Guidebook for Los Angeles

Stephanie
Guidebook for Los Angeles

Food Scene

Yelp: Highly Likely is wonderful new watering hole along Jefferson Blvd. in West Adams. The thoughtfully designed interiors are only outshined by the delicious menu crafted by Chef Kat Turner. I've had the opportunity to try multiple dishes and they have all been awesome! (You can't leave without trying their burger or their egg sandwich if you're there for breakfast). With amazing coffee options too, you can't go wrong here. Can't wait to go back!
65 locals raden deze aan
Highly Likely Café
4310 W Jefferson Blvd
65 locals raden deze aan
Yelp: Highly Likely is wonderful new watering hole along Jefferson Blvd. in West Adams. The thoughtfully designed interiors are only outshined by the delicious menu crafted by Chef Kat Turner. I've had the opportunity to try multiple dishes and they have all been awesome! (You can't leave without trying their burger or their egg sandwich if you're there for breakfast). With amazing coffee options too, you can't go wrong here. Can't wait to go back!
Honey Bees HOB is a small family owned business serving breakfast all day and is known for their sweet pancakes. Honey Bee's HOB serves a Mixture of American & Salvadorian breakfast. The PuPusas are among the best in California.
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Honey Bee's House of Breakfast
4715 W Adams Blvd
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Honey Bees HOB is a small family owned business serving breakfast all day and is known for their sweet pancakes. Honey Bee's HOB serves a Mixture of American & Salvadorian breakfast. The PuPusas are among the best in California.
A group of friends with the vision to bring fresh and healthy options to West Adams. The West Adams Blvd used to be more of an industrial area where it was easy to find tacos and burgers but not a good salad in sight. With each member having tons of experience working in cafes, it was just a matter of time for them to put all the ideas together and make Vees Cafe happen.
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Vees Cafe
5418 W Adams Blvd
49 locals raden deze aan
A group of friends with the vision to bring fresh and healthy options to West Adams. The West Adams Blvd used to be more of an industrial area where it was easy to find tacos and burgers but not a good salad in sight. With each member having tons of experience working in cafes, it was just a matter of time for them to put all the ideas together and make Vees Cafe happen.
LA Weekly: Even in the entertainment industry hub that is L.A., West Adams' new pizza joint Delicious Pizza might be the only pie shop in town with a heap of silver and gold records stashed next to an authentic '80s ghetto blaster above the server station. That's because Delicious Pizza is a restaurant and coffee shop co-owned by Mike Ross, co-founder of iconic L.A. hip-hop record label Delicious Vinyl, the name behind acts such as The Pharcyde (Bizarre Ride), Tone Loc ("Funky Cold Medina") and Young MC ("Bust a Move").
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Delicious Pizza
5419 W Adams Blvd
70 locals raden deze aan
LA Weekly: Even in the entertainment industry hub that is L.A., West Adams' new pizza joint Delicious Pizza might be the only pie shop in town with a heap of silver and gold records stashed next to an authentic '80s ghetto blaster above the server station. That's because Delicious Pizza is a restaurant and coffee shop co-owned by Mike Ross, co-founder of iconic L.A. hip-hop record label Delicious Vinyl, the name behind acts such as The Pharcyde (Bizarre Ride), Tone Loc ("Funky Cold Medina") and Young MC ("Bust a Move").
LA Weekly: Man cannot live on taco trucks alone, try as he might. For that reason there are places like Taqueria Los Anaya in West Adams. The family-run restaurant, which opened in March, happens to dabble in the kind of home-cooked Mexican food that inspires weekend drives to La Super Rica in Santa Barbara or mournful laments about the passing of Pasadena's Las Ruinas some years back.
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Taqueria Los Anaya
4651 W Adams Blvd
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LA Weekly: Man cannot live on taco trucks alone, try as he might. For that reason there are places like Taqueria Los Anaya in West Adams. The family-run restaurant, which opened in March, happens to dabble in the kind of home-cooked Mexican food that inspires weekend drives to La Super Rica in Santa Barbara or mournful laments about the passing of Pasadena's Las Ruinas some years back.
An old standard in South L.A., Phillips is old school barbecue done right. The flavor is spicy, the meat is tender to the bone, and the sauce is righteous. What more could you want from barbecue? Before the newer places opened up, Phillips was considered one of the best barbecue spots in the city by Jonathan Gold.
28 locals raden deze aan
Phillips Bar-B-Que
2619 Crenshaw Blvd
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An old standard in South L.A., Phillips is old school barbecue done right. The flavor is spicy, the meat is tender to the bone, and the sauce is righteous. What more could you want from barbecue? Before the newer places opened up, Phillips was considered one of the best barbecue spots in the city by Jonathan Gold.
This European-style food hall has been operating on the ground floor of the iconic Homer Laughlin Building since 1917. Even if you’re not there for the food, it’s worth a trip; people from all corners of L.A. mix and mingle among rows of spices, produce and vintage neon signage. Of course, if you’re hungry it’s a great place to get cheap pupusas, carnitas tacos and aguas frescas, as well as food from handsome, trendy eateries like Sticky Rice, Belcampo, Horse Thief BBQ, Eggslut, McConnell’s and G&B Coffee.
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Grand Central Market
317 S Broadway
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This European-style food hall has been operating on the ground floor of the iconic Homer Laughlin Building since 1917. Even if you’re not there for the food, it’s worth a trip; people from all corners of L.A. mix and mingle among rows of spices, produce and vintage neon signage. Of course, if you’re hungry it’s a great place to get cheap pupusas, carnitas tacos and aguas frescas, as well as food from handsome, trendy eateries like Sticky Rice, Belcampo, Horse Thief BBQ, Eggslut, McConnell’s and G&B Coffee.
A Downtown dining staple, this lively Italian restaurant and gourmet market features open spaces, stark white walls, and majestic floor-to-ceiling windows. If the wait is too long at this no-reservations eatery, you can sip on prosecco and nibble on pastries at the bar. Servers weave through the cavernous dining hall carrying bowls of trenne pasta with braised beef ribs or tartufo pizzas with black truffle mushrooms. Entrées range from chicken Parm to hanger steak verdure, while smaller plates feature mouthwatering favorites like crab beignets and one-of-a-kind portobello fries.
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Bottega Louie
700 S Grand Ave
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A Downtown dining staple, this lively Italian restaurant and gourmet market features open spaces, stark white walls, and majestic floor-to-ceiling windows. If the wait is too long at this no-reservations eatery, you can sip on prosecco and nibble on pastries at the bar. Servers weave through the cavernous dining hall carrying bowls of trenne pasta with braised beef ribs or tartufo pizzas with black truffle mushrooms. Entrées range from chicken Parm to hanger steak verdure, while smaller plates feature mouthwatering favorites like crab beignets and one-of-a-kind portobello fries.
Gjusta is something between a food hall and a deli, a sprawling concept that assaults all your food lust receptors at once. A long glass case runs the length of the room, and behind it there's a world of cooking and baking and activity, along with a small army of service folks who will take your order once your ticket comes up. As you walk down the expanse of the case, you're first attracted to the cakes and pies and pastries, and then jars of deep pink pâté catch your eye, and then you get absorbed by the glistening hunks of smoked fish. Look up, and on the back counter sit slabs of roasted meats, ready to be shaved and stuffed into sandwiches. Wander a little further down, and you'll come
447 locals raden deze aan
Gjusta
320 Sunset Ave
447 locals raden deze aan
Gjusta is something between a food hall and a deli, a sprawling concept that assaults all your food lust receptors at once. A long glass case runs the length of the room, and behind it there's a world of cooking and baking and activity, along with a small army of service folks who will take your order once your ticket comes up. As you walk down the expanse of the case, you're first attracted to the cakes and pies and pastries, and then jars of deep pink pâté catch your eye, and then you get absorbed by the glistening hunks of smoked fish. Look up, and on the back counter sit slabs of roasted meats, ready to be shaved and stuffed into sandwiches. Wander a little further down, and you'll come
Distinguished by its vintage neon sign, this pub is famous for handcrafted beers and a brilliant signature burger. Topped with Gruyère and Maytag blue cheeses, arugula, caramelized onions, and applewood-smoked bacon compote, the "Office Burger" is a guilty pleasure worth waiting in line for, which is usually required. Get a side order of the addictive sweet-potato fries served in a miniature shopping cart with aioli. Don't even think of asking for ketchup—FO enforces a strict no-substitutions policy. Because Father's Office is a bar, it's strictly for diners 21 and older.
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Father's Office
1018 Montana Ave
344 locals raden deze aan
Distinguished by its vintage neon sign, this pub is famous for handcrafted beers and a brilliant signature burger. Topped with Gruyère and Maytag blue cheeses, arugula, caramelized onions, and applewood-smoked bacon compote, the "Office Burger" is a guilty pleasure worth waiting in line for, which is usually required. Get a side order of the addictive sweet-potato fries served in a miniature shopping cart with aioli. Don't even think of asking for ketchup—FO enforces a strict no-substitutions policy. Because Father's Office is a bar, it's strictly for diners 21 and older.
Part deli, part market, Bay Cities has been home to incredible Italian subs since 1925. This renowned counter service spot is always crowded (best to order ahead), but monster subs run the gamut from the mighty meatball, to their signature "Godmother" made with prosciutto, ham, capicola, mortadella, Genoa salami, and provolone. At the market you can buy rare imported pastas, cheeses, wine, and sliced meats.
141 locals raden deze aan
Bay Cities Italian Deli & Bakery
1517 Lincoln Blvd
141 locals raden deze aan
Part deli, part market, Bay Cities has been home to incredible Italian subs since 1925. This renowned counter service spot is always crowded (best to order ahead), but monster subs run the gamut from the mighty meatball, to their signature "Godmother" made with prosciutto, ham, capicola, mortadella, Genoa salami, and provolone. At the market you can buy rare imported pastas, cheeses, wine, and sliced meats.
This granddaddy of L.A. delicatessens (it opened in 1931) cures its own corned beef and pastrami, and features delectable desserts from the in-house bakery. It's not the best (or friendliest) deli in town, but it's a classic. The space is huge, so wait times are short. Open round the clock, you can expect some post-bar rowdiness after 2 am. Next door is the Kibitz Room, where you can hear live music or comedy every night of the week.
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Canter's Restaurant, Bakery, Deli and Bar
419 N Fairfax Ave
183 locals raden deze aan
This granddaddy of L.A. delicatessens (it opened in 1931) cures its own corned beef and pastrami, and features delectable desserts from the in-house bakery. It's not the best (or friendliest) deli in town, but it's a classic. The space is huge, so wait times are short. Open round the clock, you can expect some post-bar rowdiness after 2 am. Next door is the Kibitz Room, where you can hear live music or comedy every night of the week.

Drinks & Nightlife

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Arts District Brewing Company
828 Traction Ave
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A strong contender for the most beautiful restaurants in all of LA, 71Above, perched on the top of the US Bank Tower, is Downtown’s undeniable dining destination. With gorgeous plates by chef Vartan Abgaryan that match the stunning 360-degree views, this is the sort of place for power lunches, expense accounts, and the ultimate date night.
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71Above
633 W 5th St
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A strong contender for the most beautiful restaurants in all of LA, 71Above, perched on the top of the US Bank Tower, is Downtown’s undeniable dining destination. With gorgeous plates by chef Vartan Abgaryan that match the stunning 360-degree views, this is the sort of place for power lunches, expense accounts, and the ultimate date night.
Inspired by Hollywood's famous Les Deux Cafe, Upstairs is the sky-high urban oasis at Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles. With a concrete pool and city lights stretched out in all directions, Upstairs' bunker-like rooftop bar hosts a smattering of events every night of the week — DJs, live bands, book release parties, pop-up shops and creative collaborations — with bright, world-traveled twists on California desert fare and traditional cocktails with a menu lovingly curated by the Upstairs beverage wizards.
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Upstairs at Ace Hotel
929 S Broadway
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Inspired by Hollywood's famous Les Deux Cafe, Upstairs is the sky-high urban oasis at Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles. With a concrete pool and city lights stretched out in all directions, Upstairs' bunker-like rooftop bar hosts a smattering of events every night of the week — DJs, live bands, book release parties, pop-up shops and creative collaborations — with bright, world-traveled twists on California desert fare and traditional cocktails with a menu lovingly curated by the Upstairs beverage wizards.
If ever there was a bar to geek out in, this one is it. Los Angeles' first arcade bar boasts more than 40 classic consoles, from Centipede to Ms. Pac-Man—all fixed with cup holders for endless booze-fueled sessions. An homage to the golden age of arcade games, cocktails here have names like Princess Peach, Zangief, Power Up and The Dude—that last one (more of a tribute to "the Dude" himself than anything else) includes stamina-inducing cold brew coffee from LAMILL, a necessity for defeating the Street Fighter 2 record.
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Eightytwo
707 E 4th Pl
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If ever there was a bar to geek out in, this one is it. Los Angeles' first arcade bar boasts more than 40 classic consoles, from Centipede to Ms. Pac-Man—all fixed with cup holders for endless booze-fueled sessions. An homage to the golden age of arcade games, cocktails here have names like Princess Peach, Zangief, Power Up and The Dude—that last one (more of a tribute to "the Dude" himself than anything else) includes stamina-inducing cold brew coffee from LAMILL, a necessity for defeating the Street Fighter 2 record.
87 locals raden deze aan
Public School 310
9411 Culver Blvd
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LA Weekly: This live-music bar is more than just an inviting room for singer-songwriters to muse on their broken Hollywood dreams, half-baked romantic schemes and all that sort of stuff. The Hotel Cafe has become so synonymous with a certain style of mainstream yet high-level pop music that it annually presents its own national tour featuring folks like Cary Brothers. Other past performers and longtime regulars include such tunesmiths as Jesca Hoop, Meiko, John Mayer, Nellie McKay, Weezer, Jim Bianco, Terra Naomi, Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard, Dar Williams, Pegi Young and Concrete Blonde's Johnette Napolitano. Since 2000, the former small coffeehouse, located just south of Hollywood Bou
104 locals raden deze aan
The Helio Cafe
710 N Heliotrope Dr
104 locals raden deze aan
LA Weekly: This live-music bar is more than just an inviting room for singer-songwriters to muse on their broken Hollywood dreams, half-baked romantic schemes and all that sort of stuff. The Hotel Cafe has become so synonymous with a certain style of mainstream yet high-level pop music that it annually presents its own national tour featuring folks like Cary Brothers. Other past performers and longtime regulars include such tunesmiths as Jesca Hoop, Meiko, John Mayer, Nellie McKay, Weezer, Jim Bianco, Terra Naomi, Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard, Dar Williams, Pegi Young and Concrete Blonde's Johnette Napolitano. Since 2000, the former small coffeehouse, located just south of Hollywood Bou

Arts & Culture

Los Angeles's hilltop acropolis was conceived as a home for the hitherto disparate entities of the J. Paul Getty Trust, but that's the only straightforward thing about it. Architect Richard Meier was hired to build the museum in 1984, but it took 13 years, several additional designers (to work on the interior and the landscaping) and $1 billion to complete. The end result is a remarkable complex of travertine and white metal-clad pavilions that resembles a kind of monastic retreat designed for James Bond. Its relative inaccessibility is more than compensated for by the panoramic views, from the hills and the ocean in the west all the way around to Downtown in the east.
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The Getty
1200 Getty Center Dr
2309 locals raden deze aan
Los Angeles's hilltop acropolis was conceived as a home for the hitherto disparate entities of the J. Paul Getty Trust, but that's the only straightforward thing about it. Architect Richard Meier was hired to build the museum in 1984, but it took 13 years, several additional designers (to work on the interior and the landscaping) and $1 billion to complete. The end result is a remarkable complex of travertine and white metal-clad pavilions that resembles a kind of monastic retreat designed for James Bond. Its relative inaccessibility is more than compensated for by the panoramic views, from the hills and the ocean in the west all the way around to Downtown in the east.
LA's newest contemporary art museum, the Broad, is the public home for Eli and Edythe Broad's collection of 2,000 post-war works. Inside, the building is full of memorable characteristics: the long escalator shaft to the third floor, a window into the collection storage and an open floor gift shop dubbed the Shop. Three words: Infinity Mirror Rooms. Downtown’s persistently popular contemporary art museum has two of Yayoi Kusama’s immersive, mirror-laden rooms (and the standy queue to prove it). Elsewhere in the free museum, Eli and Edythe Broad’s collection of 2,000 post-war works includes artists like Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Ed Ruscha, Cindy Sherman, Barbara Kruger and Jeff Koons.
1555 locals raden deze aan
Broad Contemporary Art Museum
221 S Grand Ave
1555 locals raden deze aan
LA's newest contemporary art museum, the Broad, is the public home for Eli and Edythe Broad's collection of 2,000 post-war works. Inside, the building is full of memorable characteristics: the long escalator shaft to the third floor, a window into the collection storage and an open floor gift shop dubbed the Shop. Three words: Infinity Mirror Rooms. Downtown’s persistently popular contemporary art museum has two of Yayoi Kusama’s immersive, mirror-laden rooms (and the standy queue to prove it). Elsewhere in the free museum, Eli and Edythe Broad’s collection of 2,000 post-war works includes artists like Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Ed Ruscha, Cindy Sherman, Barbara Kruger and Jeff Koons.
The undisputed standout at the California Science Center is also the museum’s most recent acquisition: Endeavour. The final ship to be built in NASA’s space shuttle program, Endeavour inspires a reach-for-the-stars ambition unlike any other exhibit in the city. And its story is distinctly rooted in L.A.: Endeavour was built in Palmdale and, almost 123 million miles later, rolled along our streets to its permanent resting place in the museum.
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California Science Center
700 Exposition Park Dr
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The undisputed standout at the California Science Center is also the museum’s most recent acquisition: Endeavour. The final ship to be built in NASA’s space shuttle program, Endeavour inspires a reach-for-the-stars ambition unlike any other exhibit in the city. And its story is distinctly rooted in L.A.: Endeavour was built in Palmdale and, almost 123 million miles later, rolled along our streets to its permanent resting place in the museum.
Cruise along Grand Avenue and you can’t miss the Walt Disney Concert Hall, a twisted metallic explosion of Frank Gehry’s imagination. You may not realize, though, that the acoustically impressive hall harbors a lush garden in its shadows. Bring a bagged lunch or a climb along the building’s lustrous exterior.
1063 locals raden deze aan
Walt Disney Concert Hall
111 S Grand Ave
1063 locals raden deze aan
Cruise along Grand Avenue and you can’t miss the Walt Disney Concert Hall, a twisted metallic explosion of Frank Gehry’s imagination. You may not realize, though, that the acoustically impressive hall harbors a lush garden in its shadows. Bring a bagged lunch or a climb along the building’s lustrous exterior.

Sightseeing

Considered the focal point of Santa Monica Beach, Santa Monica Pier includes Pacific Park, a traditional set-up stocked with a Ferris wheel, aquarium, fairground games and cotton candy stands. On warm weekends, the stretch is busy with families, beach bums and gym bunnies, who work out in public at the original Muscle Beach just south of the pier. Lately, the Pier has played host to a number of outdoor film and music events, bringing a hipper clientele to the boardwalk.
2744 locals raden deze aan
Santa Monica Pier
200 Santa Monica Pier
2744 locals raden deze aan
Considered the focal point of Santa Monica Beach, Santa Monica Pier includes Pacific Park, a traditional set-up stocked with a Ferris wheel, aquarium, fairground games and cotton candy stands. On warm weekends, the stretch is busy with families, beach bums and gym bunnies, who work out in public at the original Muscle Beach just south of the pier. Lately, the Pier has played host to a number of outdoor film and music events, bringing a hipper clientele to the boardwalk.
4367 locals raden deze aan
Griffith-observatorium
2800 E Observatory Rd
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Shopping

Downtown Santa Monica is equal parts shopping haven and street-performer stage. Near the Pier, the Third Street Promenade consists of three open-air, car-free blocks that are anchored by upscale Santa Monica Place. With everything from fresh farmers-market produce to designer fashions, it’s a shopper’s nirvana. Likewise, foodies rejoice in the numerous restaurants featuring locally sourced ingredients and craft cocktails. Life pulses around each corner with hotel guests, street performers, shoppers, office workers, diners, barflies, and moviegoers. New to the mix: The terminus of the Metro Expo Line, opened in 2016, ferries riders by light rail between Santa Monica and Downtown Los Angeles.
1595 locals raden deze aan
Apple Third Street Promenade
1415 3rd Street Promenade
1595 locals raden deze aan
Downtown Santa Monica is equal parts shopping haven and street-performer stage. Near the Pier, the Third Street Promenade consists of three open-air, car-free blocks that are anchored by upscale Santa Monica Place. With everything from fresh farmers-market produce to designer fashions, it’s a shopper’s nirvana. Likewise, foodies rejoice in the numerous restaurants featuring locally sourced ingredients and craft cocktails. Life pulses around each corner with hotel guests, street performers, shoppers, office workers, diners, barflies, and moviegoers. New to the mix: The terminus of the Metro Expo Line, opened in 2016, ferries riders by light rail between Santa Monica and Downtown Los Angeles.

Entertainment & Activities

Though the rides lack both Disneyland's charm and the sheer terror inspired by Six Flags Magic Mountain, Universal Studios Hollywood's hillside theme park offers some worthwhile thrills fueled by silver-screen memories and an illusion of Hollywood glamor. The park's original attraction is also one of its highlights: the studio tour. Most of your time is spent carting through diverse backlot sets of New York, a mutt of European villages, the Old West and familiar movie landmarks—most impressively the 747 crash site from War of the Worlds.
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Universal Studios Hollywood
100 Universal City Plaza
3326 locals raden deze aan
Though the rides lack both Disneyland's charm and the sheer terror inspired by Six Flags Magic Mountain, Universal Studios Hollywood's hillside theme park offers some worthwhile thrills fueled by silver-screen memories and an illusion of Hollywood glamor. The park's original attraction is also one of its highlights: the studio tour. Most of your time is spent carting through diverse backlot sets of New York, a mutt of European villages, the Old West and familiar movie landmarks—most impressively the 747 crash site from War of the Worlds.

Essentials

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Ralphs
7257 Sunset Blvd
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Trader Joe's
11976 Ventura Blvd
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Target
735 S Figueroa St
726 locals raden deze aan