwalk, which has no shortage of street performers, artists, and wacky side shops, art galleries, and freak shows.
For a more mellow day in the waves, check out Zuma Beach in Malibu where you can see the Hannah Montana House. This is also a popular destination for surfers, so bring your board, or if you don’t surf you can expect plenty of opportunities to cheer them on. Another option is Seal Beach in Long Beach. This is a pretty mellow option, as the beaches are generally pretty empty, and there isn’t much to do except lay in the sun and spend time in the water. However, if you get hungry there are great lunch options- I recommend El Burrito Jr.
2. Go thrift shopping
A great way to spend time in a new city is to check out the thrift stores. Los Angeles thrift stores often run a little pricier than you might find other places, particularly if they cater to more vintage/ designer styles, but if you look in the right places you can find some great stuff for cheap.
There are several good options in one little corner of Hollywood Boulevard. Out of the Closet- Hollywood has some great stuff for low prices, and the profits go to the AIDs Healthcare Foundation. I have found several fantastic art pieces there. If you are looking for something pricier and more vintage, check out Starday Vintage, which is a little shop that sells many fantastic vintage clothes, scarves, and random accessories and items for reasonable prices. Right next door is Vintage on Hollywood, which has a wide selection of stylish pieces that are fun to peruse. However, this is not what could be considered a ‘thrift’ shop by any extent, as a rather boring white t-shirt costs $150, and jackets and coats cost around $500.
However, what better way is there to waste time in Los Angeles then to walk in circles admiring jackets that you can’t even contemplate affording until the clerk peer pressures you to leave with the sheer force of their suspicious stare.
If you don’t fancy a trip to West Hollywood to do your thrifting, I recommend several places in the San Fernando Valley, particularly Throw Back Junction, which has a wide selection of clothes to look at for reasonable prices, as well as some fun accessories and décor.
3. Go to Griffith Park
Griffith Park has no shortage of hiking trails, with magnificent views of the Los Angeles skyline and the Hollywood sign. However, once you have exhausted those, you can also wander about in the Griffith Park neighborhoods, and look at very fancy houses. Once you have exhausted yourself, and your day, make sure to get something to eat at HomeState, which is a small, tex-mex style eatery, with fantastic tacos and queso. To round of the day, you can’t go wrong with a picnic in Barnsdall Art Park near-by.
4. Go to the Aquarium
The Aquarium of the Pacific is a fantastic way to spend your time in Los Angeles. The price of admission is only $17, and then you have free reign to watch sea lions and seals, various types of fish, jelly fish, otters, sharks, kelp, and more. There is a lorikeet pavilion, where for a small price you can feed the lorikeets, and tide pools and touch pools where you can touch rays and sea anemones. Overall, there are precious few ways to get bored wandering around aquariums, and if you find yourself bored here it is also a great opportunity to sort out your priorities. This aquarium also has the added benefit of being right next to the ocean, so you have the opportunity to go find yourself a beach and start this lovely list all over again.
