The City of Angels, as it is sometimes called, is a city full of juxtapositions: romance and heartbreak; beauty and danger; dreams and disappointments. Many of the most interesting attractions around Los Angeles embody these factors. There are a number of famous attractions that tourists and locals frequent, and there are a few unexpected places that make Los Angeles a dynamic city on the West Coast.
Beginning in the 1920s, an Italian immigrant named Simon Rodia started to build a unique series of tower sculptures from steel and covered them with mortar. He decorated them in a mosaic of broken tiles, broken glass, sea shells and pottery. Over the years, his sculptures grew to number 17 structures and the end result is a modern sculpture garden in Watts, hand-made without the benefit of contemporary tools. This fascinating place is a unique legacy to an artist's life work.
Watts Towers and Art Center
1761-1765 East 107th St.
Los Angeles, CA
213-847-4646
One of the more iconic Los Angeles buildings, constructed in 1956, the Capitol Records tower was the world's first circular office building. The oft-repeated erroneous legend is that the building was designed to look like a stack of 45 rpm records on a record player. It is true, though, that the light atop the needle protruding from the roof does actually flash the word "Hollywood" in Morse code. Outside the building is a hall-of-fame sidewalk display of famous recording artists throughout the Capitol years.
Capitol Records Building
1750 Vine St.
Hollywood, CA 90028
323-462-6252
If you've seen the movie "Rebel Without a Cause," you've seen the Griffith Observatory in one of the movie's most-famous scenes. The observatory was the dream of Griffith J. Griffith who wanted to make science more accessible to the public. His dream was posthumously realized in 1935 when the observatory was completed. Open Wednesdays through Fridays from noon to 10:00 pm and weekends 10:00 am to 10:00 pm, visitors can enjoy the Samuel Oschin Planetarium, the Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon or look through the free-standing telescopes set up by staff.
Griffith Observatory
2800 East Observatory Rd.
Los Angeles, CA 90027
213-473-0800
Who doesn't like donuts bought from a whimsical shop with a huge donut perched on top of the building? Randy's Donuts is a popular destination for people looking to satisfy their morning craving for a donut, or afternoon or evening craving, as Randy's is open 24 hours a day. Since 1952, Hollywood's glitterati and average Joes and Janes have made their way to Randy's for tasty donuts and merchandise. Randy's will also be more than happy to ship their treats worldwide.
Randy's Donuts
805 West Manchester Ave.
Inglewood CA 90301
310-645-4707
