The view from our table at Gjelina
I recently took a trip out west to Los Angeles, and while it wasn’t my first time visiting the City of Angels, the experience felt really new. We stayed with my sister-in-law and her husband in their magnificent duplex in Santa Monica, just blocks away from the beach. And since we were staying with locals, we figured why not experience LA like locals as well?
Here are my top tips for experiencing LA like a local:
Don’t Rent A Car
I know this probably seems counterintuitive, since it’s near-impossible to navigate LA without a car, but this is what we were told after booking our flights and we listened. Instead, we chose to use UberX to get around the city, which is not only cheap but also incredibly efficient. You never have to worry about parking, can safely peruse social media on your phone while stuck in traffic and don’t ever have to resort to driving under the influence.
Go Take A Hike
Hiking is an absolute must when visiting Los Angeles. Unless you’re a celebrity, hiking is the most common form of exercise out there. We did two beautiful hikes on our trip. The first was Solstice Canyon, north of Malibu, which started under a canopy of trees and dotted with the ruins of old hunting cabins that had burned in fires. We ended up on a trail that took us up and over the mountain, with breathtaking views and tons of peace and quiet.
The second hike was Coldwater Canyon Park in Beverly Hills. A bit easier than Solstice Canyon, we were able to go off trail briefly to walk through a beautiful neighborhood in Beverly Hills. A perfect blend of suburban and nature trails, trees and sun, this hike offers great views of the San Fernando Valley.
Lunch On Abbot Kinney
Voted the “Coolest Block in America” by GQ Magazine, Abbot Kinney Boulevard is a hip Venice oasis of artsy shops, restaurants and people-watching. We put our name down for an outdoor lunch at Gjelina, and meandered through the shops along Abbot Kinney while we waited. Once we were seated, we ordered a bottle of the Easkoot rose, and took in our beautiful surroundings. We shared the Tuscan kale salad with ricotta salata, the braised pork meatballs and a pizza pomodoro with burrata–all which were delicious. The food, in fact, was so good that I am now considering purchasing the Gjelina cookbook to try my hand at recreating the lovely experience in our tiny concrete backyard.
Watch A Movie In A Graveyard
This is actually not quite as creepy as it sounds. On Saturday nights throughout the summer months, Cinespia hosts screenings of old films at the Hollywood Cemetery. Even though the movie doesn’t start until the sun goes down, people start lining up to get in as early as 6pm. On your way in, keep an eye out for such notable Hollywood gravestones as Mel Blanc and Alfred Hitchcock. Bring wine and a picnic dinner to really get the full experience–which involves dining in a graveyard before the movie even begins.