Los Angeles Destination Guide

For some, Los Angeles is just an urban sprawl with limited public transport options and a film industry that dominates everyone’s lives. But look beneath the surface and the city is as dynamic and approachable as New York. Sure, the sprawl can seem daunting but consider it more to explore.

Start with West LA, and tour the shops and bars on Abbot Kinney Street in Venice Beach. Further north is Santa Monica, which is great for its seaside piers and promenades, movie theatres and farmers markets.

The Getty Museums in Malibu should be mandatory, then journey inland and find your way through the quiet and beautiful neighbourhoods of Brentwood and Westwood, home to The University of California in Los Angeles and the W Hotel’s private pool and bar spot.

Hike along the Malibu bluffs, or in Tapanga Canyon then return to the thick of urban life in Hollywood and West Hollywood. Here you find great restaurants, bars, nightclubs and a bevy of high-end boutiques. Silverlake and Echo Park have young hipster hangouts, while downtown LA, which is currently in the middle of a huge revitalisation project, has the Disney Opera House and the Sky Bar (order a dirty martini) on top of the downtown Standard Hotel.