21 Places to ~Get Some Steps In~ in LA
Did you hit your 10K today?
Hey so… your Apple Watch called and told me you aren’t getting your steps in :/ Don’t worry, I can help with that!
In no particular order, here are 21 of my favorite places to wander (and hit 10k) in LA:
Palisades Park, Santa Monica - The sprawling stretch of green grass overlooking the Santa Monica beaches can’t be beat. I love this walk no matter what time of day it is, but morning + not during tourist season is peak peak :)
Highlight: I typically like to pick up a coffee at nearby Demitasse and start my beach walk from Wilshire & Ocean, heading north towards Montana. The houses in the Montana neighborhood are idyllic and make for a great extended walk.
The Row, DTLA - This urban shopping center & dining destination seems to be quite polarizing, but has gotten a lot cooler in recent years, with additions like the new location of Kato and the LA outpost of Pizzeria Bianco.
Highlight: Don’t miss Bodega, a sneaker and streetwear speakeasy tucked towards the back of Row.
Westfield, Century City - Yes, the parking lot is hell on earth, but this mall has become my go-to for consolidating errands (“errands” = clothing returns & dropping $100+ at Sephora). I also find the people watching here is top tier - lots of fascinating tourists and very large family gatherings (??)
Highlight: I love wandering the aisles of Eataly, drooling over the counters of carb-forward food items, and sampling whatever cheese or produce sample they have out that day.
Griffith Observatory (& the surrounding neighborhood), Griffith Park/Los Feliz - Griffith Park is primo walking territory. The Griffith Observatory is a FREE museum, but I honestly love walking around the outside perimeter and enjoying the city views from every angle. I also highly recommend exploring the hills of Los Feliz surrounding the area - stunning homes, hidden staircases and very quiet, peaceful streets.
Highlight: Some might qualify this as a hike, but I highly recommend a visit to Cedar Grove - a NorCal-feeling patch of tall trees perched on a hill overlooking the city. A great place for a picnic, or an occasional gratitude journal session with Adam (thanks Adam for introducing me to this gem!)
LA River Bike Trail, Frogtown - I’ll probably get yelled at for this one because it is… a bike trail but I love walking here on a Sunday afternoon with pals and sitting on the cement incline next to the crappy yet somewhat charming LA River.
Highlight: Sync up your visit with a Frogtown Flea Crawl, coffee & a pastry at Just What I Kneaded, or dinner res at Lingua Franca. My Frogtown faves!
Flea Markets, Long Beach, Rose Bowl, Melrose, Los Feliz - Flea markets are such a great way to hit your 10K for the day! Browsing the booths of a market makes the walk a little more entertaining
Highlight: Kind of a no brainer, but all of these markets are way more pleasant earlier in the morning. Incentivize yourself with an iced latte and make it an early morning for the most peaceful walk (+ the best loot to boot)
Farmers Markets, Brentwood, Mar Vista, South Pasadena, Santa Monica - Similar sentiment to the flea markets above - I love starting my day at a farmer’s market and taking a few laps around before I pick my produce.
Highlight: If you haven’t been to the South Pas FM yet, I highly highly recommend it! There’s such a wonderful neighborhood-y, community feel at this one in particular. I shot a video with Andrea (Mas Vino Please) a few months back talking about her experience growing up at the market, give it a watch HERE!
Silver Lake Reservoir (& the neighborhoods surrounding), Silver Lake - Grab a coffee at Lamill and walk the loop around the reservoir! The park is also lovely for a picnic.
Highlight: Do your research beforehand and map out the Neutra homes along Silver Lake Blvd - these architectural wonders are a must-see on your walk. More on Neutra VDL house in my 3 Cool Houses post
Echo Park Lake, Echo Park - A classic for a reason! The cutie swan boats on the lake + views of DTLA make it a picture perfect walk spot.
Highlight: Any hoagie fans in the house? Philly native Joshua is handing out his Delco Rose Hoagies in the park most Fridays. Be sure to check his IG for more info!
The Flats, Beverly Hills - Strolling past multi-million dollar homes in a lush green neighborhood - one of my favorite types of walks.
Lowlight: See what I did there? Be sure to avoid the 6-WAY INTERSECTION sitting right below Will Rogers Memorial Park. I care about your safety and well-being.
UCLA Campus, Westwood - UCLA’s campus is SO stunning. I love wandering through and admiring all the pretty, scholarly brick buildings.
Highlight: Walk up to Shapiro Fountain for a beautiful bird’s eye view of the campus, and head to Election Walk area for people watching on a shaded grassy hill.
USC Campus, DTLA - Listen… I didn’t go to either school so I play neutral here. I love big college spirit! ;) USC is equally stunning and fun to stroll.
Highlight: I recommend visiting the campus during the LA Times Festival of Books, a fest that covers the grounds annually. 2024 will take place in April, save the date!
Brentwood Country Mart, Brentwood - Chic shopping and strong potential for a celebrity sighting. The mint chip from Sweet Rose Creamery on a warm day cannot be beat.
Highlight: Dôen was recently featured in Vogue’s 24 Hours with Sofia Richie vid. So chic so fun!
Malibu Country Mart, Malibu - I grew up going to the Malibu Country Mart - stocking up on sandwiches from John’s Garden before a beach day, or grabbing a cup of gelato from GROM (RIP) on the way home. It’s changed quite a bit since I was a kid, so every visit feels new to me. Nowadays I’m usually stopping there for a lobster roll from Broad Street Oyster Co.
Highlight: I JUST tried Taverna Tony this past weekend and wow. I waited WAY too long. I love this Greek dinner spot, complete with flaming cheese, free mystery delicious garlic dip + bread, and belly dancers if you time your resy right.
LACMA > La Brea Tar Pits, Mid-Wilshire - Whether you’re committed for a full museum day or you just want an artsy kind of walk, the grounds of LACMA leading into the Tar Pits have plenty to offer.
Highlight: Levitated Mass is a 340-ton ROCK that you can stand under at LACMA. There’s a rumor Kanye tried to get the rock for his Coachella set this past year and the fest organizers said no. Do we believe?
Kenneth Hahn State Park, Culver City/Baldwin Hills - If you’re scared of the 270 stairs running through the park (aka “The Culver Stairs”), there’s a great trail running up and down the hill for walking.
Highlight: The trail has recently been extended as part of a long term city project called the “Park to Playa Trail” - a 10.9 mile stretch that eventually leads to the beach!
Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook, Culver City - This area of the city also gives me NorCal energy. The trails are mostly flat and offer great views of the city. During winter time earlier this year, I had great views of the snow-capped mountains!
Highlight: Drive to the top (you can map to Kenneth Hahn Disc Golf Course if you need a reference point) for the best views.
Venice Canals, Venice/Marina del Rey - another classic for a reason! Stroll through the canals with a pal and take turns picking out your future homes.
Highlight: This is a great stop for bringing visitors - the little white bridges make for an excellent, “so LA” photo opp
Neighborhood between McLaughlin / Palms / Walgrove, Mar Vista - This was my daily quarantine walk, so I’m heavily biased (read: trauma-bonded) to this area of the city. There are some beautiful homes, big and small, and it tends to be pretty quiet. A great extended walk post MV farmers’ market too!
Highlight: Similar to Los Feliz, this neighborhood also has a couple hidden staircases - keep a lookout!
Larchmont Blvd (& the neighborhood surrounding), Larchmont Village - A lovely mix of boutique shopping and more stunning homes. Their farmers’ market is also great!
Highlight: If you’re there early enough in the AM, feast your eyes on the pile of pastries in the Clark Street Bread window.
Huntington Library & Gardens, San Marino - Pulled straight from the website because I couldn’t have said it better myself - “Encompassing about 130 acres, the Botanical Gardens feature living collections in 16 stunning themed gardens with more than 83,000 living plants, including rare and endangered species, and a laboratory for botanical conservation and research.” These gardens are HUGE, and it’s a true effort to cover it all in one day. Not even sure it’s doable?
Highlight: Don’t miss the children’s garden! There are some really sweet interactive elements of this garden in particular.
Highlight #2: The Huntington hosts plant sales throughout the year and the Fall Plant Sale is coming up in early November! More info at the link.
Ticket to Sarahdise Event Digest - Week of 10/16
Every week, I’m sharing events you should be checking out in LA. Here’s this week’s download:
Fall Vintage Market at Left Bank - Hey, add this as a stop to your Frogtown walk! The Left Bank is hosting a cute lil fall market on Saturday 10/21. More info at the link!
Spooky Street Food Cinema - SFC is going full spooky mode the next couple weeks, including a showing of Halloweentown this coming Saturday! Peep their full schedule HERE for showings.
Bettina’s 5 Year Anni - Sharing this one with a full week’s notice so you can plan a visit to Montecito accordingly! Bettina is whipping up some special specials all week 10/23-10/29 in honor of their anniversary. Bon appetito!
As always - I am posting even more LA recommendations on TikTok weekly, check me out! Thanks for reading!
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