LOS ANGELES GUIDE: TOP 10 INSTAGRAMMABLE PLACES TO SEE, BEST CAFES, VIEW SPOTS & SHOPPING PLACES

Los Angeles, California

LOS ANGELES GUIDE: TOP 10 INSTAGRAMMABLE PLACES TO SEE, BEST CAFES, VIEW SPOTS & SHOPPING PLACES

Monday, January 8, 2018

Hey beautiful souls!

So this has been one of the most requested post I should've done a looong while ago. AND now it's finally here. The ULTIMATE LOS ANGELES GUIDE with the best cafes, not so touristic photo places, shops & so much more. LA got my heart & I met the coolest people ever there. SO waiting to get back there. Once again, you don't have to be rich to travel. Just earn money, and save up. 

So let's start! Every single place is linked with an address or two, some of them have links straight to their websites, so you can find the places more easily. Most of the photos are taken by me. AND I'll try to keep it short haha. 

TOP 7 "INSTAGRAM CAFES" & COFFEE SHOPS TO VISIT IN LOS ANGELES:

1. ALFRED 

#BUTFIRSTCOFFEE sign creators. Interior goals. Coffee Gods. Yes. 

LOCATED: around LA, but the coolest ones are on 490 N Beverly Drive & 8590 Melrose Avenue.

2. CAFE GRATITUDE 

Most mesmerising cafe I've ever been to. I mean, look at the menu. Your order starts with I AM... and then you name the food you want, e.x. salad that's called LUCKY. Now your order is I AM...LUCKY. Plus, everything is super yummy!

LOCATED: 512 Rose Avenue, Venice & 419 N Canon Drive.

3. SPRINKLES CUPCAKES LA

The best cupcakes in the world! I suggest you visit the cupcake ATM, it's way cooler. 

LOCATED: 189 The Grove Drive, ATM @ 9635 South Santa Monica Boulevard

4. LEMONADE
The best LEMONADE. In the world? I say yes to that + they have an amazing VEGAN MENU. Everything on the menu is super delicious!
LOCATED: Everywhere! Coolest ones on 9001 Beverly Boulevard & 1661 Abbot Kinney Boulevard

5. REPUBLIQUE LA

So yummy pastries, acai bowls & drinks + interior goals.

LOCATED: 624 South La Brea Avenue

6. EREWHON MARKET 

Healthy, organic, clean & pure foods. Cafe & market. 

LOCATED: 7660 Beverly Boulevard & 585 Venice Boulevard

7. KLEAN LA - BEST ORDER-HOME MEAL SERVICE

Love their yummy meal packages and for a lazy days in they are lifesavers + of course Uber Eats LA, which brings you whatever you wish.

LOCATED: 12454 Oxnard Street

TOP 10 PHOTO "WALLS" FOR YOUR INSTAGRAM:

1. ANGEL WINGS WALL (left)
LOCATED: 8401 West 3rd Street & 801 E 4th PL & 453 Colyton Street

2. MADE IN LA WALL (middle)
LOCATED: 8025 Melrose Avenue

3. GIRLS TOUR WALL (right) 
LOCATED: 

4. DREAM BIG WALL (left)
LOCATED: 621 N La Cienega Boulevard

5. PAUL SMITH'S PINK WALL (middle)
LOCATED: 8221 Melrose Avenue

6. GEOMETRIC WALL (right)
LOCATED: 12120 Venice Boulevard

7. CALIFORNIA DREAMING WALL (left)
LOCATED: 3485 La Cienega Boulevard

8. GODESS WALL (right)
LOCATED: 700 S Flower Street

9. THE BATES MOTEL. PROJECTION (left)
LOCATED: 4301 Sunset Boulevard

10. THE BLOOM WALL (right)
LOCATED: 298 Rose Street

TOP 6 "PHOTO" LOCATIONS IN LOS ANGELES:

1. HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME
A MUST-do. Be prepared for a lot of tourists & long walks. 

LOCATED: N Highland Avenue & Hollywood Boulevard

2. VENICE BEACH & MANHATTAN BEACH

LOCATED: Manhattan Beach, Venice

3. URBAN LIGHT EXHIBIT @ LACMA
Oh, those famous lights. 

LOCATED: 5905 Wilshire Boulevard 

4. SANTA MONICA PIER
Always crowded, no matter what.

LOCATED: 200 Santa Monica Pier A

5. VENICE CANALS

Villas & canals. Perfect for biking. 

LOCATED: 200 Linnie Canal Venice

6. CHINATOWN, LITTLE TOKYO, KOREATOWN

As if you really escaped to China, Japan & Korea for few hours. Go there during daytime, since everything closes super early.

LOCATED: Chinatown, Little Tokyo, Koreatown

TOP 2 COOL MUSEUMS/GALLERIES TO VISIT:

1. MUSEUM OF ICE CREAM
"Worlds" in different colours and so so so much ice cream. Love this place!

LOCATED: Relocating, update on their webpage

2. THE BROAD MUSEUM
The famous "sky-full-of-stars" room & super cool exhibitions. 

LOCATED: 221 S Grand Ave

TOP 5 SHOPPING PLACES TO GO TO:

1. RODEO DRIVE (left & middle) 
Luxury shops.

LOCATED: Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills

2. THE GROVE (right)
Luxury & premium, such as Sephora, Topshop, Nike etc.

LOCATED: 189 The Grove Drive

3. CITADEL OUTLETS

Best outlets in Los Angeles. You can find all the famous (normal) brands from there at a cheap price. 

LOCATED: 100 Citadel Drove, Commerce (not so close to the centre)

4. SHOPS ON MELROSE AVENUE

So dope & so cool stores everywhere, such as Sorella Boutique and Revolve. Just take a cab in the middle of the street (for example to Starbucks 7624 Melrose Avenue and start walking)

LOCATED: Melrose Avenue

5. SHOPS IN VENICE BEACH

Mainly souvenirs and cool "Los Angeles" merch-clothing. Take a walk or bike through the alley.

LOCATED: Venice Beach

TOP 5 "BEST VIEW" SPOTS OVER LOS ANGELES:

1. GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY
Free of charge.

LOCATED: 2800 E Observatory Road

2. RUNYON CANYON PARK

LOCATED: 2000 N Fuller Avenue

3. SKYSPACE LA

Tickets: from 25$-45$. It has the highest glass slide in the world.

LOCATED: 633 West Fifth Street. (In the same building as UNICREDIT Bank, just around the corner)

4. THE HOLLYWOOD SIGN

You can see it from many places but I'll promise you, the BEST PHOTO spot & view to the sign we found (after driving around for 3-4 hours) was on Canyon Drive.

LOCATED: Canyon Lake Drive (end), just at the end of Lake Hollywood Park.

5. MALIBU PEAK & ROCKY OAKS VINEYARDS

The most breathtaking view I've ever seen. You need to get in contact with them before you wish to visit tho I'm not sure if they allow tourists on their property anymore. Just get in touch with them & find out & I'm always here to help you too :*

LOCATED: 340 Kanan Road, Malibu

WHEN TO GO?

In autumn or in the beginning of summer, not so hot but still pretty warm. Not so many tourists as well. Right now they have super cheap plane tickets (from January til March) so if you want to go & explore the city now it the best time to go for a cheap stay. Check out my post 6 WAYS TO TRAVEL CHEAPER & find out where I bought my Los Angeles tickets. 

TIPS:

1. Don't plan all the sightseeing on one day. LA traffic is crazy. You may drive from Venice to Hollywood for 30 minutes or 4 hours. You never know. 

2. Remember that almost every single food place asks an amount of 15-25% from your bill for tip. Take money in advance.

3. UBER (pool) or LYFT are the best ways to get around in LA. But keep in mind that during low hours (12-4 pm) your UBER is always cheaper (Venice to Hollywood for 2$-8$) than during busy hours (from 5pm) when the same route can cost 50$+.

4. Starbucks = WIFI. That's what I used for calling UBER or LYFT every time. They have FREE WIFI & they are located EVERYWHERE.

Thank you thank you thank you guys for supporting me and reading all of this. Please let me know in the comments below if I should start making these guides for every single destination! 

AND go buy those plane tickets you've been craving for a long time now, treat yourself.