Guide to Exploring Los Angeles Like a Native 😎

Here are my favorite recommendations for exploring LA like a native as someone who has a bunch of family there and lived there for 6 months:

Accommodation: SIXTY Beverly Hills - here me out, Beverly Hills get a rep for just being for old rich people (yes), BUT what I love about this location is it’s very walkable. As a New Yorker, this is key for me, especially not having a car when visiting. There are a lot of cute stores nearby (Alfred Coffee, Alo Yoga, Erewhon), and it’s near some great walking + hiking spots (ex: the flats of Beverly Hills).

💳I booked this with my Amex gold hotel collection and they included $100 worth of food + drinks (which I used on room service). Plus, it had the cutest cafe and a pool rooftop. ☕️

Price: Worked out to $280/ night (includes all fees). Felt very luxurious. I would definitely recommend.

🍓🥤Obviously, you have to head to Erewhon and grab one of their famous smoothies - like the Hailey Beiber strawberry smoothie or Bella Hadid’s mango one. They also have a ton of homemade almond milks and pretty smoothies in glass jars (pictured). These smoothies aren’t cheap (ranging from $15-$25) but it’s such a quintessential LA experience. My favorite Erewhon locations are Silver Lake, Santa Monica, and Venice.

🌴🥾For some movement and gorgeous views, I recommend hiking the Hollywood Hills - you can enter near the Hollywood Bowl by Hyland Park. This isn’t super touristy because there are a lot of residential houses. Beware the steps are steep and you’ll definitely be out of breath. It can get pretty hot up here too so I recommend bringing lots of sunscreen and going in the morning.

📷For some more low-key hiking (and house sporting), head to the hills in Beverly Hills. There are tons of gorgeous mansions and the backgrounds are great for getting some cute pictures!

🖼Then for some culture, my absolute favorite museum (probably of all time) is the The Getty. You take a fun tram to get up there and the entire experience is full of beautiful, modern architecture, gardens, and fountains. For those that prefer more traditional art, they have indoor art exhibits on rotation, but personally I like to stroll around the garden and look at all the buildings.

Cost: Free! It just requires a pre-selected arrival time. Parking is not included ($20 per car or $15 per car after 3pm)

🏝🕶Lastly, you’ll want to skip the touristy beaches of Santa Monica and head to Malibu instead. La Piedra Beach is a great spot my friend from LA showed me. There is barely anyone there so it feels like a private, exclusive beach. The views are beautiful. Just fair warning, there is always traffic in the evening so plan that into travel times.

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