Where I Would Take Your 9 Year Old Daughter in LA

Not the beginning of "Taken" but rather, a really specific prompt from an Uber driver dad

Hello!

Today’s TTS is inspired by a conversation I had with an Uber driver this week. At just about midnight cruising down Lincoln Blvd, Howard asked me about my favorite places in LA and where he should take his 9 year old daughter. In an attempt to further guide me, he shared that she’d recently gotten very into Starbucks and the “Pink Drink”.

I’ve given all kinds of recommendations of things to do in LA over the years, but haven’t spent much time thinking about the city through a kid’s lens. This prompt served as a creative exercise, honestly, after a few weeks of burnout + writer’s block. It was fun to brainstorm a really specific ask that I haven’t covered before (thanks, Howard!) - read on for where I’d take a 9 year old girl in LA!

Full Day Itineraries

1. Sawtelle Day - I’ve decided Sawtelle is my number one rec for entertaining a 9 year old gal!! The combination of fun & playful foods + memorabilia/toy/trinket shops make it the ultimate destination for your daughter

   1. Food: sugar-y, fun drinks like a Cinnamon Toast Crunch Latte from Chit Chat, fish-shaped cones from Somi Somi, boba with all kinds of flavors and jellies and syrups from Noble Tea, soft serve with honeycomb from Honeymee, Brian’s Shave Ice, a crab-shaped pretzel from Coffee Tomo, pretty colorful macarons from Artelice Patisserie, a self serve food court with $1 pieces of tempura at Marugame Udon, all kinds of fun ice cream flavors at Wanderlust Creamery

   2. Shopping: Tokyo Lifestyle, Daiso, Black Market, Giant Robot Store

2. Downtown Day - Downtown also offers a ton of colorful, fun food options and plenty to explore. A few ideas -

   1. Olvera Street - A historic pedestrian street filled with painted stalls, street vendors, and gift shops

   2. Grand Central Market - An indoor food hall with 40+ stalls - you could spend an hour just deliberating over which foods you want to eat!

   3. Angel’s Flight - I feel like a kid when I ride Angel’s Flight. There’s something so magical about this bright orange street car!

   4. The Last Bookstore - Not only is there a cool kid’s section of the bookstore, but there’s also a massive tunnel of books + a bank vault upstairs for you + your kiddo to explore

   5. The Broad, MOCA, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Grand Park, Central Library - no shortage of museums, parks and cool buildings to explore DT!

3. Griffith Observatory - I genuinely think people of all ages can find something to enjoy at the Observatory. I highly recommend the shows in the Planetarium for kids!

   1. Recommend Magpies, Fred 62 or Jeni’s Ice Cream down the hill afterwards for a treat!

4. Canter’s Deli + Melrose Trading Post - a yummy diner breakfast followed by browsing the stalls at the trading post

5. Huntington Library & Gardens - I love the Children’s Garden at the Huntington, it’s so special and whimsical! If you’re feeling extra special - look into booking high tea at the Rose Garden Tea Room

One-Off Treats & Fun

1. Bottega Louie - Bottega has a kind of “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” energy - your daughter will love feelin’ fancy and looking at the pretty pastry displays

2. La La Land Kind Cafe - La La Land has all kinds of fun, sugar-y drinks and their cups + merch are super cute too

3. Smorgasburg - Similar to Grand Central Market, Smorg offers all kinds of colorful foods to sample *every Sunday

4. The Apple Pan - I always see kids here with their parents, celebrating a soccer game win or just enjoying a special treat slice of pie after a school day. Sitting at the retro counter is so fun and the burgers are delish, win win!

5. Abbot Kinney - Artists & Fleas is a cutie artisan market happening *every Saturday on AK