It’s no secret that Los Angeles is one of most sprawling cities in the world, making it impossible to see all, or even most, of it in one trip.
It’s downright overwhelming when you think about how to pack Hollywood, Beverly Hills, the beach cities, and everything in between into one trip.
Many visitors try to do it all, but there are some things you simply shouldn’t do in L.A.
We’re here to guide you away from those, so you have more time for the best of Los Angeles.
DON’T EAT AT PINK’S HOT DOGS
If you’re going to stand in line for thirty minutes for a hot dog, it should be a unique L.A. experience, not just another hot dog stand.
Ditch Pink’s and go to Dodger Stadium for a Dodgers game to enjoy the famous 10-inch Dodger Dog.
Or better yet, visit Wurstküche, with locations in Venice Beach and Downtown Los Angeles in the Arts District, featuring exotic sausages (such as duck and bacon sausage), Belgian fries with homemade dipping sauces, and more than twenty different Belgian and German beers.
DON’T SHOP ON RODEO DRIVE OR THE GROVE
Both Rodeo Drive and The Grove aren’t short on upscale shops or people watching. However, if it’s shopping you’re after, there are better options that won’t require elbowing your way through crowds.
Though Rodeo Drive often gets all the attention, one of the trendiest shopping districts is Robertson Boulevard, lined with both prominent designer stores and small boutiques.
Further west in Santa Monica, Montana Avenue is a tree-lined street home to more than 150 specialty shops and restaurants.
DON’T GO TO HOLLYWOOD AND HIGHLAND
It may be the best people-watching spot in L.A., but Hollywood and Highland is also the biggest tourist trap here.
It’s the Times Square of Los Angeles, feeling a bit like a can of sardines on the weekends.
Everyone will try to sell you something on the street, from souvenirs to DVDs, and even Superman will ask for money to take a photo with him.
DON’T WALK THE VENICE BEACH BOARDWALK ON THE WEEKEND
There’s a recurring theme here with crowds in Los Angeles, and Venice is no exception, especially on weekends when you’ll have to move with the pace of the crowd to walk down the Venice Beach Boardwalk.
However, the great thing about L.A.’s beaches is that the 22-mile paved bicycle path, The Strand, also runs along some more offbeat, less crowded beaches, such as Playa del Rey, which is just south of Venice.
Whatever you do, don’t go into one of the boardwalk’s cannabis clinics in Venice.
DON’T IGNORE DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES
Many don’t even consider a visit to Downtown Los Angeles, and in doing so, they ignore one of the city’s coolest and fastest growing neighborhoods.
In the Arts District, there’s Angel City Brewing, serving small-batch craft beer in an old warehouse, and Bestia, one of the trendiest Italian restaurants in L.A.
The streets of Downtown L.A. are lined with cool speakeasy-style bars like The Varnish and dives like King Eddy, a bar during prohibition.
There’s also The Last Bookstore, the largest used bookstore in California and Grand Central Market, which feels like a European-style indoor food market.
DON’T GET UP-CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH THE HOLLYWOOD SIGN
While there are a couple different hikes to the Hollywood Sign, such as the Hollywood Ridge and Beachwood Canyon trails, your best view and photo is likely to be well beneath it, from Griffith Park.
If you try to climb the heavily guarded fence surrounding the sign, you could get a free night’s stay in jail.
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