Attractions
Limitless Opportunities for Exploration
When it's time for a break, mix and mingle with friends and colleagues as you discover Los Angeles.
Visitors are frequently drawn to the familiar attractions that dot this legendary landscape. Kids of all ages clamor to visit world-famous amusement parks. Santa Monica Pier offers postcard-perfect photo opps. Art lovers can stroll The Broad, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art or The Getty Center. Shoppers hear the call from Beverly Hills to Hollywood, while sporting events and concerts at the massive Staples Center dominate downtown.
But perhaps the best way to dive into this vibrant, sprawling city is through its exciting food scene. Hit a curbside cafe for breakfast, wander to a food truck for an Instagram-worthy lunch and top off your day with anything from Ethiopian curry to a burger served up Animal Style from In-N-Out. There are quite literally hundreds of amazing restaurants to choose from, so bring your appetite.
Westwood Village
Westwood Village is just a ten-minute walk from the conference accommodations on campus and serves as the university's unofficial college town. A fun destination for shopping and dining, it also holds a prominent place in film history, with its vintage landmark theaters that still host movie premieres today. Westwood Village also offers everyday conveniences for those visiting UCLA.
Santa Monica
You'll immediately fall in love with Santa Monica, the premier beach city in Los Angeles. It's where locals and tourists flock for tanning, to stroll along the sand or to shop on the Third Street Promenade. Neighborhood pockets like Montana Avenue are abundant with charming cafes, and the Santa Monica Pier is a historic landmark with Pacific Park that draws large crowds.
Downtown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles, or as we locals call it, "Downtown L.A." is a special place for any Angeleno. It has always been the heartbeat of Los Angeles' business and commercial scene, but most recently also has transformed into an entertainment hotspot. The buildings in Downtown each have a story, about a city that has experienced so much in its short history.
Hollywood
Hollywood is L.A.'s most popular spot for tourism, and rightfully-dubbed the "Entertainment Capital of the World." Hollywood is unlike any other neighborhood, and is almost mythological. See historic landmarks in the world of film, and if you're lucky a movie star or two. Here are the top spots to explore in Hollywood, all only eight miles from UCLA.
Beverly Hills
Whether you want to treat yourself to an afternoon of shopping, tour one of the most popular art museums in the United States, or see dinosaur fossils, head to Beverly Hills and adjacent Mid-City in West Los Angeles. Just ten miles from UCLA, a short drive to these two neighborhoods can make for a fun day-trip during your time in Los Angeles.
Pasadena
Each New Year's Day, crowds from all over the world come to Pasadena for the annual Tournament of Roses Rose Parade, as well as to attend the Rose Bowl college football game. However, there are lots of other attractions Pasadena has to offer, including the world-renowned Norton Simon Museum, as well as the Gamble House and Pasadena Playhouse.
West Hollywood
West Hollywood is a Los Angeles tourism hotspot and cultural icon, located just a few miles from the UCLA campus. Known for its LGBTQ community, its fine dining and shopping establishments, and its entertainment, West Hollywood attracts locals and tourists from around Southern California and around the world.
Marina del Rey
Beaches in L.A. are mostly about tanning, swimming, surfing and boogie-boarding. However, there's one coastal city in particular, where boating is the sport of choice. These include small sailboats and even larger, luxury yachts, all lined along the world's largest man-made small boat harbor in the world.
Malibu
Most people think of Malibu as the land of waterfront mansions, only for those with tremendous wealth, or home of Hollywood stars who live there on the weekends. It is one of L.A.'s most posh cities, but at the same time, it has lots to do for anyone not on a millionaire's budget.
Manhattan Beach
This serene beachside town is one of the nicest places to swim, tan and even surf, all complemented by a thriving yet quaint business district along Manhattan Beach Boulevard. There are several beaches in Los Angeles County, but Manhattan Beach has its own unique vibe.
Los Feliz
Want to spend some quality time outdoors in Los Angeles and visit some of its most popular attractions? Then head over to the Griffith Park area of the city, just under an hour's drive northeast of UCLA! There, you can enjoy nearby attractions like the famous Griffith Observatory, the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens, and the Autry Museum of the American West.
San Fernando Valley
When you're in the San Fernando Valley, you're in an area that's part residential, part business, and always interesting. Whether you're cruising Ventura Boulevard, with its stretch of boutique stores and popular new restaurants, or shopping in Sherman Oaks at the large Sherman Oaks Galleria, there's something to do for everyone in the San Fernando Valley.
Glendale
Travel 20 miles northeast of UCLA and you'll find Glendale, one of L.A.'s largest and fastest-growing cities. Glendale is a mix of suburbia and a thriving downtown shopping, entertainment and dining district with Brand Boulevard being its main thoroughfare.
Burbank
While L.A. may be the Entertainment Capital of the World, the movies and television shows you love most likely come from one of its most unique neighborhoods, Burbank. Burbank is home to some of L.A.'s most charming suburbs and its highest concentration of studios.
Culver City
Many people familiar with Culver City know that its home to more than just its most famous tenant, Sony Pictures. In fact, Culver City is quickly becoming one of the hippest and trendy neighborhoods in West L.A., because of the rise of tech in nearby "Silicon Beach."
Exposition Park
Exposition Park is a main cultural hub for the L.A. area located south of downtown Los Angeles. It encompasses over 160 acres of world-class museums, recreational areas and sports facilities, as well as a beautiful rose garden that attracts large crowds. Exposition Park was an integral part of two Summer Olympic games.
