It sure doesn't have a fancy or fascinating name, but it does the trick. Mid-City is indeed a very central neighborhood in Los Angeles, bordering Arlington Heights and Culver City, and close to places like Koreatown, Mid-Wilshire, and Downtown LA. This dense and diverse area boasts many historic single family homes, Ray Charles' former recording studio (now a historic landmark!), and about 55,000 people (almost 40% from Mexico and El Salvador).
Pico Boulevard, once home to nothing but auto body shops, is now a funky and inviting place to find Pilates studios, vegetarian restaurants, and homey cafes. Plans to put in landscaped medians show further signs to encourage pedestrians - in a neighborhood much less congested than most corners of LA. You get the sense that you're on the edge of something in Mid-City, wandering into an art studio or burger joint that's either been enjoyed by locals for decades, or just popped up and has yet to be discovered by the masses. In any case, you've probably just stumbled upon something good.
Stop 1: Paper or Plastik Cafe
Paper or Plastik Cafe is a cool and cozy neighborhood joint, family-owned and brimming with artists, writers, dancers, and regular ol' locals jonesing for their (excellently sourced) coffee drinks. They also offer REALLY tasty bites (all local and seasonal ingredients, of course) - we just about died over our brunch special of Shakshuka with its perfect eggs and flavorful tomato sauce. We settled in with our food and several chai lattes (one with soy milk, the other with almond milk - both equally delicious) and took in the exposed brick, the community tables, the hanging plants and the industrial lighting. We can't wait to head back for their new soju cocktails!
(5772 W Pico Boulevard, Los Angeles)
Stop 2: Enamel Diction
We walked into this nail studio with some seriously sad nails - chipped, dull, and begging for some love. This bright space (complete with a living wall of succulents, cacti and moss) has been open just over a year, but it's already making waves in the neighborhood. With a self-described "disruptive approach" to nail art (and a very cool Instagram page!), most of the women in the salon look straight out of a fashion blog, but down to earth enough to bring their well-behaved mutts to their nail appointment. We chatted through ideas for our mani nail art, including color and design, and once we settled on something with our nail technician, swapped tips for best carne asada fries in town. Find us here every Saturday from now on.
Insider's Tip: Make appointments online. Cost for manicure with two art designs was $16 with Yelp check-in discount)
(5405 W Pico Boulevard, Los Angeles)
Stop 3: Shopping Along Pico Blvd.
Sure, Los Angeles is swath with vintage and antique boutiques. But everyone is shopping on Melrose, honey. To get something truly different, head on over to Pico Boulevard - shops like Deja Vu Boutique, Pinky Rose and Brainworks Home boast mid-century furniture, vintage hardware, funky jewelery, and colorful dresses. There's also a new "Third Thursday" along the boulevard, with music performances, art, and lots of in-store sales.
Stop 4: Sky's Gourmet Tacos
Tacos are easily one of our favorite LA foods, and we are loyal to our tried-and-true taco joints. Sky's has been one our go-to spots since we moved to Los Angeles, and their "Mexican with a splash of soul" approach to tacos is perfect for the neighborhood. We ordered a sampling of shrimp, filet mignon and carnitas tacos - the warmed corn tortillas, juicy meats and the sweet "Sassy Sauce" made for one mouthwatering lunch. We washed it down with a sorrel lemonade (a blend of hibiscus and lemons) and enjoyed the lively chatter and 90s R&B playing in the background. The crawfish tacos are next on our list!
(5408 W Pico Boulevard, Los Angeles)
Stop 5: Cultural Interiors
"This smells like my favorite yoga studio," said Ashley as we walked in. It's true - this beautiful and colorful home store has the earthy smell of incense and essential oils, creating the same peaceful feeling you get just before a yoga class. We loved the mix of African, South American, Caribbean and Indian pieces throughout the store (handmade dolls, wooden windchimes, eye-popping table cloths, beaded jewelry) and the warm greeting from the store owner.
(5406 W Pico Boulevard, Los Angeles)
Stop 6: Mateo's Ice Cream and Fruit Bars
Who knew that it was National Ice Cream Month?! (Well, we did!) We decided to stop by one of LA's best, Mateo's Ice Cream and Fruit Bars. It was over 90 degrees outside and PACKED inside, and it was hard to choose with all the amazing fruit bar flavors (guava, pineapple, watermelon, coconut and on and on...). We eventually settled on the mango and mango chili, which included chunks of fruit in both (the spice of the mango chili made it our personal favorite!)
Insider's Tip: cash only!
(4234 W Pico Boulevard, Los Angeles)
The Details:
Mid-City is only about three square miles, so it's very walkable. The Metro Crenshaw Line should eventually have a rail transit stop in Mid-City.
Fairfax Village is the kind of place where worlds collide: Orthodox men in traditional black and white share space with punk-rock teens on their way to shop Melrose. It's kosher butchers and skateboarding shops. Flea-markets and upscale boutiques. It's everything Los Angeles.
Fairfax has always been a center for the Jewish community, but it's also the neighborhood of the famed Original Farmer's Market, The Grove outdoor shopping center, CBS Studio and Pan-Pacific Park. It's at the epicenter of Beverly Hills, West Hollywood and Hancock Park, making it very central for a number of Angelenos.
We also felt like the neighborhood would be the perfect spot for our holiday edition - with The Grove, outdoor markets, whimsical boutiques and high-end stores, there really is something for everyone on your list. And the dazzling displays of Christmas and Hanukkah decorations (red and green! blue and silver!) everywhere really puts us in the spirit of things.
The famed Melrose Trading Post flea-market is one of our favorite Sunday morning activities in Los Angeles, and we love exploring both the old and established of the neighborhood, as well as the fresh and exciting new places popping up all around. So catch a sitcom taping, pick up a warm loaf of challah, or whip out your credit card on Melrose - there's an eclectic blend of everything in Fairfax.
Stop 1: Shaky Alibi
We make stops at Shaky Alibi on the regular, just for their soy pistachio latte. Unfortunately, it's "not in season" at the moment, but we happily sipped on a pumpkin spiced latte instead and looked over their waffle menu. There's a choice of sweet or savory, but we couldn't pass up "The Elvis:" a waffle topped with peanut butter, crumbled bacon, bananas and drizzled with honey. If you're drooling reading that sentence, just imagine EATING it. Elvis had the right idea, guys. Peanut butter and bacon together is genius. End. Of. Story.
Info
(7401 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles)
Stop 2: Erewhon
Okay, after all of that gluttony, we thought it best to make our next stop Erewhon.
Erewhon Natural Foods Market claims that "if it's
here it's good for you" and this store is like Whole Foods on steroids
(if steroids were GMO-free and organic). We saddled up to the tonic bar -
where you can order $20 ice cream - and scoured the menu of pressed
juices, smoothies and tonic shots. We decided on the Coconut Dream
smoothie (almond milk, coconut water and meat, kale, dates, cinnamon)
and a fresh juice with cayenne. Then we wandered the giant aisle of coconut oil. Feeling fit already!
(7660 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles)
Stop 3: Pan Pacific Park
The sun had shyly appeared from behind a layer of clouds, so we walked across the street to Pan-Pacific Park, known as "the best place to work out in LA." This 28-acre park is directly across the street from Erewhon (and The Grove!) and features a slew of facilities: a paved running path, an outdoor pool, soccer and baseball fields, and barbecues. We strolled through the park, watching groups play ultimate Frisbee and kids involved in pick-up games. LA might not have the park culture of New York City, but this is pretty darn close.
(7600 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles)
Stop 4: Melrose Trading Post
Melrose Trading Post is one of the sole reasons we visit Fairfax District: an open-air market every Sunday at Fairfax High School, featuring antiques, furniture, vintage clothing, art, and just about anything else you can think of (80s dresses! Books made into clocks! Vintage record crates! Indian rugs!) It's a treasure trove of goodies, and prices are incredibly reasonable. One of the best places to find holiday gifts.
(7850 Melrose Ave - on the grounds of Fairfax High School)
Stop 5: Fala Bar
Fala Bar is a new kid on the block, but it seems to be fitting in just fine (bragging that "everything is kosher except for our hours"). This tiny falafel bar is organic, vegan and gluten-free, but much more importantly - it's DELICIOUS. We grabbed the Spicy Falafel Plate (with purple and white cabbage salad, hummus, tahini, warm pita) and the Baba Plate (baba ghanoush, Israeli salad and quinoa tabouli) as well as sweet potato fries. The pita was perfectly fluffy, and the tahini was a crowd-favorite. This is quickly becoming our regular lunch spot.
(7751 1/2 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles)
Stop 6: Pygmy Hippo
If for some crazy reason you weren't able to find a perfectly unique holiday gift at Melrose Trading Post, Pygmy Hippo Shoppe has got you covered. This itsy-bitsy but adorable shop has quirky items like you wouldn't believe - fast food jewelry, "tam-pins" shaped like tampons, homemade Hanukkah cards with "Dr Dre-idel" on the front. Nobody can argue this place isn't one-of-a-kind.
(306 N Stanley Avenue, Los Angeles)
The Details:
Driving and parking in this part of town is tough - we walked the majority of our day, as Fairfax Village is pretty small and easy to get around on foot (if you follow the entire route of our day, it's just over 2 miles). There is a lot of car traffic though, so be careful if you bike.
A map of our day looks like this:
