Live Your Dream in the City of Angels
With its balmy temperatures, abundant sunshine, and gorgeous residents, Los Angeles is a taste that's easily acquired. For generations, it's been a beacon to seekers of fame, fortune, and singular experiences, and it remains a city where dreams are lived out every day. From its settlement by the Chumash and Tongva Native American tribes more than a thousand years ago, through the arrival of the first Europeans in 1542, to the establishment of the motion picture industry in the 1920's, people have always been seduced by this shining city on the Pacific, and today's visitors continue to be mesmerized by its endless charms. Live your own LA fantasy by visiting a handful of the city’s best galleries and drinking dens with amazing views to lose yourself in — whether they're of the ocean, the skyline, or the endless parade of perfect human specimens. Frequented by both visitors and natives, the trendiest spots in the City of Angels are thrilling, fascinating, and Southern California all the way.
PRISM
Unlike most of the cramped galleries downtown, PRISM is located in a spacious, intricately-designed three-story building that's a work of art in and of itself. The gallery provides a generous space for local and international artists, all of whom are recognized for their quirky yet alluring style. Graffiti artists such as Barry McGee and Phil Frost have had interactive exhibitions here (including a spray-paint-wielding robot), while New York art darling Ryan McGinness' Trophies series of sculptures took the baton from Picasso to astounding new heights. The occasional outdoor art installation will send you onto the rooftop, where stellar city views provide a dramatic backdrop for the work on display. It just may be the ultimate source of inspiration for any hopeful artist.
Trousdale
The Sunset Strip comes alive at night with flashy restaurants and clubs, but none shine quite as brightly as Trousdale, a daring investment made by nightlife extraordinaire Brent Bolthouse. Epitomizing the casual chic social scene associated with LA nightlife. this posh-yet-welcoming lounge is a choice spot for late night reveries, with its black-and-gold interior, appropriately dim lighting, and achingly sexy servers. Luxury appears in the form of diamond-quilted booths, a marble-topped bar, and a black felt pool table, which sees its share of action. Onion rings, sliders, and other small bites are available for midnight snacking, but it's really all about the cocktails here, which are lovingly muddled, shaken, and poured by a team of crack mixologists. Plan accordingly, because this exclusive lounge is open only on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and lines can get pretty long in LA.
Roxbury
The Roxbury’s notorious reputation for over-the-top glamour takes Los Angeles nightlife to a hypnotic level. The highly exclusive nature of the Roxbury is all part of its legendary appeal, so dress to the nines and act like you belong there, because of course you do. Hollywood A-listers and high-ranking power players celebrate the LA dream — record deals, movie contracts, great parking spaces - at this ultra chic lounge and club. Live out your wildest fantasies in the enchanting rooms of the Roxbury, where sleek couches, dazzling pillars, and a curved ivory bar handle your nighttime needs. But please, no Roxbury Boys jokes. They've heard them all.
The Edison
Revisit decades past while visiting the historic Edison restaurant and lounge. One of LA’s first power plants, the Edison (after Thomas Alva) re-crafted, refitted, and refurnished the place into downtown LA's most innovative lounge, which fuses scientific innovation with classic glamour. The industrial-chic space harkens back to a stylish era of 1920's Tinseltown with a soupçon of Industrial Revolution: think stone pillars and rusty pipes, soft lighting and dark leather seats. The cavernous space contains a lavish bar, as well as a game room, a stage, a parlor, and multiple lounges for public or private parties. A strictly enforced dress code that accommodates only high style proves that in LA, timeless elegance is always in fashion.
Pink Taco
Mexican cuisine gets the LA makeover at Pink Taco, whose name represents a metaphor that needs no explanation. While it serves as a popular restaurant with every type of Mexican entrée you can imagine, Pink Taco is even better for its hip and happening bar scene, which eschews the snacks for primo drinks and casual conversation. The extensive selection of tequilas — well over a hundred bottles, divided into blanco, reposado, and añejo — and tequila cocktails is astounding (try the Cadillac Margarita, made with agave nectar). In addition to being a prime drinking space, Pink Taco is also prime people watching space, particularly out on the patio area that overlooks Santa Monica Boulevard. Spend hours chatting over drinks while watching everyone else chat over drinks. It's like watching a movie play out in real life, with the very real possibility of NC-17-rated scenes.
The Pagoda Bar at Yamashiro
The Pagoda Bar at the eternally elegant Yamashiro prides itself on having one of the best views of all of Los Angeles. This cozy outdoor bar and lounge takes on the ambiance of a Japanese garden and is situated just above the Yamashira Pagoda, the oldest architectural structure in all of California. From the Pagoda Bar, look out on Downtown LA and see as far as the ocean. Pagoda Bar is open only on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, so it provides the perfect atmosphere to cool off from a long week or to begin a wild weekend.
Digital Image is provided Courtesy of LA INC. The Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau
