Current top 10 things we love
A picnic—in January—at the Getty Center gardens. 1200 Getty Center Drive, L.A., 310.440.7300 Map K7 www.getty.edu
The Lift facial, with stimulating microcurrents, at Exhale Spa in Santa Monica. 1422 2nd St., Santa Monica, 310.899.6222
Whimsical inspired vintage designs by Eva Franco. evafranco.com
Fascinating interactive exhibits at brand-new Grammy Museum at L.A. Live. 800 W. Olympic Blvd., Suite A245, downtown, 213.765.6800 Map I15
Inventive seafood dishes from chef Michael Cimarusti at Providence. 5955 Melrose Ave., L.A., 323.460.4170.
Flask service at Ivan Kane’s Cafe Was in Hollywood. 1521 N. Vine St., Hollywood, 323.466.5400.
The new Philosophy store on chic Montana Avenue. 1329 Montana Ave., Santa Monica, 310.395.6500
The Black Forest cocktail with rich espresso at Equator Restaurant & Bar in Pasadena. 22 Mills Pl., Pasadena, 626.564.8656
Absinthe tastings—with the optional blazing sugar cube at Bar Noir in Maison 140. 140 S Lasky Dr., Beverly Hills, 310.281.4000 www.maison140beverlyhills.com
Minidresses in vibrant Crayola hues at 3.1 Phillip Lim in West Hollywood. 631 N. Robertson Blvd., West Hollywood, 310.358.1988
Tell us what you love in Los Angeles.
Taking San Diego’s 59-mile scenic drive is a beautiful way to explore San Diego events this weekend. The route encircles a good deal of the city’s most outstanding attractions, and can be driven in about three hours. While you are in the UCSD area, you can visit the Birch Aquarium. If that doesn’t satisfy your wildlife quota on your list of San Diego events this weekend, you can also visit the world famous San Diego Zoo with 4,000 animals of 800 exotic species. The scenic drive is marked by blue and yellow signs illustrated with a white seagull, which are posted every quarter mile along the route.
Want to skip the LA traffic? Good luck. Any time spent in the car means less time spent actually experiencing the hip things to do in LA, but traffic is just a fact of life for the city. Still, you can minimize the time you spend stuck on the highway parking lot. Avoid driving at peak times, typically between 8 and 11 a.m. or anytime after 3. Also, remember that LA is actually made up of little neighborhoods, so in peak traffic, avoid the highways like the plague and stick to neighborhood streets. Use an app like Waze that tells you the best ways around congested traffic. It’s crowd sourced so you know you’re always getting the latest updates.