Explore Los Angeles from home: Week one
I felt I needed to switch things up during this strange time we are living in. COVID-19 has forced the world indoors and away from others. For someone who writes about exploring a very populated city, I thought it best to rethink the blog during quarantine. Maybe it isn’t a good idea to delve into Griffith Park or feature any park or beach for that matter, now that Los Angeles public spaces are officially closed. I am sure the cabin fever is starting to set in or will soon. I know it has for me. You may wonder how you can explore Los Angeles from home.
I have decided to do a weekly round up until the end of #saferathome to help you see Los Angeles without leaving the comfort of your home. One day we will see these places again, but until then, I hope you get transported at least in your mind.
Table of Contents
Day 1
Recently I wrote about the Hollyhock House here on This Ugly Beautiful City. Although it is currently closed, you are able to access the UNESCO World Heritage site via their virtual tour. (See link below) The tour starts on the lawn on the east side of the house staring into the living room which has perfect views of the sunset. You can wind your way through the interior of the house learning interesting facts about the home, its architects, and Aline Barnsdall. What you will get from this tour, that you do not get from an in-person tour is the ability to explore the interior courtyards and upper floor bedrooms. Don’t forget to zoom in and take a closer look at the art Barnsdall collected.
Website: https://hollyhockhousevirtual.org/home
Day 2
In a little over two and a half minutes, you can explore the Sunset Strip of the 1960s.
Day 3
Angelenos, you don’t have to venture too far from your front door to discover Los Angeles’ desert plants. We are still able to go for walks in our neighborhoods as part of #saferfromhome. When you are out for your walk today, look for some of these in your neighborhood. You can get up close and personal to the plants, but stay six feet from people and wear a mask.
An Illustrated Guide to Southern California’s Desert Plants
Day 4
Support Los Angeles restaurants by getting take out. They really need your help to stay afloat during this time.
Los Angeles restaurants are expanding their delivery areas, some offering pick-up for the first time in their history, like the Apple Pan, and even offering signature drinks from their bars. During this time alcohol restrictions have been relaxed, some restaurants are serving cocktails in mason jars or pre-batched bottles of cocktails that can be delivered with food to your home.
I strongly recommend stalking the Michelin starred restaurants’ Instagram accounts to see what they are offering. My favorite so far has been the three-course from Dialogue for $35 + tax that included one of the best pork belly preparations I have ever had. We are getting dinner from one of Los Angeles’ few two-star restaurants, Vespertine, this Friday. They are doing a menu inspired by Red Medicine, Jordan Kahn’s first restaurant, and where my husband and I met.
If you aren’t in Los Angeles, you can still explore Los Angeles from home by supporting restaurants that ship nationwide like Bludso’s, for example. This is my favorite BBQ in L.A. right now.
My husband and I have been trying to support local restaurants as much as we can. You can see where and what we have eaten on our Instagram account www.instagram.com/mealswedreamabout. Sorry, my plating game isn’t as strong as those award winners.
Day 5
Journey through Los Angeles by book.
With so many libraries opening up their e-libraries, it is easier than ever before to find books you want for free. Overdrive can be accessed for free with your library card.
My recommendations are here: Los Angeles Reading List
Day 6
I was lucky enough to see this exhibit at the Getty in early March before it closed. It is sad that this exhibit is going unseen. You get to see inside the artistic process of Michelangelo, The sketching, the editing, and starting over of works that are known throughout the world. Hopefully, we will be back to normal by the time it closes on June 7th.
Website: https://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/michelangelo_drawings/
Day 7
I find myself wanting to see Los Angeles on film more over the last few days. I suffered through some pilots of television shows just because they were set in L.A. Well, set in Los Angeles featuring people going about their normal everyday lives which for some reason is important to me right now.
If you need an idea for what to watch this Sunday, I recommend watching 500 Days of Summer. There is a lot of Los Angeles in this movie. The Bradbury Building, the Theater District, Koreatown, etc. When this is over, I will share my filming location guide with you. It is definitely an architecture lovers’ dream.
If you want to find where anything is streaming, I recommend Decider. 500 Days of Summer is $3.99 rental on a lot of streaming services.
I hope I gave you some options this week for how to explore Los Angeles from home. Please stay safe and healthy. We can get through this thing together at a distance of six feet apart.
Do you have any suggestions of Los Angeles books or movies? Add them to the comments.