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Hello there! I can’t believe the shortest month of the year is in full swing already.
Here are the new places I’ve added to my list of must-visit places in LA:
- Saint Vincent Court
St Vincent Ct, Los Angeles, CA 90014
When I showed this photo to my friends and family, they all urged me to tell them where this was located. This picturesque quaint little alley could easily pass as a European street, but it’s actually located in the bustling jewelry district of Downtown LA. Awesome, right?!
Just upon your entrance, there’s this plaque that reads the history of the place:
The alley boasts a mixture of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine restaurants, a French bakery store and a traditional barber shop. The place is adjacent to the jewelry center, which is HUGE. If you plan on going, grab a bite at St. Vincent’s deli! I had already had lunch, but from reading all the Yelp reviews, the place is ranked favorably high and even local Middle Easterners praise their doners. If you go solo, be cautious like you would everywhere. Even though DTLA is being revamped with luxury high-rise buildings, superb restaurants and rooftops, it’s still a little bit sketchy with mentally ill and drug addicts popping up at every corner.
You will see a bunch of Middle Eastern men sitting outside smoking pipes and playing chess. It was perfectly safe, but being the only one taking pictures generated a lot of attention and caused a lot of blatant stares. This, combined with the lack of women in the area made me a little bit uneasy. It’s all good though. I would suggest going to the deli as early as possible (it opens at 11:00 am) to avoid waits since it can get very crowded.
St. Vincent Court also served as a backdrop for an episode of The Mentalist. The location setting was in Beirut! Who would have thought this place would be a real street in Downtown LA and not a studio backlot?
- Soap Plant Wacko
4633 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027
My new favorite gem! I can’t believe they used to be located on Melrose. This place is a mix of a bookstore, gift shop and art gallery (called La Luz De Jesus) combined with other random stuff like eccentric toys, essential oils, costume supplies, candies, candles…etc.
I could spend hours and hours browsing the aisles of this place. Their curated selection of vintage and art books combined with the funky aesthetic of the store (the façade is truly a piece of art), makes this place so unique and distinctive from any other store you walk into in LA. Soap Plant Wacko offers a unique shopping experience, worthy of being named a gem. The store also played a huge role in helping Melrose Ave to become the iconic shopping destination it is today, being the “only pop-culture toy shop with a punk rock attitude”.
This intersection of Hollywood Blvd, where Los Feliz and Silverlake merge, is also filled with cool vintage stores, hipster barber shops, Face facial bar (where I get my facials done) and other trendy eating joints like McConnels (best ice cream ever), Go Get em’ Tiger (some of the best coffee in LA) and Homestate (Texas-style breakfast tacos). I haven’t been to the latter, but after leaving Wacko there was a very long line, and this was at noon on a weekday! The place was featured on Buzzfeed, but the reviews aren’t convincing enough, many of them deeming their tacos overpriced and not worth the hype. I will still give them a try so if you’ve been here, let me know in the comments.
Another cool place on this street is Hotel Covell. Silly me, I thought they had an open lobby where you could sit, walk around and take pictures. The only entrance on the street was a golden locked door. It’s a no-brainer, looking at the Instagram photos, that it’s a very coveted place for photoshoots and launch parties. It’s a fancy private boutique hotel and the luxurious decor pays maximum detail to the finishing touches.
Room with a kitchen
Don’t think of it as a hotel, but more like a guest house! The hotel also has an adjoining wine tasting bar and a restaurant “Covell” open to the public, but these were closed. This being said, I have saved this one on my list of future visits.
- Descanso Gardens
This place had been on my list for a while. The gardens are so peaceful and filled with beauty and wilderness every step you take.
Descanso Gardens is home to the largest collection of camellias in North America and the employees really emphasize that. It’s February, so they were not in full bloom yet. As you go along, you will see everything is super organized with plaques that detail the history of the types of plants. On the pamphlet you’re given at the entrance, you will the see they have different designated gardens.
Opening hours are from 9am-5pm daily. General admission is $9. I went there a little bit late, so I didn’t have time to go through all the gardens except for the oak garden and the Japanese garden, which are super close to the entrance. If you want to know more about the different types of gardens, go to the official website.
I also love how there are benches along the trails, perfect for reading and meditating. I’m not telling you to sit in a full-lotus position, but I highly encourage you to sit down and focus on your surroundings for at least 5 minutes. It’s also of praise how they celebrate the beauty of the these gardens with annual festivals (like the enchanted forest of light and cherry blossom festival) for the community. For more info about the festivals and upcoming events click here. The tickets sell out pretty fast!
- Wayfarers Chapel
5755 Palos Verdes Dr S, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275
Another coastal treasure located in my favorite place in LA. If you haven’t already, check out my posts about Palos Verdes here and here.
What has taken me so long to visit it? You will be left speechless. The architectural design made of wood and glass slightly reminded me of Nepenthe Restaurant in Big Sur. The lush greenery and the panoramic vistas of the Pacific Ocean with the coastal bluffs that extend along the coastline, made me feel like I was in Big Sur for a moment.
I came here at the perfect time, just when the sun was right about to set. It was so breathtakingly beautiful to stand at the entrance and look up to see the last rays of sun slanting through the glass. The church was designed in 1940 by Lloyd Wright (son of Frank Lloyd Wright). There’s also a visitor center for further information.
The grounds are impeccably well-kept with colorful blooming flowers. In the back of the church, there’s a pathway made of commemorative bricks with the names of some of the couples that got married there. Additionally, there’s a wooden outdoor corridor overlooking Palos Verdes Dr and the coastal bluffs, as well as benches. Every time I come to one of these serene places with so much beauty, I always take the time to sit and soak in my surroundings.
Wayfarers Chapel has also been featured in multiple filming productions like 90210, Revenge, Endless Love, Sliders, Innerspace and one of my favorite series of all the time, The OC!
Note: If you go, pick a weekday. Reading the comments online, I realized the place gets MEGA busy on the weekends with weddings or baptisms. When I went, there were two girls scouting the property for future reference.
- Striking views of Los Angeles in Rolling Hills
Crest Road and Crenshaw Blvd
I consider this to be the best spot to get the most spectacular vistas of Los Angeles. I love going up to Runyon Canyon or Griffith Observatory, but none of these beat out the complete panoramic view of Los Angeles from Rolling Hills. You will see this omnipresent hill that groups the neighborhoods of Rolling Hills and Rancho Palos Verdes when you’re driving down south the I-405, the I-110, southbound PCH or when you’re on your way to the airport.
This specific spot is located on the highest point and gives you a complete, bird’s eye view of the vast size of LA with the infinite street grids and the million city lights.
There are many other spots with amazing views atop hills in Palos Verdes, but I found this one to be the most jaw-dropping… and best of all, it’s free!
The exact location is right in front of St.John Fisher School on Crest Road. You can drive further ahead, but don’t go beyond Mary & Joseph Retreat Center, otherwise the view will be blocked by the foliage. To go back where you came from, you keep driving ahead and make a U-turn right before a private residential gate. Take these 2 spots as your reference points! Unlike Mulholland dr, there’s 2-hour free parking on the street. There’s not an exact designated location to see the view, but there are a few openings in the foliage the road that will let you appreciate the view in its entirety.
When you drive down the hill on Crenshaw Blvd (not to be confused with Crenshaw in South Central) at night, you will see the millions of city lights and the Downtown LA skyline in the background. I know this may be way out of your neighborhood, but the drive is 100% worth it.
And this is it! Whether you live here or you’re planning your next visit to LA, I hope you found this useful. If you haven’t already, subscribe to receive new posts notifications in your e-mail.
