Advice by country

With hundreds of professional plays staged each year, there is something for everyone in Los Angeles. Downtown’s Music Center is home to two of the city’s leading theaters – Mark Taper Forum and Ahmanson Theatre. Ahmanson and Pantages are leading destinations for touring Broadway musicals, while the Mark Taper Forum is known for its cutting-edge dramas. Also in Hollywood,

Residents of LA buy more books than in any other city in the country. Some of the most popular independent bookshops are Book Soup, Skylight Books, and Dutton’s.

Trends change rapidly in LA’s dynamic club scene, so check local listings to stay up-to-date. Also, be prepared to show ID, since the 21-and-over drinking law is strictly enforced. For the best clubbing action in LA, head to Hollywood.

Rock, Jazz, And Blues In Los Angeles

Still rocking the world, Sunset Strip boasts the venerable Whisky A Go-Go.
A rock’n’roll legend since the time it hosted performances by The Doors, it carries on the tradition by featuring gigs by many established artists.

Pier J, 1126 Queens Hwy
Tel (562) 435-3511
Timing: 10am– 4:30pm Mon–Thu
WEB: www.queenmary.com

Naples

In 1903, developer Arthur Parson began creating his own version of the city of Naples in Italy, complete with winding streets and waterways spanned by small bridges (even though the real Naples does not have canals and gondolas).

Taking heed of the mistakes made by Abbot Kinney in Venice, Arthur Parson designed his canals so that the Pacific Ocean’s tidal flows would keep them clean.

A large university with a first-rate reputation, UCLA has a wide range of academic departments and professional schools, including the respected UCLA Hospital. Sited on 419 acres (170 ha), with more than 35,000 students, it is a city within a city. The original campus was designed in 1925 to resemble the Romanesque towns of southern Europe.

Royce Quadrangle

Dickson Plaza
Tel (310) 825-2101, daily

The four buildings that make up the Royce Quadrangle are the oldest on UCLA’s campus in Westwood. Built of red brick in the Italian Romanesque style, Royce, Kinsey, and Haines halls, and Powell Library far surpass the other buildings at UCLA in beauty.

Vintage clothes in LA can be anything from hardly worn designer styles, clothes from decades past, or yesterday’s cast-offs. Sifting through the racks takes time at charity-run thrift stores such as Out of the Closet and Goodwill. You may well find treasures among the donated goods, but it’s all hit and miss. Hipsters and teens favor shops trading in funky recycled fashions.

Whatever money can buy can be found in Los Angeles, from Cartier necklaces to organic farm produce. LA’s temperate climate also allows for many pleasant outdoor alternatives to the ubiquitous malls. Melrose Avenue and Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade are both vibrant areas. Upscale Rodeo Drive and Golden Triangle are famous for high couture houses and jewelers.