In the early 1900s, a real estate man from Nebraska named Harry Culver set on a mission to lure movie studios to the middle of nowhere. Seeing it now, it is hard to believe that Culver City was once a land of vast barley fields and flowing creeks. It was the perfect setting for The Wizard of Oz, filmed at Culver Studios just a few years after the city was incorporated. MGM, Pathe, and other studios once called this place home.
Now, we see a recommitment to turning this city into the Heart of Screenland with Amazon Studios, Apple+, and Sony Pictures. (Yes, this was an epicenter of the recent strikes.)
BTW, Culver City is its own city and not a neighborhood in Los Angeles. It has its own police and fire force, mayor, and, unfortunately, red light cameras.
Table of Contents
Culver City is for foodies
What tourists don’t know is that this is also a foodie town. There are several Michelin stars, and Bib Gourmand-appointed restaurants here. My most popular post goes into this further: read Where to Eat in Downtown Culver City. It is also a city of coffee lovers.
Why tourists go to Culver City
Tourists tend to visit Culver City for the Sony Pictures Tour and then leave. This would be a bit of a letdown. I hope the Culver City posts and recommendations change your mind and turn your trip to this city into a whole day of exploring.
[Photo: Madison Gate of Sony from the One Culver Center, @thisuglybeautifulcity]
Why locals go to Culver City
- It is the best place for patio drinking and dining
- This is where all the Targets are.
- To get their exercise–Culver City is home to the Park to Playa Trail encompassing Kenneth Hahn Park, The Stone View Nature Center, and the Baldwin Hills Overlook.
- They live here.
- They work here. This is the site of Hollywood 2.0, with several of the streaming giants calling Culver City home. This is also a great place to work from elsewhere, as there is a high concentration of coffee shops.
[Photo: Platform Park, @thisuglybeautifulcity]
I talk about food all the time in my newsletter. Every month, I feature the top things I ate over the past month. Subscribe.
Top 5 things to do in Culver City
One: Tour Sony Pictures Studios
Two: Visit the Museum of Jurassic Technology [click here to read a post about it]
Three: Eat! Find food from all over the world within walking distance of each other. [Read this post and check out the BIPOC businesses to support below]
Four: Climb the Steps to the Baldwin Hills Overlook.
Hang out by the Expo Line–Events, food, art, and more at Ivy Station, The Platform, and Helms Bakery.
My Culver City Favorites
My favorite place to get coffee: Cognoscenti Coffee
My favorite restaurant: Roberta’s—also on my Los Angeles Pizza Crawl.
My favorite place to get a cocktail: Picallili
Where you will find me: Stanley’s Wet Goods with friends
Want to stay in Culver City?
Culver City is the perfect neighborhood if you want to be in the center of the action without the crowds. There are several boutique, historic, and brand-name hotels for every budget.
This is a great city for foodies and book lovers as well.
Let’s plan your stay in Culver City.
My self-guided itineraries that take place in Culver City
These itineraries include Culver City.
Los Angeles Tourist Bingo
A spin on the classic bingo travel game, Los Angeles Tourist Bingo is a fun way to gamify your next trip to Los Angeles. Follow a path down, across, or diagonally to create a day-long itinerary, a weekend getaway, or fill the entire card for a week of things to do. There are twelve possible itineraries where you can visit Los Angeles tourist attractions like the Walk of Fame, Santa Monica Pier, and the Griffith Observatory. Visit celebrity chefs and social media famous sites.
Los Angeles Hidden Gems Bingo
Exploring the local side of Los Angeles can be hard. What if you turned it into a game? Whether you’re a lifelong Angeleno or visiting from out of town, this clever game will turn you into an LA insider with an eye for the extraordinary. Stop just seeing the Hollywood Sign and finally experience the true hidden gems and under-the-radar hotspots of LA!
Culver City Arts District food & architecture tour–LIMITED RELEASE
This food tour of Culver City’s Art District is a pay-what-you-will itinerary brought to you by This Ugly Beautiful City. Whether you pay $1 or $20, I hope this gives you a taste of Culver City.
This itinerary fits in the palm of your hand and gives you stops for coffee, pastries, otherworldly brunch, and more. I mix in some art, culture, and history between bites.
Itineraries on Substack
Los Angeles on A Budget: Culver City Itinerary
This day-long itinerary was a feature for paid subscribers. It is full of hidden gems and uses my Los Angeles on a Budget list to create a day of exploring where you will spend less than $40 for a day’s worth of entertainment.
BIPOC and Women-owned businesses to support in Culver City
Since Culver City is close to home, I have had the opportunity to visit a lot of its BIPOC and Women-Owned Businesses. Although this is not all of them, I have had good experiences at the following places. The best way to know when I make updates is by subscribing to my newsletter.
- Bang Bang Noodles–In the land of Italian joints, there are six in Downtown Culver City alone; dare to do something different with your noodles. Be a little violent with them. This hand-pulled and slapped noodle bar brings Northern China to Culver City. These a little spicy, sour, and pickled bowls are ready for you. [Website]
- Cafe Brasil-This place serves Brazilian classics with well-known and more country dishes. It isn’t a kilo place, but a great sit-down place that feels like you are eating in someone’s home. They also have a hotel if you want another way to feel at home. [Infatuation’s write up]
- Go Go Bird–If you have not had Japanese Curry Poutine, stop reading this and go to Go Go Bird right now. This Japanese meets Southern food fusion is the best place for guilty pleasure food in the Citizen’s Public Market. (P.S. Canadians, I know it isn’t authentic, but it is kind of the point.) [Website] [Read my post here]
- Honey’s Kettle--This place has staying power. I have lived in Los Angeles for almost two decades, and Honey’s Kettle has been there for me serving one of my favorite fried chickens in the entirety of Los Angeles. [website] [Read my post here.]
- The Jerk Spot–I really love their oxtail and patties. What they don’t have in ambiance, they make up for in taste. Also, although that strip mall experienced a fire in March 2023, and it looks condemned, Jerk Spot is still open. [website]
- Lundeen’s–Like Honey’s Kettle, this women-owned gift shop has been in Downtown Culver City as long as I have lived in the city. This is where I go to get cards for special occasions, Los Angeles-themed gifts, and things for my friends’ kids. [Instagram]
- Mayura--This was one of Jonathan Gold’s favorite places in the city. They feature food from the southern tip of India, and it can be very spicy, be warned. [Website]
- Milla Chocolates–Beautiful jewel-looking chocolates with interesting flavors. [Website] [Read my post here]
Getting around Culver City
Harry Culver once boasted, “All roads lead to Culver City.” Although not exactly true, it is a very well-connected city with the 405, the 10, and major cross-city streets Venice Blvd and Sepulveda Blvd intersecting here.
Walkability score 76
What??? This can’t be true. I live within walking distance of Culver City, and I can’t believe it is so low. I do all of my errands by foot–I walk to several grocery stores, see movies, remote work, and meet up with friends. They also have a great Farmers’ Market on Tuesday nights.
Public transit options
Culver City is well connected by public transportation and there has been a lot of infrastructure built around the Expo Line. Other than that, it has its own bus service called the Culver City Bus, served by the Santa Monica Big Blue Bus, and little shuttles like the free Ting sponsored cart.
What neighborhood(s) to explore next
Venice Neighborhood Guide
Part tourist neighborhood, part celebrity chef stomping ground, there is a lot to do and eat in Venice Beach. If you have been here before and weren’t impressed, maybe you should look at Venice Beach again.