On Sunday, Venice Beach celebrated its 116th birthday! It opened to the public on July 4th, 1905. In the advertisements luring people to the new resort town on the beach, it was called the Venice of America. On its opening day, it drew thousands of visitors. Today, this city still draws tourists from all over the world. This post kicks off my deep dive into Venice and all of the…
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Starline Tour: Malibu Celebrity Homes Tour
I love doing research for this blog. Writing This Ugly Beautiful City has given me an excuse to explore Los Angeles and do some things I didn’t do as a tourist. Activities like buying a star map or taking a hop-on, hop-off tour of the…
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Santa Monica 101: The Santa Monica Pier
This is where the iconic Route 66 ends. The song, (Get Your Kicks) On Route 66, popularized by Chuck Berry, talks about this super-connected interstate that winds its way across this country, ending at the tip of the Santa Monica Pier. In this post, I…
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This Ugly Beautiful City, a recap episode
In my previous post, I talked about This Ugly Beautiful City being a year old. During that year I covered a lot of ground. I zig-zagged from Hollywood to Culver City, Century City to DTLA. Now it is time for a recap. When a television…
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An Intro to Griffith Park
Once upon a time D.W. Griffith…..no that’s not right. Once upon a time, Colonel Griffith J. Griffith built California’s largest municipal park. Scratch that, it is not right either. … Once upon a time, Colonel Griffith J. Griffth built the second largest municipal park in…
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Farewell for Now Hollywood
You may ask yourself why? Why are we leaving Hollywood when there is still a lot to do? Why haven’t I talked about LACE, The Hollywood Museum, or Madame Tussaud’s? Why did I skip over the historic Cineramadome? And why haven’t I talked about the double-decker…
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Hollywood 101: Beginner’s Guide to Hollywood
Here is my Hollywood 101: A beginner’s guide to Hollywood. It will give you an idea of where to start if you have never been to Hollywood before and you want that touristy experience. These attractions are some of the most well-known and most visited…
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Frequently Asked Question: Do you have any Los Angeles trip planning tips?
I think what baffles people most is how to go about planning their trip to Los Angeles. I feel like the question usually starts in spurts … “There is so much to do. I don’t know what to do. What should I do? My brain…
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Frequently Asked Question: When is the best time to visit Los Angeles?
One of the most frequently asked questions I get from out-of-towners is: When is the best time to visit Los Angeles? I find myself avoiding travel to certain cities during winter and spring. These places with weather a little too temperamental for leisurely walks and…