A Slower, Romantic Side of Los Angeles
Los Angeles rewards a slower pace better than a rushed one: a picnic dinner under the stars at the Hollywood Bowl, a lantern-lit walk along the Venice Canals, a gondola for two in Long Beach. None of it needs a car rental beyond what gets you to Malibu.
The Hollywood Bowl, picnic included
The Hollywood Bowl’s 17,500-seat hillside amphitheater hosts the LA Philharmonic under Gustavo Dudamel from June through September, and for official LA Phil classical and jazz concerts, the bench seats in the upper sections start at $1 to $15, while pool and garden box seats run $150 to $350 and up. Patrons can bring their own picnic dinner, wine and beer to LA Phil concerts, though outside food and alcohol are barred at separate promoter-run pop shows. Skip the on-site parking, which takes over an hour to exit after a show, and use the Park & Ride shuttle from one of 14 regional lots for $7 to $12 round trip, or take Metro’s B Line, fares and transfer rules at metro.net to Hollywood/Highland and walk 15 minutes north.
El Matador State Beach at sunset
On the western Malibu coast at 32350 Pacific Coast Hwy, El Matador’s sea stacks, natural arches and offshore kelp beds make it the most photographed stretch of the Malibu coastline, reached down a steep staircase from a small blufftop lot that charges $8 to $10 a day and fills before 10am on weekends. Go at low tide; high tide submerges the sand entirely. Browse Malibu coast day tours on GetYourGuide if you would rather not navigate Pacific Coast Highway yourselves.
A gondola on Naples Island, Long Beach
The Gondola Getaway, running since 1982 out of 5437 E Ocean Blvd, sends authentic imported Venetian rowing gondolas along the quiet canals of Naples Island in Long Beach, 25 miles south of Downtown LA. A 50-minute private cruise for two runs roughly $120 to $150, with ice, glasses and corkage included for anything you bring. Blankets come standard on evening cruises. This is the only place in the LA area with commercial gondola rides; rental gondolas do not operate on the Venice Canals.
The Getty Center’s gardens before closing
Richard Meier’s hilltop campus in Brentwood is free to enter with a timed reservation, and Robert Irwin’s 134,000-square-foot Central Garden is at its best in the last hour before closing, when the crowds thin and the light goes gold over the hills. Parking runs $25/car standard, dropping to $15 after 3pm and $10 after 6pm, free on Saturdays after 6pm. Book a timed entry at getty.edu .
The Venice Canals after dark
Free and open around the clock, the 1905 Venice Canals are quietest after sunset, when bridge lanterns light the footpaths along Dell, Carroll, Linnie, Howland and Sherman canals, away from the boardwalk’s daytime noise.
The verdict
Pair the Venice Canals walk, which costs nothing, with one paid evening, the Hollywood Bowl’s cheap seats or the Long Beach gondola, rather than trying to fit both into one night given the drive between them. For a Westside base near the canals, compare Santa Monica and Venice hotels on Booking.com . See the sightseeing guide for daytime pairings near the Getty Center.
Before you go
Reserve Gondola Getaway slots at least a week out for weekend evenings, and buy Hollywood Bowl bench seats the moment a concert goes on sale; the $1 to $15 seats move fast.