West Los Angeles

Understand

West Los Angeles is made up of a set of very distinct neighborhoods, ranging from wealthy suburbs to prominent business centers to communities where you'll find a mix of ethnicities that would make the United Nations proud. Perhaps the most prominent West L.A. community is Westwood, an area somewhere between a neighborhood and a city that surrounds the main campus of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Most of the area's businesses cater to the college population, with a number of used and new bookstores, art movie theaters, inexpensive restaurants and coffee houses. While the main village of Westwood had its heyday from the 1960s throughout most of the 1980s, it is picking up in popularity again as a trendy hangout for local teens and students of UCLA. Despite an increasing number of homeless people, Westwood is still known as one of the safest neighborhoods in the city, albeit with some of the worst traffic. South of Westwood are the densely populated and highly diverse neighborhoods of Sawtelle, Mar Vista, and Palms, where you'll find many established ethnic and minority communities with plenty of local shops and restaurants catering to these local populations. The other prominent economic center in West L.A. is Century City, a small but dense collection of highrises adjacent to Beverly Hills that was built around the headquarters of 20th Century Studios. To the south of Century City is the affluent neighborhood of Cheviot Hills, with lots of parks and large suburban homes. On the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains to the north of Westwood are the fashionable and famous neighborhoods of Bel-Air and Brentwood, both of which are full of mansions overlooking the city, some of which have been the home of celebrities.

Climate

Due to its proximity to the Pacific Ocean, West L.A. enjoys a cooler climate than the rest of Los Angeles. During the summer, temperatures can be as much as 10-15 degrees cooler in West L.A. than locations further inland, i

Getting there

By car Interstate 405 passes through West Los Angeles just south of the Sepulveda Pass. The area is noted for high levels of congestion, especially during rush hour.

By plane Los Angeles International Airport (LAX IATA) is about 20-30 minutes away, and has a very large number of flights to and from the airport.

By public transit

On the west side, local transit is provided by three main carriers.

Metro is the major operator of bus and rail services in Los Angeles County. The Metro Rail Expo Line roughly parallels I-10 through West L.A. and tends to be the fastest transit service to the area from Downtown L.A., stopping in the Palms and Sawtelle neighborhoods on its way between Culver City and Santa Monica, with bus connections to other Westside neighborhoods available at each station. Frequent Metro bus routes that pass through the area include the 2 (Sunset Blvd), 4/Rapid 704 (Santa Monica Blvd), 20/Rapid 720 (Wilshire Blvd), and the 33/Rapid 733 (Venice Blvd), with the Rapid lines stopping only at major intersections. Additionally, the 28/Rapid 728 connect Century City to Downtown L.A. via Olympic Blvd, while the Rapid 734 (weekdays only)/234 (weekends only) link the Expo Line Sepulveda station, Westwood, UCLA, the Getty Center entrance, and the San Fernando Valley via Sepulveda and Westwood Blvds. Metro fare is $1.75. Big Blue Bus primarily serves Santa Monica and UCLA/Westwood (and the major streets between), but also has a network of routes that serves just about every neighborhood in the area, as well as routes that head out to Pacific Palisades, Beverly Hills, Culver City, Venice, and an express route (#10) along I-10 to Downtown L.A. Additionally, the #3 bus reaches the LAX Airport Transit Center, making it a handy way for air travelers to reach the Westside cheaply. The standard fare on all buses (except #10) is $1.25. Culver City Bus primarily serves Culver City, but also runs buses to UCLA/Westwood (#6), Century City (#3), and LAX (#6), thus

See

1 Fox Plaza (Olympic Blvd and Avenue of the Stars). In the middle of Century City is this otherwise nondescript postmodern skyscraper that's notable for being the headquarters of 20th Century Studios and will be instantly recognizable to Die Hard fans as the fictional Nakatomi Plaza. 2 Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Blvd (in the Occidental Petroleum Building on the corner of Westwood Blvd), ☏ +1-310-443-7000. Tu-F 11AM-8PM, Sa-Su 11AM-5PM, M closed. A UCLA-affiliated institution which houses changing exhibitions of contemporary, modern, and classical art, with a particular focus on Los Angeles-based work. The basis of the museum's collection is a set of significant European works collected by the institution's founder, Armand Hammer. The museum also holds many free public programs, including lunchtime "Art Talks" every Wednesday at 12:30PM. Free. (updated Jul 2016) 3 Museum of Tolerance, 9786 W Pico Blvd, ☏ +1-310-553-8403. Su-F 10AM-5PM (closes at 3:30PM F in winter), Th 10AM-9:30PM; last ticket sold an hour and a half before closing. Focusing on the history of the Holocaust, this museum contains many interactive exhibits designed to challenge visitors to assess their own levels of tolerance. Many of the exhibits are meant to engage kids (about 10 and older), and you may find your kids asking you about things such as racial and economic tensions. A highlight of the museum is live testimonies by Holocaust survivors who serve as museum volunteers. Adults $15:50, seniors $12.50, students/youth (ages 5-18) $11.50. 4 Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N Sepulveda Blvd (off of I-405), ☏ +1-310-440-4500. Tu-F noon-5PM, Sa-Su 10AM-5PM. In the hills above Sepulveda Pass is this expansive contemporary facility devoted to Jewish heritage. Among its libraries, classrooms, conference rooms and gardens is a museum with a permanent collection of historical artifacts, artwork, and interactive exhibits on Jewish history and culture, with an emphasis on the Jewish-American experience.

Do

1 Geffen Playhouse, 10886 Le Conte Ave, ☏ +1-310-208-5454. A UCLA-owned theater company that is noted for their original productions hosted in an intimate space in a historic Westwood building. (updated Jul 2016) 2 Regency Bruin Theater, 948 Broxton Ave, ☏ +1-310-208-8998. Like its big brother, the Fox Theater across the street, this is a fully modern cinema that still has the ambiance and style of an earlier era. The art-deco marquee, canopy, and box office are little changed from when it opened in 1937. General admission $11.75. 3 Regency Village Theater (Fox Theater), 961 Broxton Ave, ☏ +1-310-208-5576. The art-deco Fox Village Theater (now operated by Regency) is a throwback to "Old Hollywood" that has survived into the multi-plex era, and is often the site of red-carpet premiers. Though the decor reflects its historic roots, the seating, projection, and sound are excellent and have kept upgraded to meet and exceed modern quality standards. General admission $11.75. 4 Rancho Park