Los Angeles Convention Center – Experiences

Arriving in Los Angeles is an exciting feeling. Whether you have traveled there once or many times before, it seems like there is always something new and exciting to experience. This sprawling city is home to beautiful beaches, famous landmarks, historical attractions, and more. It’s no wonder why Los Angeles is nicknamed “The Entertainment Capital of the World!”

We’ve handpicked a few attractions and restaurants conveniently located near the Los Angeles Convention Center to put together a potential itinerary for your trip. Between the Hollywood Sign, Venice Beach, world-class restaurants, and everything else listed on the itinerary below, there is almost too much to see and do in too little time!

 

Morning

Noon

Night

 

Morning

A great way to kick off your day out in Los Angeles is with a hearty breakfast at The Original Pantry Cafe. This restaurant is casual, cash only, and, best of all, open 24 hours a day. Walking there from around the Los Angeles Convention Center should only take about 10 minutes.

Opened in 1924, The Original Pantry Cafe has been an L.A. landmark for almost a century. Some celebrities can even be found dining here from time to time. The Original Pantry Cafe is hard to miss because it takes up an entire street corner and usually has a line out the door.

Los Angeles Convention CenterIf you are in the mood for some classic breakfast fare, try their famous pancakes or sourdough French toast. Those looking for a heartier meal can satisfy their hunger with dishes like beef tenderloin and Southern-style fried chicken.

If you’d rather have a breakfast you can take on the go instead, there are plenty of cafes inside the Los Angeles Convention Center as well as a Starbucks nearby. That way you can just grab a coffee and pastry and be on your way!

A five-minute walk back towards the Los Angeles Convention Center puts you in the direction of L.A. LIVE, a bustling entertainment complex that features restaurants, shops, and attractions like the GRAMMY Museum.

The GRAMMY Museum is a spectacle you don’t want to miss. This one-of-a-kind museum celebrates esteemed GRAMMY Award-winning artists and their music. If you decide to stop in, be sure to check out as many of the museum’s exhibits as you can. Past exhibits range from Golden Gods: The History of Heavy Metal to Hip-Hop: A Cultural Odyssey, so there’s bound to be one that caters to your musical sensibilities.

 

Noon

Now that you’re halfway through the day, it’s time to start thinking about the rest of your California adventure. After walking around L.A. LIVE, you may be a little tired. No sweat! Just take a drive to the beach.

Venice Beach and Santa Monica State Beach are both a little under an hour drive from the Los Angeles Convention Center without traffic. Although it’s a bit of a haul, how could you possibly visit California without stepping foot in the Pacific Ocean?

Venice Beach encompasses roughly two and a half miles of coastline and is home to a boardwalk along with an eclectic mix of restaurants and shops. If you’re not into the bohemian aesthetic of Venice, visit Santa Monica State Beach instead. It’s located just a few minutes up the coast from Venice Beach.

Los Angeles Convention Center

Santa Monica State Beach stretches three and a half miles in length. Like Venice Beach, there are a variety of restaurants and shops located within walking distance to the sand. The iconic Santa Monica Pier also has a Ferris wheel for those looking to take in some unforgettable views.

You can enjoy lunch in Santa Monica at Cha Cha Chicken, a restaurant located a few minutes from the pier. This place serves Caribbean food with a flare, including some particularly tasty jerk chicken. They’ve also got outdoor seating for guests looking to enjoy the ocean breeze.

If you decide to kick it in Venice Beach instead, get lunch at Gjusta. This artisanal market offers everything from salads and sandwiches to freshly baked breads and pastries. Their casual, laid-back atmosphere is welcoming to all.

If a trip to the beach would take too long this time around, stay inland instead and explore the Hollywood Hills. While there you can hike up to Griffith Park to see the world-famous Hollywood Sign or search for the secret swing hidden in Elysian Park. Both parks take about 25 minutes to get to by car from the Los Angeles Convention Center, but they’re well worth the drive.

The secret swing in Elysian Park is a wooden swing that hangs from a tree overlooking the Los Angeles area. After parking or getting dropped off in the lot below, hike the trail to find the swing. Visitors from all over the world line up to take a picture on this daring contraption.

Prepare to be awe-inspired if you go to see the Hollywood Sign up close. For the best view of the sign you’ll need to hike a six and a half-mile ascent up into the Santa Monica Mountains along the Mount Hollywood Trail. Photo ops will be plentiful once you get up there, so be sure to bring your camera.

After all that hiking and sightseeing, you’ll probably need to fill up with some lunch. If that’s the case, grab a bite to eat at Broken Spanish, an upscale Mexican restaurant in downtown Los Angeles. Their menu features a wide range of delicious dishes, including tamales, chile rellenos, quesadillas, and more.

 

Night

After spending a long afternoon in the sun, you’re probably itching to experience some of that famous Los Angeles nightlife. There are an abundant number of nightclubs, restaurants, bars, and other places you could go to. To make things easier, we’ve narrowed it down to a few options that won’t completely drain the bank or your energy.

Los Angeles Convention CenterComedy clubs are plentiful in the City of Angels. One particularly popular venue is the Hollywood Improv Comedy Club. You will either need to drive or take some sort of public transportation to get there as it’s about eight miles from the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Celebrities from all over the country have honed their acts at the Hollywood Improv, including Joe Rogan, Ben Gleib, and Norm Macdonald. Check the club’s website ahead of time to see who’s going to be performing there while you’re in town!

If you’d rather go get dinner somewhere instead, make your way to The Palm Los Angeles. This high-end restaurant is only a five-minute walk from the Los Angeles Convention Center. While they’re known for their steak and lobster, their menu features plenty of other delicious dishes, such as veal Marsala, jumbo lump crab cakes, and double-cut lamb rib chops.

For those interested in cutting loose at one of Los Angeles’s lively clubs, there are plenty to choose from. The Crocker Club, for instance, is less than a 10-minute drive from the Los Angeles Convention Center. This club is located in what was once a bank; hence the multi-ton, stainless-steel vault door and other unique features straight out of a 1920s heist scene.

If a club like that isn’t the place for you, that’s okay too. You can instead head over to Yard House, an upscale sports bar located right around the corner from the Los Angeles Convention Center at L.A. LIVE.

At Yard House you’ll find a menu full of inventive takes on bar food classics, such as Buffalo cauliflower, truffle fries, poke nachos, grilled Korean beef tacos, and a burger made with lamb instead of beef. They also claim to have the world’s largest selection of draft beer, which can be served in glasses that are half a yard long. Beer lovers, take note!

With so many exciting experiences to be had, you probably won’t be able to visit everything on this list during your upcoming trip to L.A., but we hope you can at least get through most of it. On the bright side, you can always use the stuff you didn’t get to see as a reason to come back again soon.