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8 Things You Need To Do in Los Angeles in Your First Year at USC

By Jordan Al-Rawi

Edited by Natalie Grace Sipula

[3.5 minute read]

With the fall semester fast approaching and many students planning their return (or first-time trip) to Los Angeles, many are eager to explore all of the great things the city has to offer. There are several places I highly recommend visiting in your first year at USC to get the true Los Angeles experience. Even if you have been to LA before, I recommend seeing these places before you graduate! I have listed eight of these destinations below, along with instructions on how to get there using public transportation if you are new to the city and don’t have a car.

  1. The Getty Center
Photo by Ludovic Charlet on Unsplash

The Getty Museum houses one of the most impressive collections of American and European art and sculptures in all of California.  It is celebrated not only for its art but also for its beautiful gardens and view overlooking downtown Los Angeles.  To get to the Getty from USC, one can take the Expo Line from USC to the Santa Monica Station and then board bus 234 to the Getty Center.

2. Griffith Park

Griffith Park hosts a variety of fun activities, most of which are free of charge.  The Griffith Observatory overlooks the entire city of Los Angeles, has live shows, one of the best public telescopes on the West Coast, views of the Hollywood sign, and much more. From USC, you can take Bus 204 to the DASH Observatory Bus to get there.

3. Santa Monica Pier

Photo by Matthew LeJune on Unsplash

The Santa Monica Pier is the pinnacle of Southern California beach culture and a must-visit location as a USC student.  The pier has a small amusement park, a variety of shops and restaurants, and a strong street culture presence.  To get to Santa Monica Pier from USC, board the Expo Line and ride it to the end of the line.

4. Pink’s

Pink’s is an iconic hot dog restaurant near Melrose Avenue that has existed since 1939.  Pink’s has been featured in movies, TV shows, and books.  Pink’s is a Treasure of Los Angeles and serves over fifty-thousand pounds of hot dogs per year.  To get to Pink’s from USC, you can take Bus 200 to Bus 10.

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L.A. Life

Art Museums of Los Angeles

By Eamon White

Los Angeles is known for many things from its movie business to the busiest highways in the country, but something that many people tend to forget is its wealth of quality art museums. There are only two other cities in America where you can see more—New York and Chicago. Even if you aren’t into old renaissance paintings or outlandish conceptual art, there will be a museum for you in Los Angeles.

Here are just a few of the best and most notable museums in LA:

Photo by CTG/SF on Flickr

The Broad— This museum is LA’s newest (for now) and most instagrammable museum of art. The museum opened just over a year ago and is already one of LA’s hottest destinations. It features many famous artists from Andy Warhol to Takashi Murakami to Jeff Koons. Even if you aren’t a fan of modern/contemporary art there will be something here that interests you, not only that, but it’s free! It is very popular, so you better be willing to wait in line to get in. It is also conveniently located only a few blocks from the Pershing Square metro station so you can get there easily on the red or purple lines.

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L.A. Life

Guide to L.A.’s Top Museums

By Shalea Klepner

If you’re staying local during the winter break, now would be a great time to go on a museum-hopping adventure. Many of the country’s finest museums are scattered around the Los Angeles area and conveniently accessible from USC. Each museum features something unique, including paintings, photography, sculpture, and new media, and showcases various time periods from ancient to classical to contemporary. I have listed some of my favorite museums as well as fun places to eat and explore after your visits.

The Broad Museum in Downtown LA – photo by Peter Alfred Hess on Flickr

Broad Museum is Downtown Los Angeles’ highly anticipated
newest museum. The Broad is located next to Walt Disney Concert Hall on Grand Avenue. The museum currently features artworks from Cindy Sherman, Jeff Koons, Ed Ruscha, Andy Warhol, and a special installation by Yayoi Kusama.

MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art) in Downtown Los Angeles is located across the street from the Broad Museum, which makes for a fun, double-museum day visit. The MOCA’s permanent collection includes works from Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Claes Oldenburg, Mark Rothko, and Jackson Pollack. Its featured exhibitions are always fun, thought- provoking, and always changing.

The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, located in the Little Tokyo Historic District, is the sibling museum of MOCA  on Grand Avenue. Pro tip: present the ticket stub from your first MOCA visit and receive free admission to the other MOCA museum, if visited on the same day.

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