Things to do in Los Angeles

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Things to do in Los Angeles

When you think about Los Angeles, what comes to mind? Sunny beaches? Movie stars? Palm trees for miles?

Los Angeles is a top tourist destination, with more than 40 million people on average visiting every year. The guidebooks send visitors to places like Hollywood Boulevard, Disneyland, Rodeo Drive and the Venice Beach boardwalk. But off the beaten path, there are gems just waiting to be discovered. Hipster hangouts, flea markets, hiking trails, taco trucks and the best sushi dives ever.

The greater Los Angeles area is home to Murad headquarters (#MuradHQ), so we asked members of our team to share their favorite things to do and places to go.

Marc Kravets, Direct

My absolute favorite LA workout is the Pier to Pier run early in the morning from Santa Monica Pier to Venice Pier and back; it’s about 7 miles round trip. It’s still cool, there’s no one around, and it’s drop dead beautiful that time of day. Nothing better.

beach venice

Lily Lopez, e-Commerce

I highly recommend Moonshadows in Malibu. They have a pretty amazing dining area/lounge overlooking the ocean. During the day, the ocean waves look beautiful, and during the night, the sky is just flooded with beaming stars. The food and drinks are also fantastic!

Another place I recommend is Paradise Cove in Malibu. This place allows you to picnic at the beach and enjoy refreshing cocktails. They also have a restaurant/shack where you can eat and purchase beverages.

Kristen Robinson, New Product Development

I love the chicken pho from Number Nine in Hermosa Beach. It’s convenient, fast, fresh and so, so yummy. It’s a huge portion that always leaves leftovers for lunch. Hot, steamy chicken broth base and chunks of white meat chicken breast served over a giant, webbed portion of thin, long rice noodles. Top it with fresh lime, jalapeño, basil, hot chilies and beansprouts. It’s so clean and fulfilling!

Manhattan Beach is my favorite beach. It has miles of wide-open, clean sand, volleyball nets and great waves for surfing. The beautiful Strand has gorgeous homes packed side by side and is great for walking, biking and exploring along the way to the pier.

HIP Studio (AKA high-intensity Pilates) in Hermosa Beach is my favorite Pilates studio, with workouts that challenge every shred of muscle fiber and never get boring, repetitive or easy. I’m obsessed with Pilates; mat, classical, reformer, proformer, etc. I love them all and have never found a more satisfying workout to lengthen and strengthen my body. I also love Club Pilates in Manhattan Beach and YogaWorks in Manhattan Beach, of course!

Rachel Tydings, Global Marketing

My favorite restaurant in LA is Osteria La Buca. Order the Cacio e Pepe Pasta. My favorite places to workout are Pilates Platinum and SoulCycle. My favorite beach is Point Dume in Malibu. It’s small, not too crowded and beautiful!

Hayden Ozawa, Global Retail Marketing

Here are some of my favorite restaurants in downtown Manhattan Beach: MB Post – Must book reservations far in advance; BrewCo.—It’s casual dining with a relaxed atmosphere; Fish Bar—In the El Porto area in North Manhattan Beach; Four Daughters, The Local Yolk and The Kettle—All are good for breakfast; Le Pain Quotidien and Lemonade—Both in the Metlox Center; Becker’s Bakery & Deli—Open since 1942! Their sweet treats are delicious, and their sandwiches are huge – good for sharing; Simmzy’s—They have sangria Thursday–Sunday. You must try the haystack fries. It gets crowded fast; Old Venice—They have great food and the best tiramisu I’ve tried in the South Bay; Nektar, Pressed Juicery and Kreation Organic are great juice places.

These are some of my favorite activities to do in Manhattan Beach: Roundhouse Aquarium at the end of the pier, and boutique shopping at The Beehive, Michael Stars, Trina Turk, Wright’s and LF. For those people who love to use Instagram, there are photo ops EVERYWHERE!