Yes the traffic in LA is terrible and you have to drive everywhere. Blah blah. LA has plenty of haters and as many stereotypes as it has neighborhoods, but dig a little deeper to find an exceptionally cool city that constantly challenges the investigative traveler. In the past decade, Downtown LA has experienced a sort of cool cultural renaissance, with an influx of art galleries, restaurants owned by celebrity chefs and hip hotels sporting cutting-edge design. Those who love the visual arts will enjoy the Downtown LA Art Walk, a bustling pedestrian event that takes place the second Thursday of every month. Popping from gallery to gallery, soaking up everything from sepia wildlife photography to experimental installations made from recycled materials, this monthly art crawl is a great way to experience the area’s diverse art scene. For your fill of more established artists — the likes of Basquiat, de Kooning, Rothko, and Pollock — check out the Museum of Contemporary Art (free on Thursdays from 5pm-8pm) before grabbing a bite to eat at Patina, a fine dining restaurant tucked into a corner of the Frank Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall. This stainless steel architectural wonder is also home to the LA Philharmonic, with daily orchestral performances of classical music. (Click “read more” for the complete story on MSN)For the complete story on MSN check out http://local.msn.com/travel/blogpost.aspx?post=559d2584-b9c4-48f2-ab14-ab2dbec4aee1
Photo credit: Flicker CC Mike Walley
