: ''This article is about the west side of the city of Los Angeles. For the west side of Los Angeles County see West Side (Los Angeles County)''
The west side of the city of Los Angeles includes the neighborhood around UCLA, Korea Town, and other neighborhoods.
Understand
Like the rest of the city of Los Angeles the west side is a mix of ethnicities that would make the United Nations proud. Because of the proximity to UCLA, there are a number of used and new bookstores, art movie theaters, inexpensive restaurants and coffee houses. Due to its proximity to the Pacific Ocean, it enjoys a cooler climate, especially in the summer, than the rest of Los Angeles.
Get around
On the west side, local transit is provided by three main carriers.
The '''Big Blue Bus''' (Santa Monica) [http://www.bigbluebus.com] generally serves Santa Monica, UCLA/Westwood, Venice, and West LA, but there are also bus routes out to Pacific Palisades (#9), Brentwood (#3/#4), Century City/South Robertson (#5/#7), Palms/Rancho Park (#12), Mar Vista (#14), and Downtown LA (#10). Also, the #3 bus reaches the LAX Airport Transit Center, making it a handy way for air travelers to reach the Westside cheaply. The standard fare on all buses (except #10) is $0.75.
The '''Culver City Bus''' [http://www.culvercity.org/depts_bus.html] primarily serves Culver City, but also runs buses to UCLA/Westwood (#6), Venice, and LAX (#6), thus also serving as a primary carrier of tourists from LAX to the UCLA area. The base fare is 75 cents.
'''MTA''' [http://www.mta.net/] - The major operator of bus and rail services in Los Angeles County, California.
See
'''The Museum of Tolerance''',[http://www.museumoftolerance.com] 9786 W. Pico Blvd. Tel. +1 310 553-8403 An amazing museum. An interactive experience inspired by the Holocaust, the museum challenges visitors to look inside themselves and assess their own levels of tolerance. This is the antidote to theme park burnout: the museum is highly interactive and engages kids (about 10 and older). Find your kids asking you about such things as racial and economic tensions. A highlight of the museum is priceless, live testimonies by Holocaust survivors. Check the website or call for times. The Museum of Tolerance is a unique experience, creating the best kind of memories and interactions for families.
'''The J. Paul Getty Museum''',[http://www.getty.edu] 1200 Getty Center Dr. Tel. +1 301 440-7330 The Getty Center in Los Angeles presents the Getty's collection of Western art from the Middle Ages to the present against a backdrop of dramatic architecture, tranquil gardens, and breathtaking views. The Getty Villa in Malibu is an educational center and museum dedicated to the study of the arts and cultures of ancient Greece, Rome, and Etruria.
'''Hammer Museum''', [http://www.hammer.ucla.edu/] 10899 Wilshire Blvd. Tel. +1 310-443-7000 Located in the Occidental Petroleum Building at the corner of Wilshire and Westwood Blvd. The museum itself houses a continual changing number of both modern and classic exhibits, one of the recent highlights was an exhibition of modern American cartoon work. The Museum also holds a lunch time "art Talk" every Wednesday [http://www.hammer.ucla.edu/programs/11/] at 12.30pm which is popular among the local business people. Hours: Tues,Wed,Fri,Sat 11AM-7PM, Thu 11AM-9Pm, Sun 11AM-5PM $7 Adults, $5 Seniors, Free to students with ID, Kids 17 and under. FREE TO ALL VISITORS ON THURSDAYS!
Do
Have a picnic in the beautiful garden at the Getty Museum. Very relaxing.
Buy
Eat
West LA, being the cultural melting pot it is, has a wide variety of food types and pricing here are some:
Splurge
'''Chez Mimi''', 26th Street and San Vicente Blvd., Brentwood. Country French cuisine in a converted house and courtyard. Outstanding romantic spot. Micheline Hebert, the owner, is French-Canadian, so there are always a few French-Canadian specialties on the menu.
Mid-Range
'''Ramayani Westwood''', 1777 Westwood Blvd. Ramayani Westwood is a good choice for Indonesian, a cuisine that is strangely and unfortunately rare in the States, given that Indonesia is the world's 4th largest country by population. Tasting menus available for the novice.
'''Shamshiri''', across the street from Ramayani Westwood (above). Authentic Persian food served fresh, hot and in huge portions. L.A. has the largest Persian community in the world outside Iran, and Westwood is their cultural hub. There are several Persian restaurants on Westwood Blvd. between Wilshire and Pico, but this one is the best of the lot.
Budget
'''Marty's''', Shack on the corner of Prosser and Pico Blvd. The only spot in Los Angeles that can out do Pink's chili. Also home of the Combo, which is a hot dog and hamburger all in the form of a hamburger, amazing.
'''Sunnin''', Authentic Lebanese hole-in-the-wall on Westwood Blvd. just north of Santa Monica Blvd., next to the Chevron gas station. Healthy, filling, authentic and dirt cheap Lebanese fare. If the line is out the door (which it often is), grab it to go. Sit at the counter and watch Toni (the owner) run her kitchen like a drill sergeant!
'''Tacos A La Flama''' Olympic Blvd. and Bundy Drive, in strip mall next to Subway and Leeds Mattresses. Mexican taco stand offering tacos, burritos, sopes and the like. Adventurous eaters can try tacos de lengua (beef tongue), cabeza (beef cheek), tripa (tripe) and buche (beef esophagus).
Drink
Sleep
'''Hotel Palomar''', 4 Star Luxury Boutique Hotel - 10740 Wilshire Blvd., Tel.+1 310-475-8711, Fax.+1 310-475-5220 [http://www.hotelpalomar-lawestwood.com]
'''Courtyard Los Angeles LAX/Century Boulvarde''', 6161 W Century Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90045, Phone: ''+1 310-649-1400 '', Fax: ''+1 310-649-0965 '' [http://marriott.com/hotels/travel/laxcy-courtyard-los-angeles-lax-century-boulevard/]
'''Sky Hotel''', 2352 Westwood Blvd, (310) 475-4551, [http://www.skyhotella.com]
'''Holiday Inn Express West LA''', 11250 Santa Monica Blvd, Phone: ''+1''800-308-5432, [http://www.hiewestla.com].
Contact