The Miracle Mile, so named for its sudden rise from a dirt road in the 1920s to the cultural center it is today, is one of the most exciting places in Los Angeles. It takes less than five minutes to drive from one end to the other, but on your way you’ll pass numerous museums, great restaurants and other attractions worth stopping for.
Museums
The Petersen Automotive Museum is fittingly located on the street raised from obscurity by the automobile in America’s most car-focused city. Its exhibits reveal how Los Angeles history and the history of the automobile interweave, and include the rides of such famous figures as Sadam Hussein and the Pope. A collection of vehicles featured on the silver screen and a visual automotive timeline with historic autos displayed on reconstructed period streets make this a can’t-miss spot for the car enthusiast.
The A+D Architecture and Design Museum regularly features exhibits on innovative buildings and advances in architecture, with scale models and detailed designs. Organized walking tours through rarely-explored portions of Los Angeles are a great way to stretch your legs and see some remarkable buildings at the same time.
Visiting the Los Angeles County Museum of Art is an excellent way to spend an afternoon—or a lifetime. With thousands of works of art from all periods of history and corners of the globe, there’s always something new to see, and the concerts and film screenings every week just increase the likelihood that this is a destination you’ll want to return to again and again.
Whether you’re just walking between museums or looking for a place to picnic, Hancock Park has you covered. The park is the site of the prehistoric La Brea Tar Pits and includes both information about each pit and life-size statues of Ice Age mammals.
The Page Museum is found inside the park, a small but information-packed natural history museum dedicated to the plants and animals of the Pleistocene era unearthed from the pits. Not only can you look at the hundreds of fossils on display, but also observe the ongoing excavation and research.
The Craft and Folk Art Museum celebrates the side of the art world that LACMA may sometimes overlook, works created for the home rather than the gallery. In addition to regular exhibitions, the museum hosts one-day craft workshops every week on subjects ranging from bookbinding to knitting, papermaking to poetry.
If you’re looking for even more art, try the Ace Gallery. Founded in the 1960s and boasting previous galleries by Andy Warhol and Dennis Hopper, this is a great location to take in the works of the talented artists of tomorrow.
Entertainment
The El Rey Theatre is a beautiful Art Deco-style venue from the early days of the Miracle Mile, that today offers live music. With four to five concerts every week, featuring bands from all over the world playing everything from hip-hop and blues to singer-songwriter and indie rock, there’s always something worth hearing.
eXpress Nightclub is a small but popular K-club, allowing you to taste of little of Korean nightlife right here in Los Angeles. Aside from the dance floor and the bar there’s also the Korean practice of “booking,” a speed-dating-like custom that’s a great way to meet new people.
Voted California’s best sports bar, Busby’s East is a diverse and relaxed place that manages to be all things for all people. On 50 big-screen plasma TVs you can watch any sport the earth offers, or stick around for the nightclub scene later on. There’s strong drinks, live bands, delicious dinner, karaoke and even breakfast on the weekends.
Restaurants
Ray’s & Stark Bar is located inside the BP Grand Entrance of the LACMA, allowing you to enjoy dinner and a drink while exploring the world of art. The Mediterranian-themed menu and delicious cocktails made with hand-crafted spirits are a classy addition to any night at the museum.
Try Callender’s Grill for steak, burgers and delicious desserts. A classic grill that’s everything you’d expect, but with the unexpected additions of take-out pies and half-price bottles of wine on Wednesdays.
If healthy eating is your thing, Mixt Greens is the restaurant to choose. With quality salad and sandwich selections plus a build-your-own salad option, it’s a fine choice for lunch, whether you’re vegetarian, vegan, or really like chicken.
Black Dog Coffee is yet another fine museum-side place to grab lunch. Aside from the eponymous coffee and all its variants, there’s sandwiches served on specialty bread, pastries, hot dogs, salad an daily soup.
Then there’s Starfish Sushi, whose choices include almost everything but starfish itself. Whether it’s seafood rolls, sashimi, seafood and meat entrees or actual sushi, there’s plenty to choose from.
India’s Tandoori specializes in regional dishes from all over the subcontinent, serving only Halal meat. Whether you eat in or take out, the menu offers a staggering variety of traditional options, allowing you to decide just what kind of Indian meal you want.
Luna Park is a popular destination, featuring fine dining and delicious cocktails. The crowds make it a good people-watching space or simply a place to grab dinner before a show at the El Rey, and the 2-for-1 prices of happy hour extend beyond just drinks to pizza and appetizers as well.
Genwa Korean BBQ is a strikingly classy location with authentic cuisine. The dark wood-paneled atmosphere, bilingual menu, bicultural drink selection and 21 banchan options as complimentary sides make this among the best locations for a quiet dinner.
And, of course, if you prefer a recognizable franchise, the Miracle Mile has Johnny Rockets for classic American fast food, The Counter for custom burgers and beer, IHOP breakfast, Chipotle Mexican Grill burritos, Five Guys burgers and fries, Subway and Burger King.
The mile can be found between Fairfax Avenue and Highland Avenue along Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles 90036.
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