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Chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger serve up their unique blend of Mexican flavors. Try the delicious rock shrimp ceviche .

The nondescript façade of this Victorian-era office building doesn’t do justice to the magical courtyard within. Muted light filters in through a soaring glass roof while open-cage elevators take you up floors hemmed in by lacy banisters. Commissioned by the mining and real estate magnate Lewis Bradbury and completed in 1893, architect George Wyman allegedly found inspiration for some of his designs in Edward Bellamy’s 1887 novel, Looking Backward .

This massive artist colony organizes art walks twice yearly.

During the silent film era, Broadway was the movie district. The façades of the movie palaces are marvels of the imagination.

One of the earliest Art Deco structures in the country, this beautiful building now houses the Southwestern University School of Law.

Cascading down from Hope Street to Fifth Street, these steps have many attractive features, including an amazing sculpture of a female nude by Robert Graham (see Wells Fargo Court).

The colorful sails of windsurfers flutter like giant butterflies along this beach on the breakwater of LA Harbor. Visit the nearby Cabrillo Marine Aquarium to learn about marine life.

Housed in a modern building designed by Frank Gehry, this aquarium offers plenty to do apart from viewing marine life in its 34 saltwater tanks. Memorable experiences include observing newborn jellyfish in the aquatic nursery, listening to whale sounds, and viewing prickly urchins and sea stars in tidepools accessed through the short Cabrillo Coastal Park Trail.

Though small, this facility offers an entertaining introduction to life in Southern California’s ocean waters. The playful yet educational exhibits are ideal for children. The staff also organize various activities, including guided tide pool walks, a marine laboratory workshop, and even “sleepovers with the fishes,” when kids can “camp” out in the aquarium under staff supervision.