United States

Good weather is an added bonus to the otherwise kaleidoscopic, if not overwhelming, array of possibilities—culturally, architecturally, or gastronomically—that await you in this four-million-strong city. The possibilities are endless for those willing to peel back the layers of the city and allow its oddities, contradictions, and soul to guide them.

Los Angeles 

What's The Deal On

Intro

Liam Casey

Cultural History 

The best grub is often tucked in the strip mall

Food & Drink

Unless you want the beach, avoid the westside

Hoods 

Airbnb’s are much more expensive than they used to be

Accomodation

Drugs

L.A. has public transport, but it’s patchy

Local Transport 

Being Queer in LA

Racism exists, but can operate in more subtle ways

Race

If travelling longer distances at night, stick to rideshare 

Solo Travel 

Big-city common sense is the name of the game

Safety 

“To Protect and to Serve” in theory but not in practise 

The Police

Etiquette and Cultural Values

Besides brief, historic uprisings, L.A. is mostly peaceful 

Political Situation 

Spots

The best spots in Los Angeles

Explore Los Angeles

Guides

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Vinyl

Music 

Record Store

Salt Box Records

Tacos

Food

Leo's Taco Truck 

Sneakers

Clothing

Undefeated

Designer

FOURTWOFOUR ON FAIRFAX

Restaurant

Bavel

Miguel

The Short Rib ravioli is insane. Not sure if it's still on the menu, or maybe a special, but I've had an Arrabbiata there before that was fire. It's the best pasta in the game, perfectly cooked noodles, which they make by hand onsite. They also have an excellent bar there and you can order Mescal which is rare at an Italian spot. Great vibes in there all around any night of the week.

This is our favorite weekend spot hands down. The food is so good. If we could eat like THAT every day, it would be our every day spot, but we save it for weekends. I personally LOVE the French toast but everything is bomb. Ask for Jason, he's the Chef. Always takes good care of us.

We love the lamb chops and the whole Branzino fish here. It’s so insane. They use some sort of a sweet peppery marinade on the fish that’s next level. It's in downtown LA Arts District which has a really good energy to it.

It’s right by the airport, so you can hit it as soon as you land. It’s a very low key local legend spot. All the tacos are excellent. Loads of cheese. Can’t go wrong in my opinion.

Miguel and Jeremy Fall Take Us On A Culinary Journey Through LA

Estelle

Healthy coffee shop in the heart of Leimert Park - the best place in Los Angeles to be.

A little outside of the norm beach scope, but popular as its cleaner than Santa Monica.

Healthy vegan and non-vegan eats in South LA. Also, West Indian food and general fare.

Brunch on a Sunday with LEGENDARY DAMON - the perfect COVID compliant rooftop brunch. Gorgeous scenery, great music - good private vibe.

SHABBAAAA - the best monthly reggae party in LA. Period.

Best day to go is on a Saturday morning 8-12pm. There are ALL kinds of fresh flowers at wholesale prices. Sort of an LA ritual when you get an apartment or house here; you buy your fresh flowers from the flower market.

Monthly HUGE vintage and new artisan market, in “Pasadena”; sort of a village Los Angeles to me.

LA with Estelle

Koreatown Running Club 

6th st in Koreatown gets so busy with the nightlife and endless restaurants. I love running down 6th and seeing all the chaos that comes with everyone having a good night out on the town.

For a mellow neighbourhood run, I enjoy running through Hancock Park which neighbours Koreatown. I love looking at the architecture of the houses there.

Stop by for some cold brew at the local coffee shop, Document coffee.

My favourite route is definitely running down Wilshire Blvd heading west. It’s a straight shot that leads to Santa Monica. I enjoy all the stop lights for the quick breaks to catch your breath during your long run :) 


We meet here a lot during marathon training. Starting from the most northern spot of the parking lot, we run south through Santa Monica, Venice and Playa del Rey and back up with the Pacific Ocean right by our side. It’s about 16 miles but there’s ways to extend it to 22. No lights and we end up with a good time at the beach.

Downtown Los Angeles is always fun to run through. We don’t go there often. Maybe to a restaurant or bar but we’re in and out. You often don’t get to wander and look around so it’s always refreshing run our route runs through it.

In the mornings when we do our big group runs, we’ll sometimes run down Vermont leaving Koreatown and pass a whole block of street vendors that take up the whole sidewalk. There’s probably like 20 tents packed with people. It’s the only place that can match our energy that early in the morning. We always run alongside them and exchange good mornings and buenos dias back and forth.

Easy loops around the reservoir ending with some coffee and food in Silverlake is always a good time. It’s also a good ten miler from Koreatown with a loop around the reservoir.

Nike has always been a great partner with us early on. 3107 Pico is home to the original Nike store. Eventually, it became a printing/copy shop but with some work, it fell back into the hands of Nike. A place with a lot of history. Always good to run out of here and make some more.

Koreatown Run Club's Guide to LA

Channel Tres

Some good Mexican food - burritos are what I get

I don’t skate anymore because I gotta look after my ankles - I dance now

This is another place, but near USC. They show a lot of great things here

All things shopping. I go to Goodwill most of the time, but if you're walking down here you'll see a bunch of stores

Los Angeles with Channel Tres

Toreno Winn

Undefeated has all the latest sneaker drops, but they might have a sneaker raffle or brand installation at their second space across the street whenever you decide to visit.

2nd Street is a new store on the block, it’s got a lot of dope finds, like a higher end thrift store. Be ready to dig for some gold.

At Bait you’ll be overwhelmed by the amount of collectibles they have. definitely a store you have to visit if you want to find sneakers, clothing, or a collectible for your living space at home.

Round Two be ready to feel the mixture of ambiance between vintage appreciation and hype/streetwear/sneaker culture

At 424 expect to have your money right before coming in. Higher end store with dope high end street wear and designer pieces

Toreno's Top 5 Streetwear Joints in LA

CHAII

This is always the first Persian food place I stop at when in LA, Attari Sandwich shop! It reminds me of Iran, so it’s very special to me since I don't often get to experience that. To start off, you have to try the mouth watering Eggplant dish (Kashke bademjan) then any of their delicious sandwiches - my two favorites are Sausage and Tongue. They have an amazing menu filled with yummy Persian food that you can enjoy in the cute outdoor area. Persian cream puffs (Noon Khamei) is a MUST for dessert.

The name says it all! When you go to Saffron and Rose Ice Cream shop in Westwood you must try the ice cream that the shop is named after, the Saffron ice cream. Mixed with pistachios, I don’t know anyone who could dislike this signature Iranian Ice Cream flavor, it’s a must try.. 

Feeling a little fancy? Then Darya restaurant is the place to go to have an amazing dinner. My favorite dish is Zereshk Polo Morgh (Persian Barberry rice with chicken) OR ANY of the dishes. If you’re new to Persian food then get a few different dishes and share. Some nights there is live music to enjoy while dining at Darya Restaurant.

Iran has such a rich culture and a long history in arts, music and traditions. Stores like Ketabsara (ketab = Book) are much needed to keep the Persian culture alive. I can never get enough of walking in a store that carries that much depth in the art and history.

If you’re looking for some quality hair products including amazing hair extensions and wigs then look no further, my uncle's store Santee beauty in Downtown LA. I love visiting my family when I'm in LA and my uncle has had so much success at his store in downtown where many celebrities go to get their hair  products from.

I went to Cafe Glace with my cousin and my friends for the first time in 2019 when we were in LA to shoot music videos. Everyone is so lovely here and the food is amazing. I’ve had their gourmet Pizzas and sandwiches. Don’t forget to order some Chai (tea) after your meal. In Persian culture, we drink tea a lot. First thing in the morning, before and after meals tea is something that is always being made and poured into your glass. We also believe that tea is great for the stomach after meals to help with digestion.

This is definitely the spot to go for a casual hang out with your friends where you can enjoy Shisha food and board games. Open until 3am most nights and until 5am on weekends this is the perfect place to end up after going out for dinner to the movies etc. I think of this place as somewhere nice and chill and if I lived in LA I imagine i’d become a regular here. Shisha (Ghelyoun) is a big part of Persian culture. In Iran, my family always would have the Ghelyoun going after lunch or dinner over a cup of tea and snacks. It’s not about smoking, it's more the fact it brings everyone together.

Explore Los Angeles' Persian Spots with CHAII

Niia

My favourite late-night chic cocktail spot. Sometimes I'll get up and sing a song if I'm drunk enough.

A secret, tiny restaurant that reminds me of NYC. Best breakfast ever

My go-to Italian spot. You sit outside and feel like you're in Italy.

Understated jazz club where you'll often catch insane musicians.

I highly encourage getting stoned and seeing this strange and amazing museum.

Arguably the most iconic music and movie store ever.

Explore LA With Niia

Sister's of Sound

Peruvian ceviche and amazing roast chicken.

The best bakery in LA! The Canales and Almond Croissants are a must.

Mom and Pop breakfast spot on York. No frills, just really good hearty breakfast. 

Thousand Layer Pancake egg, cheese, basic and chilli. 

You need to try the Chicken Rice Porridge!

Yonette Alleyne of Caribbean Gourmet’s hot sauce!

Cycle there along the LA river and order the best breakfast in East LA.

Food Joints in LA with Sisters of Sound

XL Middleton

We're starting at the home base since this is my record store. Located in the heart of Chinatown. It's a tiny spot; tiny like the record stores in Shibuya but I'd like to think it's cozy. We carry everything but with a strong slant towards funk/soul/boogie, modern funk, & Japanese city pop. Google says we're permanently closed but, shows you what they know. We've kept the storefront closed since the pandemic started but we are gearing up to reopen later this year. In the meantime, we do Instagram vinyl drops every Tuesday & Wednesday so you can get a little slice of LA record store culture from anywhere in the world twice a week.

If you're visiting LA and want to dig as soon as you possibly can after stepping off the plane, you can go here, it's just a few blocks away from LAX. Nice selection in all genres and they've been around for quite a while. I love that the shop has that old school, record store dive kind of vibe where it doesn't feel like the wax has been 'overcurated' and compared against every pricing metric on Discogs & eBay. Also you'll be close to the iconic Randy's Donuts - The local secret is that it's not just a famous place to take IG selfies, their donuts are actually great.

This is one of those spots that diggers in LA will hesitate to tell people about because they wanna keep the jewels to themselves. Digs are top notch even in the bargain bins. The guy who runs the shop is another old school dude who doesn't rely on internet prices as a reference, which makes the game fun in a way that it often isn't anymore.

One of the newer shops in the city, and you'll definitely wanna keep up with them on the regular because you never know what they'll come up on next. One day they'll be rolling out a crazy jazz collection, the next it's all heavy Italo 12"s, after that a big stack of 90's R&B & hip hop LPs. If you go there on the right day you might see the homie Randy Ellis (CQQL Records/Hobo Camp) behind the counter.

When you come to LA, you can tell who is new to the city because they refer to parts of town like Echo Park & Silver Lake as the "east side." Nah, come to Sonido Del Valle and check out Boyle Heights, part of the actual east side. It's one of my favorite neighborhoods in town, love the old Victorian houses and the fact that the gentrification hasn't hit as hard here yet. This spot is run by the homie Rene, tell him I sent you when you go! Tons of great taco spots in the area too, take your pick. But after a dig at Sonido I might hit up Otomisan, old school Japanese restaurant right down the street from the days when Boyle Heights also had a big Japanese community.

Speaking of the east side, Record Jungle is located right on Whittier Boulevard just a few miles away from the famous cruising strip. This is a big store, not heavily curated but there's tons to choose from so you never know what you're gonna find. Recommend setting aside many hours to dig here.

Mainly a bookstore as you might've guessed by the name but their record section is no joke. The 7" section is fun to go through. Lotta table space and if you're lucky you can even score a chair to sit down while you go through their boxes. They're one of the better stores in town when it comes to having joints that you don't see in stores too often. You'll definitely also wanna check out the book tunnel, the old bank vault, and the other cool stuff they have to look at on their mezzanine.

Fingerprints, and the spot mentioned below, are both in Long Beach -- which is technically a separate city but still within LA County. It's very much a part of the fabric here, even if it does have its own vibe. Every time I go to Long Beach I always hit both of these stores up. They're kind of polar opposites which makes it fun - Fingerprints has the whole bookstore/record store/coffee shop thing going.

Fingerprints and Bagatelle Records are within walking distance of one another which is rare in LA. Bagatelle is all dusty stacks and tight spaces from floor to ceiling. You'll love the contrast between the two.

We're winding this down in the corner of LA I'm from - Pasadena. Technically its own separate city too but it's a 20 minute drive from downtown LA. When I was growing up, Poo Bah was located in a little converted red house so you'd walk into what was basically the living room and start digging through the bins. They've since moved to a proper storefront a couple miles away. Still got all the hallmarks of a great record store dive - nice prices, deep bargain bins, side shelves with cassettes, VHS tapes, and CD's. In the recent years they've done a lot of events revolving around the beat/producer community. The late Ras G was involved with the store pretty heavily. Dam Funk filmed part of his "Hood Pass Intact" video here too.

Here's a little Pasadena bonus for you to check out while you're in the area. Mainly a bookstore but they have a few bins of records, I recommend checking them out because they seem to carry a lot of weird, off the wall stuff, of all types.

The Ultimate Guide to LA's Record Shops with XL Middleton

Tamia Mathis

You’ll find all of your hypebeast needs here. If you missed a Supreme drop, they most likely have what you’re looking for at a slIghtly marked up price from the original one. Obviously rarer items in the store are going to be a little bit of $$$ but they have sooooo much stuff and really cool vintage sportswear collectibles of sorts too!

American Rag is also on La Brea, down the street from Union. They have a really good selection of clothes and shoes here. Designer, streetwear, and vintage. If you come here, save room for food! Cafe Midi is attached to American Rag and has a lot of really good food

Union! An LA shopping staple. It's a menswear boutique with some of my favorite streetwear and high end brands like; Comme des Garçons, Noon Goons, and AWAKE. It’s also on La Brea, which is a great shopping area in town! If you visit Union I recommend popping into Stussy next door, and Undefeated across the street

If you’re in LA on the second Sunday of the month I definitely suggest waking up a bit early to take a trip out to this flea market in Pasadena. Some of the best vintage dealers in LA that are usually private set up shop here once a month. It’s always fun bargaining too

Another really good vintage shop in the East Hollywood area that specializes in sportswear, streetwear, and my favorite, denim!!

Squaresville is a vintage shop in the Los Feliz area! The prices are super reasonable and they have a good selection of vintage designer items too! 🤫

I work here! Mohawk is a beautiful women’s wear shop in Silverlake. We carry brands like Dries Van Noten, Acne Studios, and Pleats Please. If you have any interest in fashion or beautiful objects I suggest coming by the shop! There’s also a few good coffee shops and restaurants near our store

LCD is a super cute higher-end womenswear/streetwear shop in the DTLA shopping center called The Row. It's behind the old American Apparel factory. Pro tip: go on a Sunday afternoon! They have this event called smorgasbord and there’s a bunch of yummy food vendors! + shopping

Tamia Mathis Shopping in LA

Joyce Wrice

One of my favorite Japanese/Korean restaurants located around Palms. Beef tongue, Thai glass noodle, daikon nori nori, shishito peppers, shumai, tom yum ramen and some hot sake will have you in your baaaaaaaaaag

This is a Nigerian restaurant in Inglewood! I really like their okra stew! It's so spicy. I would go here and make sure to have a couple hours to spare because sometimes it takes a while to get your food

This is a Thai restaurant in Gardena! I love savory and spicy burn-your-stomach type of food. Their tom yum soup is my favorite!

This museum is in mid city. It has movie nights in their purple garden and a beautiful bookstore with vinyl, clothing, and candles. You can also just hang out in the garden to read, write, listen to music etc.

This is a really good breakfast, lunch, dinner soul food restaurant in Inglewood and they play great r&b!! I love their pork chops and free mimosas on Sunday I believe ;) Get there early because it gets pretty crowded

Delicious egg bread french toast! Beautiful memorabilia. This space used to be the spot many artists, poets, and black panther party members gathered at to hold open mics at in the 1960s

Joyce Wrice's Guide to LA

Shawn Wasabi

I love this spot, it’s nearby across the street from Boba Guys and Justin is a such a fantastic chef, ultimate comfort food. 

There’s 2 in LA and this is my favorite Boba shop for sure. Andrew and Bin are the best!

LASA [Lasita] is legendary for Filipino food, nothing can or ever will come close

I tried this Filipino supermarket for the first time not too long ago and immediately it just reminded me of home. Super authentic and just feels great to be there

They have these in few spots in LA but it’s my favorite place for udon

Over in east LA, this area is consttttantly switching things up, you can find a lot of new businesses and food popping up so it's always exciting to visit 

Los Angeles

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