Lily’s 5 Favorite Places in Los Angeles
LA Insider Tours offers the best private tours in Los Angeles. In fact, it was just ranked Number One in LA on Trip Advisor! Besides our comfortable vehicles and wealth of knowledge of Los Angeles and its surrounding areas, we have incredible tour guides. Each one of our guides makes their tours special for their group. With distinctive personalities and lively stories, they will show you LA through their eyes. We would like to introduce you to each of our guides and introduce, or in some cases re-introduce, you to some of their favorite spots in Los Angeles.
Lily Zepeda is an actress who’s appeared in numerous commercials, acts as a TV and web host at red carpet events, and is an accomplished journalist. She’s also tutored children with learning disabilities. So basically, she’s awesome. And her tours think so, too. Finnster68 from Melbourne said “We could not have been more happy or grateful for her informative and caring nature.” The Mysorewala family from Florida said “Lily never made us feel rushed. She had such a great and easy going personality! She shared such interesting trivia about the movie stars homes and life.” And Phdedieu from Pennsylvania told Trip Advisor “I am sure there are many great companies that will deliver and great experience, but Lily really made it fun, engaging and a fabulous experience.” And while we definitely think you should ask her about toilets (because she is producing a documentary about them), we asked her about 5 of her favorite spots in LA and here they are.
Santa Monica Beach
Santa Monica Beach is 3 miles long, covering 245 acres of sand along the Santa Monica Bay. Whether you want to stick your toes in the warm sand, or build sand castles by the shore, Santa Monica’s beaches are the place to be. While it is wonderful to laze the day away on a beach chair and listen to the surf and people watch (one of Lily’s favorite things), there is also so much to do while at the beach. On any given day, you can catch a volleyball game, take some surf lessons or hang out at the famous Muscle Beach and get a work out in! Additionally, with so many great amenities nearby, you can go from sand to city life in minutes. Lily loves walking the dirt pathway and running the stairs that go from the beach up to Ocean Boulevard. She meets a running partner there 3x a week… so maybe you will see her there!
Farmers Market
A landmark in Los Angeles, The Farmers Market opened its doors in 1934. It’s more than a place to buy fresh, fantastic vegetables. This open air food market is a feast for the eyes and the stomach. Featuring over 100 restaurants, grocers, florists and shops you can spend all day walking around there and trying the various cuisines they have. This is definitely a great destination for foodies as The Farmers Market features a variety of ethnic cuisines and specialty foods. When Lily goes to the Farmers Market she loves trying a new dessert or different type of food. The Farmers Market is definitely and LA institution. Plus it is next to The Grove, which is a fantastic outdoor shopping mall with incredible stores.
Brentwood
One of Lily’s favorite places to relax and read is at the local café’s in Brentwood. And who wouldn’t? This more affluent area of Los Angeles boasts wonderful restaurants and cafes and a lovely atmosphere. Originally a part of a Mexican land grant, the development of Brentwood began in the 1880’s and even hosted a part of the pentathlon in the 1932 Olympic games. It was made famous in the 90’s when Nicole Brown Simpson was killed in her home in Brentwood and her ex-husband, OJ Simpson, was accused of the crime. For the most part, Brentwood is a quiet community in Los Angeles and home to many different celebrities including Jim Belushi, Tom Brady & Gisele Bundchen and Jay Leno among many others. If you are looking for a quiet stop in West LA, this is the place to go.
Koreatown
Koreatown is one of the most highly diverse places in Los Angeles. Just 4 miles from Hollywood, Koreatown used to house The Ambassador Hotel which hosted the Academy Awards in the 1930’s and where Robert F. Kennedy was killed. The LA Times reports that it is the most densely populated district by population in LA County, but this bustling little city in the big city welcomes you with open arms…and hands. Yes, hands. According to Lily (and any other person who has gone to Koreatown) you can find the BEST massages and spa treatments in this tiny place for a very good price. Definitely worth a stop!
The South Bay
One of the most culturally, economically and ethnically diverse areas in the United States, the South Bay is home to beach cities such as Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach and Hermosa Beach. Lily loves the South Bay because here you can find quiet beaches and great, hidden gem restaurants. And let’s not forget the great beach Volleyball! The South Bay also houses the Port of California in San Pedro where all of the cruise ships dock. Additionally, The Aerospace Industry and Petroleum Refineries can be found in the South Bay as well as the North American Headquarters for Toyota and Honda.
So next time you are in LA, take a tour with Lily and LA Insider Tours . It will be unforgettable!