Viva Las – oooops, scratch that – Los Angeles!!!

I know most of you have connected the above phrase with Las Vegas, but I decided it’s high time that we turned our attention also to Los Angeles and its hidden gems. From the moment you land there, you really feel you are in a truly cosmopolitan city, which at the same time features lots of green areas, beaches and recreational activities. It’s difficult to comment on every aspect of this city, but I will try to draw a general image of what it has to offer and basically appealed to me.

On the one hand you can find the rich and glorious neighbourhoods, that accommodate all our favourite actors and TV stars, like Beverly Hills and Bel Air. Of course it is not necessary to be one of those to appreciate these areas, as everybody can walk around these neighbourhoods and just admire what is way over his/her budget for sure and dream that maybe one day he/she can afford something similar (dream a little dream). But even so the architecture of the houses, the parks and the shops are worth a visit.

On the other hand there are also famous beaches in the vicinity of the city, just a short bus ride away. To start with there is the Santa Monica Beach, where one can swim, surf or if afraid of the ocean (like me) can just walk by the beach and reach the Venice Beach on foot. Along the way there are lots of small shops to browse and just enjoy the walk. The most famous beach of course is without saying Malibu, home to many TV stars as well, and has become more famous due to the series Two and a Half Men. This beach offers a nice beach to swim but mostly surf. Lastly I want to mention the also well known “Long Beach”, which despite being a rather long bus ride away, is worth the travel. The view of the area is magnificent especially during sunset and this area also offers a wide range of restaurants and coffee shops to just relax and enjoy the view. All these beaches are a great way to escape the hectic rhythms of the city, but I would advise to avoid going there on a Sunday since it can get quite crowded.

Of course how can I omit the most famous landmark of Los Angeles, Hollywood?! Walk on the famous “Walk of Fame” and discover the star of your favourite actor on the pavement and just walk around the area to enter the magical world of movies. To conclude the visit, one should definitely visit the Griffith Observatory, from which the view of the entire city is breathtaking. It is actually possible to see from there how many different areas comprise this glorious and huge city.

Obviously Los Angeles has a vast offer of shops all around the city. My favourite places would have to be the Grove Mall, with a wide range of shops and restaurants and also close by the farmer’s market with food from all over the world. It is worth paying a visit to those places!

My suggestion overall is to visit Los Angeles as it combines perfectly the life of a big city with many recreational possibilities to forget the humdrum of modern life... Also the temperature there is more or less the same throughout the year, so all can find some time and a cheap bargain to visit it. What are you waiting for? Start searching...