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Things to do

El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument

Millions of tourists come to Los Angeles every year, often ending up congregating in the same spots around town. Ask a local about trying to drive down Hollywood Boulevard, for instance, or heading out to the Santa Monica Pier on a weekend, and you'll hear horror stories about clueless out-of-towners slowing down traffic and walking around in a clueless daze.

Here are five different ways to see the tourist spots in Los Angeles without looking like a tourist:

Hollywood Blvd.: Roosevelt Hotel

The Walk of Fame is an nearly two mile stretch of Hollywood Blvd. known best for the “stars,” sidewalk plaques dedicated to celebrities. So instead of gawking at a glorified street tile, find you your way to the Roosevelt Hotel, a haunt populated by so many stars of yesteryear. The Roosevelt hosted the first ever Academy Awards in 1929 and Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable and Errol Flynn each called the hotel home at one point or another. For extra credit: Go on the weekend and sit by the pool to gawk at the beautiful people.

Santa Monica: Main Street

The Santa Monica Pier, with its iconic Ferris wheel, attracts visitors throughout the year. However, the gem of Los Angeles' western neighbor is Main Street, a stretch of boutique shops and independent restaurants that includes The Circle Bar, the Edgemar Center for the Arts and the Hidden Restaurant. In addition, it's just blocks from the beach, and being between the 3rd Street Promenade and Venice Beach, it gives easy access to two more of the top tourist destinations.

Melrose Shopping: Melrose Trading Post

The famed shopping stretch of Melrose Ave. is known for upscale boutiques and designer stores such as Fred Segal. However, for those not blessed with the pocketbooks of the famous, the Melrose Trading Post is what the Los Angeles Times called a flea market “for the sexy, hip and groovy crowd.” More than 3,000 bargain hunters check out the wares of more than 200 vendors on Sundays in the parking lot of Fairfax High School. With lightly-used designer items sharing space with generic clothes and goods, prices can wildly fluctuate, so bring your wallet.

Mulholland Drive: Runyon Canyon Trail

Why drive when you can walk? While the winding, twisting road through the Santa Monica mountains can be scenic, it's certainly tough to tell while taking Dramamine and focusing on a fixed point on the horizon. Instead, take one of Los Angeles' most popular hikes. Runyon Canyon goes from Hollywood to Mulholland and features a paved path on one side and a rockier, more difficult trail on the other. You'll still get to see what the fuss is about at the top, but without the car sickness.

Rodeo Drive: Robertson Drive

While the stores are impressive along Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, most of them are brand names that one can find in super-high end malls. Instead, take a chance on running into a star on Robertson Drive. The Beverly Hills stretch of Robertson features smaller, hipper clothing boutiques, cafes and, on many days, more paparazzi than a Hollywood nightclub.

Contributors
May 20, 2008 change by mcburton
July 20, 2009 change by robert spuhler
June 23, 2005 change by giorgio

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type:	Other
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tel:	323-223-2767
url:	www.esotouric.com
address:	PO Box 31227, LA, CA 90031
email:	tours@esotouric.com

type:	Going to the Beach
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url:	www.downtownsm.com

type:	Trekking
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url:	www.griffithobs.org

type:	Other
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tel:	(800) 959-3131
url:	www.starlinetours.com
address:	Please go to the Starline Ticket Booth at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. Located at 6925 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood.

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