Okay, so we’re aware that there are a lot of people who want to visit LA for the first time, but don’t want to get stuck in crappy tourist traps, or find themselves standing in the long queues for Disneyland rides. This section is for you.
All the blogs talk about Paris and Lindsay and the fabulous places that make LA, but what about all of the other places that the tours leave out, the ones that only the locals know about? LA is so much more than the same touristy stuff that people have been visiting for decades…
Of course there are plenty of other weird things to do that’ll let you see the city, and not have you caught up in the sea of cameras and foreigners that litter every street corner. Sounds mean, but even tourists find other tourists annoying. Let’s take a trip through some other cool stuff a billion people haven’t already done.
Start your ‘off the beaten path’ expedition with the Dearly Departed Tour, (available to book online through Viator) which will have you wandering around LA’s seedier side, visiting sites in major LaLa land history, like that George Michael public restroom and the homes of famous dead people, or even exactly where they died, aka The Viper Room’s sidewalk… Possibly not suitable for children, but hey, that’s not what you’re here for.
Keep things a bit indie in Chinatown, which is in the downtown area, as is Little Tokyo- also worth a stroll. The second building in the MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art) series is also in this area and will thrill all art lovers. If you plan on visiting all three galleries, locals say to start with building number two, the Geffen Contemporary.
The Fashion District is a great place for bargain hunting, real or faux items of interest. This is where all the major designers get their fabrics from, so it’s a delight if you are into making your own stuff or like to keep up with the latest styles. In LA this is hard to do as fashions change weekly, but you can give it a try, right?
Hire a Los Angeles rental car and cruise around the scores of different neighborhoods. Beaches, mountains, buildings, the high class, the low class, the middle class are all found in this city. You can’t just stick to the downtown area and the places the guidebooks will have you wander around, keep it real! Just try to keep off the highways (especially the 405) during peak times (or any time if you can), otherwise you’ll find yourself with a nasty case of trucker’s arm…
Take a boat or helicopter ride to picturesque Catalina Island, which is gorgeous and very friendly, most readily accessible via Newport Beach, Long Beach, Marina del Rey and San Pedro. But if you want something a little lower key, Zuma Beach in Malibu is where locals go to get away from tourists. The water is cleaner, the food is better and the waves are so good, they’re crowd drawing.
Go horse back riding at Sunset Hollywood Stable, over the ridge into Burbank and have a truly Mexican meal to top it off. The ride is a bit taxing and at times scary, but you get a great idea of the surrounding landscapes of Los Angeles and it’s a fun way to see the scenery with your friends. Not your thing? It is California after all, head to the coast for a surfing lesson…
Weird eats at the restaurant Opaque ‘dining in the dark’. You eat your entire meal in a pitch black room, so your other senses are truly honed in on. Crazy stuff, fantastic idea. But less strange meals are found on the Santa Monica Promenade or on Ocean (great seafood if you’re on the hunt, plus a nice dinner stop if you’re heading into LA from Malibu).
If you’re still reading this, you also deserve to know that those maps you buy on the side of the road listing stars homes’ are mostly fiction. If you want to do a star- seeing tour, do the organized tour guide version instead.
Leah Bradicich has travelled comprehensively through Europe, the UK, South East Asia, Australia and New Zealand. She works for Vroom Vroom Vroom, http://www.vroomvroomvroom.com, a travel website collating all the deals and specials from the nation’s largest car rental companies, offering discounts on car rentals. Her pieces focus on the ‘best of’ parts of each city, offering a fail safe guide to travelling and listing interesting facts that make each city unique.
Yes, Tokyo’s a city all right, but just another city? I don’t think so. I’ve been wondering myself what it is that makes me love being here so much and decided to pin it down to these key characteristics. It’s a by no means definitive list but hopefully this will share just a little of what it is that makes this city stand out from the crowd.
Energy And Excitement
Tokyo city has a pulse of its own that changes between daytime and nighttime. From 7am to 7pm, the city dances to the tune of business. 3 million people pass through Shinjuku train station each and every working day. That’s still a fact that blows me away and I live here. How on earth do you get 3 million people through a train station?! Now that might sound like too many bodies and an awful headache to deal with, but somehow it all works here. The pace of life rarely slows and there’s a certain determination in the way that people step out that brings its own energy to the daylight hours.
Nighttime sees the neon switching on and the noise levels notching up as business moves to the bars. This is, quite often, where the real deals are made within the conventions of the culture. The younger Tokyoites head to Shibuya, Shinjuku, or Roppongi with their dance clubs and amusement halls. The more sedate amongst us (read older - yes that includes me) can head to slightly quieter climes if we choose. Favorite places include Ebisu, Jiyugaoka, and Yotsuya.
Trustworthy And Honorable
Japan is known for being a relatively safe country to visit, but it is also a trustworthy and honorable one. Why do I say so? Walk down the high street in any part of town and you will see cars parked, keys in the engine, with the owner nowhere in sight. There is no worry that the car will be stolen or taken for a joyride. Watch people fall asleep on the train on the way home from work. There is no fear that someone will pickpocket or steal personal possessions.
One of the most memorable stories I heard in this regard was during the World Cup of 2002. I was watching an England match in a bar in Shinjuku and chatting to the fans who had come over for the event. A couple of guys in there were Irish and had just seen Ireland play at Saitama stadium. One of them told me how he had lost his wallet which contained all his important documents including passport, credit cards, and driving license during the match. It was only when he had left the ground that he realized what had happened.
A Japanese guy, seeing his panic, asked him what was wrong. Hearing the story he told the man to go back into the ground and see if anyone had handed in the wallet. As you can imagine this got an incredulous ‘Yeah sure!’ response, but with the Japanese guy taking over, the Irish man went back to the stadium. I think you’ve guessed the punch line. He was handed his wallet with everything still perfectly intact and he sang the praises of the Japanese and Japan to everyone around us in the pub that night. Why am I telling you this story? This is not a one off occurrence. This is part of life in Tokyo city and just another reason why I love being here.
As a stronger influence comes from the West and other countries, and with a growing percentage of the population being non-Japanese, this will undoubtedly change. However, for now at least, you can relax in the knowledge that although you may be in one of the biggest cities in the world with one of the largest economies in the world, respect and honor are still strong driving factors in this busy megalopolis.
Old And New
Finally, Tokyo has a wonderful blend of old and new. Even in the most modern of city buildings like Roppongi Hills - see http://www.roppongihills.com/en/ - there are whispers of the past in the preserved Japanese garden or the small shrine living alongside the shiny new office blocks. There is the office lady rushing to work in her pants suit or the lady going to a tea ceremony wearing a ceremonial kimono. Head to the area of town called Asakusa to visit Sensoji Temple and your brush with days gone by becomes stronger. Jump on the train for 15 minutes and you are in the middle of Ginza, the heart of designer shopping and modern trends. One thing is for sure, each district in Tokyo city has a wardrobe and emotions of its own. You can choose to stick with an area you find and like or, and I highly recommend it, try on as many coats as you can during your stay.
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