Your Ultimate Guide To Where To Stay In LA
Los Angeles is a huge city, offering year-round sunshine, beaches, bustling nightlife, an abundance of acai bowls, occasional celebrity sightings, and, of course, In N Out Burger. With so many little suburbs and cities that all differ from each other, it can be tricky deciding where to stay in LA. From West Hollywood to Silver Lake, Malibu to Los Feliz, every suburb has its own charming set of characteristics which come together to form the eclectic City of Angels.
Read on for the ultimate guide of where to stay in Los Angeles to make your trip to the City of Angels as heavenly as possible!
Culver City
Located on the Westside, Culver City is close to pretty much everything so is a great place to stay in Los Angeles. They also just built a metro line that goes straight through Culver City all the way to Santa Monica and Downtown, making exploring even easier.
Where To Eat In Culver City
- Cannibal and Maple Block Meat Co: the place for you meat lovers – these delicious eateries are carnivore heaven.
- Sage: this is a vegan haven with endless options.
- Sao Acai: if you get sick of heavy American grub, grab a fresh fruity acai bowl here.
- Destroyer, Cognoscenti, Bar Nine, and Blue Bottle: if you just NEED your caffeine fix, Culver City is for you – these places are all perfect for coffee worshippers.
- Loqui: the yummiest Mexican around – it’s located at the Platform, and offers fresh, handmade Mexican cuisine in a casual environment.
Things To Do In Culver City
- Hike the Baldwin Scenic overview: take a stroll, test your strength on the stairs, or just enjoy the views of the ocean, mountains, and that fresh California air!
- Marvel at Platform: Platform call themselves “a collection of the world’s most innovative merchants.” This place has everything (and free WiFi) – from acai bowls to Soul Cycle, Blue Bottle Coffee to Aesop, Platform will satisfy every hunger, shopping, fitness, and Instagram need you will ever have.
- Visit the Sony Pictures Studios: based in Culver City, the production studio has produced some of the biggest movies including films like Ben Hur and The Wizard of Oz. Take a 2 hour tour to get your taste of Hollywood.
Where To Go Out In Culver City
- Blind Barber: this place might be hard to find since it looks like a barber shop, but once you enter, you go into the back and end up in a hidden speakeasy with some great tunes.
- Father’s Office: a gastropub with an extensive beer selection and their delicious Office Burger. If you love beer, this place is for you.
- The Culver Hotel: if ya feelin’ fancy, this is the one. It has a 1920s vibe, with delicious signature drinks.
Where To Stay In Culver City
- Venice Beach Hostel: this hostel is half an hour from central Culver City, and you’ll feel so LA, dahling – it’s right in the centre of the home of surf, sun and sandy beaches.
Manhattan Beach
Come on, you’re in LA, why not stay where the best beaches are?! Forget Santa Monica and Venice, Manhattan Beach is the place to be – its beaches are breathtakingly beautiful and probably cleaner than most others. If you’re a surfer, Manhattan Beach also offers some of the best waves, and you might even catch a glimpse of some seals!
Where To Eat In Manhattan Beach
- Uncle Bill’s Pancake House: if you want a true American breakfast, you won’t be disappointed with this place. It does get packed, but eating pancakes and eggs with the ocean side views = totally worth it (and it’s cheap!).
- Paradise Bowls: if you’re feeling healthy, head here for some fruity acai bowls.
- Fishing with Dynamite: one of the best places for seafood – try the gumbo, oysters, and crab cakes.
- Love & Salt: this place is guaranteed to satisfy your pizza craving. Try their delicious wood fired pizzas or the bone marrow cavtappi.
- Simmzy’s: the ideal destination for drinks by the ocean. There’s a great beer selection but they also offer delicious pizza and juicy burgers, all in the fresh open air.
- The Kettle Restaurant: this place is hangover heaven – a 24/7 eatery that will satisfy all your late-night cravings.
- Two Guns Espresso: the best place in Manhattan Beach for a cup of joe.
Things To Do In Manhattan Beach
- Have a surf lesson: as we mentioned earlier, this place is awesome for catching a wave. If you can’t surf, Manhattan Beach also has great spots for the beginners and is the perfect place to learn.
- Play beach volleyball: rumour has it, beach volleyball started in Manhattan Beach! The beach is lined with nets, so grab some friends, snacks, and a ball, and have your own mini tournament. In August there’s even the 6-man Manhattan Beach volleyball tournament which is great fun to watch.
- Go for a bike ride along the beach front: you can rent almost anything along the beach front, from Boogie boards to skateboards, but we love renting a bike and riding along the strand at sunset. You won’t regret it!
Where To Go Out In Manhattan Beach
- The Strand Bar: this is an awesome place to go out. The view of the mighty Pacific Ocean and Manhattan Beach pier as you drink is unbeatable!
- Manhattan Beach Brewing Co: grab a beer and pretzel – MBB is a great place to get a few drinks before a big night out.
- Shellback Tavern: a beach dive bar doesn’t get better than this one!
Where To Stay In Manhattan Beach
- Surf City Hostel: this hostel epitomises chilled surf vibes, and is located in one of the best surf areas in LA, in close walking distance to loads of bars and eateries.
Silver Lake
Yep, this is where the hipsters live. It’s very close to Hollywood, but without the tourist-trap vibe. The food and drink scene is top-notch – healthy eaters and foodies can take advantage of the twice-weekly farmers’ markets and all the delicious food trucks around.
Where To Eat In Silver Lake
- Dinosaur Coffee, Alfred’s Coffee and Intelligentsia: if you need more energy via that delicious caffeine, these cafes will help you right out!
- Gobi Mongolian BBQ & Beer House: head here when you’re super #hangry – it has the BEST all-you-can-eat buffet where you choose all your ingredients and watch the chefs cook on a huge round-topped grill in front of you.
- Pine & Crane: this is a super casual lively restaurant that specializes in Taiwanese food. Get the little dishes of dumplings or the beef noodle soup – delish.
- Yeastie Boys Bagels: this food truck outside Alfred Coffee serves awesome New York bagels. Simple but satisfying.
- Ramen of York: simply the best for your ramen fix.
- Sunset Junction: this is the one for when you can’t decide what you want – it’s Silver Lake’s trendy shopping district. There are plenty of places to eat, grab coffee, and shop around.
Things To Do In Silver Lake
- Hang out at the Silver Lake Reservoir: this is a 2.2-mile trail, so go for a run or just stroll and admire the scenery.
- Go to a concert at The Satellite: this venue hosts some great indie bands with a really awesome vibe.
- Take the perfect Insta picture at the Chandelier tree: it’s exactly what it sounds like – a tree covered with 300 different antique chandeliers.
- Go work out at the Stair Hike: you’re in LA – maybe you should work out just once 😉! The famous Stair Hike in the Silver Lake Hills is great for a run.
Where To Go Out In Silver Lake
- Café Stella: the cocktails aren’t cheap, but the bartenders really know what they’re doing – order the Gold Jacket.
- Tiki-Ti: fully decorated with Tiki paraphernalia, we know you’ll have a great time at Tiki-Ti, especially since the cocktails are strong! Order the house specials like The Stealth or the Uga Booga.
- Bar Bandini: if you feel like wine and craft beer in a dark intimate setting, then Bar Bandini is for you.
Where To Stay In Silver Lake
- Melrose Hostel for Backpackers: Melrose Hostel is super cool, right near Thai Town and Korea Town, and just 5 minutes from Hollywood station, ready for you to explore the City Of Angels to your heart’s desire.
Los Feliz
Los Feliz is great for anyone who wants to go out, meet cool people, and have fun. It’s basically within walking distance to everything you could ever want – there’s a great selection of delicious food stores, shopping centres, parks, and it’s near the Hollywood nightlife scene without being too busy. It’s also right near the LA Expo Line, allowing easy access to loads of places, including Griffith Park, a 4000 acre park perfecting for picnicking, hiking, the list is endless…
Where To Eat In Los Feliz
- Mustard Seed Café: if you love breakfast/brunch, this place has a drool-worthy selection.
- Ye Rustic Inn: this place is great if you’re craving chicken wings – it’s another long-time local favourite, known for delicious, spicy wings and beer.
- Caffe Vita: if you need your caffeine hit this place will help – try their siphoned drip coffee.
- Ricky’s Fish Taco’s: for some of the best fish tacos in LA.
- Little Dom’s: you’ll find some of the tastiest Italian food around here – go for their pizza with a Sunnyside up egg.
- House of Pies: they’re known for their pies (duh!) and they serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner – you can’t go wrong with their banana cream variety.
- Homestate: this place is great for Texan breakfast tacos and eggs. Oh, and they have a Frito Pie in a bag!
Things To Do In Los Feliz
- Hike Griffith Park for one of the best views of LA: one of the best things about Los Feliz is its proximity to Griffith Park where you can hike, golf, play tennis, stargaze at the museum through the massive telescope, see the Hollywood sign, or even catch a concert.
- Head to a concert at the Greek Theater: one of the coolest event spaces in LA, The Greek hosts international talents. It’s an outdoor space, but still manages to retain a beautiful and intimate vibe.
Where To Go Out In Los Feliz
- Block Party: Block Party might just have the granddaddy of all day drinking patios. In the back, grab a drink (like their boozy snowcone) and play some shuffleboard. You can also BYOF (bring your own food, obvs), and the donut shop next door is a prime destination for a treat to partner with your drinks.
- Bigfoot Lodge: with signature cocktails and a rowdy crowd, this place is always great for a lively drinks evening.
- Harvard & Stone: if you love live music, this is the place for you! That, and their craft cocktails – a must try is The Filament (especially for gin lovers).
Where To Stay In Los Feliz
- Banana Bungalow Hollywood: this bright sunny hostel is summer vibes embodied – all year long! It offers BBQs, huge dinners and shuttles to all the best areas in LA.
- Podshare Los Feliz: this is located in Los Feliz/Silver Lake with industrial loft-style space pods – it’s definitely one of the coolest places you can stay in LA.
Playa Del Rey
Did you know Playa Del Rey is ranked as #1 best place for millennials to live in? Which means it’s an ideal destination for your stay in LA! It’s quickly becoming part of Silicon Beach, Silicon Valley’s little sister. It’s also right near the marina and a stone’s throw away from great surf beaches (like El Porto).
Where To Eat In Playa Del Rey
- The Tripel: this place is ideal for a beer with friends – it not only has great food, but a great beer selection too. Head out back and play some ping pong!
- The Good Pizza: ideal to fix those pizza cravings.
- ASAP Phorage: this is the place to grab some delicious pho – they have their Vietnamese food down!
Things To Do In Playa Del Rey
- Have a night bonfire at Dockweiler Beach: this beach is one of the few beaches in California that allow bonfires, making it the ultimate destination for a chilled night with friends.
- Go for a surf or paddle board: Playa Del Rey is super close to the marina, a perfect place to learn to surf or go for a morning paddle.
- Walk through the Venice canals: although technically in Venice, this beautiful historic district is only a short way away from PDR.
Where To Go Out In Playa Del Rey
- Harbor Room: this bar is small but with great authentic vibes.
- Prince O’ Whales: POW is filled with college kids, cheap beer and drunk karaoke – the quintessential dive bar!
- Grain Whisky Bar: if you love whisky, you’ll love this place. Grain serves over 200 types of whisky and scotch.
Where to stay In Playa Del Rey
- Podshare Venice Beach: this is an old church just moments from the famous Venice Beach, with cute privates pods each with their own television.
- Samesun: grab a bike, rollerblades, or surfboard – this is California dreaming at its finest, right on Venice Beach boardwalk.
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