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The perfect weekend in LA, a city that 'makes nonsense of history and breaks all the rules'

The city is home to Hollywood and much, much more - © Walter Bibikow 2016
The city is home to Hollywood and much, much more - © Walter Bibikow 2016

The English architectural critic and writer Reyner Banham said Los Angeles “makes nonsense of history and breaks all the rules”. There is nowhere like this sprawling, sleazy, exciting and sometimes frustrating town, where the car is king and distances between sights are eye-watering (a rush-hour trip from Venice to downtown can take almost two hours). Here’s how to make the most of any time here.

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LA has soul. It’s a city like a country, with millions of new immigrants and dreamers from around the world trying to make it in the movies or in life. Celluloid is the sine qua non of LA: a visit to Warner Bros Studios is essential. But LA wants to diversify, too: there are new sports stadiums and the forthcoming Olympics in 2028.

Its downtown is changing – art, culture, retail and gastronomy are thriving, The Broad and the Walt Disney Concert Hall are big architecture draws. LA will make you woozy – from the heat, the hangovers and the tantalising possibility of fame and fortune that seems to lurk round every corner.

Go now to take advantage of Virgin Atlantic’s (virginatlantic.com) new thrice-weekly route between Manchester and Los Angeles (LAX). Visit discoverla.com

Stay here

Level (1 on the map) is an aparthotel located Downtown: channel your inner Patrick Bateman at these minimalist loft-living condos beloved of star basketball and baseball players (stayinglevel.com/los-angeles; doubles from $273/£218). Another Downtown hotel hit is Indigo (2), with its kitschy interiors, very comfy beds and compellingly hypnotic views of the 110 Freeway’s endless traffic (telegraph.co.uk/tt-indigo-los-angeles; doubles from $199).

Walk here

Start with a taste of glamour in Hollywood, at the Chinese Theatre (3), where many premieres take place. Music is almost as big as movies: so check out the iconic Capitol Records Building (4), which looks like a stack of spinning vinyl. Spot the stars on the Walk of Fame along Hollywood Boulevard (5), then head up through the bucolic Griffith Park to the Griffith Observatory (6) for city views on one side and the Hollywood sign on the other. Many films were shot here.

The Chinese Theatre - Credit: GETTY
The Chinese Theatre Credit: GETTY

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Exposition Park (7) has many surprises, including the impressive Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum from 1923. It is serving as the home of the LA Rams American football team until they move to a new stadium in Inglewood next year (which will also host the 2022 Superbowl).

The 1984 Olympics opening ceremony at Exposition Park - Credit: getty
The 1984 Olympics opening ceremony at Exposition Park Credit: getty

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LA’s Downtown Arts District (8) features buckets of murals and street art on buildings, telegraph poles and walls. There are shops, bars and galleries, such as the Swiss art chain Hauser & Wirth. Their courtyard features dozens of empty tents installed by artist David Hammons, which mull on homelessness (until Aug 11) – Skid Row is a block away.

Street art in LA - Credit: getty
Street art in LA Credit: getty

Shop here

Venice’s independent boutiques, delis and cafes along Abbot Kinney Boulevard (9) were popularised in the recent Netflix series Flaked (abbotkinneyblvd.com).

Drink here

Rooftop bars such as Spire 73 (10) (spire73.com) and 71 Above (11) (71above.com) offer panoramic views across this sprawling city from the tops of its skyscrapers while you sip negronis. Then there’s the surreal haunted house vibe of the exclusive No Vacancy (001 323 465 1902; novacancyla.com). A long line is worth it for the surprise you get on entry (we won’t spoil that) and the proliferation of celebrities.

Eat here

Guerrilla Tacos (12), which gets a Bib Gourmand from the Michelin Guide (the new edition was published on June 3), is more than a cut above the other taco joints, serving lobster quesadillas, oysters and sea urchin tacos. The potato taquitos are incredible and the divey vibe is fun and friendly as befits its location in the Arts District. Tacos from $5 (guerrillatacos.com).

Auburn (13) opened in March on Melrose Avenue in Hollywood and with its French/Nordic cuisine and very Copenhagen-esque minimal interiors, is certainly zeitgeisty. Six-course tasting menu (dinner) $105 (auburnla.com). Meanwhile, the homely Italian fare at Rossoblu (14) is delicious. A dining room in the Fashion District makes this perfect for an enjoyable dinner where main courses average $25 (rossoblula.com).

Off the map

Down south in the lesser-visited suburb of Watts lies an intriguing oddity: the Watts Towers are an unholy art brut confection cobbled together between 1921 and 1954 by borderline barmy Simon Rodia, who slung up the skyscraping steel and mortar sculptures without any artistic training (wattstowers.us).

 the Watts Towers - Credit: getty
The Watts Towers are an unholy art brut confection Credit: getty

You can cruise on through Compton, home of LA’s flourishing rap scene, and finish at the Westchester In N Out (in-n-out.com), which is at the end of LAX’s runways and mixes plane-spotting with the best burgers in town (order a Double Double, animal-style fries, and root beer).

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