City of Angels? Perhaps, but really only if by angels, you refer to traffic, high prices, and crowds. Although it is no New York City, the way Los Angeles has spread itself out into ever extending suburbs reminds me of my hometown, Denver, Colorado, but on steroids. I’d visited Los Angeles many times in the past, both as a child on family vacation, and as an adult for conferences and meetings, but I had never really spent time exploring the city itself. The whim took me, and I booked a flight out to LAX in May, hoping that the city would be less crowded and slightly cooler (I’m uncomfortable in temperatures that exceed ninety degrees Fahrenheit) at that time of year. Although I toyed with the idea of renting a car, my personal experience with Los Angeles traffic as well as the testament of my Uncle who lived in LA and commuted to and from work daily for nearly seven years made me wise enough to stay off the roads. Although driving is, admittedly, the quickest and most convenient way to travel in California, LA has greatly improved their public transportation system in recent years, and I found it fairly easy to get around, even if I had to plan forty minutes or so for commuting.

Because I wanted to stay downtown and not on the outskirts of the city, I avoided the overpriced luxury hotels, and opted for a simple accommodation at the Holiday in, City Center LA. I was able to take an airport shuttle for a relatively cheap price, and got to my hotel within an hour of leaving the airport. After settling into my room and unpacking my things, I wanted to explore a bit before dinner. I asked the concierge what the best way to get to the Museum of Contemporary Arts, which I’d heard had a unique traveling exhibition of sculpture made with “found” materials going on at the time. The woman at the desk was knowledgeable and friendly, and handed me a bus schedule of the routes I’d need and told me where to find the nearest stop. The closest stop to me was about a two minute walk, and the next bus was due to come in about five minutes, so I headed straight out into the warm California afternoon. I caught the bus, and although it was just a few minutes late, it was nothing to make me want to criticize the LA bus system.

Within about ten minutes I was in the area of the Museum of Contemporary Arts, and was able to walk the rest of the way (about six short blocks). The museum has several different complexes throughout the city, and the one I ended up at was the Grand Avenue venue, which is a large brick building with a modern industrial design theme. It hosts most of the traveling and many of the permanent exhibitions for the Museum of Contemporary Arts, and for a small fee, I was able to see a wide variety of art that kept me busy for just over three hours. There was a nice coffee shop on the main floor which I was able to sit in and enjoy an espresso while taking a much needed rest.

After the museum, my stomach was growling, and my passion for sushi combined with the fact that Los Angeles has some of the best sushi in the United States to make me head to Little Tokyo. With so many Japanese-Americans living in this area, Little Tokyo has become a thriving community, and the joint I ended up eating in, called Sushi Gen, was no exception. The fish was so fresh that I would have bet money that it was caught that morning. The prices were modest, and the sashimi was cut and laid perfectly, and my recommendations include the yellowtail and tuna, both of which were succulent and that perfect color. Unagi (fresh water eel) would be a good choice as well.

It was approaching eight o’clock at this point, about time for me to sample the notoriously vibrant Los Angeles night life. Although 8pm would be too early for many venues, I had decided to aim for somewhere offering live local music, and 8pm is the perfect time to enjoy a premium cocktail in a dim indie bar in LA. For those unfamiliar with the indie music scene, it essentially involves bands that tend away from mainstream pop and toward what might have been called the Punk Rock movement of the sixties and seventies. Having read about the Knitting Factory, the indie headquarters of LA, in Rolling Stone Magazine, I decided to make my way there in hopes of finding a new favorite band. Although there is a headliner’s stage, I opted, after taking a fairly short bus ride there, to instead enjoy my drink near the other stage. Called the AlterKnit Lounge (clever wordplay there), this smaller lounge environment has bands booked months in advance, due to the fact that playing in this venue is often free.

I enjoyed several bands playing progressive acid jazz and one band playing electronic – bhangra –rock, a genre I think may have actually been invented in Los Angeles, combining the base of Electronica with a melodic line of Indian traditional Bhangra and traditional vocal styling of American Rock. All very ingenious, and most very fun to listen to, the AlterKnit Lounge takes one of my highest recommendations in music venues. But of course, by about 11:30, I was, as the brits say, “knackered” and headed home. Although my room overlooked the street, thick double paned windows kept the city noise to a minimum, and I enjoyed a wonderful rest.

The rest of my journey in Los Angeles was much like this day, and I will spare you the description of it, saying only that I would greatly recommend a visit to Rodeo Drive, and to Hollywood, if only because you’ll then have visited some of the most famous places in the United States. I would also highly recommend May as a time to visit, as many venues were still offering spring discounts, and the summer crowds and high temperatures were not yet in full force.