Although it's been ages since I've been to LA, I remember liking Santa Monica and the Pier. It would be great if you could get someone to drive you along Mulholland drive. And you have to check out In & Out Burger to tell us if it lives up to its mythic reputation. (P.S. I am sooooo jealous.)

I live in Orange County, so most of the LA people will say I'm disqualified from recommending places to see/things to do. But if I were you, I'd see (in addition to Christine's recs):
1. Venice Beach
2. The Hollywood Sign
3. Check out some of the stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

If you get to the OC, it's worth your while to see:
1. Balboa Peninsula (ride the ferry across from Newport Beach if you can, and have a hand-dipped ice cream bar on the way)
2. Disneyland, of course
3. The Crystal Cathedral (trust me, it's cool)

I'm a native. Do go to the Getty but don't miss the Huntington Library or the Norton Simon. Acres of Books in Long Beach, an old institution looks like it's going to be closing soon. Visit Jerome at Brand Books in Glendale, he's absolutely wonderful and knows everything there is to know about books. Visit the quaint little used bookstore in Eagle Rock, Read Books and say hi to Debbie and Jeremy, although Deb might be at BookExpo.

Visit Olvera Street in Downtown LA as well as the Central Library. Visit the beaches, Venice is a fun one but Malibu too. If you like hiking, visit Charm Lee where you can hike and get gorgeous views of the ocean. There's a Chumash museum there as well. I could go on forever but you're only here for the BookExpo and that in itself will be time-consuming. Maybe I'll see you there.

You are going to have a fabulous time in LA. Hopefully you will have time to see the sights. In addition to the other recommendations (and if you love shopping and food as much as I do), you should stop at The Ivey for lunch, Koi for dinner, shopping along Robertson and at least a stroll down Rodeo Drive. Yes, In and Out Burger does live up to its hype, so be sure to grab a burger there. Have fun!
"The Getaway Girl"

The problem with L.A. for East Coasters is that you have to drive everywhere, so find yourself a native who's willing to schlep you around. I love the Getty--even if you don't have time to go through all the galleries, just being up there and seeing the gardens and looking out over the city is worth it. Venice Beach is great, but take the time while there to walk the few blocks to see the canals too. Have a great time!

Here are a couple of tips from a native NYer: (1) Check out the Web site of LA's public transportation system. In addition to light rail and buses, it has a series of short-run buses that cost only 25 cents (called DASH, I believe). I took a taxi from W. Hollywood to LACMA for $16 and came back for $0.25. The routes intersect at various points so you can transfer. (2) Have a map and a good grip on where you're going, especially the intersection closest to your destination. Cab drivers don't seem to know the city very well, if at all. (3) Check out the La Brea tarpits and museum (right next to LACMA on Wilshire Blvd. They're unique and even Prince Charles made a point of visiting. The Japanese pavilion at LACMA is fabulous.

Avoid Hollywood Blvd at all costs, esp on the weekends.

The best guide to Los Angeles is a person who lives there, someone who is wired into the most appealing places to go and things to do. Find some natives, before and after you arrive, and pick their brains. They'll know the best restaurants, clubs, theaters, events, and scenes. Much of what is interesting in LA is serendipitous, often found in surprising out-of-the-way places. Having said that, don't miss the Getty Museum. It's one of the beauty spots of the city, and I'm glad it's on your list. Early arrival is best to avoid the long car lines waiting to enter the parking garage, but late arrival is fine too, especially if you take a gallery break to watch the sun set slowly over the city. Speaking of sunset, my favorite car tour for visitors, when I used to live there, was to drive the length of Sunset Boulevard from downtown to the beach. All of the diverse and marvelous characteristics of Los Angeles are revealed along that single street, from ethnic neighborhoods to garish Hollywood to manicured Beverly Hills to energetic UCLA to cozy Pacific Palisades to the glorious Pacific Ocean at the end of the road. Side trips to Hollywood Boulevard, Rodeo Drive, and the Getty can be easily made off Sunset. If you have an interest in early American cinema, you'll pass the dust of legends on Sunset, including the spot where D.W. Griffith built the massive sets for "Intolerance" in 1916, and Charlie Chaplin's studio in the 20s and 30s. To feel the spirit of the city before you explore, read anything by Raymond Chandler, and watch (what else!) Billy Wilder's classic "Sunset Boulevard."

If you deal much with the graphic-novel business, you should meet the locals at the L.A. comics industry's graphic-novel dinner on Thursday night, the 29th. E-mail me at davidseidman at earthlink dot net or call 310-652-4369.

Outside of that:

The beach. Any beach. It's more than 10 miles from the convention center, but a barefoot walk on warm sand will soothe and re-energize you during the stresses of BEA.

Book Soup has a superb selection of art books and coffee-table books, as well as books with, y'know, words. Nearby is Mystery Pier Books, a superb rare-book shop. Also nearby, though not so literary, are showbiz meccas like Le Dome (a restaurant that's attracted the big powers of the entertainment business), the Viper Room (a rock club where celebrities have dropped in, and one or two have died), and hotels like the London, which offer high-rise views that are spectacular, especially at night.

Have fun!

David Seidman

I'm guessing that you're staying downtown, so, unless you have a rental car and love traffic (as a SoCal native, driving is in my blood, but I understand that not all people are into it), you might want to consider activities close to that area. Which means...yes! The Pantry. Walking distance from the Convention Center, never closes, a cool old school diner place (plus a brand new pub has opened right next door -- let me know if you want to meet for a drink). I love walking the region around MOCA -- lots of different levels of the city, lots water features, and a glimpse of LA that most natives never see. You can catch the train (red line, mostly, through downtown) to Union Station -- incredible architecture. You can even ride it out to Pasadena and check out Vroman's -- our incredible bookstore.

Wow, there are so many things to do (Dodger Stadium, Book Soup, the Sunset Strip if you're out that way anyway, the beaches (Venice Beach is everything you imagine and more), Huntington...Oh, and awesome weather.

I am loving these suggestions; keep them coming! I wish I could stay at least a few more days, but at least I'll never have a bored moment. Thank you all so much for sharing your knowledge.

Also: look out for an interesting publishing industry tie-in later this week that I learned about because of this entry.

I love the beach towns myself, downtown always feels to me like Armaggeddon. But I do enjoy Olvera Street, and Union Station is a glorious sight. Bethanne, somehow I think you are not going to have a lot of free time at BEA, and it takes so long to get anywhere. It too me 3 hours to drive from Santa Monica to Pasadena once.

Claire, I have a feeling you're right...but I'll manage Book Soup -- and a drink with you?

YES, let's have a drink at LA -- I know, I know I'll see you at least one of the evening bashes, like last year. BTW, don't feel so bad, never having been to LA. I was born 80 miles north of LA, and grew up in (northern) CA. The first time I ever stepped foot in the City of Angels (NOT counting Disneyland!) was in 1996, when I exhibited at the newly-launched LA Book Fest.
Claire

Literature with Pepperoni and Extra Cheese?

Celebrity Mob Book Author

Coming To LA with “A License To Steal”





Who: Walter T. Shaw, Famed ex-jewel thief and author of the acclaimed memoir

A LICENSE TO STEAL.



When: Friday, May 30th



Where: LA BOOK EXPO

BEA Table 28 at 1:30PM



MIDPOINT BOOTH #607 at 3:00PM



Infamous cat burglar Walter T. Shaw will be available for interviews.



Background:

Celebrities are supporting Shaw's desire to give his inventive father his rightful due.

A License To Steal, (Omega Publishing, April ’08, $24.95, hardcover) chronicles the saga of his father, probably one of the most important inventors of our time, who patented Conference Calling, Speakerphone, Touch-Tone Dialing, etc. and was ripped off by corporate America and the mafia, and how this drove Walter himself to become one of the country’s most famous jewel thieves, having taken an estimated $70 million from the rich and famous from Long Island to Florida.