Crowded and overrated beach in the Malibu area…read more Tons of surfers and tourists, but almost no available parking, making it even more congested and difficult to navigate around. It's a decent area with a prime real estate location, but after the Malibu fires, the resources and food/drink options out here are very limited. If you're a surfer there's a very supportive environment here for you with plenty of folks grabbing waves and enjoying the socal surf culture life. If you're here for an event or just looking to relax on the beach, you may be better suited to find a different location that isn't as congested or dirty/undermaintained.

A nice little beach near the Adamson House and the Malibu Pier. They have a small lot for $15 but…read moreit fills up fast on the weekend. The beach itself, definitely something good for surfers. Waves looked perfect for riding and they even have signs saying you're only supposed to be surfing here, no swimming. It was pretty crowded on Saturday but we were able to get a nice little spot on the beach. Overall good beach, clean waters.

Escondido Beach is a small beach located in Malibu. It's a lesser known beach and is semi-hidden…read moremainly because it was only recently opened to the public due to an agreement with the landowners in the area. In fact, the word escondido means "hidden" in Spanish. It's located just south of Geoffrey's restaurant and there is coastal access from the sides of the restaurant to the beach. Parking can be limited if you're not parking on PCH or doing valet at Geoffrey's. Because it's secluded, it wasn't as packed and there were barely any people when we stopped by. It was very peaceful to watch the waves and walk on the sand. If you're eating at Geoffrey's make sure to stop by to get a glimpse of this once-hidden beach.

The coastline in Malibu is lovely with its rugged, rocky coastline. Especially the section of…read morePacific Coast Highway starting from the Malibu Country Mart driving north on Highway 1. Parking is difficult to stop off if the PCH but if you're lucky to get a spot then take a moment to enjoy the view. Many of the beaches along the PCH in Malibu charge a fee for their parking lots.

I have been coming to Malibu Beach since I was a kid. One of the most seemingly less crowded…read morebeaches in Southern California. Not a tourist trap at all, more locals kick it and surf here than anyone else in the world. Great restaurants, coffee shops, pastries, and sandwich shops here. I can catch some of the best waves and sunset views at Malibu. Yeah, sometimes you get people that do not live here come and trash the beach, but they do keep it nice and clean to come hang out.

Not cool Malibu. I…read moream saying this because I remember when the Lagoon was nice. 5 Stars... Let's "fix it." Now 2 stars if that. No real reason to go by there, except if you are walking by to the beach. Some of the nearby beaches are notoriously unfriendly. You may be met by security or Malibu Deputies telling you that you can't be there (even if legally you can - the lines are iffy and hard to determine). https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ourmalibubeaches.app.ourmalibubeaches&hl=en_US&gl=US The Lagoon used to be a lush oasis, near the beach, with cool foot bridges over small creeks. So fun and relaxing. Now after the "upgrades" it seems desolate.

Cool place to stop by and take a stroll for a couple of hours with the little ones. Play along the…read morerocks and spot some birds, crabs, hermit crabs, empty lobster shells and even large live sea slugs! $3 per hour parking. Nice and empty on a weekday morning. I see a bunch of people park at the shopping center across the street for free and walk over though. Although their signs clearly says no beach parking.

Just so peaceful! The more north you go of Malibu it gets less crowded and just a bit cleaner…read morebeaches. Every time I make my way to this beach I get to relax, don't have to worry too much about a mess, homeless or vandalism. Only reason it doesn't get a 5 star from me is because the restrooms are somewhat rundown. Parking not a lot of.

This is the first day after two months of closure and the beach is remarkably empty, with a clean…read moreatmosphere for exercising and taking in the sun while walking. The waves were rather large, and the environment peaceful after the several weeks of closure to the public. It just tells us as humans, we have an impact on our beaches and environment that is not realized until we see Mother Nature's work at cleaning up the mess we've made. Probably one of the best days spent after a long hiatus away, due to work and age, allowing the younger folks enjoy the natural calling of the ocean waves and emptiness not frequently seen at this beach. I hope we've learned to keep our environment clean, and to protect our oceans, even if there is no pandemic keeping the beaches closed.

The Hollywood Hills offer a breathtaking escape above the Los Angeles sprawl, defined by winding…read morecanyon roads, lush chaparral, and stunning panoramic views of the basin below. I first explored these iconic, serpentine streets back in 1990 and 1991, completely captivated by the steep drop-offs and the eclectic architecture hidden among the trees. Several years later, I had the surreal experience of attending a party at a spectacular mid-century house tucked high up in the hills. Watching the sunset paint the rugged terrain and city lights flicker on from that vantage point was an unforgettable experience. Despite the notoriously difficult parking and narrow residential roads, the neighborhood maintains an exclusive, almost magical allure. It remains a quintessential piece of Southern California living where wild nature seamlessly meets Hollywood glamour.

The Hills have Hollywood... Known for amazing views, great hiking trails, beautiful homes, and at…read morethe base great food, shops, venues, local treasures/hidden gems, and hotels. The canyon roads (especially Laurel Canyon and Mulholland Drive) are your windy adventure, in, through, and out of the hills not to mention the 101 Hollywood Fwy. Enjoy Runyan Canyon trails, Fryman Canyon Park, Vine Stairs, and/or Bronson Caves. Bask at the Hollywood Reservoir, see a show at the Hollywood Bowl or The Ford, and stay at the BLVD Hotel. Have some Italian-style cuisine at Pace. Sip a craft wine or brew at Beachwood Cafe or a caffeine cup at The Trails cafe. The Hollywood Heritage Museum off Highland is history personified as are major historical landmarks such as the Cross and Sign themselves. Whether a local, passing through, or on vaycay... The hills of Hollywood have a lot to offer.

Los Angeles has been a world city for a long time, but some didn't see it that way. It took the…read more1984 Olympics and everything else that can go wrong - more population, higher prices, and increased strife - to make it one, along with a few more museums, nonstop flights, and even more Hollywood. Then, there was the joke: "What's the difference between yogurt and L.A.?" "Yogurt has culture." Los Angeles had quite a canvas to work with. Its coastal basin is hemmed in by the San Gabriel Mountains, with its palms set against that backdrop and seen dusted in snow on a few clear winter days. With low humidity and not much rain, L.A. has comfortable weather ranging from some 55 to 90 degrees. Los Angeles moved forward to become America's second city, eclipsing Chicago, and for which they can be bitter! L.A.'s calling card is that it is the largest American city with a Mediterranean climate. While not a desert, its raw materials were not lush. Irrigation and landscaping give the illusion that it is. It's hard to run out of things to do in the L.A. area, let alone with the many day trips to nearby coastal cities, desert towns, and mountain hamlets, but the traffic into and out of the area increasingly chips away at this perk. Los Angeles is best understood in its context. L.A. runs on an on, running into many adjacent cities or encircling some such as Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, and others. L.A. holds 4 million people. Los Angeles County, with a part in the Mojave Desert, holds 10 million people. One in ten and one in four Californians live in Los Angeles and Los Angeles County, respectively. Before Houston's growth and the trend to consolidate cities with their counties, L.A., with some 460 square miles, was America's largest city. With over 8 million people in New York's 330 square miles that include detached housing and parkland, L.A. is comparatively roomier as it spreads out to vapid suburbs that repeat the formula, but without the name recognition. It includes the large, less populated Hollywood Hills and Santa Monica Mountains, home to much wildlife, including some bears and mountain lions who became YouTube stars. Regrettably, the city has many entrenched problems. It's America's poster child for homelessness, with the eastern half of downtown being a tent city. Tents are now found on suburban sidewalks. I never saw this growing up. It's possible that a larger middle class and more feasible prices may have served as a buffer. It is now a very "have-have not" sort of metro area. Crime is pocketed but, more so than not, L.A. is fairly safe. Transit is woeful, with a true albeit limited subway arriving in the '90s, decades behind the 8-ball. The city has always been diverse and tolerant, with long established Hispanic, Asian, and Black communities, with L.A. born offspring being Angelenos all the more! Our street was truly a mosaic - all on one West Side block. Everyone just shrugged and coexisted. The same was true in Sun Valley, Silver Lake, and San Pedro. However, polarization has increased. Los Angeles has never had a blond head of hair. It has always had a head of dark hair that's getting darker. "Brady Bunch" kids are a thing of the past, products of graduates of top Midwestern engineering schools working in aerospace, Dust Bowl escapees, and transplants from northerly latitudes. Now, many have left. Portland's Oregonian once featured a series entitled "The New West." It is exactly this boomer demographic that up and left - to exurbian counties or far away, to Denver, Boise, Flagstaff, and beyond. Even if they wanted to come back, and most don't, they probably couldn't afford to. Los Angeles is a feast for the senses - a coastal Pacific metropolis with its own blend of easy-going and aloof, but with a subtle unwritten overlaid code of "cool" that thwarts its being more individualistic. I chalk that up to Hollywood, affluent whites, and surfers, among others. If navigating Los Angeles sloppily, one might waste time and not like it. If the trip is planned well, most visitors do like it. A poll I once saw indicated that 77% of Americans had a negative knee jerk opinion of it. I'm sure most were from the Heartland or he South, and religious, yet, when there was a thriving middle class, L.A. also had its slices of old school Americana such as roller rinks, malt shops, and single screen movie houses. Those elements are mostly gone. Visiting Los Angeles and walking down memory lane makes for sensory overload. Where are the big hair and ubiquitous Cutlass Supremes? Each of the 5 GM brands once had their own dealerships. Now, they are combined ... or gone. Stucco ranches with 2-car garages that your friends lived in look much dowdier if occupied by older owners who have paid them off, and unrecognizable if affluent younger folks have revamped them. L.A.'s overall layout is the same, but the intricacies and the vibe are so different that "you can't go home again."

The City of Los Angeles is a huge beautiful melting pot. I…read morelove that i can pretty much get any type of grub. There's amazing spots and of course some shady spots too but let's be real all cities have em. Overall the city of LA is always a good place to go and explore.

I've always loved Santa Monica. The college days where the beach was the spot for after classes and…read moreweekends. Then the big kid job where I got my start at Fred Segal making money. Oh those days are long gone. The hub for it all would have been third street promenade and the pier. Fast forward decades later, it is nothing compared to what it used to be. Of course you still have the beautiful homes north Montana and so on. But mainly you think of Santa Monica with the pier and water. Now it's just a faded memory. The bluff park and walkway is still beautiful with the scenery. But there's the homeless effect here and there all over LA. The view is still beautiful. Then there's the third street promenade. Like wtf happened there. Stores have completely disappeared while empty storefront line the boardwalk. The days of busy shoppers and lookers walking by and restaurants with waiting lines to get in. Now it's like a ghost town with random shops here and there. Three blocks of shops and restaurants has completely vanished. You still have random shops open here and there but it definitely not what it used to be. Covid did have a big impact with shoppers now just doing everything online. What's the fun in that. But Santa Monica still has its luster. You know it's alway going to bring people in with the hotspot. The beaches, the pier, PCH, Main Street and not far from it, the Venice boardwalk which connects through along the boardwalk. Santa Monica has its flaws but the beauty outtakes it all. A nice afternoon grabbing lunch along ocean blvd and walking along the bluff to a fun experience on the pier and beach. Water situation is a little iffy. But everyone knows Santa Monica and will keep coming.

Gorgeous sunsets, salty air, and the pier lit up at night. It's the postcard version of California…read more But between the $3/hr parking, the crowds on Ocean Ave, and the aggressive seagulls, it can test your patience. Go on a weekday morning and it's perfect. Come on a Saturday in July and you'll understand the 3 stars.