DK Travel : Los Angeles : Places of interest

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South Bay

Surfing, swimming, tanning, beach volleyball, and other outdoor pursuits govern the laid-back lifestyle of the string of three picture-perfect beach towns in the southern Santa Monica Bay. Of these, Manhattan Beach is the most sophisticated, Hermosa (see Hermosa Beach) the liveliest, and Redondo the most historical. A paved trail paralleling the beach and connecting all the three communities is perfect for bicycling and inline skating.
Southwest Museum

The oldest museum in Los Angeles was the brainchild of Charles Lummis, whose personal collection of Native American artifacts formed the basis of its holdings. It has one of the nation’s largest and most important collections of Native art and artifacts. Galleries provide a survey of the traditions of Native cultures from California, the Great Plains, the Southwest, and the Pacific Northwest. A famous collection of baskets are intriguing exhibits.

Southwest Museum
St. Sophia Cathedral

One of LA’s surprises, St. Sophia, the central church of Southern California’s Greek community, was masterminded by the Skouras brothers, a trio of movie impresarios. Behind its austere, gleaming white exterior is an exceptionally opulent hall of worship. The eye is drawn to the icon-studded, golden altar of the Virgin Mary while Jesus, surrounded by saints, looks down at the congregation from the 90-ft (27-m) high dome.
Storyopolis

Creativity is king at this “city of stories.” Its shelves bulge with some 5,000 kiddie books, while its walls showcase the work of top illustrators. The store is also known for its family events and storytelling sessions.
Sunset Strip

Sunset Strip has been LA’s nocturnal playground since the 1920s and is the most history-laden section of the 25-mile (40-km) Sunset Boulevard. Stars, starlets, wannabes, and those that like to be around them are still drawn to landmarks old and new, including the Chateau Marmont, the Whisky a Go-Go, the Mondrian Hotel with its exclusive Sky Bar, and Johnny Depp’s music club, the Viper Room.
The Getty Center

Although best known for its collection of European art, the Getty offers much more – a hilltop setting with sweeping views from the ocean to the mountains, architecture as exquisite as “frozen music” (to quote Goethe), and landscaped gardens that are nothing less than the finest art.
The Grove

Adjoining the Farmers Market, The Grove is an attractive, upscale outdoor shopping and dining center with a first-rate 14-screen movie theater. Open since 2002, this mall features highlights such as a historic trolley connecting it with the market, a fountain that occasionally erupts into a choreographed water show set to music, and a bronze sculpture of flying angels. Along with adjacent CBS and the Farmers Market, The Grove occupies land once owned by the Gilmore family, who made their fortune from oil. Gilmore Stadium, home of the Hollywood Stars, a baseball team owned by Bing Crosby, Cecil B. De Mille, and Barbara Stanwyck, was once located where CBS now stands.
The Rodeo Collection

A white marble outdoor shopping mall with five floors of fashion, interior design, and jewelry boutiques orbiting a sunken atrium courtyard with a fancy eatery.
Third Street Promenade

Downtown Santa Monica’s main artery, this three-block mall is one of the most pleasant walking areas in LA. The product of a hugely successful revitalization effort in the late 1980s, it is flanked by upscale shops, movie theaters, and eclectic restaurants, bars, and cafés. Street musicians from around the globe shower strollers with flamenco, jazz, and hip hop. On Wednesday and Saturday mornings, the farmers market attracts large crowds.
Tiffany & Co

The meticulously crafted jewelry is as exquisite as Audrey Hepburn was in the movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s , based on the famous store in New York.