The West side of LA

Interior of 50's Cafe
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I now live in the west side of LA near UCLA. It's a great place to hang out in LA because it's the perfect combination of big city and artsy enclave. The West side has a bevy of great bars and restaurants, as well as some great shopping and cultural activities. The main west side cities include: Westwood, Culver City, Century City, and Santa Monica. Go to Santa Monica for the beach, Century City for great shopping and movies (as well as trendy Craft restaurant, right next to one of the biggest actor agencies in LA), and Westwood for the university coffee shop/boutique feel. Culver City has some great theatre and is an up and coming neighborhood in LA...so keep your eye on it. The best theatres there are The Actors' Gang (www.theactorsgang.com) and the Kirk Douglas Theatre (www.ctg.org).

Gas station wall art on La Brea Ave.
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Westwood is by far the most popular area on the West side (Santa Monica is roped in with the other beach cities and so is an entirely different blog in and of itself). Westwood is the place to see young, beautiful people from all over the world, see an indie movie flick, or eat some delicious cuisine. My favorite indie movie theater is Nuart Theater on Santa Monica Blvd. They play one new indie movie a week and the tickets are reasonably priced ($10). My favorite place to smoke a hookah and eat Mediterranean Cuisine is the Gypsy Cafe in the heart of Westwood. Grab a burger and milk shake at famous In N Out, a California staple and CHEAP. If you want a real 50's diner experience, go to my favorite restaurant, Cafe 50's (on Santa Monica Blvd.). Vintage memorabilia and great food make this one of the most unique restaurants in all of America.

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For shopping, check out some of the great vintage boutiques on Santa Monica Blvd. or go to Buffalo Exchange in Westwood. This is an affordable second-hand store with the cutest clothes imaginable! If you want a more upscale experience, go to the Century City plaza, which has all the big designer stores and shopping chains, as well as some good food and a great movie theatre complex.

If you like Japanese cusine, this is th eplace to go in LA. there are a lot of Japanese expats in the area, so you will find sushi and tempura for any budget. In Westwood, everyone raves about the chichi Yamoto restaurant, but it's pricy! There is also a good selection of Korean food, if you are craving some kimchi!

More later...this particular entry is going to be pretty long, so check back and see what I've added as I discover more great places in my neighborhood!