2024 the best restaurants in los angeles review


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(as of Dec 02, 2024 10:45:09 UTC - Details)

The definitive guide for tourists and locals alike, this comprehensive guidebook draws on a lifetime of local experience for 1001 great things to do in Los Angeles.

Probably more than any other major cultural metropolis, Los Angeles is a city for those in the know. A guide like no other, this is the first book to go beyond locations and events to tap into the variety of things only a local could know. The Best Things to Do in Los Angeles explores every aspect of Los Angeles life. Find the best spots to view the Hollywood sign or exactly where to catch postgame fireworks at Dodger Stadium. Track down the most authentic eateries in ethnic enclaves, and engage in L.A.’s legendary food wars, from hamburgers to French dips. Follow the most beautiful routes up and down the Pacific coast, take your own unique architectural tour of the Hollywood Hills, or find out where the city’s best bookstores are and read up on it all instead.
 
Organized by theme – from destinations to views and sights, food and drink, and of course the Hollywood trail of superstar haunts and famous locations – and with contributions from celebrated Angelenos including, Gary Baseman, Flea, Ludo Lefebvre, Sasha Spielberg, and more, this is simply the most helpful and fun guidebook there is to the City of Angels.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Universe (June 25, 2013)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0789322579
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0789322579
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.15 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.1 x 1.1 x 8.1 inches
Reviewer: Smocules
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: An original guidebook for ALL of L.A.
Review: Reading this book is like eavesdropping in on a conversation between people who knows all the secrets and ins-and-outs of the city -- plus it's a bit addictive (easy to read and not too much time spent on one topic, you'll find yourself flipping from page to page, like on a high speed tour through L.A.). What I most like about this book is that it shows there is more to Los Angeles than just west of downtown. For that reason much of the information contained within it is very original, not published anywhere else, or hard to find online, whereas most other travel books on Los Angeles seem like they gathered their information from . . . well, other travel books or popular travel websites. 1001 in L.A. makes you realize that no matter where you are in Los Angeles (north, south, east, or west), there is someplace interesting close by that you probably had no idea existed, and is worth exploring.

Reviewer: LLJ06
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Get the lowdown on Los Angeles
Review: As a traveller who loves to see and experience places like a true local, it is difficult to find a book that doesn't simply regurgitate places and activities you've seen in every persons photo album. This book gives you the lowdown on what people from Los Angeles LOVE about Los Angeles. It is not only informative, with way too many things to do and see, but is well written with a level of wit and humour that is thoroughly entertaining. Joy Yoon is definitely besties with Los Angeles, and with this guide you too will fall in love with this amazing city.

Reviewer: Sandy R
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Nice mix of classic places to go along with some new ones.
Review: Wanted to get this for some out of town visitors, but decided to look through it myself, just in case. Yes, there's a lot of attractions listed that born and raised in LA people will already know by heart, but there's enough new listings to make it worthwhile too.

Reviewer: Cindy L Notar
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: LA made easy
Review: This was a gift to a coworker who travels to LA for vacations. He found it very helpful and informational. My husband and I lived in Thousand Oaks for 12 years and now we want to go visit again to see all that we missed out on! It's just nice to get local info and suggestions on where to eat and go for entertainment. This book is packed full of great ideas. Experience LA!

Reviewer: Lover of Travel & Books (and some other stuff sometimes haha)
Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Overall good (ish): And here are lots of good/bad/neutral details! 🙂
Review: [Edited to add: originally, I gave this book 4 stars, as it was the first LA travel book I bought. But now, after getting a couple of different ones (*highly* recommend the 500 Hidden Secrets of Los Angeles), it’s really become clearer to me how much this book is lacking both in its organization and in its content. For instance, it lists Benihana (a chain restaurant) as a thing to do, and a number of other not-really-LA-specific things, and it totally misses out on a bunch of LA things! For instance, it doesn’t say to go to the Staples Center (for a concert or a Lakers, Clippers, or Kings game). It doesn’t tell you to see the Sparks (our WNBA team). Also, LA is *such* a hub for stand-up comedy and improv, but it doesn’t mention The Groundlings (the famous theater Will Ferrell, Kristen Wig, Maya Rudolph, Melissa McCarthy, etc. came from). It doesn’t mention the Comedy Store or The Laugh Factory. But it sure does mention a bunch of places to go bowling and play golf....I still do use it. And it can be an okay jumping off point, but you have to put in a *lot* of work yourself to better organize things and ideas from the book, and add a *bunch* of things it’s sorely lacking. So, I moved my rating to a 3, because it’s just average - not awful, not great. Could be helpful, but there are absolutely better books (and better lists online as well).]Original review below:This is a pretty fun book. I only got it a couple of weeks ago, and already it's well worn.*Overall*:This is a long review, so I'll put this short bit here. If you're going to be spending some time in Los Angeles, and you want to explore, this is a book that very well might prove pretty helpful.*Some good*:- It has a Calendar of Events in the back, so you can look at the month you're in and quickly see festivals & events that are season specific- It also has an index in the back. So, if you happen to already know the place to which you'd like to go, you can easily see what page it's on to read more about it.- There are lots of ideas in here! Some unique and more local-feeling, some super tourist-y things, and some in between. I appreciate that it runs the gamut.*Some neutral*:- The eating chapter goes from #406 - #599. It feels like sort of a lot of time is spent on food. (Plus, there's another section on food trucks in the "on the street" chapter. And there's food mentioned in other chapters as well.) For me, I'd rather hear about more experience-based ideas than that many food ideas. But some people love food. So, to each her own.- I like the way the book's laid out. It is nice that if you're in the mood for something outdoors, or if you're in the mood for some kind of art, you can flip to those chapters. However, as other reviewers have mentioned, it would be easier in some circumstances if things were listed by neighborhood/area. It'd be easier to plan an entire day quickly (or to try on of the restaurants on a whim after you've done some other experience) without having to rifle through the book to see what else is in your area.(However, as I mentioned, the way it's laid out is nice, and that's the valid choice the author made. So, I don't think it's bad or good necessarily. It's just different... It might be nice if there were a digital version that could be sorted in different ways. But I also love the feeling of holding the guidebook. So, I dunno... Moving on.)*Some not so great*:- If you decide you'd like to fully explore one area the book mentions, you might have to do a little hunting around in various pages of the book to get all the information on the area to which you're going. For instance, Griffith Park is not mentioned in only one spot. There are different ideas for things to do within Griffith Park in at least 3 chapters - "The Classics," "The Great Outdoors," and "City of Cars." I think it might be easier if you could see everything the book suggests for one place all in the same area of the book.- You will almost certainly not do everything in the book (in case that's your goal). There are ideas for people with pets. There are ideas for people with children. There are ideas that assume you have no dietary restrictions (such as vegetarianism or veganism). There are ideas that are time consuming (classes that would take you weeks or longer), and ideas that are quite expensive (such as a private tour of LA).And I do believe that's lovely, as it gives tons of options since there is no one-type of person in LA. But still, I just wanted to put that out there that there are some specific things that will not really be for everyone.And even *if* you happen to be a parent/pet owner/meat & dairy lover who never has to worry about money and has tons of time on her hands, there is an entry about an underground tunnel system that is no longer accessible to the public. (It's not that that's changed since the book's printing. The book itself lists at the end of the paragraph that the tunnel system is no longer open to the public.) But, it is open to government employees. So, if you happen to be one of those as well, well then perhaps you could do everything in the book after all.(Side note: Even if you *can* do everything in the book, you might not want to. For instance, there's a section that lists 8 different options for bowling. Unless you really love bowling, how many times do you want to do it? And how different could each bowling alley possibly be? However, I also could see how someone who loves bowling could absolutely love going to different bowling places, and could revel in the tiny differences (same with golf and other things mentioned in the book). Again, to each her own.)- There are almost certainly not actually 1,001 things in here. (Granted, 1,001 is a lot. So you may not really need all that many.) For one thing, there are some redundancies. For instance, #52 suggests going to a game at Dodger Stadium. #161 suggests sitting in the highest tier of Dodger Stadium. I think it might've been nicer to have that top tier idea be an idea within the paragraph of #52 - not it's own number later in the book. (Also, along these same lines, there are things that could be argued are actually the same thing, even though they're listed as many. Example - there are 12 numbered things to do in Disneyland. To me, Disneyland is kind of one thing that you could expand on, possibly with bullet-points. But that's an opinion thing.)- In the book's defense, there are then sections where multiple ideas are mentioned under the same number. (For instance, there's a place to compare the best different kinds of food. Example: There's Father's Office vs Umami for hamburgers under one number - so, technically two restaurants under one place. And the book does that for many other types of food as well. So, maybe there really are 1,001 things when some sections double up.*How I use the book*:- Whenever a friend wants to do something, or especially when someone comes into town and we don't know what to do, one of the first things we do is look at the book. It's proven to be very helpful, and pretty cool.- Every time I do something in the book, I write in the margins a quick synopsis of when I did it and/or who was with me. (After all, there isn't tons of room in margins of a book, but it's nice to have a jumping off point to remember the day. :-))- I also write down little bonuses when I do something that's not mentioned in the book. For example, I don't see The Mark Taper Forum listed anywhere (even though similar-ish art/theatre spaces such as The Ahmanson and Disney Concert Hall are listed, so I understand not listing every one). Still, I enjoyed adding the theatre to the list. If there's one thing I'd recommend writing in the book (if you're adding stuff to yours), see a show at Deaf West Theatre. It is so cool and so powerful!Anyway, I know this review was long, but I hope it was helpful to at least someone out there. Overall, the book can be quite helpful. Nothing's perfect. And no book's going to fit every person perfectly. But this book seems like it'd be a great jumping off point for a majority of people. Enjoy LA! Hopefully the book can help you do that!

Reviewer: Amazon Customer
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A great mix of traditional and off-the-beaten-path things to do in LA!
Review: While some of the items in this book are incredibly obvious if you live in Los Angeles, there are some great hidden gems in here as well! As someone who has lived in LA for years and am constantly having people come visit, it's nice to have options of new and fun things to do with them so you aren't visiting the Hollywood sign and Venice Beach every time you have someone in town.

Reviewer: bpl718
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Best city guide
Review: Although I tend to explore cities finding my own discoveries or go to places recommended by trusted friends, this book has the insight from a local's perspective. The range of destinations is extensive from the old LA must-sees to the hidden gems that we all look for on a trip. Not your typical tourist guide but really geared for travelers. A must buy for anyone who wants to see the real LA. Look forward to going back after reading this book.Best Things to Do in Los Angeles: 1001 Ideas

Reviewer: Book Lady
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Cool for natives
Review: I've lived in Los Angeles and/or Orange County for thirty years, on and off, and while there are a lot of old favorites from various stages of my life included in this "insider's guide," I've also found some cool surprises. Personally I think this book is best for residents, since it requires a knowledge of LA's geographic layout to get the best use out of it. It's organized very loosely by topics (such as "On the Street," or "Bargains and Splurges"), and if you don't know where Alhambra or Venice is, you could find yourself spending all your time driving around in circles. But if you're willing to both read and use it somewhat serendipitously, dipping into it a little at a time and socking away ideas for the next time you happen to be in Glendale or Hollywood, you'll find some terrific ideas of things to do that are truly classic Los Angeles experiences.

Reviewer: Rita
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Consegna veloce, libro-guida molto utile, unica pecca la mancanza di immagini, ma fa nulla, poiché i tantissimi e diversi luoghi descritti bisogna vederli di persona :') una volta preso non resta che seguirne i consigli e mettersi all'opera! Los Angeles non vedo l'ora di apprezzarti in ogni tuo recondo sito!

Reviewer: Mrs. Draper
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Für unsere Amerikareise habe ich nach einem englisch sprachigen Reiseführer gesucht, der einen nicht nur an die typischen Touri-Orte schickt. Was ich bekomen habe: Ein abwechslungsreiches Buch mit mehr als nur der typischen Touristenattraktionen. Das Buch liest sich recht leicht und ist in verschiedene Bereiche unterteilt (z.B. mit dem Auto (Autostrecken), in der Umgebung, Märkte...) . Im Gegensatz zu anderen Reiseführern sind hier auch kleine Ideen aufgeführt, die zum Teil sehr ausgefallen sind (z.B. Autokino in San Diego). Selbstverständlich sind auch die klassichen Dinge vertreten, aber auch diese sind kurz und schmackhaft erklärt. Wer nicht nur typische Touri-Attraktionen sehen will und einfach auch ein bisschen das Flair von Kalifornien kennenlernen will, ist mit diesem Reiseführer bestens beraten. Allerdings sollte man die ganze Zeit eine Karte neben sich liegen haben, um gleich zu sehen, wo die beschriebenen Orte zu finden sind.

Customers say

Customers find the book full of useful information on what to see and do in Los Angeles. They also appreciate the great ideas and mix of traditional and off-the-beaten-path things to do. Readers describe the organization as well-organized and easy to navigate.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

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