Los Angeles, A City of Multiple Personalities
- Scott Linwell
- 3 days ago
- 7 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
We just returned from Los Angeles, the latest stop in what we’ve been calling our Year of a Lifetime.
The journey officially began December 23rd with a Christmas trip to Washington, D.C., and will wrap up sometime late next spring in Finland, with parts of Europe, Africa, and most of the United States in between.
This incredible year that is lining up for us wasn't even on our radar this time last year, but winning a Netflix game-show changed everything. Our prizes are an amazing array of travel packages, plus cash (in the form of Bitcoin) that gives us the backing to not only take the time off for these trips, but to add and enhance them. Expanding the experience.
As the dates began to line up on the calendar, we realized we could lean fully into this. So we filled in the gaps, extended trips where we could, and tried to take full advantage of an opportunity that felt too good to be true. For adventure and travel seekers like us, this is a such dream, and we wanted to be sure we made it as big a dream as possible.
That spirit is what brought us west.
For five days we wandered the neighborhoods around West Hollywood, drove the Pacific Coast Highway from Malibu to Manhattan Beach, hiked above the city in the Hollywood Hills, and worked our way through some remarkable restaurants. Along the way we discovered a new Korean dish, ate the best crudo I’ve ever had, toured a dream home tucked into the hills, explored a literal magic castle, and even walked the Oscars red carpet.
A stroll through West Hollowood and the nearby neighborhoods
Los Angeles marked the fourth stop on our tour of grand American cities.
We began in D.C. over Christmas for the Commanders–Cowboys holiday matchup and a behind-the-scenes tour of the production by Netflix . From there it was on to New York City for Fashion Week and a front-row seat at Christian Siriano’s runway show, followed by a stop in Atlanta to visit friends and family while exploring Midtown. Then, finally, Los Angeles.
New York for New York Fashion Week
Atlanta for a Homecoming and to visit the Zoo and Aquarium
Seeing these cities so close together made their differences feel even sharper. Each has its own rhythm, its own personality.
But Los Angeles might be the most fascinating of them all.
Because visiting L.A. often feels like visiting several different cities at once.
The Hollywood Hills rise high above the city, overlooking everything, with the namesake sign sitting prominently on display, letting you know, clearly, where you are. And the name Hollywood itself, the moniker of dreams. It’s where American entertainment has centered itself for decades, bringing fantasy to life on the big screen and on the streets below where dreams are made.
The Sunset Strip, Hollywood Boulevard, Melrose Avenue, known around the world. We stayed right on Sunset Boulevard, surrounded by legendary venues that once incubated some of the most influential musicians, bands, and comedians in American pop culture.
But travel across the city and the atmosphere shifts dramatically.
Head west and Los Angeles suddenly reveals another identity entirely: a beach town.
That’s not the first image that comes to mind when most people think of L.A. When I think of Miami, for example, the beach defines the entire city. South Beach shapes the nightlife, the energy, and the aesthetic.
Los Angeles, however, hides its coastline in plain sight.
Los Angeles County contains 75 miles of coastline and more than 100 beaches, stretching from Malibu down to San Pedro. Between you'll find Santa Monica, Venice, and Manhattan Beach.
Head over to the shoreline and the vibe changes immediately. The architecture shifts. The pace slows. Surf shops and beachfront cafés pop up. It feels like a completely different city layered on top of the first.
We visited Point Dume, drove through Malibu and Pacific Palisades, and wandered the Santa Monica Pier. On our final day we slowly made our way south toward the airport, spending the afternoon in Manhattan Beach walking the neighborhoods, the promenade, and browsing the cafés and surf shops along Highland Avenue.
Los Angeles is also one of the most culturally layered cities in the United States.
The connection to Mexico is immediate and everywhere. The border sits just over 120 miles away, and Mexican culture is woven naturally into the fabric of the region, this was, after all, part of Mexico until 1848.
But countless other communities have shaped the city as well.
Asian immigrants began arriving in Southern California in large numbers during the 19th century, working in agriculture, helping build the railroads, and seeking opportunity during the Gold Rush. Chinatown was on our list to visit but didn’t quite make the itinerary this time.
Instead, we spent an afternoon in Koreatown.
Los Angeles is home to the largest Korean population outside of Korea, and the neighborhood reflects that immediately. Korean characters fill storefront signs, and restaurants and corner shopping plazas stretch block after block along Wilshire Boulevard.
We came with a mission: find great Korean food.
While we appreciate Korean fried chicken, what we really love is more traditional and authentic dishes, and most especially bonchon: the collection of small side dishes that arrive alongside a traditional Korean meal. These can range from kimchi to fish cakes to marinated or fermented vegetables, each offering a different balance of texture, flavor, and color to the meal.
Joey did a Reddit dive, and found our destination: Chunju Han Il Kwan, a modest restaurant tucked into a small plaza just off Wilshire.
We ordered some favorites, spicy stir-fried squid and silky tofu soup, but also tried something new to us: oyster pancakes. One of our favorite Korean dishes is the seafood pancake. Most places also have kimchi pancakes and scallion pancakes, but the oyster option was new to us, so we had to try it.
In our experience Korean seafood pancakes arrive large & plate-sized, meant for sharing. These were different: small individual pancakes, each centered around a single oyster.
They were incredible.
A briny oyster nestled in a crisp batter with scallions and vegetables, served with a light dipping sauce. Growing up in North Carolina, fried seafood platters were a staple of coastal fish camps, and this dish instantly brought those memories back, just filtered through Korean flavors.
It was comfort food with a twist.
For as wonderful as it was, this wasn't our best meal in Los Angeles. That easily goest to Saltie Girl. A last minute, "can we find a seat somewhere", Saturday night dinner. Somehow we'd neglected to choose a spot or make reservations for this prime dining time, so our expectations were low.
We took a stroll down Sunset, reviewing menu displays and hoping for a free seat somewhere. We saw Saltie Girl from across the street, a super cute corner cafe with a lively patio crowd. We strolled over and asked about a table, and easily accepted two seats at the bar.
This turned out, for us, to be the best seat in the house. The restaurant specializes in seafood, with oysters on disply over ice at the bar. We love a seafood tower, and the menu was filled with these options. Crab claws, shrimp cocktail, scallops, and an enormous selection tinned fish - a menu for this a deep and intricate as a fine dining wine menu.
Everything we had was wonderful, but the red snapper crudo? It was out of this world. I'll have to skip the detail here, but hit this video for our next day review. This WAS the best food we had in L.A., and I'd fly back for one bite of that crudo.
On our final day we headed into the hills above the city.
Just ten minutes from the Sunset Strip, dense urban streets give way to winding canyon roads and sweeping views. Gated homes cling to the hillsides, and it’s impossible not to wonder which producers, actors, or musicians might live behind those walls.
We parked in Griffith Park and hiked the trails up to the Griffith Observatory.
The observatory itself is beautiful, but the views are what make the climb worthwhile. To the west the city stretches endlessly toward the Pacific. Turn around and the Hollywood sign sits framed by rugged hills and open landscape.
From that vantage point, Los Angeles reveals another contrast: vast stretches of preserved land overlooking one of the most densely developed cities in America.
After a couple hours exploring the trails, we made our way back toward the coast for one last stop in Manhattan Beach before heading to the airport.
Strolling through the neighborhoods at Manhattan Beach
Travel days always arrive faster than you expect.
We turned in the rental car, caught the shuttle, and arrived three hours early, something we now do religiously after a couple of close calls with missed flights. With time to spare before boarding, we sorted through photos, posted a few favorites online, and replayed the trip in conversation.
At 10 p.m., we boarded our flight and said goodbye to California.
I didn’t arrive in Los Angeles with many expectations. We simply came to explore.
And the city delivered.
From hilltop views to beach sunsets, from Hollywood landmarks to international dining, the experience was unforgettable.
And one thing feels certain. We’ll be back.
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