Life In LA
From beautiful weather and ocean views to world-class museums and fine dining, Los Angeles has it all! Here are a few of the things that our residents appreciate about LA. UCLA’s School of Medicine also has a webpage of what LA offers which you can access here.
Weather: Always nice. Peak summer highs of 85 °F and lows of 66 °F. Peak winter highs of 68 °F and lows of 49 °F. 15 inches of rain annually.
Day & Weekend Trips: Day (1-2 hours: Catalina Island, Santa Barbara, Ojai / 2-3 hours: San Diego, Palm Springs, Solvang) and weekend (4-5 hours: Las Vegas / 5-6 hours: San Francisco) trip options are abundant. You can even hop on the Amtrak! Where else can you be an hour away from the snow and 30 minutes away from the beach?!
Trails: LA is the only major city in the United States that is bisected by a mountain range; four mountain ranges extend into the city’s boundaries, creating hundreds of phenomenal hiking, running, and mountain biking opportunities. There are numerous running groups and track clubs, as well as several road races throughout the year. Take a 50-mile trek into the Santa Monica Mountains’ wilderness from a trailhead that is only 15 minutes from UCLA! Or, hop in your car and head to one of the six (yes, six) national parks/forests within a 2-hour drive of LA!
Climbing: With world-class climbing locations such as Joshua Tree, Malibu Creek, Point Dume, Bishop, Tahquitz, and Red Rock as close as 40 minutes away, LA offers all the sport, trad, and bouldering a climber could ever hope for. Local climbing is also available at the John Wooden Center on UCLA’s campus and the Rockreation climbing gym in Sawtelle, as well as at Hangar 18 in Hawthorne, which is just 20 minutes away!
Biking: Even in the city known world-wide for its traffic, there are tons of bike-friendly streets. Nothing beats riding down the Pacific Coast Highway at sunset. Or, ride the Expo Line Bikeway from Downtown to Santa Monica or the Ballona Creek Bike Path from Culver City to Marina Del Rey. LA also has a thriving mountain biking community, especially given the abundance of trails in the mountains in and around the city.
Horseback Riding: A journey through the Hollywood Hills is a memorable experience. You can also catch a polo game at Will Rogers State Park on summer weekends.
Beach Activities: Surfing, sailing, snorkeling, scuba diving, beach volleyball, paddle boarding, kayaking, and sunbathing at Venice Beach, Santa Monica, Malibu, Manhattan Beach, and Paradise Cove… The list goes on. Also, anyone can be a member at the Annenberg Beach House in Santa Monica for free!
Snow Activities: Mammoth Mountain, Big Bear, Mountain High, Snow Summit, and Lake Arrowhead are relatively short drives away for guaranteed skiing and snowboarding in the winter months.
Water Sports: The UCLA gym has kayaking and other sports programs that residents can take advantage of at a discounted rate.
Gyms: Present on practically every corner. You choose: LA Fitness, Equinox, Sports Club LA, etc. Or, take advantage of the amenities on UCLA’s campus!
Yoga: Year-round! From paddleboard yoga to yoga by the beach.
Griffith Park: Home of the LA Zoo, Griffith Park Observatory, Travel Town, and the Greek Theatre.
Quiet Places: Lots of tranquil gardens and parks throughout the city.
Pet Lovers: Tons of dog beaches, parks, and adoption centers. Some residents are actually “foster parents” to pets while they wait for loving homes. There are also cat cafes around town!
- Cuisine: Koreatown, Little Tokyo, Little Ethiopia, “Tehrangeles” on Westwood Boulevard, Chinatown, Little India in Artesia, Armenian food, real Southern barbeque…
- Dine LA: Twice a year for two weeks at a time, you can find specially-priced 3-course meals at participating locations. Don’t miss this opportunity to try one of the fancy restaurants on your list!
- Wine & Dine: New Zagat-approved restaurants are always springing up around the city. Whether you choose to pay yourself or go through a CME course, you can easily get through residency without ever eating at the same place twice. Wine enthusiasts: Santa Barbara has amazing vineyards–great for a weekend getaway!
- Markets: Fresh produce and more… All over the city and every day of the week–even one at the VA hospital where we work! Grab a bite to eat, listen to live music, and get your weekly shopping done all at once.
- Cooking: Impress your family and friends after taking a cooking class at one of the many academies throughout the city. Some resident favorites include: The New School of Cooking, Hip Cooks, Sur La Table, and California Sushi Academy.
- Treats: Saffron & Rose, Wanderlust, or Salt & Straw for ice cream? Diddy Riese or Milk Jar for cookies? Sidecar or SK for donuts?
- Vegetarian/Vegan: A veggie-lovers paradise. Whether you dine at Veggie Grill, Native Foods Café, or Café Gratitude, you will find everything from wheat grass shots to tofu steak.
- Hotels: Glamorous hotspots such as the Viceroy, Standard, and Huntley (just to name a few) featuring dishes from top chefs in the nation!
- In-N-Out: One of the freshest hamburgers you will ever consume. We invented fast food, and then we perfected it. Fatburger is another area classic!
- Music: Bring your own picnic basket with wine and sit in the coveted $5 rear seats for the summer concert series at the Hollywood Bowl; sit under the stars and watch a live performance at the world-famous Greek Theatre; enjoy the orchestra at the Walt Disney Concert Hall; praise at Gospel Brunch at the House of Blues; Vibrato Grill Jazz; Off The 405 at the Getty on Saturdays; Jazz at LACMA on Fridays. There are also free concerts in Culver City, The Grove, and at the Santa Monica Pier during the summers!
- Museums: So many to choose from: Getty Museum–always free, with some of the best Roman and Greek art in the US, MOCA–free Thursday evenings, LACMA–free every second Tuesday, Hammer–free over summer, Natural History Museum–free every first Tuesday, Annenberg Space for Photography–always free, Museum of Jurassic Technology, Huntington Library/Museum/Gardens, Broad Museum–home of Yayoi Kusama’s famous Infinity Room!
- Theatre: See an off-Broadway production or even a world premiere, often with famous actors at: The Ahmanson, Mark Taper, Kirk Douglass, UCLA-LIVE, Orpheum, Pantages, etc.
- Sports: Regardless of whether you prefer professional (LA Galaxy with David Beckham, LA Lakers and Clippers, LA Dodgers and Angels, LA Kings and Ducks) or college (UCLA, USC) sports, there are many great bars to meet up and root for your favorite sports teams at!
- Arts: Culver City Art Walk, Bergamot Station, Downtown Art Walk (second Thursdays), Brewery, Venice (first Fridays), Frieze LA.
- Shopping: The Grove, 3rd Street Promenade, Robertson, Melrose, Montana, Rodeo Dr.
- Flea Markets: The Melrose Trading Post at Fairfax HS every Sunday from 9 am – 5 pm ($2 admission) and the Rose Bowl Flea Market every second Sunday from 9 am – 4:30 pm ($8 admission).
- Beauty: Go to the world-renowned Vidal Sassoon Academy to get a first-class haircut for $10 or highlights/color for about $20.
- Psychoanalytic Centers: NCP: https://www.n-c-p.org/; ICP: https://icpla.edu/; LAISPS: https://www.laisps.org/; Jungian Institute: http://www.junginla.org/; Newport Psychoanalytic Institute: http://www.npi.edu/.
- LGBTQIA+: LA is one of the most welcoming cities in the country towards LGBTQIA+ people, with West Hollywood (just a few miles from UCLA) being a particular focus for bars, clubs, stores, and festivals.
- Show Tapings: Completely free and totally fun. Watch and potentially win prizes at: the Price is Right, Deal or No Deal, or any of the multitudes of daytime television.
- Movies: “Reel Talk with Stephen Farber” is the hottest preview series in town! Experience great films and Q&As with filmmakers and actors every Monday night in Westwood and Brentwood. Also, preview movies before your friends and family have even heard of them. Cinespia is a popular experience for watching outdoor cult classics in the middle of the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Stunning designs of theaters make for an incredible movie-watching experience at the Mann Chinese Theater or The Fox.
- Bars & Clubs: Hang out in Santa Monica, Downtown, Hollywood and Vine, or Abbot Kinney Road to find the ever-changing new “hot spot”! Go where the stars go, or choose to hang out at your own local dive bar.
- Celebrity Sightings: The Sepulveda VA (where you do your Ambulatory Medicine rotation) is a frequent site of filming. Many residents have had the opportunity to meet the cast of Grey’s Anatomy!
- Dating: If you are single, the city abounds with dating opportunities. Whether you date the old-fashioned way, online, or choose to go to a speed dating session, there will be someone for you in a city this size.
- Amusement: Disneyland, Disney Adventure, Universal Studios, Knott’s Berry Farm, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Raging Waters, Roaring Rapids…
- Drag Queen Bingo: Spend $20 and get a packet of cards, great food, and an opportunity at great prizes all while a drag queen calls out your numbers! Located at Hamburger Mary’s in West Hollywood (WeHo) every Wednesday.
- Comedy: Some of the best in the world! Try Second City or the Comedy Club to be exposed to new and upcoming stars, or to see some classics present their new materials. Also, at ‘Point Break Live’ $20 gets you a so-bad-its-good re-enacted classic (outrageously funny!). Also, check out The Groundlings, which gets rave reviews from the LA Times.
- Family & Jobs: In 2005, LA placed second in a list of safest large cities. Additionally, virtually every type of industry is possible to pursue in LA, making it extremely possible for your partner to find a job here quickly.