The Unsung Masterpieces of Los Angeles Architecture

by Neil Woodburn on

Although frequently lambasted as a cultural wasteland, Los Angeles holds its head up high when it comes to architectural masterpieces.

Unfortunately, the City of Angels is frequently overlooked by aficionados of the arts. In fact, earlier this year when the American Institute of Architects published a list of the America’s 150 favorite buildings, only eleven from the Los Angeles area made the cut. Obviously there’s some kind of East Coast bias here.

In response, journalist Jamie Stringfellow interviewed an esteemed group of LA based architects to come up with her own list–albeit with a West Coast bias. The result is a smattering of styles ranging from art deco to modernism and everything in-between–such as the futuristic looking, arched building at LAX.

If you’re a fan of architecture and would rather spend time exploring the masterpieces Los Angeles has to offer instead of tromping around Disneyland, check out the Stringfellow article for a details on what to see and how to get there.

Yes Virginia, There is Something to do in Los Angeles after 2 a.m. in the Morning

by Neil Woodburn on

Friends of mine from New York who come to visit me in Los Angeles often express dismay and surprise at how early the city shuts down. Bars close at 2 a.m.?!??! There’s no where to eat at 3 a.m.?!?!?

Well, that’s not entirely true. Los Angeles does have its share of late night locations, but you really have to know where they hiding. Or, even easier, you can consult a recent LA Times article, Playing in the Dark, for a smattering of what the city has to offer; late night bowling, museum sleepovers, midnight movies, flower marts, dancing, casinos, and of course, restaurants.

So next time you visit LA, please don’t complain that there is nothing to do in the wee hours of the night; it might not be as spectacular as New York City, but we do have our late night haunts, thank you very much!

$200 from Los Angeles – Guatemala City. Got any Plans this Weekend?

by Grant Martin on

There appears to be some squabbling for the Los Angeles — Guatemala City (LAX-GUA) route today. Spirit, American Airlines, Taca and Mexicana all have been showing excellent fares between LA and the Latin capital, and I’m currently seeing a price of about 200$ on Taca starting this weekend through Q1 2008.

Usually, fares departing on such short notice are hard to come by. So if any of you left-coasters are free this weekend, surprise your significant other or mother with a trip down to Guatemala.

Don’t even think about telling me that you think Guatemala is dangerous. I was there in March and got there and back just fine, even with a white girl in tow.

If you want to be super safe, the trick is to leave Guatemala City as soon as you touch down and head straight for Antigua, the old capital of Guatemala. Here you’ll find an historic Central American village high in the mountains surrounded by volcanoes. Head out to see La Merced Church or stick around for a few weeks to attend spanish school.

There are a variety of activities in this safe, colonial town that will keep you busy for a long relaxing weekend without breaking the bank. And to put the safety issue in perspective, I ran into a guy from my home town, Ann Arbor as I was walking down the street one day; tourism is fairly common in Antigua.

If you get bored, you can pay a few pesos for a trip to Lake Atitlan or the top of one of the local volcanoes. I would recommend a tour in that case though, because things can get a little dicey outside of the Antigua bubble.

Use a flexible search engine such as Kayak to locate the best itineraries for your window. And as always, fare sales can disappear in the blink of an eye. If there’s any question, book now and ask questions later.

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Restaurant Menus Available Online for Major American Cities

by Neil Woodburn on

You know the drill. You’re in a strange city, someone gives you a restaurant recommendation, but when you get there, there is nothing on the menu that looks interesting to you.

Well, a new website plans to alleviate that culinary nightmare. MenuPages.com is a database of thousands of menus covering restaurants in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Washington DC, and South Florida.

The site is organized by regions and cuisines. Simply find the restaurant that’s been recommended and click on the online menu or download the printable PDF file.

The listings are long and impressive–pretty much every restaurant I searched for in Los Angeles popped up. The one disappointment is the rather lackluster review section. Few of the restaurants feature reader reviews. Hopefully this will change in the future as the site catches on.

The Best City Parks in Los Angeles

by Neil Woodburn on

There is something about a big city that can really suck the life out of you if you spend too much time there.

That’s why most cities try to maintain some type of sanctuary–such as public parks–where its people can escape and recharge. When traveling, I often find myself in such a place. Usually, it’s toward the end of a long day of sightseeing and all I want is a simple bench upon which I can watch the world stroll by.

Every city is blessed with a range of city parks that reinvigorate the soul, but where are they? Most guide books don’t go out of their way to mention a leafy Shangri-La tucked between high rises.

And so, when I came across a recent article featuring the best parks that my hometown of Los Angeles has to offer, I thought I’d share it with our readers who might be heading this way in the near future. Who knows, perhaps I’ll be the local strolling by you as you stop for a break from your sightseeing.