'''Greater Wilshire''' is an area of Los Angeles. Its boundaries are Melrose Avenue/Hollywood to the north, Fairfax Avenue/West Hollywood to the west, the 10 Freeway to the south, and Vermont Avenue/Westlake to the east. It is served by two subway lines: the Red Line (North Hollywood - Downtown) and Purple Line (Koreatown - Downtown).

Get in

Apart from the easy to understand but overly crowded road system, use the metro or any bus line (of which there are many) to get around this relatively pedestrian-friendly region of Los Angeles.

By train

Metro Red and Purple Line trains from Union Station stop at both Westlake/MacArthur Park (near Wilshire & Alvarado) and Wilshire/Vermont Stations. The Purple Line continues down Wilshire, stopping at Normandie and Western Avenues. Both lines share the same tracks between Union Station and Wilshire/Vermont, so if you're heading further down Wilshire, make sure you get on the right train, or you'll find yourself heading towards Hollywood instead! Red Line trains are marked for North Hollywood, and Purple Line trains are marked for Wilshire/Western.

By bus

Of the many routes that cover the region, the Metro Rapid 720 is good for east-west coverage along Wilshire Boulevard. The 720 starts in Santa Monica and runs down Wilshire through Downtown to East Los Angeles and Commerce, stopping only at major intersections. For local service along Wilshire, consider the less-frequent Metro Local 20.

See

Koreatown is a major attraction in the area. Also, head over to Hancock Park for a peek at LA's wealthiest (but least-well known) neighborhood. Once there, walk along Larchmont Blvd. and look into the overpriced but homey boutiques along HP's main street. For local Oaxacan & Salvadoran culture, walk along Pico Blvd between Vermont & Normandie (the "Byzantine Latino District") and investigate Latino Catholic imagery & icons at one of the numerous local markets before heading over to Papa Cristo's for Greek. If you're over on La Brea between 1st and 2nd, walk a block over to Sycamore to see gorgeous Art Deco homes and apartment buildings. Walk along the busy, multicultural Wilshire Blvd, the Champs Elysees of Los Angeles, between Hoover and Wilton before checking out Korean nightlife on 6th Street and Oaxacan nightlife on 8th.

  • '''Koreatown''' extends along Olympic Blvd. from about Alvarado west to Western Av. The majority of residents in this area are actually Hispanic, however practically all businesses are Korean. Eating one's way through this district is an adventure that could take years. Korean restaurants tend to specialize in one thing or another and are pleasantly surprised when outsiders show up and take an interest. Koreans in Los Angeles and in the mother country are now affluent enough to explore their own specialty foods and regional cuisines. This evolving scene seems less formal and more accessible to outsiders than Japanese or Chinese counterparts. Local Channel 18 (KCSI) runs foodie shows that are often captioned in English.
  • Museums

  • Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). 905 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA, 90036. 1-323-857-6000. ttp://www.lacma.org. /T/Th: 12:00pm-8:00pm, F: 12:00pm-9:00pm, Sat/Sun: 11:00am-8:00pm. Has great permanent and changing exhibitions.

  • George C. Page Museum. 801 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA, 90036. 1-323-934-PAGE (7243). ttp://www.tarpits.org. Home of the famous La Brea Tar Pits, as well as an accompanying museum.

  • Petersen Automotive Museum. 060 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA, 90036. ttp://www.petersen.org. u-Sun: 10:00am-6:00pm. A: $10, Seniors (62+), Active Military, Students: $5, Children (5-12): $3, Children (-5), Museum Members: FREE. Has a great display of rare cars, and the intersection outside is the site of the Biggie Smalls murder.

  • Museum of Tolerance. 786 Pico Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA, 90035. 1-310-553-8403. ttp://www.museumoftolerance.com. -Thu: 11:00am-6:30pm, F: 11:00am-1:00pm (last entry), Sun: 11:00am-7:30pm. A: $10, Seniors: $8, Students, Children (-12): $7. This museum features comprehensive, powerful exhibits on the Holocaust of World War II.

    Photo Galleries

    La Brea Ave has a string of great photo galleries with changing exhibitions - a great place to see excellent photography, and if you can afford it, to buy some. Wilshire and Beverly Blvd also have several dotted around.

  • Apex Fine Art. 52 N. La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90036. 1-323-634-7887. ttp://www.apexart.com.
  • Fahey/Klein Gallery. 48 N. La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90036. 1-323-934-2250. ttp://www.faheykleingallery.com. Home of some great photographers, such as Herb Ritts.
  • Jan Kessner Gallery. 64 N. La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90036. 1-323-938-6834. ttp://www.jankessnergallery.com.
  • Paul Kopeiken Gallery. 38 N. La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90036. 1-323-937-0765. ttp://www.paulkopeikengallery.com.

    Do

    Buy

    Shop along La Brea between 1st & 2nd for a good selection of vintage as well as expensive jeans.

    Eat

    Apart from the ubiquitous Korean frozen yogurt shops (most famously, Pinkberry) and the numerous soju & karoake bars, try one of the Korean BBQ places at Chapman Market along 6th a few blocks west of Vermont Ave. for delectable Korean meat.

  • Swingers Diner. 020 Beverly Blvd. t Laurel Ave. 1 323-653-5858. Overly trendy and very popular for an update on diner-style food. Great for breakfast at anytime of the day... and salads, sandwiches, a large menu. Prepare to be assaulted by hipness.

  • La Brea Bakery Cafe. 24 South La Brea Ave. 1 323-939-6813. ttp://labreabakery.com. Excellent bread, sandwiches, cookies, pastries and coffee.

  • Toast. 221 W 3rd St. 1 323-655-5018. Serves traditional American breakfast all day for a reasonable price. Also great lunch food! Popular with famous people.

  • Canter's Deli. 19 N. Fairfax Ave. 1 323-651-2030. ttp://www.cantersdeli.com. Awesome Jewish deli on Fairfax, a few blocks north of 3rd. This place has been around for over 70 years and you'll know why if you stop by. It's 24 hours too.

  • Vegan Glory. 393 Beverly Blvd.. ttp://www.veganglory.com. Offers a variety of soy meat-substitutes & tofu choices in the entrees. Also veggie burgers, salads, soups, and noodles. Recommend the papaya salad, spring rolls, spicy eggplant, and yummy carrot cake. The lunch specials are good bargains (soup, salad, spring roll, brown rice, and choice of entree). Friendly service in a casual, clean setting. Open daily 11am-10pm. Parking available in the lot and on the street.

  • Guelaguetza. 337 W. Eighth St., Koreatown. 1 213 427-0779. ttp://www.guelaguetzarestaurante.com. For the best mole this side of Oaxaca, go to Guelaguetza in Koreatown. The interior is charming, often with a Mexican band is playing. But the star is the mole -- three types are on offer. Try them all, and from then forward when you are stuck eating an everyday lunch, you will dream of Guelaguetza.

  • El Cholo. 121 S. Western Ave., Koreatown. ttp://www.elcholo.com. One of the original LA Mexican restaurants is wildly popular, especially for their green corn tamales, when they're in season.

  • The Corner Place. 819 James M. Wood Blvd., Koreatown (just east from the corner of Vermont). 1 213 487-0968. 1AM-10PM, closed Sundays. Good Korean BBQ at a really great price (around $20 is enough to stuff two people). The decor isn't as fancy as more expensive places, but it has charm. The menu is family style, so one order is enough to feed two people. Like most Korean BBQ places, servers bring the meat out for you to cook at your table (but that doesn't mean you shouldn't tip!) With your meal comes a variety of traditional Korean side dishes and a plate of julienned scallions to enjoy with your freshly grilled meat. For finicky eaters or those new to Korean food, the bulgoki (marinated beef) is always a good choice. On warmer days, or whenever you want a lighter meal, try their cold noodle soup (white somen noodles in a cold soup of clear, mild kimchi) with your meal instead of rice.

  • BCD Tofu House. estern and 9th; Wilshire and Kingsley; ('various locations in Koreatown, Downtown, and Greater Los Angeles'). ttp://www.bcdtofu.com/. The menu includes various types of ''soon'' tofu stews (at around $8) and combination meals including other traditional Korean entrees (Korean BBQ, bibimbap, etc.) along with a small bowl of ''soon'' tofu stew (at around $11-$14). Each order comes with a bowl of rice and the standard array of traditional Korean side dishes. Service and atmosphere are always great. The decor at the location on Wilshire is particularly nice. For those new to eating ''soon'' tofu, particularly at BCD Tofu House, there is a certain order to follow in eating your meal (such as cracking the optional raw egg into the stew while it's still boiling). Don't be afraid to wave your server down and ask questions. (Many Korean restaurants have implemented bells at each table in case you have a particularly hard time getting the attention of any servers). Several locations (including the 2 in Koreatown) are open 24 hours.

  • Animal. 35 N. Fairfax Ave. 323) 782-9225. ttp://www.animalrestaurant.com. ains ~ $30. Somewhat of an anomaly in an increasingly vegetarian Los Angeles, Animal does what it does extremely well. Jon and Vinny (''Two Dudes Catering'', ''Iron Chefs'') have finally opened their first restaurant, and their hard work and determination most certainly shows up in the super tasty and creative cuisine. Pescatarians will do just fine with the daily fish, but vegetarians beware, there's not much here for you.

    Mid-range

  • Cobras & Matadors. 615 W. Beverly Blvd.. 1 323-932-6178. Great for Spanish tapas over a glass of Spanish wine, which you must buy from the wine shop next door since C&M don't have a license to sell it at this location, only to serve it. Another branch in Los Feliz.

  • Buddha's Belly. 475 Beverly Blvd. 1 323-931-8588. ttp://www.bbfood.com. Tasty California-style Asian food.

    Splurge

  • AOC. 022 W. 3rd St. 1 (323) 653-6359. ttp://www.aocwinebar.com. Fantastic food in every way, in an elegant atmosphere. Great cheeses, great wines, great desserts. The dishes look reasonably priced at a glance, but they arrive in tapa-style proportions, and quickly add up, making it a great place to splurge.

  • Campanile. 24 S. La Brea Ave.. 1 323-938-1447. ttp://www.campanilerestaurant.com. It's been around for years, and its Italian menu just keeps getting better.

  • Grace. 360 Beverly Blvd.. 1 323-934-4400. ttp://www.gracerestaurant.com. French-inspired, but unique and delicious.

  • Jar. 225 Beverly Blvd.. 1 323-655-6566. ttp://www.thejar.com. Popular for yummy steaks and an inventive menu.

    Dessert

  • Pinkberry. 300 W. Sixth St, Koreatown. 1 323-730-9889. 2-5. A large outlet of the new LA frozen yogurt chain sensation. Choose from vanilla or green tea yogurt, then add any of several toppings including fresh berries and Cap'n Crunch.

    Drink

  • El Carmen. 138 W. 3rd Street. 1 (323) 852-1552. Tequila's the order of the day here, tasty margaritas, greasy tacos and a chill atmosphere.

    Sleep

  • Beverly Laurel Motor Hotel. 018 Beverly Blvd. 1 323-651-2441. A popular hotel, next door to Swingers.
  • Four Season Hotel. 00 S. Dohenv Dr. 1 310-273-2222. Fantastic service and luxury accommodation.
  • Le Parc Hotel. 33 North West Knoll Drive. 1 310 855-8888. Sizable and stylish rooms in West Hollywood.
  • Sunset Tower Hotel. 358 Sunset Blvd. 1 323 656-1622. A beautiful landmark hotel in West Hollywood. This historic hotel was built in 1929 and still provides luxurious accommodations in the perfect location.

    Contact