13 things to do in Los Angeles, from someone who lived there 13 years

The place I loved most in L.A. I went several times a week when I could. It’s a real hike in the middle of the city, and from the top you can see from the Pacific to downtown. I took my cousin Yolanda up here when she visited in 2014.

Go early, because parking near the Fuller Avenue entrance fills up, and bring water. The West Ridge Trail reopened in February 2026 after more than a year closed because of the Sunset Fire.

Price · Free, sunrise to sunset

Went · Several times a week, for years
Still good as of · October 2026

I rode a horse up a canyon trail with a guide, which shows you the hills in a way hiking doesn’t. You don’t need to know how to ride.

Sunset Ranch Hollywood, in Beachwood Canyon, runs guided rides every day, and its 2-hour ride heads toward the Hollywood Sign. Wear long pants and closed-toe shoes, and book the 2-hour ride ahead.

Price · About $65 to $75 for 1 hour, $125 to $165 for 2 hours

Went · Yes, once
Still good as of · October 2026
Link · I earn a cut if you book

I love this place. Walk up the trail from the Greek Theatre, or take the DASH bus from the Vermont/Sunset Metro station. Inside are telescopes and exhibits on the stars, and the lawn out front faces the Hollywood Sign. It’s closed Mondays.

Price · Free; planetarium shows $12; the DASH bus is 50 cents

Went · Yes, many times
Still good as of · October 2026

I booked online and picked the longer ride, which wrapped around downtown, the Hollywood Hills, and the coast near sunset. I saw Dodger Stadium lit up from above.

I don’t remember the company. Group 3 Aviation flies from Van Nuys, Lite Flight from Burbank, and Maverick from Santa Monica.

Price · About $250 to $600 a person for a 30-minute flight, depending on the company

Went · Yes, once
Still good as of · October 2026
Link · I earn a cut if you book

The Getty’s second museum holds Greek, Roman, and Etruscan art, in a building modeled on an ancient Roman villa, with a long pool in the garden. It closed after the Palisades fire in January 2025 and reopened that June. Entry is free, but you need a timed reservation, and it’s closed Tuesdays.

Price · Free; parking $25, or $15 after 3 p.m.

Went · Yes, 3 times
Still good as of · October 2026

It’s tacky, and I’d still send you. My cousin Yolanda Armstrong visited me in July 2014 and wanted to see the boardwalk, so I took her. It was the last time I saw her. She died unexpectedly in 2017, and my last photo with her is from that afternoon, along with one she took of me on the sand. That’s why this one makes the list, and I’m sure you’ll make your own memories there.

Go on a weekday or early on a weekend, and walk or bike north on the beach path to Santa Monica.

Price · Free

Went · Yes, many times
Still good as of · October 2026

I lived 2 blocks away and walked over all the time. It’s been a market since 1917, a hall of food stalls and neon that runs from Broadway through to Hill Street. China Cafe has been there since 1959. Angels Flight, the short funicular, is right across Hill Street.

Price · Free to walk in; a meal runs about $10 to $25

Went · Yes, all the time
Still good as of · October 2026

My favorites were the sunflowers. The Flower District on Wall Street opens before sunrise, vendors sell out early, and it’s closed Sundays, so go Saturday morning and bring cash.

On Sundays I went to the farmers market on 5th Street, between Main and Broadway, and went home to cook what I bought.

Price · Flower market entry is $2; the farmers market is free to walk

Went · Most weekends, when I lived downtown
Still good as of · October 2026

The old buildings in the Historic Core are why I wanted to live downtown. My apartment was at 4th and Main, on the same block as the Barclay, a hotel from 1897. Before it was renovated as low-income housing, I got to walk through it and photograph it. People live there now, so look from the street.

To see inside other old downtown buildings, the Los Angeles Conservancy runs walking tours every Saturday, including the Bradbury Building’s lobby.

Price · Conservancy tours $25, about 2 hours

Went · I lived on its block
Still good as of · October 2026

Graffiti is a big part of L.A. culture, and I love it. I went with a friend who paints all the time, and I made a flower. The spot where we painted has closed, which is how it goes here.

You can paint legally in a lesson at Graff Tours’ studio downtown, with an artist teaching you, or at the Venice Art Walls on weekends, free with a permit. Painting anywhere else without the owner’s OK is vandalism.

Price · Graff Tours lessons about $48 to $96; the Venice Art Walls are free with a permit

Went · Yes, once
Still good as of · October 2026
Link · I earn a cut if you book

I spent a lot of time on Skid Row as a reporter covering homelessness, and I met some amazing people there. Volunteering is how I’d suggest you see it, because you go to help. It can change how you see unhoused people.

The Downtown Women’s Center is a good place to start. Volunteers there take a virtual training and usually commit to a weekly shift. The Midnight Mission also takes volunteers for a few hours at a time. Sign up first, and don’t photograph people.

Price · Free; sign up online first

Went · Often, while I was reporting
Still good as of · October 2026

The InterContinental fills the top floors of the Wilshire Grand Center, the tallest building in L.A. I stayed there twice for the views alone. You don’t need a room. Spire 73, the open-air bar on the 73rd floor, takes reservations and is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Book a table at sunset and bring a jacket.

Price · A $60 minimum per person for 2 hours was listed in July 2026. Missing your booking, or canceling less than 24 hours ahead, costs $20 a person

Went · Yes, 2 stays
Still good as of · October 2026
Link · I earn a cut if you book

It isn’t L.A., but it’s the getaway everyone takes, and it was transformative for me. I went once, with a group of friends, and we camped for 2 nights. It wasn’t glamping. We slept in tents, cooked at our site, and walked to a public toilet, so bring toilet paper, and bring water, since most campgrounds don’t have any. I’ve never been back, and it’s one of my favorite memories.

It’s about 140 miles east. Black Rock and Indian Cove take reservations from October through May; most of the others are first come, first served. Download your park pass and a map before you go, because cell service is poor.

Price · $30 per car, good for 7 days

Went · Yes, 2 nights
Still good as of · October 2026

The Hollywood Walk of Fame, as a reason to come
Walk it if you’re nearby. Then go up Runyon.

THE STORY FROM THIS CITY

Why I left Los Angeles after 13 years
I had built a journalism career in the city where I once slept in my car, and I still wanted to leave the United States.