Shopping in Los Angeles
We have probably said this about other cities as well, but in Los Angeles you
actually get (almost...!) Everything between heaven and earth. In one of North
America's largest port cities, Long Beach just outside of LA, tons of items and
items arrive every day, which you can immediately purchase over the counter. Los
Angeles has residents from 140 different nations and their desire for goods from
their respective home countries contributes greatly to the huge selection.
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We could write an entire guide book on shopping in LA, but it does not help
to highlight the following areas that are particularly attractive.
Rodeo Drive
Los Angeles' Golden Triangle is bounded by Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica
Boulevard and North Canon Drive. The main artery in the middle is Rodeo Drive.
There are probably more exclusive designer shops here than in all the Nordic
capitals combined. Few of us ordinary mortals have the finances to go down here
with shopping bags, but if there are products from Gucci, Chanel, Armani and
Cartier on your shopping list, you now know where to go.
Melrose Avenue
In the ten to twelve blocks of Melrose Avenue, located between La Brea and
San Vincente Avenue, you'll find countless Hip & Cool stores, but nowhere near
as expensive as Rodeo Drive. Here you will find most things from music stores
and underwear stores to booksellers, interior sales and second hand shops, most
of them with artful facades that would pay close attention if they were located
in Norway.
Santee Alley
If you're looking for promotional items, spend some time browsing the stores
in the blocks between Olympic Boulevard, Santee Street and 12th Street. Here you
will find several outlets, which sell surplus goods and giveaways on designer
products for which you would have to pay twice as much for Rodeo Drive. The
first Friday of the month, California Mart has big sales. But of course there
are also countless other stores. If you are looking for CDs, computer games,
electronics, books or skateboards, you will find it here.
The area around Sunset Plaza
This has become a staple for tourists, who are just as much here as shopping
to sip their caffe latte at one of the many sidewalk cafes while looking for
celebrities. There are also many fashionable boutiques, restaurants and beauty
salons.
Farmers Market
This may sound like a place to buy fresh tomatoes and combine harvesters, but
Farmers Market is an established institution that has been a meeting place and
landmark in Los Angeles since 1934. Here you will find over a hundred stores and
eateries, from the usual chains to the more separate specialists selling candles
or pinballs. Farmers Market has a distinctive bell tower, located on the corner
of 3rd Street and Fairfax Avenue.
The Grove
Right next to the Farmers Market is an outdoor shopping and entertainment
complex called The Grove. It opened in 2002 and covers an area of over 53,000
m². Here is the huge department store Nordstrom, the American clothing store
chain Abercrombie & Fitch and sales for Nike, Gap and Apple.
If you want to buy real western clothing while you are in The Real West, then
you can visit 30-year-old Billy Martin's, who among his customers can count
Bruce Springsteen, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bono, Madonna and Mikhail Gorbachev.
The store is located at 8605 Sunset Boulevard, on The Sunset Strip.
General information!
Most shops are open between 1000 and 1900 every day except Sundays. Some of the
largest department stores close even later and also have Sundays open. Please
note that 8.25% sales tax is added on when you pay. With larger purchases, you
can in many cases be refunded at the airport sales tax / sales tax when you
leave California.
Eating in Los Angeles
It's hard to say what is typical Los Angeles food, because most residents are
from somewhere else. With a population of around 3.8 million from 140 different
countries, it goes without saying that there is an extremely wide variety of
eateries.
And since most of these nationalities have naturally searched together in
their own neighborhoods, you can rest assured that you will find excellent
Chinese restaurants in Chinatown and excellent Persian restaurants in
Tehrangeles. The places of eating in Little India, Thai Town, Little Ethiopia,
Koreatown, Little Tokyo, Filippinotown and Little Armenia naturally offer the
best of their respective countries of origin as well.
One of the most popular of Los Angeles's many thousands of eateries is Joe's
Restaurant located at 1023 Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice. Here,
French-Californian cuisine is served in modern varieties, and although the
prices are not among the lowest, the place has received excellent feedback from
its guests.
Another critically acclaimed restaurant is the Japanese Matsuhisa, which is
not afraid to experiment with Latin American flavors. Matsuhisa is located at
129 N La Cienega Boulevard in Beverly Hills. This is a fairly relaxed
and quiet place, which is apparently constantly visited by the neighborhood's
celeb residents.
You should also try one of the city's many Mexican restaurants. At El
Tepeyac at 812 North Evergreen Terrace, you can sip on huge
tortillas or burritos for a bargain; an average entree costs no more than around
40-50 kroner.
The Tlapazola Grill at 4059 Lincoln Boulevard in Marina del Rey has
also received very good reviews, and has dishes you have certainly not tried
before.
If you want to go for sure you always have The Grill at Hollywood &
Highland Center. Here typical American food is served, ie steak,
chicken, hamburger and seafood. Naturally in large portions.
California Wine and Beer
If California had been an independent nation, it would have been the world's
fourth largest producer of wine. Wine is grown in most of California's 58
regions, so if you want to visit a winery, you don't have to go very far from
Los Angeles. One of the largest districts is along Highway 101, northwest of LA
and Santa Barbara. Around Solvang and Buellton some of the state's best
Chardonnays are produced.
If you continue north, there are many other vineyards around the Arroyo
Grande and Edna Valley.
About 150 miles southeast of Los Angeles are Temecula and San Diego County
wine districts. If you follow Interstate 15, get off at the exit marked Rancho
California Road. There are about fifty different vineyards producing both red
and white wine, many of which can be visited without prior arrangement. Some
also offer accommodation, such as Churon Winery.
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