Back in Downtown LA, the West Side, & Grand Central Market!

Okay so, I know you guys have seen quite a few posts from me about Los Angeles but…I have another one for you today! The cool thing about a big city is that there’s always something new to see every time you visit. Whether you’re walking around Downtown, enjoying some time by the ocean in Santa Monica, or making a trip up to Malibu, there’s an endless amount of things to do in LA. Since I’ve been spending some time up there recently, today I’m sharing with you guys where the best areas are to explore, food to experience, and things to see!

Photo courtesy of Tae Greene

Santa Monica Pier

Santa Monica is one of my favorite places to go in L.A. Probably because it reminds me so much of home with the surf, sand, and of course the water. Although parking may be a hassle on a sunny day, taking a walk along the trail next to some beautiful homes is extremely fun before you get to the pier. Once you get to the pier, there is a Bubba Gump’s restaurant (which of course is inspired by Forrest Gump) and a good place to eat if you need to grab lunch. Continue walking and you’ll find some kiosks, the arcade, and of course the amusement park. Here you can ride the ferris wheel, play some games, or ride the roller coaster (which is good for people who don’t love roller coasters, i.e. me). The Santa Monica pier makes for a great outing for you and a group of friends, or even a date night! Be sure to bundle up though, it gets chilly at night!

The Last Bookstore

Heading into Downtown L.A., you can find the Staples Center, the Broad Art Museum, the Disney Concert Hall, and of course TONS of skyscrapers. On this specific day, me and a friend from college decided to stop into the Bradbury building, which has detailed and ornate stairs winding all the way up to the top floor. Now, I haven’t seen all the Harry Potter movies (don’t @ me), but I imagine this building could be straight out of those movies. It was very cool to see and I’d recommend checking it out next time you’re in DTLA.

Down the street from the Bradbury is The Last Bookstore! You can see this shop everywhere on Instagram and to be honest, I had almost forgotten about it. I’m not as into books as I was when I was a kid, but I still think this is a great place to experience! You can buy books from this shop, or simply enjoy the maze of books around the second level. Not to mention, you can check out the amazing art/sculptures (all made out of books) that you can interact with and walk through.

Exploring & Where to Eat Downtown

I mentioned this in a post on Instagram, but one of the best ways to get to know a city is to simply walk around without a destination. I’ve done this a bit in Europe and I honestly love taking in all the architecture and culture. It’s so easy to have set plans everyday in a new city, but allowing yourself to just wander is so important. During my second trip to L.A. this week, I wandered the west side quite a bit (Westwood, Brentwood, Santa Monica etc.) and I’m feeling like I know the city even better now.

Photo courtesy of Tae Greene

As for food, I want to mention Grand Central Market in DTLA. Many major cities have a similar food market like this one. (I wish I would’ve gotten more photos but it was honestly PACKED with people and I didn’t bring my Nikon, but be sure to follow me on Instagram because I’m always posting on my story about these places). There is a wide variety of little places to eat at, whether your’e in the mood for burritos, burgers, sandwiches, or ice cream. They’ve got it all at Grand Central Market! Be careful though, it’s usually always crammed with people and seating is difficult to find. On this particular trip, my dad and I ate at La Tostadería, where we got the Guy Fieri approved Shrimp Burger (which I would highly recommend, it was absolutely delicious!)

Hope you guys enjoyed this little travel post! There are so many amazing things to do in Downtown L.A. and the West Side, not to mention the amazing places to eat like Grand Central Market. It’s one of my favorite cities and while most people don’t like it because of the traffic, I’d still recommend taking a trip through if you’re in Southern California. If you’ve been to Los Angeles, what is your favorite thing to do there?? Leave your answer below in the comments! Talk to you guys very soon! xx

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