Jack & Emily
Things To Do
Los Feliz
This is our neighborhood! We stan a cute and walkable home base. The two main strips for shopping, dining, and entertainment are Vermont and Hillhurst. Both streets are great for wandering and feature some beautiful architecture from the 1920s. For window shopping visit Co-Op 28, Y Que Trading Post, Soap Plant Wacko, Otherwild, and Skylight Books (independent bookstore that does lots of reading and signings). Our favorite restaurants are Home, Alcove, Sidewalk Grill, and Fred 62. The historic Los Feliz Theater is also on this block and takes MoviePass.
Silver Lake
"America's hippest neighborhood" - Forbes "Forbes doesn't get to decide what's 'hip' but this is correct so go off I guess" - Emily Silver Lake is a lovely neighborhood with amazing shopping, food, architecture, and art, and exploring it is a great afternoon activity for first-time L.A. visitors. Our favorite restaurants are Pine & Crane (Taiwanese fusion, try the dan dan noodles), Little Pine (vegan restaurant owned by Moby, lol, where 100% of profits go to animal welfare orgs, also the food is incredible), Cliff's Edge (great brunch spot with a magical patio ft. a large tree) and Sqirl (extremely yummy hip hole-in-the-wall). Emily also likes the shopping on Sunset Junction.
Griffith Park
Griffith is one of the largest urban parks in the U.S. according to Wikipedia, which as we all know is more reliable than JSTOR. Here you can find Griffith Observatory (for views of L.A. and the Hollywood Sign), the Greek Theatre, botanical gardens, and a couple of museums. There are also lots of hikes and trails, if that's your thing; try Runyon Canyon if you want to see celebs and their dogs gallivanting (this is also where we got engaged), Bronson Canyon if you want to explore some cool caves that have been a filming location for tons of movies/tv shows, and the magical Wisdom Tree for lovely views of L.A. and a slightly more challenging hike.
Melrose Avenue
If you're in town on Sunday visit Melrose Trading Post, a flea market where you can get vintage and handmade stuff and observe cool teens and Instagram-famous dogs in their natural habitat. All week long: Melrose is famous for its shopping and it's a fun zone to wander if you're into streetwear. The Groundlings Theatre is on this strip if you're into comedy.
Venice
If you're planning to visit L.A.'s west side, Venice is a cool place to explore. The Abbot Kinney Marketplace is a mile-long strip of shopping, art, and food; you can tour some nearby canals, and Venice Beach is nearby featuring such wonders as an outdoor open-air gym right on the sand, a famous skatepark right on the sand, and 420 doctors as far as the eye can see.
Beaches
We give the Pacific Ocean 5 stars on Yelp. Factor in a full day for beaching if you're staying on L.A.'s east side, because the commute to the coast + parking will take a decent chunk of time. Some of your options are Santa Monica (very touristy and pretty crowded but home to a pier and boardwalk), Will Rogers State Beach (extremely chill and far less crowded), and Dockweiler State Beach in Playa Del Rey (fun, young vibe and fire pits you can claim, if you get there early in the day).