Part III, Entertaining Visiting Family in the Neighborhood
Living in one of the greatest cities in the world means that you will inevitably have visitors from out of town. We love them, but people who aren’t local to Los Angeles don’t know the first thing about planning a fun day here. Let me help you entertain in the neighborhood!
If you missed the first two parts of entertaining visitors, you could catch up with these links to June’s intro and July’s entertaining friends. Then move on to this month’s entertaining family.
June newsletter https://www.spna-dtla.org/blog/keep-your-out-of-town-visitors-in-south-park
July newsletter https://www.spna-dtla.org/blog/part-ii-entertaining-your-out-of-town-friends-in-the-south-park-social-districtnbsp
A Day in South Park (and beyond) with Your Family:
Prove to your parents that Downtown LA is nothing like what they see on the news. Give them a full experience that shows off everything this city has to offer.
9 am – If your family is energetic and adventurous, get them started early with a trip to the South Park Farmer’s Market, which is open on Saturdays from 9 am-2 pm. It’s a great place to kick off your day because you can grab coffee, breakfast empanadas, wontons, or even a little glass of wine if that’s what you’re in the mood for. Snack on some berries because you need to fuel up for today’s walk.
11 am – Get your steps in as you walk to the historic and gorgeous Central Library. Okay, I know that technically this is outside the South Park neighborhood, but I walk to this library at least once a week, so I consider it local. It’s full of art and beautiful architecture that you’ll miss if you don’t know what to look for. That’s why I recommend catching one of the docent led tours. No need to reserve anything in advance. Just look for the volunteers gathering visitors in the lobby at 11 am or 2 pm on Saturdays.
12:15 pm – Keep the book theme going by taking a brisk ten-minute walk to The Last Bookstore on Spring Street. Again, it is not technically in South Park, but you’re already so close to it and it is one of the most Instagrammable places in the city, so you can’t let your out-of-town guests miss this photo op.
2 pm – By now I’m sure you’re hungry, but if your group is up for a little more walking, circle them back around to the Proper Hotel for afternoon tea at Dahlia. The air conditioning will be a sweet relief, just make sure you get reservations in advance for this one.
4 pm – The Regal Cinema at L.A. Live is home to the first 4DX theater in the United States. It’s not just any old movie experience. If you book a ticket in the 4DX format, you’ll be treated to moving seats and special effects that include wind, fog, mist/rain, scenes, and other events that perfectly sync to the on-screen action. This is well-worth the experience, so check to see what movie is playing in 4DX that day and book tickets for the whole family. It will probably be a big action movie or whatever recent Disney animated movie is out. The options are limited because it’s only in one of the theaters. It’s not just a movie, it’s an experience.
6 pm – After the movie, walk across the street for dinner at Javier’s. It is best to make reservations and you’ll be rewarded with elevated Mexican food in a fancy environment. If you have the type of family who hates fancy food, don’t worry! Head down to 33 Taps for a sports bar experience. Their bar food is way better than it needs to be, and everyone will have a comfortable, fun time.
Stay out as late as you like!!!
By Audrey Knox