Hey Dimes! Alec and I are moving to San Diego and are saying goodbye to Los Angeles. So, I’ve been reflecting on the past few years of living in Los Angeles. It’s been my home since 2017, and I’ve made some fantastic memories that I will cherish forever. I decided to compile a list of some of my favorite places in LA. Visit my favorite spots if you ever find yourself in the city of angels!

My Favorite Places in LA:

1. Elysian Park (at sunset or after dark)

Los Angeles’ Elysian Park has some decent hiking trails, but my favorite part of this park is Angel’s Point. After you drive up the hill towards Elysian Park, you’ll reach a dead end with a small parking lot. You can park along the road or in the small lot on the right. Angel’s Point will be on your left. You can see the Los Angeles skyline perfectly and Dodger Stadium as well! It’s a great bird’s-eye view of the city.

It’s a remarkable photo spot and a good place to take people when they come to visit LA.

If you go after dark, you can see all the city lights filling the sky and it’s pretty mesmerizing.

2. The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens

My favorite part about the Huntington Library is the 120 acres of botanical gardens. There are multiple different themed gardens along the property, so be sure to take a look around! My favorites were the Japanese Garden, Rose Garden, and Desert Garden. You can join a tour, but I like to just stroll around the park on my own and explore.

The Rose Gardens

The Botanical Gardens house some unusual and exotic plants from throughout the world. 

The Desert Garden

Bamboo

A day at the Botanical Gardens is a perfect way to spend your time with out-of-town guests.

The Chinese Garden

Koi Pond

3. Central Park in Pasadena

Central Park in Pasadena is a great place to have a picnic, meditate, take photos, or just be in nature.

There’s lots of space for people to spread out on the grass and lots of big beautiful trees for shade! 

I threw a birthday picnic for my fiance (now husband) and Central Park was the perfect location for it!

4. Perch LA

Perch LA is a trendy rooftop restaurant and bar in the heart of downtown LA. You have to take 2 elevators to get up to the 15th floor, where the restaurant is located. You can eat inside or outside, but of course the view is best from the outside seating. I would recommend making a reservation beforehand because it can get pretty busy.

The rooftop bar is up one more level above the restaurant, and it’s my favorite part. Not only are the views great up there, but the drinks are amazing too!

The staff has consistently been friendly, and their overall customer service is top-notch. I spent part of a day with my friend Heather having some lunch, cocktails, and great conversation!

Every time I have someone coming to town that’s never been to LA, I take them to Perch. It’s a Los Angeles landmark at this point.

5. King’s Row Gastropub

Alec and I have spent many a college football game day here watching USC. Truly it’s a fun experience every time! If you’re gluten-free like me, I recommend the hard kombucha or hard cider that they have on tap!

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And there you have it, folks! Those are some of my favorite places in Los Angeles!

I hope you learned something from this for your next trip to Los Angeles!

xoxo,

DD