I keep hearing LA is a drag. Nothing but smog, weirdos and freeways. That’s just music to my ears. Whenever I hear that I think This person is lucky, They get to have a pleasant surprise, because I’m going to show them Fun LA. I know it can be done. I’ve been there for months on the minimum and now know that when it’s done right, LA can break your fun meter. I love being tour guide there; you get to show off LA’s secret colors. Friends showed me; I’m going to do the same for you.
First, I changed my attitude from being trapped to being free in LA. Don’t fear the freeways, use them. Just don’t drive from 8-9:30 am or 3-6:30 pm–use surface streets around those times, if you have to. And find a traffic station on your radio.
I think of LA as the best anthropologic site of American culture. The roots of our civilization out in full splendor. I dive into it. Because what it has, it has everything of. Cars….any make, year, or color. See them cruising on any given day. I keep my eyes open. All colors of everything. What I do is relax to the cartoonist’s shades of life and enjoy. There’s all the Shapes, too, that is to say, architecture. It’s all here somewhere. Beauty, too. And bargains–the best deals on everything from clothes to car engines are in this town.
You can also chill out; the people are mellow, and there’s enough backyard pools and lush greenery to go around.
Appreciation of ideas, candor and curiosity, a willingness to risk, these are the traits of this place. If you can rouse them in yourself, you’ll be accepted, invited and you’ll thrive. Put on your shades, pop in the tape and check these out:
- The three no-cover jazz clubs of Burbank/Teluca Lake. Last of the living legends and a great night out. Best music in the world, all on the same street.
- Al’s Bar. Low/no cover. Off Alameda by warehouse district downtown. The working poet’s heavy spot. Also place to pick up Get-In-Free fliers to exclusive dance clubs.
- The Improv for comedy, on Melrose. Hot bar. Great humor.
- LA Harbor. Industrial architecture supreme. Ships and movie settings at their most magnificent. Wonderful, huge and full of harbor sounds and smells.
- Catalina Island. The trip over, day or night, to this snorkel paradise will cure any urban blues. And it’s only $10 or so!
- Red Onion bar, Marina Del Rey. Will inspire you to check out all the cool sailboats, plus provides very filling free-food happy hour.
- Palmer’s Lighthouse, Long Beach, new tourist wharf. Maybe 4 flrs to the top. Best view. Friendly, but real, sailors, best happy hour with free grilled mahi-mahi, marinated chicken plus salads. Place to park your boat.
- Simply Blues, no cover. 12th Floor jazz club, piano bar, great views, near 1st Interstate Bank by Sunset and Vine. (It’s gone, but something else cool might be there by now.)
- Griffith Park and Observatory. Great views, trails, roads, excellent weekend cycling–steep to observatory from city-side of hills. Rolling park on Valley side. 9 a.m. Sat informal bike race action…many groups for all abilities. No cars. Beauty.
- Big Seafood restaurant on way to Malibu on PCH, ocean-side. Cheap, celebs.
- Seafood diner up Topanga canyon 5 miles off PCH just past Malibu. Paper plates, cheap, small, celebs
- Rose’s Cafe, Venice and Gorky’s Cafe, downtown (24 hours)—hot scene.
- You should hate the MOCA and party at the LA Co. Museum, the Temp Contemp and L.A.C.E.——use this as way to evaluate people (if they like the MOCA watch out).
- Pick up free admission and discount fliers for pricey night clubs and gigs at every no-cover bar you visit—save a lot this way.
- Attend art openings–free food, wine, people, celebs.
- Go to a club meeting for some favorite activity of yours–LA will have a hot one.
- Disneyland, preferably in an altered state. Recommended rides are Peter Pan and Pirates of the Caribbean, plus Paddlewheel boat and Tree house area. Wrap up your hot day with pitchers at the topless bar half mile down road from D-land exit. Ladies there are tired of old wino regulars and thus refreshingly friendly.
- Drive Mulholland
- Stroll the Hollywood Hills all the way to the top–especially near the Reservoir–classic houses, roads…and beauty all around the Rez (fine for biking and hiking—closed on funny hours).
- Frank Gearhy (?) Museum or House…best S-Cal architect for visual wow.
- Hike in the huge park five miles up Topanga (?) canyon off PCH past Malibu. Mind-blowing wilderness near LA.
- Visit mountain area 60 miles east of LA, Arrowhead, Big Bear…
- Firefly Bar and Catalina Grill—both near Cahuenga and Hollywood Blvd—a shockingly nasty bar (visit after 1 a.m.) followed by a fine jazz venue (any eve. hr).
- Phillipe’s, on Alameda, near tracks, downtown, home of the French dip au jus sandwich and saw-dust on floor, one of LA’s secret spots and one of its oldest and best, too.
- Musso Frank’s Grill—best food and atmosphere in town (Hollywood Blvd near Mann’s Chinese Theatre) for relatively affordable price. Hemingway and Bogey ate here. Popular among insiders.
- The City Grill, Fairfax—chic spot, the new LA. (But did it close? The cool ladies who opened it have other places if so. Go to them.)
- Canter’s Deli—the real thing. (A couple other good ones, too. On Fairfax w/in a mile of Melrose there’s one. Plus one right next to MacArthur Park downtown in Spanish area.)
- Westwood evening stroll—see the real So. Cal. kids.
- Venice beach–the bookstore and restaurant next to it—the scenery there should help you get your vertical and horizontal hold properly adjusted.
- Shops on Melrose—start from the Citroen dealership and the entire 3 miles to a bar with swinging doors and an Irish name on right-hand side (a couple blocks past last cool shops, past greenhouse) stay there until it closes then go to the Firefly…. Rec. start time: 3:30 p.m., take in Improv, too. Good shops: The Soap Flower, Wacky Stuff, Aardvarck’s, some of the clothes boutiques really treat you hot despite their cheap prices. (Creativity and passion unchained!)
- Gorky’s Cafe…downtown LA. One of the first. 24 hr. Hopppin. Near many other hot spots. Good place for fliers. Free music. (But there’s so many more and probably better spots nowadays.)
- Garment district downtown LA behind Gorky’s—all name brands $15
- You must stroll skid row area and peak down side streets in blocks near Gorky’s to see the price we pay.
- Check out Wilmington, Hispanic areas, take a stroll, buy pastries from the Panaderia, and have a dinner in a real Mex restaurant—helps you see who this region really belongs to.
- LA Harbor cruise, day or night, on party boat (they leave from San Pedro and LB) for an amazing eyeful from a different perspective, a powerful waterworld change of your vibrations.
- Stroll through crusty little marinas in LA Harbor (they’re near the oil refineries) to see the real sailing lifestyle and some lovely little cruisers. Consider getting a rowboat and rowing entire Harbor channel system, might take only three hours to do the best parts. You’ll recognize parts of your trip in movies forever after. Ask where’s the Burger Barge for a gritty lunch. At end of marina road off of eastern-most Alameda island bridge is nice breakfast joint for catching sailor vibe. Many classic circumnavigators built their little boats and took off from hereabouts. Harry Pidgeon is the most famous, I think.
- Go fishing on a Day Boat, catch some tasty ones to grill absolutely fresh. Maybe $30. Find one at San Pedro Wharf Mall.
- Volunteer to crew for a day on some sailboat at a Single Sailor’s Meeting. Have a damn good time compliments of the professional partiers of So. Cal.
- Go body surfing along some beach on both busy and lonely days, watch the setting sun glow emerald through the curl of the wave you’re riding. (Or rent boogie board for easier action.)
- Sushi bar on H-wood near Mann’s (same side)…tiny, ugly, cheap…excellent.
- Bookstores on H-wood. Book City is best. Deep selection. Only other good bkst is in LB (used, I mean).
- The pier at Santa Monica. Definitely worth checking out.
- The Black Whale near Marina Del Rey. Classic old LA seafood restaurant.
- Huge, fine old hardware store near MDR.
- Velodrome at Cal State U/Dominguez Hills 5 mi’s N of LB.
- Old wood Rollercoaster at Mission Bay by Sea World.
- Famous open air mall in San Diego…nice architecture.
- Julian…little town in mts 50 mi’s inland from San Diego. Famous for oaks and apple-pie. Good relief from SD.
