Los Angeles is one of my favorite cities in the world. I’ve always thought of spending a lot of time in LA meeting new friends and just enjoying the city by the sea. It may be because of too much TV but Los Angeles really has never lost its charm to me. So, let me share with you 7 things I really love about Los Angeles I realized on my last visit to the city.
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Beaches
Eons ago, lol, when I was a kid I used to always watch Baywatch. Yes, that bikini running, David Hasselhoff starring hot hot hot show shot in California. I’ve always fantasized about having an amazing body with six-pack abs and just walk shirtless at Venice Beach. Spoiler alert: didn’t happen. LOL. But that fantasy also has given me the fondness of living near the beach. A few years back, I even attempted relocating at Subic Bay, though I horribly failed, at least I tried. I also just bought a plot of land near the beach in Batangas! Anyways, I am getting a bit off the topic. L.A.’s beaches is absolutely #1 on my list because of that.
LA’s (and its nearby Orange County) beaches are absolutely picturesque. Not just Venice, Dockweiler and Manhattan beaches, but if you go down south at Huntington Beach it just gets better. I absolutely love the beach culture of LA. How people respect other people’s rift with their beach thing. It’s just awesome. The sand may not be as fine as Boracay but it’s just the culture that makes it so different and beautiful. -
Everything Has Labels
Way back in early 2019 I weighed about 70kg, I’m 5’6″ so I was pretty thin. I’ll put a photo below for those who can’t imagine how thin I was. I gained weight towards the end of that year and through 2020 due to many factors. It was really a struggle to watch what I was eating when I was staying with my aunt in North Carolina. I mean, how can I say no to the awesome food my aunt and uncle cook every single day!
When I moved to Los Angeles after a couple of months with them, I was able to watch what I eat since I buy my own food. I buy my food good for a few days from the neighborhood grocery, Ralph’s. The best thing about doing grocery is that there are labels on how many calories each serving of food there is. I can just mix and match without worrying about exceeding my daily caloric intake targets!
Amen to ZERO Calories!
Mix and matchin’ my proteins for dinner. -
Transportation
The first time I was in Los Angeles, was ages ago. At that time, we were pretty much confined to the house and hotel where we were staying at. I was too young, didn’t had a car, and didn’t know how to drive. Public transportation at that time was next to inexistent. Don’t even ask about Uber or Lyft when computers back then, were still running on WindowsXp. Today, Los Angeles may not have a metro system as fancy as the big cities but their buses do run 24 hours. Paying the fare is also really easy, just get yourself one of the metro cards that you tap in and out. The local train-bus network even reaches as far as Huntington Beach, Anaheim and New Port or even farther. They will get you to where you need to be. A bit of warning though, they don’t smell that good especially the train. LOL. -
Groceries
Many of us are under the impression that the US is an expensive country to travel to. That’s somewhat true. However, if you try to be a thrifty traveler and focus on the things that really matter to you grocery stores are a great place to get your supplies! Iwas strandedlived in LA’s Korea Town for a little over a month. And a couple of blocks off from my hostel is Ralph’s. This grocery store, which I think is owned by Kroger, has almost anything that you need, including a bank! I could always go to Ralph’s at any time of the day (it is open 24 hours) and pick up one of the zero-calorie iced teas whenever I am craving for it. They have baked goods, flowers, a pharmacy, eye clinic, meat, and poultry section, it was a really well round-off store. So next time especially when you are on long-term travel in California or anywhere, do not forget to give the groceries in your neighborhood a visit. my local Ralph’s store in Korea Town. (screenshot from google maps) -
Creativity
Los Angeles is just overflowing with great talent. This city will truly change you and affect you especially if you are a creative person. I myself, though not a truly creative person, felt this effect when I lived there for a short while. Since I was living in a hostel, I met so many people trying to make it out there in Hollywood. There were actors, musicians, and visual artists. I especially got involved in a creative project with a rap artist called LateAfter. I was honestly reluctant and doubtful to say yes. I only had a cheap Sony A5000 camera and a gimbal for my travel Vlog. But yeah he saw so insistent that I just said yes to it. I tell you it was something that I could have not experienced if I did not meet people that are artists like LateAfter8. Here’s the video we shot that night. -
Electronics
If you are someone from a country who, like The Philippines, taxes two to three times the price from the country that Export it. So buying straight from the source and bringing it back to your home country as personal property (as it actually is) saves you a lot of money. Imagine I got a Surface Pro 4 from Amazon for just about
bought my dad a cool soundbox for $99! -
Mexican Food
With its population made up of at least 59% Latino, Los Angeles is an awesome place to taste authentic Mexican food. I lived in Korea Town for a little over a month. My favorite place to go to for some late snacking was at W 8th and Irolo. I discovered the area on one of my few exploration walks in the neighborhood. I found a bunch of small Mexican food stalls that set up late in the afternoon, just in time for the workers going home to buy food. Oblivious if the prices were cheap considering that this is Los Angeles, I asked one of my hostel friends. She said that $5 for street food was pretty cheap already. Throughout Los Angeles, you will find many places with trucks and stalls that offer Mexican food. If you, however, are the restaurant type; expect to pay more for your food plus tips!
One of the Mexican Food Trucks in my neighborhood.