Things to See in Los Angeles

Disneyland
Anaheim Disneyland Dr

Billed as the happiest place on earth, Disneyland is a masterpiece of picture-perfect choreography - even the litter bins are themed. The park is divided into seven different lands: Adventureland, Frontierland, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, New Orleans Square, Mickey's Toontown and Critter Country. High-sugar fun.

Getty Center
Westwood 1200 Getty Center Dve

Contrary to popular belief, LA does have an intellectual, refined side. The Getty Center combines paintings, photography, decorative arts and other collections in a spectacular hilltop space overlooking the Santa Monica Mountains, the Pacific Ocean and the entire city. Admission is free, making this one of the best bargains in town.

Hollywood Bowl
Hollywood north of Franklin Ave 2301 N Highland Ave

Toting your own picnic basket under starry skies is still magic. Bob Dylan, the Beatles and Igor Stravinsky have played in this historical amphitheatre. Get a sneak preview of the show: morning rehearsals are free. The Hollywood Bowl Museum has footage of historic performances, live recordings and memorabilia.

Museum Of Television & Radio
465 N Beverly Dr Beverly Hills

This sweeping glass and stone landmark by Getty designer Richard Meier holds cultural treasures as captivating as the building itself. Scan the collections list, pick your TV or radio fave, then grab a seat at a console and enjoy. Media addicts beware: with more than 100,000 donated programs, from early Burns & Allen to the moon walk to Secretariat's triple crown win, you could be here a while.

Museum of the American West
4700 Western Heritage Way Griffith Park

Any one hooked on the mythology of the prairie will hit pay-dirt at this delighful museum. Its 10 galleries skillfully combine scholarship and showmanship to reveal how the West was 'discovered' again and again, by everyone from prehistoric tribes to gold diggers. Yeehar!

Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Mid-City east of Fairfax Ave 5905 Wilshire Blvd

One of the finest art museums in the US, this high-brow treasure-trove presents fabulous art, sculpture and photographs from around the world and through the ages. Highlights include works by Rembrandt and Cézanne, glazed pottery from China and Iran, and netsuke (miniature sculptures) from Japan.

La Brea Tar Pits
5801 Wilshire Blvd Museum Row btwn La Brea & Fairfax Aves

Ongoing excavation of La Brea's oozing asphalt pits has so far yielded over a million fossilised skeleton parts, many of which are mounted inside the adjacent Page Museum. Everyone from kids to science geeks love watching palaeontologists examine the remains of 40,000-year-old dire wolves, prehistoric camels and sabre-toothed tigers.

Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Hollywood at N Gordon St 6000 Santa Monica Blvd

An infinity symbol marks the gateway to the graves of over 300 Hollywood legends, including directors Cecil B DeMille and John Huston. Rudolph Valentino is in the Cathedral Mausoleum, while Jayne Mansfield, who lost her head in a car accident, has a lakeside cenotaph. Bugsy Siegel lies in the Jewish section, called the Beth Olam Memorial Park.

Bradbury Building
Downtown at W 3rd St 304 S Broadway

Designed in 1892 with the help of a ouija board and Edward Bellamy's utopian novel Looking Backward, the Bradbury's brief appearance in Ridley Scott's Blade Runner hardly does justice to this Taj Mahal of the New World. The dream project of a mining mogul turned real estate developer, it's a symphony of light, space, and floating staircases.

Universal Studios
100 Universal City Plaza Universal City San Fernando Valley

Universal Studios is the world's largest movie studio. Its famous theme park, one of LA's top attractions, has gut-wrenching rides, mind-blowing special-effects shows and the Studio Tour, a part-educational, part-thrill ride exploration of the studio backlot.

Curve
154 N Robertson Blvd West Hollywood btwn Beverly Blvd & 3rd St

Jennifer Aniston is among those making pilgrimages to this loft-like emporium. Creative, girly and trend-setting couture by both underground and established designers mingle with co-owner Delia Seaman's own creations and jewellery by her partner Nevena Borissova.

Larry Edmunds Bookshop
6644 Hollywood Blvd Hollywood at N Cherokee Ave

The small storefront belies the Tinseltown treasures that can be unearthed at this long-time purveyor of Hollywood media. Dig here for favourite movie scripts, posters and star biographies. An anthropological study on the making of Lawrence of Arabia may rub spines with voyeuristic blood-and-guts histories of Hollywood itself.

Amoeba Music
Hollywood 6400 Sunset Blvd

Hailing from San Francisco, Amoeba instantly made a big splash in Hollywood. Clued-in staff and banks of listening stations help you sort through half a million or so new and used CDs, DVDs, videos and vinyl. Their free in-store concerts are legendary. It's great for sourcing rare and out-of-print albums to buying mainstream Top 40 tunes.

Kitson
West Hollywood 115 S Robertson Blvd

If you like to stay ahead of the fashion curve, pop into this hip haven. It's chock-full of tomorrow's oufits and accessories, many of them by local labels. Expect plenty of paparazzi lying in wait outside: this place is a major celebrity magnet and you never know when Paris will show up.

Book Soup
West Hollywood 8818 Sunset Blvd

This is where Hollywood and literature meets. Screenwriters, rock stars and prize-winning authors sign their books at this labyrinthine bookstore on the Sunset Strip. The stock is heavy on arts and culture while the annexe stocks used books. There is a killer newsstand outside, so grab the latest mag and head to the cantina at The Standard for full effect.

Wasteland
Mid-City 7428 Melrose Ave cnr Vista

If you've got the taste, but not the budget, for classic and hip designer outfits, make a beeline to this warehouse-sized store stocked with gently worn clothing and accessories. Quality is top-notch, the selection huge and prices surprisingly moderate.

Off the Wall Antiques
7325 Melrose Ave Mid-City at N Fuller Ave

This mini-warehouse is filled with wacky collectibles and feels somewhat like a movie studio prop room (quite possibly the source of the bric-a-brac) verging on a curio shop. Depression-era radios, a roulette wheel, pool tables, a bear skeleton or life-size plastic penguins - you never know what you'll find. Just don't feed it before midnight.

Fred Segal
West Hollywood at N Crescent Heights Blvd 8100 Melrose Ave

Fashionistas like Cameron Diaz and Madonna have been spotted trying on eclectic urban wear at this multi-boutique hall of fame. Staff are less concerned about cool than your fellow customers are. Shop for hard-to-find clothing, cosmetics and shoe designs here or at their Santa Monica location - and bring a fat wallet.

Moondance
1530 Montana Ave Santa Monica btwn 15th & 16th

Its demure facade belies the beauty found within. This skylit gallery is the go-to place for artisan jewellery hand-crafted by the best of today's A-list of contemporary designers. Gorgeous handbags from the likes of Me&Ro, Anthony Nak and Mizuki complete the irresistible picture.

It's a Wrap
3315 W Magnolia Blvd cnr California St Burbank

Fancy Arnie's leather pants from T3, one of Frasier's suits or one of Buffy's outfits complete with Hollywood pseudo-blood? This is the place that hawks - at surprisingly small prices - the outfits worn during movies, sitcoms, soaps and other shoots. Each item has been dry-cleaned (if worn at all) and tagged by star or show.

UK Consulate
West Los Angeles 1200 11766 Wilshire Blvd

Automobile Association of Southern California
Downtown LA 2601 S Figueroa St

This is the headquarters of the AASC, although there are numerous other offices throughout LA. A subdivision of the American Automobile Association, AAA provides its members and those of affiliated foreign clubs with information, maps, books, car insurance and most importantly, free emergency road services and towing.

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
West Hollywood 8700 Beverly Blvd

LA Gay & Lesbian Center
1625 N Schrader Blvd West Hollywood

This is a one-stop service and health agency. Besides operating a clinic and on-site pharmacy, it also offers legal services, a packed schedule of activities and a youth centre. Most services are free or low cost.

Hollywood Visitors Centre
Hollywood 6801 Hollywood Blvd

Maps, brochures, lodging information and tickets to theme parks and other attractions are available through this office.

Los Angeles Business Council
1003 Westwood 10880 Wilshire Blvd

A useful business resource centre to help you understand local practices. It provides referrals to important agencies and has business-related publications.

Los Angeles Free Clinic
Hollywood 6043 Hollywood Blvd

A handy clinic for general medical and dental care as well as counselling. It also has a branches at 8405 Beverly Blvd and at 5205 Melrose Ave (same telephone number for all branches). located near the Beverly Center mall.

Camera Service Center
Culver City 4355 S Sepulveda Blvd

If your Nikons or Hasselblads take a nosedive just when you're heading out to take your ultimate travel shots, head to this place to get your travel documenting back on board.

Village Health Foundation
4073 Pico Blvd Downtown near Koreatown

This low-cost, alternative health clinic provides services such as acupuncture, Chinese medicine, massage therapy and herbal therapy.

Australian Consulate
Century City 31 2049 Century Park E

Dockside Boat & Bed
Long Beach Rainbow Harbor 316 E Shoreline Dr Dock 5 office and boats are located off Pine Ave on Pine Ave Pier, S of downtown Long Beach at Rainbow Harbor

Salty types with a sense of romance should check into this floating hostelry. Be rocked to sleep by the waves aboard your own private yacht, moored close to downtown Long Beach and within view of the Queen Mary. The management is very friendly.

Cadillac Hotel
Venice at Ocean Front Walk 8 Dudley Ave hotel is in N Venice, a couple blocks S of Rose Ave and W of Speedway; the Venice Boardwalk is steps away

Long a funky, and rather dingy, beachside inn at the northern end of Venice's Boardwalk, the Cadillac Hotel is now quietly hip thanks to new management. Minimalist rooms don't break any size barriers, but there's room enough for fridges, plasma cable TVs, iPod docks, and designer sinks and glass tilework in the bathrooms.

Hotel California
1670 Ocean Ave Santa Monica S of Olympic Blvd hotel is a block S of Santa Monica Pier, on ocean side of street

Built in the 1940s, this cheerful yellow, squeaky-clean place is only steps from the sand. Surf-inspired decor, hardwood floors, luxury mattresses, super friendly staff and free email ensure a great stay, except in cheaper rooms that face the busy street.

Maison 140
Beverly Hills 140 S Lasky Dr hotel is a 10min walk W of Beverly Hills' famous Rodeo Drive

This boutique hotel, housed in the former villa of silent movie star Lillian Gish, offers a sleek and soulful Parisian boudoir atmosphere. The look is French kiss meets the Far East - and it's love at first sight.

Beverly Laurel Motor Hotel
8018 Beverly Blvd Fairfax motel is just a few blocks W of Fairfax Ave

Ride the retro wave on a slim budget at this venerable 1950s motel. Rooms, which wrap around a well-kept swimming pool, have modern furnishings, pastel colors, old Hollywood glamor photos and more than a modicum of style.

Best Western Marina Pacific Hotel & Suites
Venice 1697 Pacific Ave take Venice Blvd all the way to Pacific Ave and turn right to reach hotel

Though its name seems to refer to Marina del Rey, this 5-story, 118-room property is just steps from the beachside carnival that is the boardwalk in Venice. A neighborhood fixture, it has just been given a 21st-century makeover.

Beverly Hills Hotel
hotel is on N side of Sunset Blvd; if you're driving, the one-way entrance is on E side, off N Beverly Dr 9641 Sunset Blvd Beverly Hills

Featured on the cover of the Eagles' Hotel California album, the Beverly Hills Hotel is as revered in LA as the countless Hollywood legends who have cavorted here (and still do). The ambience at this hotel defines opulence and is infused with historic charm.

Cal Mar Hotel Suites
Santa Monica 220 California Ave motel is one block N of Santa Monica's popular Third Street Promenade

Active families who need room to move will love these apartment-sized suites with full kitchens and extra sofa beds. A small pool and location close to the beach and shops go a long way toward making up for the generic decor and a fair bit of noise.

Hollywood Celebrity Hotel
1775 Orchid Ave Hollywood Orchid Ave is a small side street behind Hollywood & Highland mall; from Hollywood Blvd, walk a block N on Highland Ave, then half a block W on Franklin Ave

The Art Deco-style lobby is a promising overture. Even if it contrasts with the rooms (and especially bathrooms) which are a bit long in the tooth, guests prize their size (fairly large). Those with full kitchens are ideal for self-caterers.

Chamberlain West Hollywood
1000 Westmount Dr West Hollywood the hotel is not directly accessible from Santa Monica Blvd - if you're driving, approach from N, off Holloway Dr, instead

Handily located near West Hollywood restaurants, the party precincts of the Sunset Strip and the gay and lesbian mecca of Santa Monica Blvd, yet hidden on a quiet residential street, this all-suite property scores high on the hipness scale. It's outfitted with almost everything you'll need for a pleasure-filled stay.

Viper Room
West Hollywood cnr Larrabee & Sunset 8852 W Sunset Blvd

This hip Art Deco club used to be the Melody Room, frequented by gangster Bugsy Siegel, and retains the style of that era. Infamously, it was once owned by Johnny Depp and is the spot where River Phoenix overdosed on Halloween night, 1993. The door policy is tough and drinks are pricey, but once inside chances of spotting a celeb are pretty good.

Akbar
Los Feliz 4356 W Sunset Blvd

The Akbar refuses to be pigeon-holed. The facts: it's a divey, lightly Moroccan-themed watering hole with a killer jukebox and a drink wheel. But try to pin down if it's gay or straight, smoking or non, neighbourhood-friendly or hipster-tetchy, and you're outta luck.

Knitting Factory
7021 Hollywood Blvd Hollywood

This bastion of indie bands isn't as out there as its New York City mother club, but it welcomes patrons of all ages and offers up top-notch world music, progressive jazz and other alternative sounds. Headliners take the main stage, the rest make do with the intimate (and often free) AlterKnit Lounge.

Troubadour
9081 Santa Monica Blvd West Hollywood

A mix of rock legends, cult faves and MySpace up-and-comers keep the rafters rising at this legendary rock hall - open since 1957 - where a beer-drinking crowd serious about its music keeps attitude to a minimum. Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, James Taylor and Guns N' Roses played early gigs here.

Hideout
112 W Channel Rd Santa Monica

Back in the day, this beachfront building on the north side of town housed Will Rogers' favorite speak-easy, Doc Law's Drugstore, which Rogers dubbed 'the hideout'. These days it's a hideout for folks who can't be bothered spending two hours primping before hitting the bar. DJs mix it up on weekends and there are free tacos on Thursdays.

Harvelle's
1432 4th St Santa Monica btwn Broadway & Santa Monica Blvd

The Chicago vibe at this swank, beachside blues joint is very convincing. Harvelle's has been packing in the crowds since it opened in 1931, and while there are no recognisable big-name acts, it's quality all the way at Harvelle's.

Temple Bar
1026 Wilshire Blvd Santa Monica cnr 11th & Wilshire

This candlelit place scores high on the cool-o-meter for its unique 'Buddha-meets-beach' decor and quality cross-cultural lineup spanning everything from edgy jazz to upbeat Latin and hip-hop. The crowd's relaxed, the air incense-laden and the food spicy. Also check out the monthly film and poetry nights.

Lava Lounge
Hollywood above Sunset Blvd 1533 N La Brea Ave

Lava Lounge's seductive tropical feel lingers in curvaceous booths, tiny tiki lamps, bamboo and palm fronds. Mostly local talent takes to the small stage, enlivening the place with everything from disco to soul, jazz to funk. To get that special Maui buzz, order a Blue Hawaiian (also the name of one of the house bands...)

Formosa Cafe
West Hollywood west of La Brea 7156 Santa Monica Blvd

Like a faded starlet, the Formosa has all the irresistibly gritty charm of Hollywood history. The dimly lit walls are an autographed gallery of Hollywood icons who have dined here, most famously Bogart, Monroe and Gable. Skip the distinctly average Chinese menu, and move straight to the suitably strong mai tais.

Golden Gopher
Downtown 417 W 8th St

This campy lounge manages to draw drinkers from all stripes to its somewhat sketchy neighbourhood. The furnishings cover all bases too, with chandeliers and Ms Pac-Man. Those who haven't had enough at closing time can stock up for later at the in-house liquor store.

Rose Café
Venice 220 Rose St at Main St

This twenty-five-year-old Venice mainstay has it all: cafe, dining room, bakery and art space. Brunch is atrociously popular thanks to the rave-worthy frittatas and the lovely semi-enclosed patio. Be warned, there are no reservations taken on weekends.

Father's Office
Santa Monica 1018 Montana Ave at 10th St

Okay, technically it's a bar - a tiny bar with a stellar lineup of beers at that. But it's also where you'll find the best damn fancy-pants burgers in LA. Juicy patties with caramelised onion, applewood bacon compote, blue and gruyere cheeses and arugula. If you know what's good for you, you won't ask for substitutions or ketchup.

Fred 62
Los Feliz 1850 N Vermont Ave

The flickering blue neon sign pulls you in to this meticulously stylish yet cosy setting. Whatever you're craving - bagels 'n' lox, vegetarian pot pie, spicy Asian salad, perhaps a 05:00 bottle of champagne - a perky waitress in a racing-stripe apron will happily oblige. Drew Barrymore is reported to make regular appearances.

Axe
1009 Abbot Kinney Blvd Venice

Its name derives from a Yoruba word meaning 'go with the power of the gods and goddesses', and presumably this power comes from the all-organic, farm-fresh ingredients. Create your own salad, order the incredible rice bowl, or go for one of the tasty meat dishes. And by the way, it's pronounced 'ah-shay', not 'aks'. Naturally.

Nate 'n Al's
Beverly Hills 414 N Beverly Dr

This 1943 institution will have you scarfing down what may be the best deli nosh this side of the Mississippi. (Ever try brie matzoh?) Doris Day used to walk over in her bathrobe every day for breakfast. With luck, you'll get a free helping of star sightings yourself, especially in the mornings.

Canter's Deli
419 N Fairfax Ave Mid-City

Canter's isn't really about the food, though it covers the Jewish deli basics decently, gets high marks for its waffles and even serves full Thanksgiving dinners nightly. It ain't about the service either, which is indifferent on a good day. And it's not about sophistication - they serve Coor's on tap. But it's an LA institution and it's open All. The. Time.

New Paradise
Long Beach 1350 E Anaheim St

Long Beach has a strong community of Cambodians, and one of the best culinary manifestations is New Paradise. It's also wedding reception central, so if you come on a weekend, expect a party. Wedding or not, there's live music every Friday night and during the day on the weekend. There's not a dud on the menu, but the beef sticks are tremendous.

Norman's
8570 W Sunset Blvd Hollywood Sunset Millennium

Norman's proves that an outstanding dinner experience can be had on the Strip. The menu is French-based with creative Asian influences, and changes monthly. Decor is spare, updated steakhouse, with glass panels for spying on the kitchen. Service is exceptional; master sommelier Peter Birmingham is a marvel. For a romantic date, reserve a curtained-off booth.

El Cochinito
3508 W Sunset Blvd Los Feliz

El Cochinito ('the little pig')is arguably the best Cuban food in the city. This 12-table hole-in-the wall is family run and neighbourhood adored. This is traditional 'pre-Castro' Cuban at its finest. The tostones are thin and crispy and the roasted pork melts in your mouth.

Sushi Gen
422 E 2nd St Little Tokyo

You won't find any truffle-oil-infused wasabi nonsense at this shoot-from-the-hip sushi joint. The fish here just doesn't get any fresher, so focus on sashimi and rolls. Lunchtime will see you competing with business folk and Japanese ex-pats for the sashimi lunch special.