WORTH THE HYPE? Venice Beach

Gist: Ahhhh: the beach—one of the most alluring qualities about Los Angeles. There are several beaches to chose from, all of which are very different. There’s the carnivalesque Santa Monica beach, the zooming Marina Del Rey, the laid back appeal of Hermosa and Manhattan, and—the most popular—Venice Beach. Venice Beach is known for the sites it has to offer, the board walk-ey atmosphere, muscle clad iron men, and it’s history of being an arts mecca in mid twentieth century. Venice is full of a lot of characters and a lot of attractions—its definitely a site to see.

Pros: Well, it’s a beach! That’s always exciting! You can get a Thai massage for $10! You can get your palm read for $5! You can take a dip in the Pacific for free! You can score some marijuana and smoke with your friends! Want to work out? Go to their beachside Gold’s Gym! There are plenty of places to eat, hang out, and congregate: Venice has the best of everything!

Cons: But, the “best of everything” attracts the worst of everyone. The area is riddled with tourists, thus making a trip there for a local unbearable. Homeless persons and strung-out twenty somethings march up and down the walk, conversing with colorful street vendors and booth owners. The feel is that of a sunnier, prettier, and more alive Wildwood, NJ boardwalk—but inhabited by crazies. Things in the area can be cheap; however, you get what you paid for. Keep that in mind.

Verdict: NOT WORTH IT. This may be a bit of anti-popularity on the writers behalf, but we feel it would be best to travel a little further south and hang out in Hermosa/Manhattan. They are so much prettier and a lot more fun (as they don’t have the crowds). Venice may be more convenient to get to. Just remember: with convenience come costs. Do you want to pay that price? No. You don’t. You’re better than that. And, we warned you.

WORTH THE HYPE? The Hollywood Bowl

The Gist: Tucked between the hills of the Cahuenga Pass is one of the grandest amphitheatres in the West: the Hollywood Bowl. A concert and performance venue, this space is absolutely key to every Los Angelenos summers. They host a range of different shows, from musical reviews to full-fledged rock concerts.

Pros: $7 tickets? WHAAAAAT??? The great prices you can score on tickets are an absolute steal. Regardless of where you are in the Bowl, you can bring your own goodies (food, drinks, booze) and party down. The atmosphere is very friendly and open: it’s like you’ve been at a four-day music festival—without the sleeping in tents and not showering. The Bowl is very secure and an interesting piece of Los Angeles architecture and—regardless of where you sit—has fantastic sound. Thanks, ancient Greece!

Cons: $7 tickets that are so far from the stage you need a telescope? WHAAAAAT?? These steal of tickets are usually met with discomfort and disappointment. Parking is somewhat of a nightmare because, regardless of how you stack it, you’re in a bad situation: if you pay the money to park close, you’re met with the exodus congestion; if you park far, you have to walk quite a distance and get the runoff of the exodus traffic; and, if you park in one of their lots, you ride a bus, get your car, and run into to exodus traffic. The large amount of people in the Bowl can be a bit overwhelming, too. And, naturally, everything for purchase there is incredibly over priced ($21 for some stank ass Sangria in a plastic cup: come. the. shit. on.)

Verdict: TIE. The prices and acts the Bowl puts up are irrefutable: they’re stellar, they are fun, and they make an LA summer a true summer. It’s a headache to get to and leave from and usually ends with you spending more than you’d like, but it’s worth a go once or twice. If you live nearby or within walking distance: you’re in primetime. Buy a season pass and abuse the hell out of it!

WORTH THE HYPE? American Apparel Factory Store

The Gist: American Apparel is a Los Angeles institution. It originated in LA, it rules a few LA fashion scenes, and it definitely is as omnipotent as Starbucks is in Seattle. Because American Apparel is based in Los Angeles, we are blessed to have the company’s factory downtown in the garment district, which has the attached American Apparel Factory Store, a haven for those cheaply made clothes you love discounted to about 30% cheaper than retail price!

Pros: The store is fairly large and everything is discounted. You can rummage through some $5 bins, if you like, which usually contains some experiments gone wrong (sometimes right). The Factory Store also has many items that have not hit stores for dirt, dirt-cheap. If you scope certain price tags, you can find items that have highlighter marks, which denote an extra discount. The store also has a generous sized California Select vintage section. Definitely worth a peek.

Cons: It’s downtown and a hassle to get to. Things really aren’t that much cheaper and there are no returns. You are also quite likely to spend more than you intended to spend when coming because everything is so. damn. cheap. The company has also taken a turn for the ridiculous, which makes finding the clothes you actually want (or need) hard. We also advise that you try everything on: the sizings are all fucked up in this store.

Verdict: WORTH IT. Admit it: you like American Apparel, but not the price. This cuts out all guilt. You can also put together 2 - 5 days worth of outfits with clothes from this store by only spending $120! That’s pretty great. It’s also a good place to go if you want to rub in your Williamsburg friends that LA is still more awesome than New York. Take that, Brookyln!

WORTH THEY HYPE? Amoeba Records

The Gist: Amoeba Records is the Criminal Records or Hyde Park Records or Virgin Megastore (RIP) of Los Angeles. It his humungous, has tons of music and DVDs, and puts on nightly concerts. It is truly a spiritual place: music and movie buffs spend hours there scouring through CDs and DVDs and records and books hunting for music relics. The prices aren’t ridiculous and it is close to a lot of cool attractions (Hollywood and Vine, Arclight, that new Urban Outfitters, and some bars). If you are visiting Los Angeles, it is worth a peek in just to get a sense of the environment. You won’t regret it.

Pros: IT’S HUGE!!! Everything is laid out neatly and is well organized. They have a great system going and 123487459726876182734 employees there to help you—and none of them are antagonizing. You never will have a problem checking out, since there are tons of people working the checkout counter. They also validate your parking, if you park in the Arclight complex. Their discount bins usually hold GREAT finds. They also get some stellar acts to come and play their free concerts (Pop Levi, Abe Vigoda, Mandy Moore, Jill Sobule, Yo Gabba Gabba!, etc.).

Cons: IT’S HUGE!!! This is bad because even after the hundredth time you visit Amoeba, you will not have conquered the store. You also will spend more than you anticipated because your mind will only be thinking “MAN THESE ARE GREAT DEALS!!!!” Parking also sucks; however, just park at the Arclight complex: Amoeba validates your tickets. It’s not worth the hassle of trying to park in Amoeba’s lot. Impossible. Also, if you aren’t into record, CD, or DVD culture, you may be annoyed by the people who hove over one area for long periods of time searching: they’re busy scouring for their relics. Don’t bother them. Just kindly move around them and revisit that area later.

Verdict: WORTH IT. This article was flawed from the start. There is nothing bad about Amoeba. It’s perfect. It is the reason to live in—or just visit—Los Angeles.

WORTH THE HYPE? Runyon Canyon

The Gist: Runyon Canyon is a series of nice hiking trails and paths that go through the Hollywood Hills. They do not run near the Hollywood sign, but are directly above Hollywood Blvd. This is a very popular spot to hike for younger Los Angelenos and those who want to go hiking with a group. It’s definitely a very social scene, where you can experience Los Angeles’ outdoor beauty whilst being in the middle of it all.

Pros: You are in the middle of Hollywood—literally. You get to the top and are looking down La Brea. It’s a pretty captivating view. There are frequently celebrities who hike this canyon. Also, many people with adorable dogs. When you are done hiking, you can also easily walk down to Cantaloop or Pinkberry to get a refresher. (And, for all ya'll in the gay community, this is the canyon of choice. Holllllla!!)

Cons: It’s right in the middle of Hollywood: there is no fucking parking. It is hard to find and usually mobbed. You don’t really feel like you’ve “escaped” the city, since it is so close. The hike is okay and it can be super saturated by locals who all know that this is the hot, cool canyon.

Verdict: NOT WORTH IT. Go to Bronson Canyon or Ferndell: they are nearby and have a little more of true outdoor feel to them. There are always less people, more parking, and better views. They’re also closer to the Hollywood sign and have countless different paths to take. Also, check out Trails when at Ferndell.

WORTH THE HYPE? The Arclight Hollywood

The Gist: Word on the street in Los Angeles is that Arclight is “the movie buff’s type of theatre.” They goal at Arclight is to provide the best possible movie watching experience possible, without providing any sexual favors. They serve booze, they have a gift shop, they have events—they even have real ushers who will seat you, should you not be able to read your ticket and find your own reserved seat. There are only two Arclight locations at the moment and there doesn't seem to be any plans for any others at the moment. Arclight strives to steal away yuppie viewers from Laemmle's or Landmark and seems to be very successful at the job. Next time you want to go see a movie with all the hassle of seeing a movie at any old theatre, but crave a 20% increase in luxurious atmosphere, check out Arclight Hollywood!

Pros: Okay, it’s pretty much all pros. We tried to stay even keeled in the Gist, everything about this place is great. You can reserve a seat ahead, you can grab a cocktail or meal (not snack) at their in house restaurant and bar, there is always memorabilia used in the films they are showcasing on display, and you always get that extra personal touch through the ushers, who give a brief intro to the movie as well as do anything to help make your movie watching experience even better. Plus, does the word Cinerama mean anything to you?

Cons: Well, of course, people are first going to whine about the price: “$12—that’s so absurd! Who wants to pay that much for a movie!” Considering that’s how much it costs to see a movie anywhere you go, $12 isn’t that that bad. The biggest con, though, is the reserved seating. Seems like a great idea, but when you want to see a movie alone, you cannot just pick a seat by yourself, alone in a corner. No: Arclight’s computers make it mandatory for you to sit next to someone, as to provide the best viewing experience (while setting you up for a reminder that no one wanted to go see Moon with you last Saturday afternoon). The place is always frequently packed and has turned into quite a scene. Saturdays and Sundays are like hot lava.

Verdict: WORTH IT. There isn’t any reason why you should be seeing movies anywhere else in Los Angeles. This is where God himself would see a movie.