Podcast show notes
All the things we mentioned to better explore Los Angeles
I have had an influx of new subscribers in the past two weeks! Welcome to This Ugly Beautiful City! I am happy you are here. If this is your first issue, be sure to check out this post. The post you are reading right now is a companion to the “I was on a Podcast” post.
In November 2022, I was a guest on the Life Hacks LA podcast. After listening to it again, I decided to add a list of everything we mentioned. I listen to podcasts during my commute when I don’t have a pen or can stop and browse. If this sounds like you, this list will help you discover new things about Los Angeles and the surrounding areas.
Here is a link to that podcast if you would like to listen along with this post.
The host, Stefan, has been blogging his adventures on Life Hacks LA since 2017 and, in 2019, added a podcast. He shares tips and tricks for hacking the best of Los Angeles. He interviews local experts from a wide range of backgrounds. You can find his website and listen to podcast episodes here.
The Intro
In the intro, we get to know me, why I started my blog, and how it got its name. In this post, I go into greater detail.
One of Los Angeles’ most notoriously ugly things is traffic. We talked about how sometimes you have to suffer to get to beautiful places. We head up highway 1, past Santa Monica, to Malibu, to one of my favorite beaches in Los Angeles. For the past two years, the top post on my blog has been about tide pooling at Leo Carrillo State Beach. It gives advice about parking, tide charts, and the types of animals you will find. We also discuss another favorite hiding between intersections, the Self-Realization Lake Shrine in Pacific Palisades.
The touristy side of Los Angeles
All of my neighborhood deep dives start with the touristy locations in a neighborhood and branch out to more places to explore to help you stick around a neighborhood. We talked about touristy Hollywood, Santa Monica Pier, and Griffith Park.
What advice would I give those coming to Los Angeles?
Don't try to do everything in one day. Stay in one neighborhood because there is a lot to see, do, and eat in each.
After the Hollywood Walk of Fame, go to Lake Hollywood to see the famous sign or go to Yamashiro for great views. Don’t head all the way to Santa Monica after Hollywood & Highland. You will spend all day in the car and be miserable.
What are my most frequently asked questions as someone who gives advice about Los Angeles?
Itineraries
My neighborhood guides are great options to build your self-guided itinerary with options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with things in between. If you want my help, I offer free and paid itineraries.
To see my free itineraries, click here.
To purchase an itinerary on Etsy, click here.
If you want me to plan a trip to Los Angeles for you, click here.
Do Angelenos like going to Hollywood?
Once we have done the touristy spots in Hollywood a couple of times, we would prefer to visit the non-touristy areas or another neighborhood.
Best walkable neighborhoods
Culver City
When I worked in Culver City in the Helms Bakery District 15 years ago, there were fewer places to grab something during my lunch break. Now there are so many options. I am digging Konbi, Destroyer, and Citizens’ Public Market.
Something to do between all of the eating
Museum of Jurassic Technology (A must-see L.A. stop)
[Bonus note: Get around the area on the Culver City Ride.]
We also recommended or mentioned
Chicas Tacos, Versailles, Pasta Sisters, and Father’s Office.
Another Walkable Neighborhood
Little Tokyo/Arts District is a great walkable neighborhood with tons of history, museums, and food. See the MoCA Geffen and the Japanese American National Museum and grab something to eat/drink at the Far Bar.
Day Trips and Weekend Getaways
We love Los Angeles but also enjoy the beauty surrounding Los Angeles. If you have read This Ugly Beautiful City, you know that I love Palm Springs. I have a Palm Springs guide which you should check out. I make a special note of Pappy & Harriets and talk about The Integratron.
You can find other weekends and getaways here.
International travel
One of my goals for 2023 is to add guides for U.S. and international locations. The one guide that is for sale is Two Days in Barcelona. It gives arrival information, helpful phrases in Spanish and Catalan, and two days of eating and visiting cultural sites. Contact me for more details at laguide@thisuglybeautifulcity.com.
My perfect day in Los Angeles (with a teleportation device)
Morning
I would get a pastry and coffee at Konbi, then explore what is new at the Museum of Jurassic Technology.
Lunch
There is a special place in my heart for Pollo a la Brasa on Western it is a rotisserie chicken place in Koreatown. It was my comfort food during a rough patch in my life. Everyone is friendly there, which is what I needed, and it is also inexpensive and filling, which was also what I needed. I always order the quarter chicken dark with fries and salad. It is less than $10. [Note: The website in Yelp is not a website for their business]
Afternoon
I would spend the afternoon at The Huntington’s Chinese Garden. It is one of the most beautiful and meditative places in Los Angeles. After the pandemic, I craved quiet places. This has been a great place to ponder what is next.
Happy Hour
I would then grab a drink at Bolita. I commented how this is an excellent place to enjoy low/no abv mocktails. Some This Ugly Beautiful City readers and I enjoyed drinks there last week as part of a paid subscriber event.
Dinner
In the dinner section, I was a little stumped. There are so many restaurants that are fantastic. There is one Restaurant I would resurrect, Dialogue, a small restaurant hiding in a food court on the Santa Monica Promenade. It was helmed by Dave Beran of Pasjoli, and each tasting meal was a progression through a story told by all of the staff. Themes worked through seasons. Think of summer, all the things you enjoy, and the memories you had during that season. Summers at the lake, snow cones, crawfish boils, and whatever the word summer conjures up for you. Sadly it was a pandemic closure.
If my perfect day took place on a Friday, I would jump into the teleportation machine and dance off my dinner at Club Underground in DTLA. It gives me some serious nostalgia.
At the end of the episode, the host featured some of my free itineraries and neighborhood guides.
Urban Hike Santa Monica to Venice, Hollywood the Neighborhood Guide, and the Malibu Guide
I can’t believe how much ground we covered in 30-ish minutes. This post may be helpful if you want to explore more of Los Angeles this week.