Jacob's Guidebook
Food scene
Valerie’s is a short walk from our house and one of the nicest places to eat in Echo Park. Great food. Great people.
117 locals recommend
Valerie Echo Park
1665 Echo Park AveValerie’s is a short walk from our house and one of the nicest places to eat in Echo Park. Great food. Great people.
If you’re looking for a small family owned and curated market, Cookbook is a two minute walk from our house.
153 locals recommend
Cookbook Los Angeles
1549 Echo Park AveIf you’re looking for a small family owned and curated market, Cookbook is a two minute walk from our house.
A few miles away in Silverlake near the Sunset Junction is one of our favorite places to eat dumplings or noodles or pan fried pork buns.
255 locals recommend
Pine and Crane
1521 Griffith Park BlvdA few miles away in Silverlake near the Sunset Junction is one of our favorite places to eat dumplings or noodles or pan fried pork buns.
If you want some amazing Korean BBQ but don’t want to go someplace huge and fancy, this Smokey joint is well worth a visit.
26 locals recommend
Soot Bull Jeep
3136 W 8th StIf you want some amazing Korean BBQ but don’t want to go someplace huge and fancy, this Smokey joint is well worth a visit.
Upstairs is one of the best places in the area to have a drink and a snack with friends. Downstairs is a great restaurant with some outdoor seating. Very close to Silverlake reservoir for a walk afterwards. Next to Milk for ice cream...
227 locals recommend
L & E Oyster Bar
1637 Silver Lake BlvdUpstairs is one of the best places in the area to have a drink and a snack with friends. Downstairs is a great restaurant with some outdoor seating. Very close to Silverlake reservoir for a walk afterwards. Next to Milk for ice cream...
If fresh pressed green juice is your thing, or you want an organic coffee, or if you want to buy some mushroom jerky, this is the spot and it’s a two minute walk from our house.
15 locals recommend
Glowing Juices / Vegan Market
1557 Echo Park AveIf fresh pressed green juice is your thing, or you want an organic coffee, or if you want to buy some mushroom jerky, this is the spot and it’s a two minute walk from our house.
Do you like sausage and beer and waitresses dressed up as German peasants from the previous century?
149 locals recommend
The Red Lion Tavern
2366 Glendale BlvdDo you like sausage and beer and waitresses dressed up as German peasants from the previous century?
If you want a great bagel and lox and want to hang out in one of the coolest most historic spots DTLA has to offer, you won’t be sorry you made the short trip here. If you end up not wanting the bagel, there are scores of other spots to eat. Walk around the wild and crazy streets of downtown afterwards.
Wexler's Deli
317 S BroadwayIf you want a great bagel and lox and want to hang out in one of the coolest most historic spots DTLA has to offer, you won’t be sorry you made the short trip here. If you end up not wanting the bagel, there are scores of other spots to eat. Walk around the wild and crazy streets of downtown afterwards.
There are scores of places to eat and shop in this historic market which occupies almost a whole city block. Afterward you can walk up Broadway and take in the glittering urban blight of hip DTLA then make your way into the diamond district then make your way to Santee alley where you can buy some fake Gucci purses etc.
968 locals recommend
Grand Central Market
317 S BroadwayThere are scores of places to eat and shop in this historic market which occupies almost a whole city block. Afterward you can walk up Broadway and take in the glittering urban blight of hip DTLA then make your way into the diamond district then make your way to Santee alley where you can buy some fake Gucci purses etc.
Monty’s Good Burger
1533 Sunset BlvdGet an Impossible burger here.
Lowboy
1540 Sunset BlvdEat drink and be merry.
Chicago style pizza that I endorse as a Chicago style pizza expert. Yes I grew up in Chicago.
232 locals recommend
Masa of Echo Park Bakery & Cafe
1800 Sunset BlvdChicago style pizza that I endorse as a Chicago style pizza expert. Yes I grew up in Chicago.
Hangout
Echo Park lake is a great urban park with ducks and paddle boats and a cafe that has great food.
Echo Park Lake
Dodgers stadium is a twenty minute walk or very short drive from our house. It’s one of the best outdoor stadiums in the country to see baseball. And I’m a Cubs fan from Chicago who grew up going to Wrigley field.
877 locals recommend
Dodger Stadium
1000 Vin Scully AveDodgers stadium is a twenty minute walk or very short drive from our house. It’s one of the best outdoor stadiums in the country to see baseball. And I’m a Cubs fan from Chicago who grew up going to Wrigley field.
One of our favorite museums in the world. The Broad focuses on Modern art and is well worth a quick drive downtown. You could walk if you felt like getting a lot of exercise- it’s probably 3 miles away.
1555 locals recommend
The Broad
221 S Grand AveOne of our favorite museums in the world. The Broad focuses on Modern art and is well worth a quick drive downtown. You could walk if you felt like getting a lot of exercise- it’s probably 3 miles away.
Have a bike and feel like biking for hours? You could do that on the LA River bike path... stop and get a beer at The Frogtown brewery along the way.
8 locals recommend
Los Angeles River Bike Path
Los Angeles River Bike PathHave a bike and feel like biking for hours? You could do that on the LA River bike path... stop and get a beer at The Frogtown brewery along the way.
Drive up highway two for fifteen minutes and spend an afternoon at these gardens. Great place to run around with some young kids or take a walk with your elder aunt.
238 locals recommend
Descanso Gardens
1418 Descanso DrDrive up highway two for fifteen minutes and spend an afternoon at these gardens. Great place to run around with some young kids or take a walk with your elder aunt.
Silver Lake Reservoir
Great place to hang out or take a walk.
Elysian park is a huge park. Bigger than you think. If you hike up towards the top of it you can see all of LA and there is a path down to lower Broadway which leads to Chinatown. From there you could get on a train and go....?
273 locals recommend
Elysian Park
835 Academy RdElysian park is a huge park. Bigger than you think. If you hike up towards the top of it you can see all of LA and there is a path down to lower Broadway which leads to Chinatown. From there you could get on a train and go....?
Neighborhoods
If you want dim sum in Chinatown we recommend The Golden Dragon. There’s a big beautiful park adjacent and if you wanted to walk there you could traverse the hills of Elysian park and Uber home.
Chinatown
If you feel like visiting the hip area of Highland park...while you’re there have an insanely good donut.
159 locals recommend
Donut Friend
5107 York BlvdIf you feel like visiting the hip area of Highland park...while you’re there have an insanely good donut.
Art District
Traction AvenueFull of food and shops and right next to Little Tokyo.
The Santee Alley
210 E Olympic BlvdThis is a great place. Google it.
For writers
A lot of our local family owned coffee shops have been hit hard by Covid and closed. By the time you read this many will have sprung up in their places but in the meantime the wife and I both like to hangout here at LAMILL and write. It’s not walking distance unless you want a 3 mile walk (: For a nearby spot to grab a coffee we like Woodcat.
219 locals recommend
LAMILL COFFEE Boutique
1636 Silver Lake BlvdA lot of our local family owned coffee shops have been hit hard by Covid and closed. By the time you read this many will have sprung up in their places but in the meantime the wife and I both like to hangout here at LAMILL and write. It’s not walking distance unless you want a 3 mile walk (: For a nearby spot to grab a coffee we like Woodcat.
Stories
1716 Sunset BlvdA great place to find a book and read a book and to get a bite to eat.
Gym
As far as gyms go, this YMCA is fantastic. There is ample parking which is cheap if you validate, a huge basketball gym, and everything else a gym should have. It’s a ten minute drive from our house in DTLA.
YMCA
401 S Hope StSightseeing
From our house you can hop on the 2 freeway and be up in the snow (in winter) in under forty five minutes. In the spring or fall there are a thousand trails to hike or spots to picnic. In the summer it’s hot but it is still a great place to visit.
51 locals recommend
Angeles National Forest
12371 Little Tujunga Canyon RdFrom our house you can hop on the 2 freeway and be up in the snow (in winter) in under forty five minutes. In the spring or fall there are a thousand trails to hike or spots to picnic. In the summer it’s hot but it is still a great place to visit.
While you’re visiting LA, why not spend a couple days in Joshua Tree hiking around and seeing some of the greatest rocks on the planet? It’s only a couple hours away...
1713 locals recommend
Joshua Tree National Park
While you’re visiting LA, why not spend a couple days in Joshua Tree hiking around and seeing some of the greatest rocks on the planet? It’s only a couple hours away...
The most famous park in Hollywood and for good reason. You could hike for days and not see all of it.
898 locals recommend
Griffith Park
4730 Crystal Springs DriveThe most famous park in Hollywood and for good reason. You could hike for days and not see all of it.
Ski trip!
You would never know it if no one told you but in the winter there is a primo (and cheap) place to ski about an hour away from DTLA (if no traffic). Locals will tell you “its the best skiing in Southern California” even if you don’t ask them. A great place to hike as well.
Mt. Baldy Resort
8401 Mt Baldy Rd