Tuesday 14 August 2018

Exploring Downtown LA + Anaheim Packing House | LA Day 3


The city of Los Angeles is massive beyond imagination, so it comes as no surprise that the land of Hollywood darlings is North America's second largest metropolitan city. To give you a rough idea, Los Angeles is comprised of over 80 different neighbourhoods and districts. So it goes without saying that you really have to pick and choose which areas of Los Angeles you really want to explore.

Prior to my trip I had asked a few of my friends to recommend where I should go and areas they think I should skip. They were unanimous on me not going to Downtown LA; however, LA's city centre has undergone a notable revitalisation and as cliche as it may sound, it is on its way to being the next up and coming region in LA. 

The historic district of downtown LA is a must visit as it is block after block of stunning wrought iron and ornate stone carved facades. I have always been a sucker for older architecture so it was almost like a treat to see Spanish Gothic (Ace Hotel dt LA), Beaux Arts (Hotel Rosslyn Annex), and Italian Renaissance Revival (Bradbury Building). One of my biggest regrets is not visiting the Bradbury Building and you will know why after you do a quick google search of its interior. 

Saturday 4 August 2018

Universal Studios Experience + TIPS | Day 2 in LA

Universal Studios Hollywood Spring 2018
Part theme park, part working film studio, Universal Studios Hollywood is an amusement park like no other in the world. Situated in North Hollywood, Universal Studios spans across two lots. The Upper Lot features the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Springfield from the Simpson's and several larger than life shows while Lower Lot is fairly small and is where you will find the Mummy ride, Transformer's and Jurassic Park. 

Being a Potter Head, my first stop was the gorgeous real life rendering of Hogwarts, Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. A lot of the shops from the Harry Potter books have been recreated including Ollivander's, Honeydukes, Owl Post and Zonko's Joke Shop. Sure the main focus is to sell merchandise, but the staff are not pushy and will let you explore and take as many pictures as you want. The Hogwarts castle stands big and large making it visible from afar and at the base of the castle is the entrance to Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey Ride which is hidden from sight inside the castle. The ride is amazing and the dementors genuinely scared the soul out of me. Flight of the Hippogriff though is an absolute let down and not worth wait, so if you are on a time crunch, I would give it a pass.