There are definitely places in Los Angeles that you can't miss...
Who hasn't seen an American movie where a stunning girl skates down a sidewalk with the ocean in the background? Who hasn't imagined themselves receiving an Oscar at the Kodak Theater? Or splurging at the poshest store on Rodeo Drive?
! Welcome to Los Angeles !
VENICE Y SANTA MONICA
This is undoubtedly one of the most unique ecosystems in the world, and one of the most iconic places in Los Angeles: the Ocean Front Walk, a kind of promenade that runs from Santa Monica in the north to Venice a little further south, encapsulating the spirit of this city.
If you want to enjoy the quintessential Californian experience, rent a bike and start pedaling! There are lots of rental stands scattered along the beach: between $8-10 per hour, although if you haggle – like I did – they might let you have one for $5 per hour.
Along the way, you will encounter a diverse array of characters: dozens of skateboarders, musicians of all kinds, marijuana shops, and a few psychics.
With those prices, the customer's future is easy to predict: bankruptcy...
Once you arrive in Santa Monica, relax at the amusement park that Americans have built on the old pier.
HOLLYWOOD
Without a doubt, this is the most famous place in Los Angeles... How did it all begin?
By 1915, this former farming district of Los Angeles had become the mecca of cinema.
As part of an advertising campaign to launch his real estate project in the area, a certain Harry Chandler built this enormous sign (each letter measures 13 meters) for a fortune at the time: $21,000.
By the end of the 1970s, the sign was so deteriorated that it would cost $250,000 to repair it... Who came up with the solution? None other than Playboy owner Hugh Hefner, who held an “auction” at his undoubtedly entertaining home so that guests could “sponsor” and pay for each of the letters on the sign.
Hollywood Boulevard is the place where you want to be remembered if you are in show business. Dozens and dozens of stars adorn this long avenue with stars from yesterday and today.
A word of advice: don't touch the stars. A girl who lives in Los Angeles tells me that the many homeless people who roam around here at night relieve themselves on those little stars...
The oldest movie theater in the neighborhood is the Chinese Theater, located in the middle of Hollywood Boulevard. It seems that since it opened in 1927, it has been the benchmark for premiering the best films.
Proof of this mythical character are the famous “footprints” in cement that, over decades, the best actors have left on the asphalt.
The “Sid” whom Bogart “threatens” was Sid Grauman, the visionary who dared to build an authentic Chinese theater in the middle of Los Angeles.
Hollywood is home to a host of museums, each more touristy than the last: the Guinness World Records Museum, Madame Tussauds wax museum... but if you really love cinema, there's one that stands out: the Hollywood Museum (http://thehollywoodmuseum.com/)
Nestled in what was once the headquarters of the fledgling makeup company created by Max Factor (whose clients included Marilyn Monroe and Bette Davis), it houses an immense collection of memorabilia from a wide variety of films (such as the wands from the Harry Potter series) and the cell where Hannibal Lecter was held.
To this must be added the hundreds of autographed photos that a certain Joe Ackerman accumulated over the years, a veritable gallery of classic actors.
What you CANNOT miss in Los Angeles is a visit to one of the major studios: Warner Bros., Universal, or Paramount.
Which one to choose? I guess it depends on personal taste... I chose Warner Bros. because it seemed less like an “amusement park” and more like a “movie theater.”
It costs $72, and the truth is that both younger fans, with sets from the Friends or Big Bang Theory series, and older fans will be satisfied.
Like the veterans, visiting the dream factory in the most literal sense of the expression: whether it be the magical warehouses of Warner Bros., where paintings, lamps, and even a Maltese falcon are stacked and classified, or a ghost town built in detail for filming.
BEVERLY HILLS
Probably a waste of time: far from everything (it took me over an hour to get there from Venice Beach by bus) and boring unless you're a millionaire who's going to max out their credit card on the famous Rodeo Drive.
Well, it's your typical street with shops selling the most exclusive brands, nothing out of the ordinary; at least when you go in—even if you're wearing shorts like me—they're super friendly and you can spend a while browsing through jewelry, suits, and various handbags...none of which have price tags, thankfully.
HOW TO GET AROUND LOS ANGELES
If you like to walk everywhere, don't come here: you absolutely must use a car or public transportation. To make matters worse, the places of interest to tourists—here we are all tourists, not travelers—are very far apart.
Public transportation consists of a dense network of buses and subways.
A single ticket costs $1.75 at the time of this post (January 2017) and is paid directly into a machine installed next to the bus driver, which does not give change. If you unfortunately find yourself with only a large bill (10 or 20 dollars), ask another passenger to exchange it for smaller bills because the driver cannot give you change.
If you are traveling by bicycle, you should not bring it inside; some buses have a bicycle rack at the front—on the outside—that can hold two or three bicycles.
The best way to untangle the web of buses is to use an app (I downloaded one called Go Metro, which is very comprehensive) or use Google Maps, which has a public transport option that worked perfectly.
Well, that's all; one last tip: Los Angeles airport is huge, so it's best to arrive with plenty of time to spare. An Uber or shuttle will cost you around $21-23, and if you take the bus, depending on where you are, you'll have to change once or twice at most (allow an hour or so) for $3.
Well, if you liked this post, let me know by leaving a comment!
And if you want to read more about the United States: https://999millas.net/category/paises/estados-unidos/
Next stop: New Zealand!
Texto y fotos : Mike !
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