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01/16/2010 01:20:20 AM · #1 |
I'm going to LA next month on business. I've never been there in my life. In fact, the furthest west I've been is Fort Worth. I'll have a Sunday to kill and three weeknights. I want to see (i.e. photograph) some sights, but don't know where to begin. Knowing I can't do it all, what I'd really like to see is the Pacific Ocean -- some of the famous beaches, big waves, surfers (do they surf in February?), etc. But I'm open to suggestions. Other interests: walking, nature, history, architecture, jazz, people watching...
I'll be working in Sylmar and staying in Santa Clarita. Can anyone living in or familiar with the area point out some potential destinations? Any street smart advice is also welcome. Thanks!
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01/16/2010 02:22:25 AM · #2 |
| Los Angeles can be overwhelming. I was born and raised there and lived there for most of my adult life. Sylmar is close to the mountains that burned in September, so expect brown and gray burnt mountains. Santa Clarita is a newer community of mostly business and suburbs. You will be passing an amazing roller-coaster park on your drive everyday. The beaches are great, I would hit Malibu, Zuma, and my favorite Leo Carillo. It is always a treat and cultural shock to hit Venice Beach as well. Very unique and entertaining boardwalk strip. For interesting people and street photography it is always great in Hollywood. You will be hit up for money at times to take some people's picture, beware of them. The Getty Center is amazing and a great place to go for art, history and architecture images. The problem that you will have is the traffic. If you are going after work you are bound to hit traffic pretty much everywhere. So give yourself lots of time for travel. Sunday won't be as bad. The weather there is usually very mild (mid 60's to mid 70's)and yes, they do surf all year. There is a ton to see, I would get out a map and try to hit things close by to limit the time you will be spending in the car. |
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01/16/2010 03:08:02 AM · #3 |
| I don't live in LA, but close, and have been there many times. I concur with Jennifer, just a few additional comments. Yes, they do surf in February. As a matter of fact, they surf when there is surf, and in winter it is better than in summer. For an amazing piece of architecture, you should see Disney Hall by Frank Gehry. Extremely photogenic. And the two best museums are, in my opinion, LACMA (Los Angeles County museum of art) in Westwood and Norton Simon museum in Pasadena. Also in Pasadena, there is beautiful Huntington library with a gorgeous botanical garden. |
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01/16/2010 03:30:17 AM · #4 |
| L.A. is massive. Tons of stuff to see and do. I have been there 5 or 6 times and barely scratched the surface. |
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01/16/2010 12:41:23 PM · #5 |
Thanks for the responses. So many questions. More than anything I'm nervous about getting around. How bad is Sunday traffic to/from/in the Maliubu beaches? Is it possible (well, practical) to drive along the shoreline and hit the various beaches? What about parking?
Disney Hall looks beautiful. There's a show there Tuesday night that I was considering, but I don't know about the driving...
As far as my weeknights, what are some interesting destinations near Sylmar/Santa Clarita that are relatively fast and easy to get to? -- even if it's just a (safe) neighborhood or town center or park to trek.
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01/16/2010 12:54:00 PM · #6 |
Originally posted by bvy:
Thanks for the responses. So many questions. More than anything I'm nervous about getting around. How bad is Sunday traffic to/from/in the Maliubu beaches? Is it possible (well, practical) to drive along the shoreline and hit the various beaches? What about parking?
Disney Hall looks beautiful. There's a show there Tuesday night that I was considering, but I don't know about the driving...
As far as my weeknights, what are some interesting destinations near Sylmar/Santa Clarita that are relatively fast and easy to get to? -- even if it's just a (safe) neighborhood or town center or park to trek. |
Sunday traffic won't be to bad. However, there is always traffic, just varying degree's of it. I would do the beach thing on Sunday. Driving up and down PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) will have some traffic, but not horrible. You can make it from Malibu down to Huntington Beach and back probably easily in one day, with some stops in between. I would highly recommend Disney Concert Hall too. Buy your tickets in advance, it is a popular place to go. It is also an amazing piece of art in itself. As far as Santa Clarita and Sylmar...there are a few things but not much. I would head down the 210 freeway from Sylmar to Pasadena after work. There is some great area'a in Pasadena, including Old Town, Huntington Library, arboretum, Descanso Gardens (La Canada), and alot of nightlife. The traffic towards Pasadena won't be to bad, and it will probably take you approx. 20 to 40 minutes to get there. |
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01/16/2010 01:11:40 PM · #7 |
| I just ran across this article on Lifehacker last night. Might be helpful. Find the Best Spots in New Cities with These Tools |
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01/16/2010 01:32:46 PM · #8 |
The Santa Monica beach may be easier to get to than Malibu, and there's an amusement park on the pier.
Another place of interest is the La Brea Tar Pits and Page Museum -- a paleontological site located right "downtown" and next to the art museum.
Here's a list of museums in/near Los Angeles, and there are links on the left to all kinds of other stuff in the area. |
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01/16/2010 03:35:10 PM · #9 |
The most shocking thing about one's first visit to LA is its size. An ancient legend says that once Los Angeles was such a great city that God took offense, so he cut it up into tiny pieces and spread it out over the entire valley.
Rather than spending your limited time driving all over the place to see bits of everything I would suggest you pick one area and see what you can see there. Since you will be north of the city, Malibu, Santa Monica, and Venice Beach would be a chunk that would fill a day.
Or you could go downtown, see the Disney center, go to the modern art museum across the street, and walk down to the Geffen museum, shoot the train station and Little Tokyo, and the daylight joys of skid row (be gone by sunset).
Or you might opt for Sunset Blvd. See a show at the whiskey or the viper room, or wander through the chateau marmot, then head west to Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive to see consumerism at its apogee.
I seem to have given three days worth of wandering and shooting, but my point is, pick an area, do a bit of research and you can fill a day or a week easily without sending much time driving hither and yon.
And since folks are throwing in their favorite museums, mine is the Getty. Its perhaps the best curated museum in the States, beautifully located for views and housed in one of Richard Meyer's best buildings, has a great cafe, and the only charge is for parking.
Message edited by author 2010-01-16 15:40:55. |
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01/16/2010 04:53:11 PM · #10 |
I grew up in Santa Clarita (back then, it was Newhall) and while I'm sure it's changed, there are a few things worth seeing.
-The Wm. S. Hart museum is really cool. Hart was a silent western star and his house and things are really interesting.
-You MUST eat at In-N-Out...luckily, there's one at the top of Lyons avenue, by the entrance to the 405.
-As for the beach, I much preferred the drive to Ventura and the surfing just north of there. The beaches are nicer too. It's not really any further from Santa Clarita than Santa Monica. If you want to see people surf, check out the surf report and go to the beach where the waves are. You could also ask at Billy's (the local ski and surf shop where I worked when I was in HS) and I'm sure they'll help you.
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01/17/2010 03:38:06 PM · #11 |
There's also the Placerita Canyon Nature Center...some cool trails and information about the local wildlife.
If you want to explore the desert, head north on the east on the 14 and head to the Devil's Punchbowl, Mojave or Edwards AFB |
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01/17/2010 08:52:11 PM · #12 |
| Thanks all for the ideas! I need to sit down now and try to put a quick and dirty day trip together... |
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01/17/2010 09:36:20 PM · #13 |
Gangland Tours... //www.justnews.com/news/22254885/detail.html
That should provide some killer shooting opportunities... Just try not to get 'shot' yourself..
-Cory |
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01/17/2010 10:02:45 PM · #14 |
Aw, man. That looks awesome!
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01/18/2010 12:07:06 AM · #15 |
Aww, I just noticed this:
Out of sensitivity to residents, passengers are banned from shooting photographs or video from the bus. The only place that is allowed is near the end of the trip, when they can step off the bus and film an outdoor area where graffiti is allowed.
..
So I guess that might make it slightly less awesome. |
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01/18/2010 06:34:10 PM · #16 |
I hope you're not here this week. You can count the number of times it rains in Southern California on one hand. All this week, the forecast shows rain.
In Santa Clarita, we have some historical sites.
//www.santaclaritaguide.com/HistoricalSites.html
There's also Magic Mountain Theme Park and a Farmer's Market.
You can always drive to downtown LA. I'd check out:
3rd street promenade
Santa Monica Pier
Venice Beach
Enjoy |
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01/18/2010 07:23:27 PM · #17 |
| You must see Griffith Park Observatory at night and look over the city below and downtown LA. |
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01/18/2010 08:20:21 PM · #18 |
More tips. Great!
Yeah, I wasn't sure how I would explain to my no-nonsense Fortune 500 employer why I was touring gang territory during my stay -- especially if something went wrong. ("I took a wrong turn?")
I was interested in the Farmer's Market, but I'll be leaving Thursday afternoon, so that won't work. I'd be interested in other parks/trails/attractions/people watching areas/etc. in the Santa Clarita area. I'll check out the website.
Griffith Park Observatory looks cool. What's the ride like from Sylmar or Santa Clarita on a weeknight? |
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01/19/2010 01:14:16 PM · #19 |
Originally posted by bvy:
Griffith Park Observatory looks cool. What's the ride like from Sylmar or Santa Clarita on a weeknight? |
Not bad. Just down the 5 freeway. You'll be going south on the 5 which should be pretty open (people usually commute north on the 5 home after work).
Google directions from Newhall, CA to Griffith Park Observatory |
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01/30/2010 12:10:50 PM · #20 |
Plane leaves tonight. I think I'm going to check out Santa Monica Pier tomorrow and maybe walk down to Venice Beach. I want to be able to park and just spend a few hours walking and taking in different things. Any tips on where to park so that so I'm kind of central to things (and ideally not spending an arm and a leg)?
Thanks for all the tips so far...
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