Groovy Los Angeles Vacation Recommendations

May 9, 2018 1:55 PM

I'm visiting Los Angeles for the first time in early June, and would love recommendations for things to do and see related to the Sixties and Seventies.

For the past few years, I've been indulging my love of Sixties music and culture by running a "Sixties Day by Day" blog. Naturally, California figures prominently in my reading and listening, and I'm finally visiting June 2-6. In addition to the usual vacation sites like Griffith Observatory, I'd really like to to explore any museum exhibits, tours or other neat places to do with that era's counterculture and rock music that involve a bit more than looking at where something used to be. Recommendations for vintage and record stores with items from then also welcome! I'll be staying in Silver Lake, if that matters.

posted by kaisemic to Travel & Transportation (6 answers total)

You might enjoy Bar Keeper.
posted by outlaw of averages at 2:46 PM on May 9, 2018

There might be some tour options here that you'd like:
Dearly Departed Tours
Esotouric Tours

Amoeba Music has vintage records and posters from the era. There's also good vintage shopping in Burbank's Magnolia Park neighborhood.

For classic Hollywood-era restaurants, check out Musso & Frank or The Smoke House. Well-known hangouts for rock musicians over the years include The Rainbow, Barney's Beanery, and Canter's Deli. If you have any morbid curiosity about the Manson murders, Sharon Tate and her friends ate their last meal at El Coyote.
posted by the return of the thin white sock at 3:07 PM on May 9, 2018

Rockaway Records in Silverlake usually has a good selection of music memorabilia.

If you have time to make it out to Palm Springs the Elvis honeymoon house is amazing.
posted by Jellybean_Slybun at 4:19 PM on May 9, 2018

Thanks for linking to my Esotouric tours, trottw-sock. During those dates, we've got the Weird West Adams crime bus tour on June 2, which is focused mostly on the early part of the 20th century, but does include a couple of ghastly hippie-era tales.

The Bob Baker Marionette Theater continues to stage psychedelic puppet shows written by its late genius founder, and scored to goofy vintage records. Sit on the rug and a marionette might give you a lap dance.

Long Beach has a Retro Row (antique and thrift shops) along 4th Street near Cherry, which has good shopping for vintage oddities, records and clothing at cheaper prices than Los Feliz.

Canter's Deli, mentioned above, has three discrete spaces--a main dining room with a backlit plastic autumn leaves patterned roof, a secondary dining room with suspended slag art glass room dividers, and a cocktail bar--so if you go, wander around and soak up all the atmosphere. The almond horns at the pastry counter are excellent.

Nikki Kreuzer's frequently updated Offbeat L.A. vintage restaurant list is full of time capsules, organized chronologically. The grill-your-own steak joint Venice Room is a little early for you, but it's a great mix of wacky decor, lovely people and good, cheap eats (assuming you're a carnivore). And if you're in the San Gabriel Valley, Fosselman's ice cream parlor is a classic early 1960s environment.
posted by Scram at 7:43 PM on May 9, 2018 [2 favorites]

Bob's Big Boy up in Burbank has a classic car show every Friday afternoon in its parking lot. Not sixties-specific but some beautiful vehicles that shine in the Californian sun. Plus, the diner is a great place to visit, too.
posted by humuhumu at 1:37 AM on May 10, 2018

A drive through Lauren Canyon, home to and inspiration for many musicians of the 60’s and 70’s. Pamela Des Barres runs a tour, but I’m not sure if the next one will happen while you are there.
posted by lemonwheel at 1:55 PM on May 12, 2018