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Los Angeles, United States
Photo: Alfonso E. Perez-Gonzalez, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Greater Wilshire is an area of Los Angeles. Its boundaries are Melrose Avenue/Hollywood to the north, La Cienega Blvd/West Hollywood to the west, the 10 Freeway to the south, and Hoover Street/Westlake to the east. The area encompasses the neighborhoods of Mid-City, Mid-Wilshire, Fairfax, Hancock Park, Windsor Square, Koreatown, and Pico-Union.
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Has a gym, senior center, baseball fields, picnic benches, and children's play areas. Right next to the Fairfax branch of the Los Angeles Public Library.
A multi-floor library with several museum-style exhibits in between.
LACMA
This huge museum features a vast array of works on display from around the globe, with particularly strong collections of Asian, Latin American and American art. You'll want to devote the better part of a day to seeing this place, as the museum is spread out across several buildings. The collection is incredibly varied: iconic pieces of modern art sit a floor removed from artifacts of ancient Greece and Rome. Among the many highlights you'll find are a marvelous pavilion devoted to Japanese art, a remarkable collection of pre-Columbian art from Latin America, and the new Broad Contemporary Art Museum (BCAM) with its many large-scale and innovative installations. On the grounds (and viewable to all for free) are several massive installation pieces, including Chris Burden's photogenic Urban Light, a veritable forest of working street lamps arranged in front of the Wilshire Blvd entrance, and Michael Heizer's Levitated Mass, a huge boulder perched over a walkway behind the museum. LACMA also hosts many special exhibitions, the subjects of which are often just as varied as the museum's permanent collection.
An excellent museum that displays fossils of animals – including saber-toothed cats, dire wolves and mammoths – that got stuck in tar pits during the Ice Age 10,000 to 40,000 years ago. Visitors can watch fossils being prepared and learn about the natural and human history of the tar pits. However, the real highlight is just outside the museum in Hancock Park, where you'll find a Pleistocene Garden and the tar pits themselves, with life-size replicas of extinct mammals and where you can witness the ongoing excavation of the pits.
Has a great display of more than 150 rare and classic cars, trucks and motorcycles amidst its four floors and . The first floor traces the history of the automobile, the second floor has five rotating exhibits of cars, the third floor is a hands-on Discovery Center, and the top floor is an all-glass penthouse conference center that is used primarily for special events. The intersection outside is the site of the Biggie Smalls murder. The exterior of the building sports a striking array of steel ribbons that wrap around the structure.
Hosts exhibitions of traditional folk art and contemporary craft. Also offers classes and workshops where participants can create their own works of art.
Home of some great photographers, such as Herb Ritts.
This historic broadcasting complex was built in 1952 and continues to be the home of many of American TV's most popular shows, such as American Idol, The Price is Right, and The Young and The Restless. Tickets for shows that have a studio audience can usually be had for free at the CBS box office or on the show's website, but be forewarned that ticket distribution is frequently in excess of audience capacity and long lines can form for popular shows—Price is Right audience members, in particular, have been known to camp outside the studio the night before a taping just for a chance to be a contestant!
A local landmark Art Deco theater, this standing room-only music venue is a popular for rock-and-roll and pop concerts.
Metro: Wilshire/Western
At the corner of Wilshire & Western, the Wiltern is housed in a towering Art Deco structure. This major concert venue is a local favorite and plays host to many pop and rock-and-roll bands.
A popular and noted comedy club that plays host to lots of big-name acts.
A popular venue for improv and sketch comedy that has launched plenty of famous careers.
Good food with options for everyone. Even some Czech items.
Good Korean BBQ at a really great price (around $20 is enough to stuff two people). The decor isn't as fancy as more expensive places, but it has charm. The menu is family style, so one order is enough to feed two people. Like most Korean BBQ places, servers bring the meat out for you to cook at your table (but that doesn't mean you shouldn't tip!) With your meal comes a variety of traditional Korean side dishes and a plate of julienned scallions to enjoy with your freshly grilled meat. For finicky eaters or those new to Korean food, the bulgoki (marinated beef) is always a good choice. On warmer days, or whenever you want a lighter meal, try their cold noodle soup (white somen noodles in a cold soup of clear, mild kimchi) with your meal instead of rice.
Serving the most famous hot dogs in Los Angeles since 1939, their chili dog will set you back $8.50. Open every day from 9:30AM to 2AM or later. Expect a long but fairly fast-moving line.
French bakery and restaurant that features popular French dishes and pastries.
Offers a variety of soy meat-substitutes & tofu choices in the entrees. Also veggie burgers, salads, soups, and noodles. Recommend the papaya salad, spring rolls, spicy eggplant, and yummy carrot cake. The lunch specials are good bargains (soup, salad, spring roll, brown rice, and choice of entree). Friendly service in a casual, clean setting. Parking available in the lot and on the street.
The menu includes various types of soon tofu stews (at around $8) and combination meals including other traditional Korean entrées (Korean BBQ, bibimbap, etc.) along with a small bowl of soon tofu stew (at around $11-14). Each order comes with a bowl of rice and the standard array of traditional Korean side dishes. Service and atmosphere are always great. The décor at the location on Wilshire is particularly nice. For those new to eating soon tofu, particularly at BCD Tofu House, there is a certain order to follow in eating your meal (such as cracking the optional raw egg into the stew while it's still boiling). Don't be afraid to wave your server down and ask questions. (Many Korean restaurants have implemented bells at each table in case you have a particularly hard time getting the attention of any servers). Several locations (including the 2 in Koreatown) are open 24 hours.
Wilshire and Kingsley
Western and 9th
Awesome Jewish deli on Fairfax, a few blocks north of 3rd. This place has been around since 1931 and you'll know why if you stop by.
One of the original LA Mexican restaurants is wildly popular, especially for their green corn tamales, when they're in season.
Known for its margaritas, fun atmosphere, and cute/tacky decor, this Mexican restaurant opened in 1931 at 1st and La Brea, and in 1951 moved to its present location on Beverly Blvd. It is the restaurant where Sharon Tate and her friends ate their last meal before being murdered by the Charles Manson family in 1969.
The "Most Romantic Indian Restaurant in Los Angeles" offers authentic Punjabi cuisine at reasonable prices for lunch and dinner; a beautiful, candle-lit dining room and open-air courtyard; unique cocktails; and warm, professional staff.
For the best mole this side of Oaxaca, go to Guelaguetza in Koreatown. The interior is charming, often with a Mexican band is playing. But the star is the mole -- three types are on offer. Try them all, and from then forward when you are stuck eating an everyday lunch, you will dream of Guelaguetza.
One of the hottest new places in Hollywood. If you've been infected with Organica or Macrobiotica, head here now. It's often impossibly crowded and parking's a nightmare. They've got lots of premade things that are handy if you're short on time, otherwise it's better to order fresh, considering how far you'll be set back.
Classic Korean BBQ where thinly sliced and/or marinated meat is grilled right at the table. Gets fairly smoky, so don't wear anything that needs dry-cleaning.
A popup restaurant service Korean-style barbecue tacos, fried chicken, cocktails made with soju, bento boxes and ssambap entrees.
Popular for yummy steaks and an inventive menu.
This combination bakery, bar, and restaurant, housed in the former La Brea Bakery, is a popular destination for both casual meals and events. The French-inspired menu is the creation of the owners, chefs Walter and Margarita Manzke. Make reservations early!
Metro: Wilshire/Normandie
Dive-y lounge featuring karaoke
Tequila's the order of the day here, tasty margaritas, greasy tacos and a chill atmosphere.
Old Hollywood dive, cheap drinks, neighborhood bar
A popular hotel, next door to Swingers.
A small, elegant inn.
Popular and trendy small hotel with vintage aesthetic, located near The Grove and the Farmer's Market.
An outdoor shopping and entertainment complex that will appeal to tourists that want to shop, with most of the fashion chains you can expect to find at any upscale mall, as well as some restaurants and a movie theater. At the center of the complex is a dancing fountain, and a tourist trolley offers free rides between The Grove and the adjacent Farmers Market.
A historic market complex dating from the 1930s with lots of produce stands, shops and gourmet restaurants, and today it remains a popular spot for locals to pick up fresh produce. A tourist trolley offers free rides between the Farmers Market and The Grove.
If you enjoy cheese and wine, then you'll love shopping here! Monsieur Marcel is a delightful French deli in the Farmers Markets on 3rd Avenue where you can stock up on a range of gourmet produce, but most importantly there's over 500 vintage of wine on offer with a range of experienced staff to help you make your decisions.
This shop is the place to go for vintage 1960s and 1970s couture and accessories.
By train
Metro Line trains (marked for Wilshire/La Cienega) run from Downtown Union Station through the area with stops at Wilshire/Vermont, Wilshire/Normandie, Wilshire/Western, Wilshire/La Brea, and…
By bus
Of the many routes that cover the region, the Metro Rapid 720 is good for east-west coverage along Wilshire Boulevard.
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Burbank · International · BUR
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