i remember eric said in an interview (billboard, 240319, 10:45) they are always asking him what they should do in LA but he doesn’t know super well because he’s lived here as a resident so he’s not really doing touristy stuff and it’s been a hot minute since he’s lived here. completely understandable, luckily for you i am a lifelong (so far) LA resident with too many ideas and not nearly enough friends to do all of them. eric i will not let you take shit from them if i can help it. here’s some random stuff to do if you need it (it’s definitely not the best of the best but it’s what i know)
- dockweiler beach bonfire - near LAX, you’ll need fire supplies and enough time to go early and claim a spot - parking isn’t great to be honest, though with enough planning it should be super fun, though it might be a bit of a gamble if you’re not early enough. i realize now you’ll probably want beach chairs and stuff but you could make do with a few picnic blankets if you had to
- biking along the metro bike path - definitely a weird pull from me, it’s not even really all that scenic but it eventually goes to the beach and the path is specifically for bikes, it’s relaxing if nothing else. i will say there’s not much to see, but it’s the journey, not the destination
- in that vein, there’s also biking along the beach, there are a bunch of rental places down there (i know specifically there’s one by the santa monica promenade
- i know you’ve been to the santa monica promenade a few times, but if you want more shopping malls there’s also the century city westfield mall. i know american malls (post pandemic) have been dying a little, but westfield is really nice (and very big) and it seems to be doing well. if you want an expensive place to eat with a long ass line, there’s a din tai fung down there you’ll have to get a very long reservation for(reservations are only in person, it’s probably best to make a reservation asap and then go walk around while you wait). the garlic green beans might just make it worth it though, and this is not praise i give lightly
- if you want to eat some kind of asian food, the restaurants on sawtelle and la grange seem to be very trendy and popular with people our age. i will say there is really not a lot of shopping or walking down there though, unless you really like daiso
- maybe it’s less appealing since you can just go to the actual country, but our j-town is pretty cute, also a lot of places to eat around there, though it seems it gets pretty busy even on weekdays. that’s very downtown los angeles area wise
- speaking of downtown LA, there are quite a few art museums in a very short distance. the broad is always nice, though i don’t think any of you are big museum people. if you want something prettier either of the two getty museums are beautiful (the getty center is bigger i think, and it has a beautiful outdoors space) (you’ll get some good pictures, especially if the weather is clear)
- more in the shopping route, there’s the grove in more downtown los angeles, it’s an outdoor mall that’s super cute when they decorate it for christmas. it reminds me a little of the shopping centers on the east coast. i would be careful of the time, though, last time we were there a lot of places were closed for the night relatively early
- more shopping, you ask? melrose is pretty famous for its fashion, though it’s pricey for the average middle class american loser (me!) i think it’s totally your thing. it quite a lot of stores, more than a few blocks. it is very up your alley i think, just as kpop idols. this is probably my top pick for you (just having watched your travel vlogs and seeing what you do in your downtime) but i honestly cant speak so much to the experience itself. it seems promising. there’s a chrome hearts there. ★★★★★★★★★★★
- eric’s from irvine, so i’ll even get you a more southern idea just because im soo worldly and knowledgeable like that. it’s definitely touristy and overpriced, but universal studios has a generous mall area outside the park that might be fun to check out, even just for a little. i don’t know how the shopping is there, but you could definitely pick up a few nintendo funko pops, if nothing else
- if you want something more cute (do 20 something guys like going to museums? maybe im just a nerd) there are a ton of museums in the same place in exposition park. my favorite is the natural history museum, it’s definitely more uh… for kids… but i personally enjoy learning about the nostalgic wonders of nature. take this recommendation with a grain of salt though, i haven’t been there in a while. they do have a cool butterfly pavilion though i could never get one to land on my head (so sweet like nectar…!)
- more outdoorsy (and far!)for sure but the huntington library botanical gardens are so beautiful, like, get ready to take some fire ass instagram photos. do it casually though, i know some friends were scolded for taking more formal pictures there for a special occasion, they didn’t want them doing that without some kind of reservation
- if you’re really out of ideas, there might be something in griffith park. there’s an entire zoo up there, and an observatory that’s pretty sick (im scared of heights though) this would probably be a last resort though
- and of course it’s california. there are plenty of beaches and beach hikes and probably any kind of hike you could ever ask for. i’ve been on so many hikes they’ve started blending together. it’s to the point where i feel like ive been on a hike even though it’s my first time. i know they have a weird amount of hikes in seoul, i think these might be a little more hike-y though. california is genuinely so beautiful i really hope you get to see the pretty parts even if you get stuck in traffic a lot
note that i am very biased to west LA activities and anything i have even a little nostalgia for. i figured that would be okay if you’re going to be pretending like you know a bunch of places just from being a local. also in eric’s defense irvine is NOT LA i honestly don’t think anyone from LA would want to make that claim anyway so. he’s kind of off the hook. how can he be expected to know the hangout places if he never lived here!! he’s from orange county!! eric dont worry i got u my guy !
to be honest that was just gonna be a list of like 4 things but im moving away for school soon and i am going to miss my beloved gray 1 story building ass city a lot. this is my love letter to the charmingly ugly desaturated urban environment ive loved as long as ive known. i just hope my tbz can get a fraction of the enjoyment its afforded me, and maybe some of my knowledge could actually be useful to someone! deobi feel free to take any of these suggestions! (죄송합니다 한국 더비분들이, 이 영어 말 점 어려워요)
anyway i hope that could help at all. eric if you see this post before kevin you have my full permission to read this verbatim and then pretend you thought of it yourself. kevin if you’re the only one who sees this thank you and you also have my permission to start spouting weirdly specific anecdotal reviews of random LA activities. unfortunately i think made this a little too wordy for the korean translators and im not nearly good enough to know how to say half of these words.
i don’t know what blood alchol level would justify writing recommendations of los angeles activities for a kpop group. i’ll see you all july 25th i love you more than words can express i genuinely hope this helps even a little i will send a heartfelt letter soon
love,
sami
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