Hey everyone!
This weekend I was home celebrating my dad’s birthday, and I realized how nice it is to get off campus for a bit. I’m usually really busy, so getting off campus is a nice break from all the hard work I put into my studies. I’ve decided to make a list of some of my favorite places to go (excluding food- I tend to blog about food a lot) when I need a nice stress reliever and just to get away for a bit.
Shopping
Los Angeles is famous for its shopping, especially Rodeo Drive and Robertson Blvd., but realistically that’s not affordable to a college student. My favorite two places to shop nearby are the Grove and on Melrose Avenue. The Grove has a lot of generic stores like Forever 21, Bath and Body Works, Nordstrom, etc. It’s a great place to get some generic shopping out of the way and enjoy great weather. Melrose Avenue is a little more trendy, with a lot of boutiques and vintage stores. This is where I go to find the interesting pieces. Finally, I love shopping in the fashion district. Only about 10 minutes away from school, this is a great place to find anything (dresses, tops, pants, SHOES, costume pieces) for very cheap and I love perusing all the shops!
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- Melrose Avenue
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- Rodeo Drive
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- The Grove LA
Beaches
Another iconic part of being in LA is going to the beach!! There are tons of beautiful beaches, but the two near school I tend to go to are Santa Monica and Malibu. Santa Monica is the closest beach to USC, and it also has tons of entertaining people plus the well known pier with the ferris wheel. It’s certainly a tourist destination, but a very fun one! Malibu is generally a little more secluded and local, but also a little farther. A ton of students love to adventure to the beach on hot weekends!
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- Sometimes I study at the beach too!
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- Me and Blake at Santa Monica with our Freshman Academy Class
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- The Ferris Wheel at Santa Monica
Art Museums
Being an art history minor, I can’t get enough of the local art museums. Los Angeles contains a ton of culture, and I love to take advantage of all the beautiful pieces that can be found nearby. LACMA, the Norton Simon Museum, the Getty, and the Getty Villa have become familiar places for me, and my next adventure is the Huntington LIbrary and Gardens in Pasadena.
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- Tim Burton Exhibit at LACMA
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- Me at the Norton Simon Museum
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- The beautiful Getty Villa
Of course this isn’t all that LA has to offer, but these are three of my favorite things to experience when I need a couple of hours away from school!
