Los Angeles Travel Forum

Hi!! I'm going to LA for one week in July, I'd like to know of some places to visit, I'm taking my mom.

I've heard of the 3rd street promenade in Santa Monica, is it nice? and what about Robertson Blvd? any other recommendations for shopping places?

What places are a must-see? we'll skip the parks.
Thanks in advance.

I go out a couple of times a year to visit my Grandma, I've taken her to the Getty Museum (fabulous views, art collection is so so), Getty Villa, Huntington Library which has lovely gardens, a small museum and a lovely afternoon tea, and Descanso Gardens. You might also enjoy spending a day in Pasadena, the old town is nice to walk around and depending on your interests you can also visit the Norton Simon Museum or the Gamble House.

The Farmers Market is a nice place to stop to get something to eat, it's attached to a large outdoor mall called The Grove but it really doesn't have a lot of unique stores.

I like the suggestion about Pasadena.
Also off Santa Monica Blvd but closer to Beverly Hills is the Century Shopping plaza ... this is a fun place to shop. Realize I have not been there for a good 18 years, so some things may have changed, but it should only be better. A bit pricey, but fun to look at all the stuff, plus one of the stores had a nice basement where I actually purchased a nice dress once.

Robertson has mostly art galleries (or was this La Cienega ...), but not too sure if it's worth going just for that.

What else does your mom like?

The promanade in SM is a must for the serious shopper. For sheer size, there is very little like the Del Amo mall. She may like shopping at Beverly Center also.

Now that we've bankrupted your mom, what else does she like to do besides shop?

Perhaps before she gets bankrupted you should go to a spa for a facial and massage ... to work out all those shopping aches and get a second wind.

Does your mom has a favorite show? Ellen, Jay Leno? Which might probably have
tv taping tickets (mostly free) in the area!!!
Check out http://www.tvtix.com/schedule.php
or http://www.tvtickets.com/

Lots listed on my Los Angeles Travel Page with links to other local cities. My favorite shopping area is Old Town Pasadena.

Hope you enjoy your visit!

Melrose is good for hip shopping and people watching. Also you might want to take a stroll along Rodeo Drive and to the Beverly Hills thing. 3rd Street is great as is Robertson (though the shops on Robertson are expensive!!!) Many tourists head to The Grove, but personally it's not at the top of my list, although the Farmer's Market at 3rd and Fairfax (right next to The Grove) is fun to visit.

Just to give you another idea, you can check out Santee Alley in the Fashion District. It's a packed, bazaar like atmosphere, full of cheap knockoffs, shoes, and the occasional turtle for sale.

This was my Mom's fave place in LA, but she's a yard saler and determined bargain hunter type.

There's more info on this under my shopping tips.

Have fun!

GC

>>check out Santee Alley in the Fashion District<<
This place was fun before it became popular! I used to work at the building in the corner of Los Angeles and 9th adding up store back orders for Patty Woodward (before this task became computerized). I remember some of the little Mexican food places around there were *awesome* ... but this is circa 1966 ... am sure some of it has changed.

Not sure if it's still valid to say not to be there after 6 PM, as it's close to a bad area ...

Thank you for all your replies!

I got so excited reading your posts, I can't wait! I think we'll visit the museums and Universal Studios one day, then shopping 2 days or more :D , we might even try to go to a show taping.

I don't know if we should rent a car, I'm a little intimidated by the freeways, I'm not sure I'll get the hang of it.

Thanks again!

Freeways-

They don't make them easy here. The Santa Monica freeway doesn't go all the way to Santa Monica, the San Bernadino one doesn't go there, and the LA Canada highway doesn't go to Canada. They don't always say where they do go, and so it can be frustrating for newbies.

But they are not really that bad as long as you know what direction you want to go, and you can avoid the high travel times. Exits are normally well marked, and you get signs miles in advance.

The ocean is always west or south. I suggest google earth to get a feel for how the city is built. It is a grid in most areas, allowing you to get around easliy if you don't have to go over a mountain. That is where the traffic often bottlenecks.

And the San Diego freeway does not get there.