A Local’s Guide to LA
Sightseeing
A must-see if you love nature. Definitely plan to spend a whole day here. Tickets start at $25 for adults / $14 for children.
999 locals recommend
Huntington Library Art Collections and Botanical Gardens
1151 Oxford RdA must-see if you love nature. Definitely plan to spend a whole day here. Tickets start at $25 for adults / $14 for children.
The Getty Villa
17985 Pacific Coast HwyThe second half of The Getty and further tucked away in Malibu
A shopper’s heaven. All the brands you could look for, plus a gorgeous outdoor space.
642 locals recommend
The Americana at Brand
889 Americana WayA shopper’s heaven. All the brands you could look for, plus a gorgeous outdoor space.
A rare waterfall hike tucked away in the mountains.
Eaton Canyon Falls Trail, Altadena, CA 91001, USA
A rare waterfall hike tucked away in the mountains.
Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, USA
An upscale street with a touch of Hollywood
Venice Beach
An eclectic outdoor shopping strip next to the beach, great for people watching.
Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area
4100 S La Cienega BlvdFood scene
Note: this place is called Aikan Sushi. The best AYCE sushi that doesn't sacrifice quality for quantity! Only $37 for the basic dinner package, which has more than enough options. Do be warned: their wait times can get up to 1.5 hours on weekends!
8 locals recommend
Aburi Sushi & Ramen
735 E Green StNote: this place is called Aikan Sushi. The best AYCE sushi that doesn't sacrifice quality for quantity! Only $37 for the basic dinner package, which has more than enough options. Do be warned: their wait times can get up to 1.5 hours on weekends!
Visit the iconic boba cafe founded by Philip Wang of WongFu Productions. A must try for Taiwanese fusion cuisine.
Bopomofo Cafe
841 W Las Tunas DrVisit the iconic boba cafe founded by Philip Wang of WongFu Productions. A must try for Taiwanese fusion cuisine.
Mandarin Noodle House
701 W Garvey AveMy go-to for authentic Taiwanese beef noodle soup.
Just a 8 minute walk from our place, this is the best authentic Chinese food around (and I’ve tried a lot!)
29 locals recommend
Mama Lu's Dumpling House
501 W Garvey AveJust a 8 minute walk from our place, this is the best authentic Chinese food around (and I’ve tried a lot!)
A newly built food court filled with quirky and diverse eats, including Caribbean, Korean, and BBQ.
Blossom Market Hall
A newly built food court filled with quirky and diverse eats, including Caribbean, Korean, and BBQ.
Banh Mi Che Cali BMC Pho
My go-to for cheap, Vietnamese lunch on any day of the week.
Delicious local pho and Vietnamese food in general. Can you tell I love the Vietnamese cuisine here?
Nha Trang Restaurant
742 E Garvey AveDelicious local pho and Vietnamese food in general. Can you tell I love the Vietnamese cuisine here?
The carne asada fries are absolutely killer here. Huge portions, great price.
Pepe's Finest Mexican Food
511 W Valley BlvdThe carne asada fries are absolutely killer here. Huge portions, great price.
The Hat (The Original)
3 words: pastrami, pastrami, pastrami!
Pho Filet 2
The best place to get Northern style pho
GRANVILLE
Great mid-price, upscale restaurant. Absolutely delicious, a must eat in the area.
Guelaguetza Restaurante
3014 W Olympic BlvdGreat place for Oaxacan cuisine!
An iconic street taco experience. Grilled in front of you, and sometimes has street churros too.
Avenue 26 Tacos
An iconic street taco experience. Grilled in front of you, and sometimes has street churros too.
Fugetsu-Do
315 E 1st StAuthentic, delicious mochi from a local business. An LA classic.
Neighborhoods
A no brainer, must visit place. Great Korean grocery stores and KBBQ alike. You can’t go wrong with any choice here. Just note, parking is difficult and you may need to park in a paid lot unless you get really lucky with limited street parking.
230 locals recommend
Koreatown
A no brainer, must visit place. Great Korean grocery stores and KBBQ alike. You can’t go wrong with any choice here. Just note, parking is difficult and you may need to park in a paid lot unless you get really lucky with limited street parking.
Beautiful outdoor shopping street. I honestly prefer going on a walk here than the pier!
Third Street Promenade
1351 3rd Street PromenadeBeautiful outdoor shopping street. I honestly prefer going on a walk here than the pier!
A hidden, local gem. Very quaint and just far enough away from the city hustle and bustle. Great place to walk around in.
480 locals recommend
Old Pasadena
23 E Colorado BlvdA hidden, local gem. Very quaint and just far enough away from the city hustle and bustle. Great place to walk around in.
Just 15 minutes away driving, downtown is great for checking out museums, theaters, restaurants, and bars. Just make sure to stay safe at night!
Downtown Los Angeles
Just 15 minutes away driving, downtown is great for checking out museums, theaters, restaurants, and bars. Just make sure to stay safe at night!
Food food food! From Chinese BBQ, Peking duck, dim sum, Taiwanese beef noodle soup, and more, you can’t get any better than Monterey Park for authentic Chinese food.
29 locals recommend
Monterey Park
Food food food! From Chinese BBQ, Peking duck, dim sum, Taiwanese beef noodle soup, and more, you can’t get any better than Monterey Park for authentic Chinese food.
Great eats and shopping can be found in our neighboring city, Alhambra
Main St, Alhambra, CA 91801, USA
Great eats and shopping can be found in our neighboring city, Alhambra
Traveler advice
Getting around
Parking
Parking can be a challenge here in LA, but luckily in Monterey Park (and typically anywhere east of Downtown LA), parking is more plentiful and free. Be warned, if you’re venturing out west to Santa Monica, Korea Town, Hollywood, etc, parking is more limited and you may need to pay for a lot to save you from a headache. Also watch out for street parking signs as they may be confusing.
Getting around
Traffic
LA traffic is infamous for good reason. Unless you’re driving in very odd hours, there WILL be traffic. Rush hour can begin as early as 2pm (maybe earlier!) on weekdays. There’s traffic at 12am on weekends. Locals are used to it and a good rule of thumb is to double your normal route time to get the time it takes during traffic.
What to pack
Dry and warm weather
During most of the year, LA is very hot and dry. Hot weather is approximately from May-October, where it can get as high as 90-100° F during the day. Cold weather here is approximately from November-March, where it can get as low as 40° F at night and 50-60° F during the day.