LA Story

Los Angeles is big. Really big. The pervasive car culturewith its maze of freeways, manylaned roads, incessant traffic, and an always hovering layer of smogis indicative of LA's massiveness. Everything is sprawled throughout the somewhat arbitrary designation of "Los Angeles County." The sheer size of LA can be a bit daunting to visitors, but there is logic to the city that makes touring it simple. Similar activities and interesting places are often grouped together within small areas, so it is possible to hit a wide variety of sites without having to jump in the car every few minutes to travel from one hotspot to the next. However, the distance between cool areas is always a problem — without a car in LA, you're pretty much sunk because good public transportation is severely lacking. The local bus company (the RTD) has lines that run through the San Fernando Valley, downtown LA, and the Westside, but the size of LA prohibits convenient access to most sites from public bus stops. To see as much as you can, rent a car and don't worry about being a slave to poor public transportation. Parking in LA is either free or relatively cheap in comparison to other big cities like New York or San Francisco. Besides, a car is the best accessory to help you pass as a native Los Angelino. Within LA, there is a clear division between the Valley and the Westside. Despite being a real, lifelong Valley girl, I have to confess that the Westside has more to offer. If you do find yourself in the Valley, take a drive down the famous Ventura Boulevard of Tom Petty's "Free Fallin'." The boulevard is decently interesting for about 10 miles, from Encino through North Hollywood; at the very least, you can amuse yourself by counting the six Starbucks along the way. La Reina Plaza in Sherman Oaks offers the perfect combination of quintessential LA fast foodchoose from smoothies at Jamba Juice, bagel sandwiches from Noah's Bagels, or sushi from the Japanese restaurant upstairsand sidewalk seating to check out all the fitness junkies coming from the nearby gym to refuel. If you stay on Ventura for a few miles beyond North Hollywood, you'll run into Universal Studios, the best studio to visit for a taste of cheesy, moviemaking tourism. The entrance fee (expect to pay at least $35) to the theme park includes a tram tour of their back lot, which gives you a glimpse of famous sets from Universal's "King Kong" and "Psycho" days. For a true LA driving experience (and to avoid freeway traffic on the 101 and the 405), take one of the canyons over from the Valley into the Westside. The singlelaned canyons are lined with nice houses and offer great views as you crest the top of Mulholland Drive (also mentioned in a song, but by R.E.M., not Tom Petty). Laurel Canyon tends to be less windy than Beverly Glen and Coldwater Canyon. Also, Laurel will dump you right onto Sunset Boulevard, one of the best places to go for nighttime bar hopping. The Sunset Strip is crowded with cool bars, restaurants, and nightclubs for the over 21 crowd, and is also a favorite with the young and hip of the entertainment industry. The favorite spots change with people's whims, but the Japanese restaurant Miyagi's is likely to be crowded, as is the House of Blues. If you're looking for some prestige and don't mind pricey drinks and the possibility of not getting in, try the Sky Bar. If you can't get in, head to the LA Comedy Club (the starting point for many Saturday Night Live players) to laugh off the sting of rejection. Just driving along Sunset and looking for lines of people on the sidewalks should give you a good idea of where the action is. In case you're missing the college scene, go to Westwood, the official hangout for nearby UCLA students. The oldstyle Mann theaters have withstood the onslaught of the multiplex, and if you're lucky you might catch a starstudded premiere at the Mann Village. Restaurants range from the extremely expensive and painfully select Eurochow (a new favorite with the Hollywood crowd) to any of the cheapbutgood chain restaurants that can be found throughout the LA area. You can get good Mexican food at either La Salsa or Baja Fresh, the best hamburgers ever at InNOut, creative pizza at California Pizza Kitchen (CPK to the locals), or revisit Jamba Juice and Noah's Bagels. If you're even remotely human, you must stop at Diddy Riese for a cookie ice cream sandwich. For only a dollar, you get two freshbaked cookies and a large scoop of ice cream of your choice. It's heaven, and it's cheap. At night, head to Madigan's nightclub to dance and marvel at how every female there is wearing black pants and a tanktop. For a taste of culture, Los Angelesstyle, check out the J. Paul Getty Museum at its new location overlooking the 405. The Getty's collection is extensive and the view is spectacular. Also worth a look is the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. After examining the fine arts, head from LACMA to the nearby Melrose area if you want to check out the gay scene. The Abbey, a coffee shop/bar, is crowded with beautiful males watching each other and sipping their lattes. Melrose also has the funkiest shopping options in LA, from the vintage rags of Aardvark's to the designer lines of Miu Miu. If you're into big name, hautecouture fashion, go to Beverly Hills' Rodeo Drive. The entire shopping area of Beverly Hills, from Rodeo to Beverly, exudes snobbery and boasts obscene prices. If you absolutely must go to see what it's like, try to wear only black, tan, or white — anything else instantly makes you seem like a tourist, and in LA, appearance is everything. Cara Marr can talk like a totally awesome Valley girl.