Why Your Next Girls Trip Should Be To This US City
And we've done the itinerary for you.
Originally, I had planned on this piece being about what a great city Los Angeles is to travel as a single woman. And while that’s not entirely untrue, I couldn’t write that story. Because LA is a great city (I’ll get to why in a bit) but it’s not an ideal city to travel by yourself.
Why? For one - everything is very far apart - and everyone in LA owns a car for this very reason. Which means if you decide to walk somewhere, you’re usually alone or will see the odd person walk by, but it’s ultimately a very eerie feeling. Or, you'll tally up a hefty Uber bill getting anywhere when that money could be going to margaritas.
And while Paris might be the city of lights, Los Angeles is the city of lines. There are lines of people (usually teenagers) everywhere waiting to get into different stores. It’s quite incredible, but also a reason you don’t really want to travel by yourself. Waiting in line is just better with someone else.
Those two things combined and voila, LA isn’t the best place to travel as a single woman. But with mates? An incredible, albeit weird, place, which is why you'll want someone to share those pinch-yourself moment with. Plus, when you’re with a group - the Ubers become cheaper, you’ve got friends to wait in line with and when you need to get a cheeky celeb spotting snap - you have someone to take the photo who intimately knows your best side. Plus, if you're an entertainment buff or reality television fiend, this is your mecca.
Want more travel content? Find out what LA is really like during awards season, or read more about why Hotel Figueroa is every feminist traveller's dream.
Here, I’ve rounded up some of the places you should go when you’re there.
Where to stay
There’s absolutely no other option other than Hotel Figueroa. It was opened in 1926 as a YMCA exclusively for women to serve those who travelled for business without a man (these were the days when women needed a ‘chaperone’ in order to be allowed to stay in hotels). Since then, it’s been home to activist meetings, art exhibitions and conferences that all hark back to it’s very feminist origin story. It’s also just chic AF, with a rooftop pool that is to-die-for and a bar that’ll make you not want to go out. If you like your feminist politics with a side of aesthetic - you can’t go past this place.
Where to eat
The restaurant a.o.c. along trendy 3rd street is a quintessential L.A. experience. And even more than how luxe the dining experience is, you’ll also be enjoying a beautifully curated menu from Chef Suzanne Goin, the fifth woman to receive a James Beard Foundation award for Outstanding Chef in the organisation's history. On top of that, during the 2018 JBF awards, Suzanne's business partner Caroline Styne, was the only award recipient from L.A. Caroline took home Outstanding Restaurateur award.
Where to drink
Vinovore needs to be on the list. Image: Instagram
If, like us, you consider yourself a true wine connoisseur, you need to visit Vinovore Wine Shop. It boasts hundred of unique, handpicked bottles from the world’s best female winemakers and is located within East Hollywood’s emerging neighbourhood of Virgil Village. You also have the option of discovering your own quirky wine personality based on your flavour profiles of choice. Vinovore also frequently holds wine tasting events spotlighting these pretty incredible lady winemakers.
Where to go
Hauser & Wirth Los Angeles’ newest exhibition, Annie Leibovitz The Early Years, 1970 – 1983, is a must see for anyone who grew up obsessed with the famed photographer’s celebrity portraits. It’s the first comprehensive exhibition in L.A. devoted to the earliest work of the renowned American artist with more than 4,000 photographs eatured. It’s open and on view until April 14.
But if you’re into shopping, or window shopping, you obviously need to visit Melrose Avenue for the beauty mecca that is Violet Grey or Glossier, as well as the uber chic The Row store which will have you drooling on the way out.
If you want a more bohemian feel though, you should visit ROW DTLA, which was originally known as the LA Terminal Market in the 1920s. Since then, it’s been thoughtfully re-imagined into a cultural hub offering the finest in experiential culinary, retail and wellness. On Sundays, ROW DTLA is home to Smorgasburg LA, the popular outdoor food, design, craft and vintage fair and it is the permanent home for over 40 different collectives. It boasts a number of impressive female-owned businesses such as Still Life Ceramics, The Things We Do, Galerie.LA and LCD.
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