72 Hours in Los Angeles: Everything I Did, Saw and Ate That Was Totally Worth It

Venice

This was our first stop after checking into our hotel, and it was certainly interesting. If you’ve never been to LA — which as of a week ago I hadn’t — Venice will live up to every possible stereotype you can think of. There are people synchronized roller skating to ‘80s music at the Venice Skatepark, relaxed surfers skateboarding home with a surfboard under one arm and a tote bag under the other, trendy influencers strolling up and down Abbot Kinney – you name it, someone will fit the LA bill.

As a first-time West Coast-er, this was an entirely new experience to me, and definitely one I recommend seeing at least once (and TBH once at Venice Beach is probably enough). There are tons of unique spots worth checking out, whether you’re a laidback California surfer or on-the-go New Yorker.

For food, I really enjoyed Great White, which describes itself as a New American restaurant with the California treatment (think burgers, fresh juices, avocado toast, natural wines, etc.). It’s just a couple blocks inland from the beach, so it’s the perfect post-surf or post-sightseeing spot.

Venice is known for their great shopping à la Abbot Kinney Blvd, and that sentiment certainly remained true. The street is lined with the coolest Californian shops, from FP Movement to Burro, Grow, Bromelia Swimwear, and illesteva, you can certainly find something special. If you’re into art, definitely check out micro-gallery Art Unified for some incredible, authentic pieces.

Abbot Kinney has dozens of unique food spots, too. From viral sensations like The Butcher’s Daughter, Lemonade, Sweetfin and Salt & Straw to local eateries like Felix Trattoria and Gjelina, your tastebuds will thank you.

West Hollywood

I stayed in WeHo at the Mondrian during my trip. The ultra-modern hotel may not be my vibe, but its Sunset Strip location is pretty unbeatable. I mean, take a few steps down the street and you’ll be face-to-face with the Selling Sunset crew at the Oppenheim Group.

Beverly Hills

As an avid RHOBH stan, you already know Beverly Hills was in my sights. On my last day in LA, my mom and I were sure to drive around the gloriously wealthy LA neighborhood to get our ultra-rich fix, and it was so worth it. HOWEVER – the “hills” part of “Beverly Hills” is an understatement. We were driving up and down massive canyons, many of which had little-to-no guardrails to prevent vehicles from plunging into the abyss…if you can’t tell, heights aren’t really my thing.

This remained true on our journey to the Hollywood Sign lookout point, which was definitely a one-time must-see.

Santa Monica

My time in Santa Monica was spent in fairly residential areas. I went to brunch at Blueys Kitchen, which was absolutely adorable, but came with a longgg wait line.

I also made my way to Erewhon (How could I not?!) to see if the exorbitant prices shown on TikTok are accurate. Spoiler alert: they’re not. Erewhon was pretty much on the same cost-level as, say, Whole Foods, just with more “luxury” products. By that, I mean sea moss gel, top-shelf chlorophyll drops, etc. Other than those items (which IMO are priced appropriately considering their rarity), it was much cheaper than I expected. I got a liter of water for $3, a bottle of fresh pressed juice for $9.50, and a granola bar for $2.50. Pretty typical if you ask me!

Malibu

OK, OK. Malibu is technically not LA, but it’s still making the list. If you were an avid Youtube girlie from 2014 to 2016, you know the absolute chokehold Malibu Pier had on budding influencers, so it was in my blood to see it IRL. I brought my mom along to check out the pier and, of course, Malibu Farm for a quick trip. Tragically, Malibu Farm did not live up to the hype. I blame the aggressively strong mango cocktail, lack of salt in the burger, and organic ketchup, but perhaps the gloomy weather played a part in the experience as well. Regardless, it was still fun to see real surfers paddling out to the waves below, and drive up-and-down the PCH.