Things to do in Los Angeles

Landmark · Griffith Park

A 1935 art deco observatory on the south slope of Mount Hollywood, free to enter, with the city laid out below it.

Local tip: Parking is the whole problem — take the DASH bus from the Metro station, or hike up from Fern Dell. Go on a weekday evening; the free public telescope viewing runs after dark.

Food · Downtown

A public market operating since 1917, now the densest and most democratic food hall in the city.

Local tip: Sarita's for pupusas and Villa Moreliana for carnitas are the old guard worth queuing for. Walk out the back and take the Angels Flight funicular up to Bunker Hill.

Culture · Brentwood and Pacific Palisades

Richard Meier's travertine hilltop museum with gardens and a tram, plus a Roman villa replica on the coast.

Local tip: Admission is free at both; you pay only for parking, and it's cheaper after 3pm. The Villa requires a timed ticket booked in advance even though entry is free.

Neighborhood · East of the river

The heart of Mexican-American Los Angeles — mariachis at Mariachi Plaza, and the best food in the county.

Local tip: Take the E Line to Mariachi Plaza on a Sunday evening when musicians gather for hire. Al & Bea's for bean and cheese burritos; it has been there since 1966.

Nature · North-west coast

Beaches under the mountains, with trails running from the sea up into chaparral canyons.

Local tip: All California beaches are public to the mean high tide line regardless of what the gates suggest — Escondido and El Matador have marked public access. Check fire closures before hiking the canyons.

Landmark · Downtown

An 1893 office building whose plain brick exterior hides a sunlit five-storey atrium of wrought iron, marble and open-cage lifts.

Local tip: Free to enter the lobby and the first landing during business hours, and almost nobody who isn't a film student knows it's there. It is the interior from Blade Runner, and it looks better in person.