Explore LA this Summer


By
 in ,

Staying in Los Angeles this summer? Looking for something to do besides visiting the Santa Monica Pier and hiking to the Hollywood sign?

Have no fear — I’ve spent the semester thoroughly researching obscure places in Los Angeles, many more places than I could actually fit within one semester of columns. So, for your convenience, I’ve compiled a few of my favorites into this handy list.

I like to think that I could be the official spokesperson for the City of Los Angeles Tourist Bureau. Or technically, the Non-Tourist Bureau. Not anti-tourist, because it’s entertaining to watch out-of-town families fumble with selfie sticks while wearing matching shirts, but non-tourist activities that you wouldn’t find while looking up the city’s most popular attractions.

So, without further ado, here’s your summer itinerary. Make me proud, kids; go outside your comfort zone (A.K.A. off-campus) and explore some of Los Angeles’ hidden gems.

The Metro: O.K., so maybe the Metro isn’t a “hidden gem.” Sue me. But for some Angelenos, it almost seems to be, in spite of the Metro’s cost-effectiveness. Why pay a chunk of money on Uber when you can make the same trip for $1.75 on the rail line? Before summer starts, familiarize yourself with rail lines, and learn to say no to the Uber. You’d be surprised; I promise it’s not as bad as its reputation.

Farmacia y Botanica Million Dollar: Forget CVS or Rite Aid, Farmacia y Botanica Million Dollar takes care of all of your pharmacy needs. The store includes potions, incense and even a tarot card reader. Potions range from “Buen Suerte,” for good luck, to “alejate ley,” or “law stay away.” Voodoo dolls and other oddities stock the shelves, right alongside feminine hygiene products and tissue paper.  The Farmacia y Botanica Million Dollar is located near Pershing Square.

Time Travel Mart:  Located in the Echo Park neighborhood just north of Downtown, the Time Travel Mart allows you to pretend to be Marty McFly without ever getting into a Delorean. The store’s marquee reads, “Whenever you are, we’re already then,” and the items range from futuristic (robot toupees) to prehistoric (barbarian repellent). Additionally, the profits from your time traveling purchase go to a good cause — the store is a charity for 826LA, which tutors local kids in creative writing. If you need another reason to go, Echo Park is my favorite neighborhood, with used bookstores, vintage clothing shops and hipsters galore.

Mortified Los Angeles: I have a rule not to recommend a place to readers unless I’ve actually been there. This is the one exception to that rule, however. “Mortified” is a live show in which people stand in front of an audience and read their childhood diaries, letters and other items outloud, while recalling their most mortifying moments. Unfortunately, you must be 21 or over to attend shows, and I am too much of a goody-goody to own a fake I.D. For those of you old enough to attend, I had to include this on the list so that I can live vicariously through you. The next show is on May 20 in Hollywood; tickets are available through their site at getmortified.com.

Electric Dusk: Electric Dusk drive-in is undoubtedly the best place to watch movies in Los Angeles. Located just 10 minutes from campus, the drive-in is in what appears to be an abandoned warehouse district. Tickets are available both to sit on the lawn or in your car, both around $10. Not only does Electric Dusk show films in the mostly forgotten drive-in format, the films it screens also touch on nostalgia. The Princess Bride, E.T., and Indiana Jones are all scheduled to play this summer, so watch the movies of your childhood the same way your parents watched movies during their childhood.

Sunken City: As I’ve said before, I don’t officially condone trespassing. If I did, however, I’d highly recommend visiting Sunken City, in San Pedro. Sunken City is the apocalyptic remains of several cliffside homes, which slid down to the ocean after a landslide several decades ago. Today, like most other urban ruins, Sunken City is a graffiti artists’ paradise. Ruins of roads and concrete slabs from homes are covered in graffiti, making for an interesting hike. Be prepared to work for the sight, however, the path down to the ruins is steep and slipper. And be warned — the area is gated, and kids, trespassing is illegal.

Abandoned Zoo: Most Angelenos have visited Griffith Park, either for the Observatory, the Hollywood sign hike, or the Los Angeles Zoo. Most haven’t visited the other Los Angeles Zoo, however, the old one which was abandoned in 1965. The zoo’s structures were built back in 1912, but were abandoned upon completion of the new zoo. Instead of removing old cages and habitats, the city left them standing, resulting in a ghostly zoo missing its animals. If you’re as much of a kid as I am, you’ll have fun playing in the cages as if you were one of the animals on display — and if you think that’s weird, then just stand outside the cages and look at them, I guess. But that’s not even half as fun.

Malibu Creek Rock Ponds:  “Don’t cliff jump, its so dangerous!” could be my mother’s catchphrase. She reminds me of the dangers of cliff jumping every time I am anywhere near a body of water, but I can’t help doing it anyways (sorry, Mom). About an hour’s drive from campus, Malibu Creek State Park offers rock ponds that appear to be made for cliff jumping: the rocks around the main pond are easy to scramble up, and the water usually isn’t too dirty (note: usually). The ponds are just a mile hike from the park’s main parking lot. I must offer two disclaimers, however. First, in all seriousness, cliff jumping can be dangerous so use good judgement. Second, I haven’t been to the ponds in over a year, before the drought reached full force, making bodies of water a rarity, so the ponds could be dry.

If you’re staying in Los Angeles this summer, use this column as your bucket list, adding new locations as you discover them. If not, then cut out the article and save it for next semester or bookmark it on your computer, since that’s probably how you’re actually reading it. Whether you use these ideas or find your own, please use this list as inspiration to go outside and appreciate the hidden nooks and crannies of Los Angeles.

Erin Rode is a freshman majoring in environmental engineering and print and digital journalism. Her column, “The Rode Less Traveled,” ran Thursdays.