People speak of it as if it’s a person, or an abstract idea as opposed to a concrete mass of highways, traffic lights and hotels.
A placewhere a star can rise out of a crack in the sidewalk, a town where the next big thing is made.
I always believed the city had been overhyped, like when a friend returns from living in London and laments only the cocktails in Santorini, the beach in Nice and the price of a meal in Prague.
And yes, there’s traffic, smog, and some downtown grime, but there’s also a sparkle. A possibility you can’t grasp unless you go there. If Auckland is tap water, LA is San Pellegrino with ice.
Maybe I was hoodwinked by the beauty of the Hollywood Hills, or the way everyone seemed happy to be there, but I left believing the City of Angels was all that it’s cracked up to be.
Los Angeles city as seen from the Runyon Canyon hike. Photo / Katie Harris
In all fairness, it should have been no surprise that I loved the city.
As a yoga-doing, vintage-loving, beach bunny, vegetarian 20-something, I am what one man described as “a typical LA girl”.
And if fawning over the health foods and smoothies at Erewhon is a crime, lock me up.
Granted, the food was criminally good. On my first night in the city, we headed to Beauty & Essex in Hollywood. With its vintage decor, sour cocktails and muted lighting, the meal was pure romance — even though I was sharing it with six people I’d met only that day.
The next morning, we stopped at The Beachwood Cafe for brunch.
Fans of Harry Styles will already know it, followers of celebrity culture will have seen it in pap shots, and local influencers visit it daily. Tucked into the foot of the Hollywood Hills, the little cafe with an international reputation was already packed by the time our group arrived.
Before you ask, yes, we spotted two celebrities there — Anna Kendrick and Kiwi acting legend Cliff Curtis. But it wasn’t the kind of place you’d dare ask for a selfie.
Despite its high-profile clientele, the cafe was modest and homely. Not dissimilar to what you’d find near the Port Hills in Christchurch.
Although I made the mistake of ordering a juice so potent I could barely drink a sip — it was called Fireball so the nod to its alcoholic counterpart should have been a hint — my avocado on toast and coffee was lovely.
Again on the brunch front, it wouldn’t be a trip to LA without trying out Hailey Bieber’s Erewhon smoothie. Coming in near NZ$30, I had high expectations.
In my opinion, the beverage didn’t live up to the hype. Yes, it had avocado, strawberries and extra collagen, but it was overpowering and made me feel bloated afterwards.
And was my skin glowing afterwards? I don’t think so.
The famed Haley Bieber Erewhon smoothie in Los Angeles. Photo / Katie Harris
During my visit we also took an e-bike tour with Bikes and Hikes LA Tours around Hollywood and Melrose. Bike tours sound like the type of holiday activity my mum and dad would suggest. Something I’d begrudgingly do, but as a favour so that I get to pick the next thing.
Turns out I’m a fool, and riding among the homes of old Hollywood and those of celebrities past really was my favourite LA experience.
I know there are other ways to tour the city, like on a double-decker bus or on a Segway, but seeing the city from a cycle felt pretty special.
Another LA essential is the Runyon Canyon hike. At the crack of dawn, on my last day in the city, I did it. With smog still burning off, the sky was alight in deep-orange hues as I walked from the Lowes hotel to the walk.
The views stretching to the sea at the top made the groggy wake-up worth it.
The famous Hollywood sign turns 100 this year. Photo / Katie Harris
Checking out the Hollywood sign is equally impressive.
Built initially to advertise a property development, the sign is now synonymous with the city and is celebrating its 100th birthday this year.
Downtown was how I imagined US cities to be. Historic buildings, taco stalls and food halls thronging for the midday rush.
Whatever your culinary desires, you’ll find it in downtown LA.
Those with a tooth as sweet as mine will adore Donut Friend — a plant-based doughnut shop opened 10 years ago by music industry veteran Mark Trombino, the engineer and producer behind many multi-platinum records including breakout album Dude Ranch by Blink-182.
A Donut Friend vegan doughnut. Photo / Katie Harris
Also in the area is the city’s oldest and largest public market, Grand Central Market.
Sarita’s Pupuseria, made famous in the La La Land flick, sits inside the market and offers handmade pupusas (a type of flatbread) and other Salvadoran fare.
Heading back to Hollywood and embracing tourist mode, checking out the Walk of Fame is a must.
Yes it’s cliche, but if you don’t take a stroll down the boulevard figuring out which celebrities you’ve heard of, have you really been to Los Angeles?
Must-see stars in Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles. Photo / Supplied
If you’re keen on the full Hollywood experience, you’ll also need a film studio tour. I checked out the Warner Bros studio, home of Friends and Two and a Half Men, and I snagged a backstage pass to see how the shows were made.
Our guide took us through film studios, explaining how scenes were created and drove us through outdoor sets on the lot.
He detailed the gig economy workers faced, the feast-or-famine way they had to adapt to get ahead in the city, and how working contract jobs in the industry means many take work wherever they can get, be it lighting stages or writing, regardless of their skill set.
Visiting the studio during the actors strike, and in the aftermath of Friends star Matthew Perry’s death, meant it was quiet, but the line to access the famous Friends cafe — Central Perk — still took a good 20 minutes.
Having only four days in a city like LA was tough, but with so many eateries, attractions and hikes yet to explore, it’s fair to say I’ll be back.
