Travel Portfolio
Bringing Chocolate Back to its Roots
By Tess Kazenoff
Bluedot Living Los Angeles
Originally published July 9, 2024
Los Angeles-based bean-to-bar chocolate store ChocoVivo sources not only its cacao from Tabasco, Mexico, but also its chocolate-processing methods: Following a 2,000-year-old tradition, it grinds the cacao with lava stones, helping the chocolate retain its purity and nutritional value.
At Providence, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Hollywood, executive pastry chef Mac Daniel Dimla leads a zero-waste bean-to-dessert chocolate program. After receiving fermented and dried beans directly from a plantation in Hawaii, he uses the nibs for chocolate and the husk for both a tea and mulch for the restaurant’s garden. He’s also currently developing a chocolate stout.
The two pioneers are leading Southern California’s push toward a sustainable chocolate movement. As the global chocolate industry grapples with deforestation and its contributions to climate change, Tsai and Dimla hope to take chocolate back to its sustainable origins.
“We want to get to that point where sustainable practices become normal,” Dimla says.
The Problem with Chocolate
Some say that Tabasco is the birthplace of cacao. Although the first cacao tree was found in the Amazonian basin, it wasn’t until the trade route brought cacao to Mesoamerica, particularly during the Mayan period, that it flourished, becoming so valuable that cacao beans were even used as currency.
You can still find Mayan artifacts in the ground near the Jesus Maria Plantation, the 29-acre cacao farm in Tabasco where ChocoVivo sources its chocolate. At the nearby ancient temples, chocolate was used ceremoniously.
These days, chocolate is grown only about 20 degrees north and south of the equator, and 70% of cacao comes from Africa. Cacao farmers are struggling with everything from unfair wages to drought and deforestation. All of it threatens the industry’s future.
As global demand for chocolate has risen, farmers have struggled to keep up, often resorting to cutting down rainforests to make way for more cacao trees. In the Ivory Coast, it’s estimated that 70% of the country’s deforestation can be attributed to cocoa farming, according to the World Wildlife Fund. A 2019 U.K. study of chocolate’s climate impact estimated that an average 40-gram bar of milk chocolate has a carbon footprint of 200 grams.
Big-name chocolate companies, from Nestlé to Hershey’s, have been linked to contributing to deforestation and loss of critical biodiversity.
“Maybe in 30 years, the question will be, will you have enough trees to support our love of chocolate?” ChocoVivo founder Patricia Tsai says. “When beans are three times the price of what they were last year, it's something to be said that there is trouble in the industry.”
Through ChocoVivo, Tsai hopes to look toward chocolate’s future.
“How can we change this perspective of what sustainability means?” Tsai says. “I hope that our conversation in the next five years … is about how we really made a positive impact on the industry itself.”
ChocoVivo offers premium products, and they’ve charged $10 for their bars for the past six years. But this year, prices will increase to account for inflation and rising costs of cacao, Tsai says.
More food-industry businesses will have to adopt sustainable methods if chocolate’s future is to be secure, Dimla says. But there is still a ways to go before sustainable practices become more commonplace in restaurants, he adds, pointing to cost as the largest barrier.
Direct From the Source
To Tsai, sourcing directly from Mexico, where cacao has sacred and historic roots, and using ancient practices to process it, is what makes her business and product sustainable. ChocoVivo’s process is a stark contrast to the methods often employed by larger companies.
Although pesticides are commonly used by cacao farmers — harming the surrounding water, soil, air, and wildlife — at the 100-year-old Tabasco plantation, the trees are protected with a natural pesticide of garlic, vinegar, water, and copper. Unlike large industrial manufacturers, which typically ferment their beans for several days, requiring additional processing to remove the extra acidity, ChocoVivo’s beans are specially fermented for two to three days, then dried in the sun.
To produce the final product, lava stones are used to grind the cacao nibs — no extra cacao butter, flavorings or soy lecithin are added at any point.
“Knowing that this industry is one of the biggest contributors to climate change . . . that makes me want to dive into more of the stuff that I do,” Dimla says. “I have a responsibility to kind of cancel out the amount of waste that we produce, the amount of carbon emissions that we as a restaurant industry put out there.”
Not only does working directly with an individual farm yield a higher quality — and more delicious — chocolate, Tsai and Dimla say, but it also creates a sustainable product in an industry facing a slew of challenges.
While many farmers earn less than a dollar a day — leading to issues like the use of child labor — with direct trade, which eliminates intermediaries, farmers earn 50% to 300% more than the market price of commodity cacao, while providing a quality product for chocolate makers. This is a separate process from fair trade, which involves a specific certification that can be costly for some farmers to acquire but doesn’t necessarily ensure a high-quality product or ethical practices.
Both Tsai and Dimla emphasize that making chocolate sustainable means more than just paying farmers fairly. It means deep knowledge of the growing process and strong relationships with the people who cultivate the crop.
“Every month or so we talk to [the farmer] about what's going on, how much cacao we're going to need in the next year or the next couple of months, how's the weather going,” Dimla says.
ChocoVivo used to manufacture its own chocolate after purchasing the beans from the plantation. Due to both high labor costs and its strong relationship with the grower, the company shifted production to the farm, as well.
Although large companies like Hershey’s and Nestlé are able to keep prices low for consumers, it comes at a large cost, Tsai says.
“If you empower these small farmers,” Tsai says, “not only are you going to increase a higher wage for the farmers, more sustainability, but you take the power away from the power players.”
Dimla sees power shifting toward the smaller farms. Although most restaurants don’t make their own chocolate like Providence does, he says that over the past few years, more large restaurant supply brands have become increasingly conscious about where they’re sourcing their cacao from. Moreover, more and more restaurants have emphasized sustainability in the past decade, particularly in Los Angeles, he says.
“They're putting the word out there that for this industry to have a future, that's something that we should be considering when we're sourcing our cacao,” Dimla says. “That's where our power lies, right? Our purchasing power.”
Education Is Key
Educating more consumers about sustainable chocolate is key, Tsai says, although progress has certainly been made since she first entered the industry around 15 years ago. Back then, she says, many consumers didn’t even know that cacao is a plant.
Now, schools teach where cacao comes from, and even Netflix produced a show highlighting the chocolate industry, she says.
“You can only hope that, little by little, all of those things — even though you might not have an immediate impact — you can see people's palates changing,” she says.
Every little bit of information, whether it’s about cacao percentages or just checking where a chocolate bar is from before buying, makes a meaningful difference, she says.
“Chocolate is truly food, it is not confectioner candy,” she says.
Although it will take much more time and effort for the chocolate industry to truly leave its sustainability issues behind, at ChocoVivo, Tsai hopes to take customers back to chocolate’s roots.
At ChocoVivo’s Culver City store, customers have the opportunity to taste chocolate the way it was intended — by learning about chocolate’s history and traditional uses. Tsai recollected a recent children’s tour at ChocoVivo, which involved not only a tour of the space and history of chocolate, but a mindfulness meditation activity using chocolate.
As she played music filled with monkey and bird sounds meant to transport them to the jungle, some kids were restless, while others became immersed in the meditation.
When they opened their eyes and were asked what they saw in the rainforest, Tsai recalled one child who she will never forget.
“He said, ‘I saw five rows with 10 birds,’ and I'm like, ‘Wow, that's very specific,’” she says, laughing.
“Every little moment that you can use chocolate in the way that it was used historically, I think inches us closer to … really honoring it,” Tsai says.
Biking in Beverly Hills
By Tess Kazenoff
Bluedot Living Los Angeles
Originally published August 6, 2024
For most people who visit Los Angeles, traveling by bike doesn’t usually come to mind. But Bikes and Hikes LA, a West Hollywood-based outdoor tour company, hopes to change that.
In my six years living in the Los Angeles area, I’d certainly never explored the city by bike — so I decided to embrace my inner tourist and head out on Bikes and Hikes’ 12-mile Beverly Hills tour.
For three hours, as the group of 12 or so tourists and I zipped through vibrant West Hollywood, glamorous Rodeo Drive, and the opulent, celebrity-filled Holmby Hills neighborhood, our tour guide regaled us with colorful anecdotes and stories behind the landmarks — from old Hollywood’s gangster roots, to a tour bus’s discovery of Michael Jackson’s death, to the movie-worthy history behind Greystone Mansion. (I won’t give it all away, but it involves a mysterious alleged murder-suicide and oil tycoons.)
“Beverly Hills doesn’t need to market its tourism,” said our tour guide, Erik, at one point. “It’s like a secret.”
Beverly Hills’ tourist attractions, and the stories behind them, really do feel like hidden gems, and there’s no better way to discover them than on an e-bike.
This is the goal of Bikes and Hikes — not to perform a memorized script or quickly breeze past L.A.’s highlights, but to help guests really experience them.
“When you're on your bike, you smell it, you feel the heat, you can hear the sounds of the people walking by, you're feeling the bumps on the pavement,” says Kris Elder, manager and director of activities and events at Bikes and Hikes. “You're really taking in the environment that you're in and really getting a much better feel for the city. It is much more memorable.”
But apart from helping tourists see L.A. in a new light, Bikes and Hikes is on a mission to help people discover the city in an eco-friendly way.
Although tourism plays a substantial role in boosting the economies of cities like Los Angeles, it can come with a significant environmental toll, from increased pollution, use of natural resources, loss of biodiversity, and greenhouse gas emissions, according to the United Nations Environment Programme.
Despite this, tourism is still very much needed, Kris says.
“If you don't know a place exists and feel some sort of a connection to it, you're much less likely to care what happens to it,” he says.
And in the 15 years since its founding, Bikes and Hikes has worked to fill a void of sustainable tourism in Los Angeles.
After starting off small with just a handful of guests on each tour, the company has grown both in its popularity and its offerings. While some smaller companies that focus on specific areas like Santa Monica have popped up in recent years, Kris says that Bikes and Hikes is still the biggest tour operator as far as eco-tourism is concerned. “In L.A., no one else does what we do,” he says.
Over the years, the push for sustainable tourism has only grown, Kris says. The pandemic motivated people to spend more time outside, a trend that’s continued since the global health crisis, he says.
Nowadays roughly 500 people explore L.A. by bike with the company each month, while 1,500 participate in their hikes. Kris tells me that the Beverly Hills tour that I went on is the most popular bike tour, while the express Hollywood Sign hike is the most in-demand of the hike options.
Bikes and Hikes doesn’t limit itself to just tours, either, and it regularly hosts private events, some of which reach upwards of 300 people. It also works with numerous tourism bureaus to help visitors experience L.A. the eco-friendly way.
Although Bikes and Hikes has become an important part of the sustainable tourism ecosystem in Los Angeles, it takes more than just individual companies to make a difference.
“You also need the partnership of the city in order to make it more accessible,” Kris says.
Local governments have made an effort to support sustainable tourism, Kris explains, pointing to West Hollywood’s push to increase its protected bike lanes, and the recent passage of Measure HLA, which requires L.A. to add 238 miles of protected bike lanes and hundreds more miles of unprotected lanes.
The City of L.A.’s Tourism Master Plan even has an emphasis on sustainable and responsible tourism. Getting tourists out of their cars is one recommendation in the plan.
However, more work is needed, and while in many ways, Los Angeles has a reputation for being environmentally friendly, it’s difficult to support sustainable tourism in such a sprawling and car-centric city.
Although Kris says he’s seen a vast improvement in the nearly 20 years that he’s lived in the area, with more people getting outside and using eco-friendly transportation like bikes or scooters, the biggest challenge still lies in coordinating efforts throughout the county: With over 88 cities in L.A. County, municipalities need to work together to make sustainable tourism more accessible, he says.
Some streets that run through multiple cities, like Santa Monica Boulevard, have bike lanes along only certain portions of the road, and many existing bike lanes need added protection, he says. Improving public transportation — not only for tourists, but also for locals who need it — is also key, Kris says.
Although the focus at Bikes and Hikes remains on its bike and hike tours, the company is working to expand its mission and grow its footprint. Its offerings include rock climbing, kayaking, paddleboarding, and even beach parties. “Anything that is eco and outside, we do,” Kris says.
It even serves areas beyond L.A., from Santa Barbara down to San Diego, and out to Joshua Tree. Kris hopes that the company will continue growing, possibly even establishing another location in Las Vegas or Miami.
For now, though, Bikes and Hikes will continue fulfilling the biking and hiking dreams of locals and tourists. For some people, that’s visiting the Hollywood Sign. For others, maybe it’s biking down the boardwalk from Santa Monica into Venice.
“You get to live their excitement,” Kris says. “I get to experience L.A. in a new way, every day.”
With Bikes and Hikes, I too got to experience L.A. in a new way.
Growing up in New Jersey, my idea of L.A. looked a lot like Beverly Hills — glamorous and filled with celebrities. Though I now know that’s just a small speck of what Los Angeles has to offer, my time with Bikes and Hikes took me back to that glossy picture of Los Angeles. When my tour guide pointed out that Greystone Mansion was not only the scene of a murder, but also one of the sets for “Gilmore Girls,” I’ll admit that I audibly gasped.
“If you come with us, you are going to experience L.A., you're going to see it as it is,” Kris says.
“Being on a bike or a hike, it forces you to engage. You can't just sit back and relax. You're participating.”
Los Angeles' 'Less-Touristy' Locations Where You Can Avoid Crowds In Unique Areas
By Tess Kazenoff
Islands
Originally published Dec. 1, 2025
Hollywood — and the people who visit — often get plenty of things wrong about Los Angeles. And perhaps one of the most offensive misconceptions is that it's too touristy and doesn't have anywhere interesting to visit. As a spread-out region encompassing numerous cities, it's not as easy to stumble upon a hidden gem in LA as it is in, say, New York. But that doesn't mean there's any shortage of unique areas here — in fact, it's quite the opposite. You just have to know where to look. With its rich history and many diverse communities, the real Los Angeles can be found in its less touristy locations, away from the crowds.
From hidden beaches and hiking trails to historic ranch houses and artsy, culture-packed neighborhoods, we've rounded up some of Los Angeles' best spots for visitors looking to go beyond the typical first-timer's itinerary. Whether you've been to Los Angeles once or twice and already hit all the top spots or you're just looking to escape the crowds, this guide has a destination you'll love. As someone who's lived in the area for years now, I used a combination of personal experience and research (largely through news publications, destination sites, and travel blogs) to round up these less-touristy LA spots.
Palos Verdes Peninsula
Sure, Los Angeles' famous beaches and hiking trails like Runyon Canyon — one of the best celebrity hotspots to see stars — have their appeal. But if you're looking for a quiet escape that locals go to, it's down in the South Bay. The Palos Verdes Peninsula, which encompasses the cities of Palos Verdes Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills, and Rolling Hills Estates, is made up of cliffside hiking trails and untouched beaches — perfect for travelers seeking rugged, moody landscapes and no crowds. Although the peninsula has remained low-key and off the tourist radar, its stunning landscapes have appeared in movies and television shows ranging from the early 2000s teen drama "The O.C." to "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl."
Of the numerous trails, a personal favorite is the Shoreline and Catalina Loop, a moderately challenging 2.5-mile path that leads down to a gorgeous rocky beach. The Rancho Palos Verdes Coastal Trail is another popular choice, which takes just half an hour to an hour to complete, with some rock scrambling required. Just keep in mind that it's not uncommon to see certain trails or portions of trails closed due to ongoing landslides.
Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine, Pacific Palisades
If you think some peaceful alone time isn't possible anywhere in LA, think again. The Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine is a true hidden oasis tucked away in Pacific Palisades. Entry is completely free, but reservations are required, so you can be sure you'll have a quiet experience. Situated around Lake Shrine, the grounds include a picturesque meditation garden, shrines, and temples, and even a lakefront windmill.
And like many places in Los Angeles, Lake Shrine comes with its own Hollywood backstory. Created in the 1920s by a silent film studio, the property ended up in the hands of an oil company president two decades later, who planned to transform the area into a resort. As the legend goes, the owner had a dream in which the property was part of a "Church of All Religions," which led him to track down the Self-Realization Fellowship Church of All Religions in Hollywood, led by spirituality guru Paramahansa Yogananda. Lake Shrine opened to the public in 1950 and. since then, has remained one of the city's most tranquil corners. Lake Shrine is open Wednesday through Sunday, with reservations opening each Saturday for the following week. Keep in mind that while the gardens are open, the temple and gift shop are still closed following the January 2025 at the time of writing.
Rancho Los Alamitos, Long Beach
Long Beach may be best known for its laid-back beaches and trendy attractions. But as locals will tell you, one of its best hidden gems is Rancho Los Alamitos. This adobe ranch house was built between 1790 and 1834, but the history of the land goes back even further. Originally part of Puvungna, a sacred site for the Tongva and Acjachemen Indigenous tribes, the surrounding 300,000 acres were awarded to Manuel Nieto in the late 18th century by Spain. A century later, in the 1880s, the Bixby family assumed ownership, where Rancho Los Alamitos remained with them until it was sold to the city of Long Beach in 1968. Now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the remaining 7.5 acres are open to the public Wednesday through Sunday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
From touring the historic ranch house to strolling the beautiful gardens, cultivated in the 1920s and '30s by Florence Bixby, Rancho Los Alamitos offers a little slice of tranquility in Los Angeles. If you can, opt for one of the docent-led tours, which last one hour and are available four times a day. While you can likely walk in, if you'd like to reserve a tour in advance, you can also email info@rancholosalamitos.org or call (562) 431-3541.
Elysian Valley or Frogtown
Hidden away just north of downtown Los Angeles is Elysian Valley, an eclectic neighborhood also known as "Frogtown." Apparently, the name was coined in the 1950s, when thousands of frogs would emerge from the nearby LA River and hop down the streets, a perfectly quirky backstory suited for an equally quirky community. Although it's just one square mile, it's packed with culture, with institutions like The Elysian Theater, which showcases a variety of experimental theater, offbeat comedy, and even clowning. Frogtown Arts leads various other artsy initiatives across the neighborhood, from art walks to First Fridays and other community-centric events.
Spoke is a local staple that encapsulates a lot of Frogtown's charm. Nestled along the LA River bike path, Spoke is part café, part bike shop. Here, you can rent a bike or get your bike repaired, and afterward, sit and enjoy a "Classic California" breakfast or lunch dish like a breakfast burrito or chickpea farro bowl. And if you're seeking some nature, wander through Lewis MacAdams Riverfront Park, a 3.9-acre green space lined with native trees and plants.
Figueroa Street, Highland Park
Highland Park is bursting with art, live music, and midcentury magic, but somehow, it still escapes most tourists' radars. This northeast LA neighborhood is known for its Latino culture and its role in the Arts and Crafts movement of the early 20th century — essentially a rejection of the Industrial Revolution and an embrace of the handmade and original. Although the area has experienced some gentrification in recent years, its multicultural, bohemian atmosphere is still going strong, and its main corridor, Figueroa Street, is no exception.
Although it has a trendy vibe, it still feels relaxed and away from the typical tourist trail. If you're looking for an easy Los Angeles activity where you can stroll, eat, and shop, this is it. Its lined with funky shops like vintage clothing store Bearded Beagle, upcycled furniture store Sunbeam Vintage, and eateries like Las Cazuelas Restaurant and Pupuseria, which has been around for 30 years. Plus, you can even go bowling at Highland Park Bowl, which first opened in 1927 as a doctor's office, pharmacy, music store, and social space, all in one. Although today it doesn't offer quite as much variety, it's still one of the most unique spaces in Los Angeles.
Atwater Village
This secret village of eclectic boutiques and delicious world cuisine is charming, mellow, and local. Running along the eastern border of Griffith Park, you'll find most of the action along Glendale and Los Feliz boulevards. For all sorts of pastries, sandwiches, and coffees, The Village Bakery and Cafe is a beloved local staple. Bon Vivant Market and Cafe is another top spot that's become one of Atwater Village's coziest corners since opening in 2012, with a French- and California-inspired menu utilizing farm-to-table ingredients. And you definitely can't go wrong with a breakfast burrito or tacos from the Anthony Bourdain-approved Tacos Villa Corona, either. If you're looking for some rich history along with your meal, the steakhouse Tam O'Shanter has been around for over a century and was once a favorite of Walt Disney (you can even request his go-to table).
You'll also find a range of bars here, like Club Tee Gee, which has been around for around 75 years and hosts all sorts of DJ sets, dance parties, comedy showcases, and more. When it comes to shopping, Treehaus is a gold mine of clothing, home goods, accessories, and more, with a focus on local, independent makers. And one of the best ways to enjoy Atwater Village's community feel is during its Sunday farmers market, which runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Greystone Mansion, Beverly Hills
Tucked away in Beverly Hills is one secret gem that's hiding a fascinating history. First purchased by prominent Los Angeles oil tycoon Edward Laurence Doheny, Greystone Mansion was gifted to his son Edward "Ned" Laurence Doheny and his new wife, Lucy Smith, in 1926, and construction of the mansion began shortly after. Just three years later, a few months after the family officially moved into Greystone, Ned and his friend Hugh Plunkett were both found dead inside the home in an apparent murder-suicide. In 1971, the mansion began a new life as a city park and is now one of Los Angeles' best hidden oases. It's also a popular filming location and has served as a backdrop for numerous films and television shows, ranging from "X-Men" to "The Social Network."
The grounds (and parking) are completely free, and no reservations are required. The park is open every day from 10 a.m. to 5 or 6 p.m., depending on the time of year. If you want to tour the inside, that's a little more complicated, as timed tickets are available for limited hours on the first Saturday or Sunday of the month from January to November. Tickets cost $8.
Descanso Gardens
Established as a public garden in 1953, Descanso Gardens is without a doubt one of the most peaceful pockets of Los Angeles. Made up of nine gardens and forests among its 150 acres, it features a five-acre rose garden with over 1,600 flowers, and the Camellia Collection, whose history dates back to World War II. The collection you'll see today began back in 1942, when two families, the Yoshimuras and the Uyematsus, were forced to sell their plants when they were sent to the Japanese internment camps.
Apart from wandering through the scenic gardens, Descanso also hosts a number of festivals and events throughout the year. From November through early January, Descanso Gardens becomes extra magical thanks to the "Enchanted Forest of Light" event, when festive light installations and exhibits adorn the garden from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tickets range from $27 to $45 for adults. The garden's normal hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets must be purchased in advance and cost $18 for adults.
Topanga State Park
Hidden between Malibu and Santa Monica is Topanga, one of LA's most eccentric enclaves. This quiet unincorporated community may be best known as a hippie oasis, but it also happens to be one of the best under-the-radar hiking destinations in Los Angeles, thanks to Topanga State Park. With jaw-dropping ocean scenery and sweeping Santa Monica Mountain views, a trip here will definitely remind you why you traveled to California. Of its 36 miles of hiking trails, the Musch Trail to Eagle Rock is a popular choice, thanks to its incredible scenery and easy-to-follow trail. The 4.6-mile trail takes roughly two and a half to three hours to complete.
You may not assume that you can see waterfalls in Southern California, but by following the Santa Ynez Canyon Waterfall Trail, you can. Just keep in mind that past hikers say the trail isn't well-maintained and there's poison oak along the way, so give yourself extra time to navigate and wear long pants. Afterwards, head to Endless Color, a cute pizza spot, or for a more upscale experience, go to Inn of the Seventh Ray for an unforgettable meal tucked away in the forests of Topanga.
Culver City Arts District
Culver City is a favorite for its picturesque, walkable downtown and rich Hollywood history. Classics like "Citizen Kane" and "The Wizard of Oz" were filmed in this underrated California city, cementing its cultural legacy, and Culver City is still home to Sony Pictures Studios. But one of its most underrated cultural corners is actually its arts district, which largely stretches along Washington and La Cienega boulevards.
Here, you'll find a number of art galleries, such as K&K Gallery, which showcases new and mid-career artists, and Helms Design District, which first opened as a local bakery in 1931 but has since shifted gears to furniture and design items. For shopping, check out Midlands for a curated selection of home goods and apothecary items, or if you're in the market for an art-related book, head to Arcana: Books on the Arts, which has been open since the 1980s. There's no shortage of great dining in the arts district, either, with spots like Industry Cafe and Jazz offering Eritrean and Ethiopian cuisines alongside live music, and Pasta Sisters, which features freshly made pastas, sauces, and Italian-imported cheeses.
The Getty Villa
Transport yourself straight to Italy without leaving Los Angeles at one of the city's best cultural institutions. Right in the heart of the Pacific Palisades, the Getty Villa was designed to emulate a Roman country house from ancient times — specifically, the Villa dei Papiri, which remained hidden for centuries following the Mount Vesuvius eruption until its rediscovery in the 1750s. As you browse the villa's numerous exhibits filled with artifacts, sculptures, jewelry, and more from ancient Greece, Rome, and beyond, you can stroll through marble sculptures, intricate wall paintings, and picturesque gardens.
Admission is free, but reservations are required ahead of time, ensuring that the museum is never too crowded — a fact we can confirm based on multiple visits. The Getty Villa is closed on Tuesdays. Parking costs $25 before 3 p.m.; afterward, it costs $15. Whether you're an architecture buff, interested in ancient history, or simply looking for a budget-friendly, peaceful escape in LA, the Getty Villa is unmissable.
Leimert Park
Tourists often overlook LA's most culture-rich neighborhoods, and Leimert Park is one of the best examples. Known as "the Black Greenwich Village," Leimert Park was once home to icons like Ella Fitzgerald and Ray Charles and is packed with culture, art, local shops, and more, dedicated to LA's Black community. Leimert Plaza Park is the community's cornerstone, serving as a hub for all sorts of gatherings ranging from celebrations, weekly drum circles, monthly art walks, and protests since the 1920s. Right around here, you'll find the Art Deco-style Vision Theatre, which dates back to 1931 (at the time of writing, it is closed for renovations). Other cultural institutions in the neighborhood include the Black-owned Malik Books, which is a hub for African American literature, and The World Stage, where you'll find an array of workshops and performances.
Leimert Park's dining scene has tons to offer foodies as well, from enjoying casual soul food at Dulan's on Crenshaw, one of the best local restaurants in Los Angeles, to Jamaican fare from Tev's & Family Kitchen. If you want a quieter vibe, head to the nearby View Park, California's hilltop hideaway. This historic neighborhood, dubbed the "Black Beverly Hills," is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is home to stunning historic mansions.
Velaslavasay Panorama, West Adams
Back in the days before even the silent movie was invented, it was actually the earliest iteration of the movie: the moving panorama. In the 19th century, audiences were captivated by the 360-degree painted scrolls accompanied by narration, and traveling shows to see a moving panorama were all the rage across the U.S. and Europe by the 1850s. While these days it's certainly a lost art, and there are few places where you can still experience the magic of a moving panorama, one just so happens to be located in LA's underrated West Adams neighborhood.
The Velaslavasay Panorama, found in the 1910 Union Theatre , is truly a best-kept secret spot and is a theater, exhibition hall, and garden all in one. It's said to be the West Coast's only surviving 360-degree panorama viewing hall. Velaslavasay Panorama is open on Fridays and Saturdays, with a reservation required and a $7 suggested donation.
Methodology
As an LA local of several years and a former Los Angeles tourist, we relied on personal experience as well as research (including travel blogs and news articles) to narrow down this list of less-touristy spots. We intentionally aimed to include a diverse list of locations in various corners of Los Angeles and in its offerings, whether it's a cultural destination, a walkable neighborhood, a nature escape, etc. Destination sites and news articles were also used to provide additional information about each site, including the history and specific recommendations.