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If you're a first-time visitor to Los Angeles, don't worry—we know. You're also not alone. The city of Los Angeles has always attracted people from elsewhere, whether they're stepping off the Greyhound from Little Rock ready for that “big break”, or have immigrated to build a new life in the Golden State. There's a hopeful curiosity here; a sense of wondering who you could become in the city of LA, if you just have the chance.

Whether you're “from here”—either the city of Los Angeles, or the sprawling, nearly 10-million-strong LA Country surrounding it—or have been adopted by the sunny metropolis after years of calling it home, you know that the character the city plays on the silver screen is not the one you get everyday. When traffic clogs the 10 (freeway, that is), nobody is dancing La La Land style. It takes a certain prowess to navigate this city, without letting the rental cars and gritty buses and parking quagmires get you down. It also takes a savviness to know where to direct your GPS (spoiler alert: it's not the Hollywood Walk of Fame) to find the fantastic street food, artsy enclaves, and only-in-LA delights that await. But when you do it right, few cities smile on you like Los Angeles.

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So, how do you skip past tourist traps and pitfalls of being a “first timer” in LA? We've rounded up the unwritten rules that locals know and live by. It's a real IYKYK city, and this is exactly what you need to know before a visit.

1. You need a car

If you plan to travel beyond one section of the city, you need a car. Sorry! It's true. While public transportation here is moving at a snail's pace to expand and compete with the world's better-connected cities, you cannot count on it to successfully traverse the city. If you're going to be spending all of your time in one or two adjoining neighborhoods (Venice and Santa Monica, for example), fine—Ubers and Lyfts will work. But if you have even the thought of crossing town, or catching up with friends in various neighborhoods, you want the freedom of wheels. (Plus, how else will you ride along PCH with the windows down as Phantom Planet's California plays?) Consider picking your car up at the airport, since you'll be spending an arm and a leg to get out of there otherwise, then jet around town. Just make sure you've confirmed the parking situation with your hotel, Airbnb, or the friends you're staying with, and read those parking rules carefully. Related: plot out when you might plan to drink, so you know where you will leave said car accordingly.

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Yes, you do need a car—not only so you can drive along PCH with the windows down.Lena Wagner/Getty

2. Your neighborhood is your world

Someone once told me that LA isn't a city, but a collection of little towns, and I've repeated it many times since. Echo Park is a town. Los Feliz is a town. Even if their borders touch, they often exist as a microcosm—and don't even get me started on how many worlds away (literally and existentially) say, Beverly Hills and Downtown LA are. If you know there are restaurants you definitely want to try, shops you want to stop at, or events you're in town for, pick a neighborhood that can be your world and home base for a few days. I'm not saying you shouldn't leave the bubble, but if breakfast is in Culver, lunch is in Frogtown, and dinner is in Malibu, you'll spend more time on freeway on and off ramps than anything else. Pick a hub—and at the very least, pick a side of town (East is for the alternative types, West for beachy living, with lots of variance in between).

3. The word “walkable” is up for interpretation

To belabor my last two points, be wary of the “walk” option on Google Maps. As a walk-happy Angeleno and current resident of New York City, a 25-min walk alternative to a 20-min drive is usually something that makes me say, “Let's just walk!”. Pause, please: I'm not saying you can't, and I often still do. But if you don't know the route or area, know that you might be walking under freeway overpasses, zig-zaging your way through uneasy, deserted streets, or struggling to find a cross-walk across a busy road. The choice is yours, but think twice before you drag your entire family on a lengthy commute by foot.

4. There's a beach, and you may never go

This is a city that loves a tank top, a pair of sunglasses, and a sun-kissed glow. But unless you're based on the west side, getting to the beach might be a bigger trek than you realize. Many of my east side friends go to the beach less than I do in New York City, from Brooklyn to the Rockaways; plus, there are pools aplenty that'll save you the commute. If you want a beach vacation, you've got to stay in Venice, Santa Monica, or nearby. Years ago, I was aghast at being able to just walk onto the sand from Casa Del Mar after a lifetime of driving to the beach: This is the experience of westside Angelenos, and it's only yours if you prioritize it.

5. This might be America's Greatest Street Food City

The mix of culinary traditions represented in Los Angeles restaurants is a wonder—it's one of the best things about the city (more on that in a minute). Immigrants, and particularly those from Latin America, also deserve credit for bringing a street food culture that doesn't exist in the same way in other US cities. That sliced fruit with lime and Tajín on the street corner will always hit; so will those tlayudas, those tamales, those bacon-wrapped hot dogs outside the club, and anything else you can get your paws on. Street food trucks are in yet another league, often acting as incubators for budding restaurants, slinging award-winning Korean food, seafood, and everything in between. So please, eat on the street. The barbacoa setup in that Huntington Park parking lot will be the best you ever had.

6. Don't sleep on strip mall restaurants

Let me say it another way: Los Angeles is home to many types of unassuming spots that serve seriously good food. Sure, street stands and food trucks might have a more quintessential “cheap eats” appeal to them, but don't lift your nose when you find out the restaurant you saw on TikTok is tucked into a bland strip mall. This is often a great sign, whether you're after soju and small plates at Dan Sung Sa in K-town or craving sushi with a side of paps at Sushi Park on the Sunset Strip. Same goes for marketplaces, particularly in south LA, like Mercado La Paloma (Holbox is easily my favorite place to eat in this city).

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Eat many a taco—at trucks, little mercados, and anywhere else your nose leads you.Alexander Spatari/Getty

7. There's a town for everyone

K-town, Thai Town, Little Ethiopia, Little Tokyo, Chinatown, Historic Filipinotown, Tehrangeles, Oaxacalifornia—Los Angeles is a quilt woven from the threads of other cultures, and it's easy to appreciate the communities that make it so rich. Start with a food focus, and find the hub of whichever cuisine you're after, then work your way through grocery stores, mom-and-pop-shops, and pop-up events. By coming to LA, the world is at your fingertips. Eat it up!

8. The best taco is your favorite taco

Everyone wants a taco—or a breakfast burrito—when they visit LA. Everyone loves to ask locals which is the best. Sorry to say, but there's no one best taco. There are far too many styles of tacos, ranging by region of origin to vendor specialties, to ever be able to answer that question. Ask people for their favorite taco, and expect everyone to send you in different directions. My suggestion? Pull over whenever you see a bustling taco setup on the sidewalk, or a truck whose glow draws you in, and find out which is your favorite. There's no right or wrong answer here.

9. Yes, you can order from In-n-Out's secret menu

Thanks to the internet, In-n-Out's secret menu is no secret. California's most beloved burger spot—where the simple menu of burgers, fries, and shakes can be manipulated in many “off-menu” ways—is basically a playground for flexing what you've heard of. The most popular off-menu order is making your burger or fries animal-style (add grilled onions, extra sauce, mustard on patty) but you can also add a whole grilled onion; get your shake as a “Neapolitan” mix of chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla; or do any number of other ungodly things (see: the Flying Dutchman) simply because you can. I'm all about the cheeseburger, animal-style, add chopped chilis please. And while the In-n-Out just beside LAX always looks too busy to bother, there's no sweeter way to arrive or depart the city, in my opinion, than sitting at one of the picnic tables eating your burger as planes fly over. (Don't worry, the long line moves fast.)

10. Downtown isn't the heart of the city

In most cities, downtown is some type of central destination—not so in Los Angeles, where DTLA is squarely to the east of touristed parts of the city. There is a ton here, in the way of history (and historical buildings), architecture (like the Disney Concert Hall), art (The Broad!), and both storied and shiny new restaurants, but only chunks feel truly walkable, and it's certainly not the place to base yourself for the sake of being central. Stay here if you want to be here—for the abundance of great hotels and relatively easy access to Chinatown and east side, food-forward neighborhoods like Silver Lake, Atwater Village, and East LA. Just don't think of it as the center of gravity for the city.

11. It's always sunny… kind of

The weather here is often touted as some of the best you'll find. That doesn't mean every day is 75 and sunny, but by and large the weather is “good”—the sun is often out, it never gets too chilly, et cetera. But there are some caveats to keep in mind when packing. First, there's always a temperature difference between inland areas on the east side and the coastal west side. Check your weather app accordingly, and consider an extra layer (or two) if you'll be crossing town in one day. And though the weather is often lovely, summer scorchers are not uncommon, so prepare for sun and heat in warmer months, especially if you're staying on the east side. If rain is in the forecast, bring that umbrella and the right shoes, because even though LA is car-centric, people rarely seem prepared to get caught in even a drop of rain in this city. If you only have a couple days to experience it, don't let a little weather thwart your plans.

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Stay on the west side if you want to hit the beach.Alexander Spatari/Getty

12. If you want to see a celebrity, it won't be on a house tour

I love that they do those ridiculous celebrity house tours. You know the ones, they sell them in Hollywood, on the Walk of Fame (another place you'll never see a celebrity), and a bunch of tourists climb into a bus that drives through the Hollywood Hills where the guide claims so-and-so lives “in the house right here!” Whether or not their intel is correct as to who lives where, I can promise you'll be looking at little more than tall fences and hedges. You're far more likely to spot a celeb at Erewhon, or Nobu, or old-school Hollywood spots like Musso & Frank. Definitely at Chateau Marmont. Keep your eyes peeled—and be cool!

13. LA is a county, don't be afraid to explore it

If you have that car I told you to get, and if you have time to look beyond the most commonly touristed parts of the city, consider seeing more of Los Angeles Country. Santa Monica, technically, is its own city within the county, so there's an easy one. You also have Malibu, just north, which has pristine beaches, and hiking in the Santa Monica mountains. The Valley has fabulous food worth driving for. Pasadena has old school corners that charm. The South Bay has made-for-TV beach cities. The city proper will keep you busy on shorter trips, but if you're sticking around for a week or returning for a second visit, consider expanding the radius of what you see for a broader picture of this place.

14. Consider flying into Burbank or Long Beach

Everyone defaults to LAX when choosing a flight to LA, and in all fairness, it's a large airport with a lot of amenities and direct flights. Small but mighty Burbank and Long Beach, though, compete when it comes to airlines like JetBlue and Southwest, and have options from bigger carriers like United and Delta too. Sometimes the deals are better, sometimes your commute from airport-to-accommodation is quicker—it's always worth comparing, at the least, and too many visitors don't even know to.

15. LA pride runs strong

Because LA is so spread out, it can be easy to doubt that this city shares the same connective tissue that residents feel in a city like Chicago or New York. But Angelenos are a tough bunch, and whether you're a newbie or a generations-in-the-making local, when push comes to shove, LA comes together. You've seen this when Dodgers won the world series in 2024 and residents flooded the streets. The recent ICE protests showed the same, albeit in a very different vein. Even the devastating fires of the 2025 showed how united the city can be in times of need. To really know LA is to know that between complaining about traffic and those double-decker tour buses, none of us are immune to its charms—and we'll slap on our royal-blue LA hats in pride whenever we have the chance.

Originally Appeared on Condé Nast Traveler