Nicely curated vintage store for Levi's and interesting pieces.

If you love karaoke like I do, there's a ton of spots to check out in LA, but none quite as charming (or David Lynch-y) as Melody Lounge. Be forewarned, this spot is intermittently open. You'll know they're ready for business if they plant a sandwich board outside offering cold sandwiches and cheap beer. Hopefully, you'll get a chance to meet the owner Willie, whose (possibly embellished) life stories rival Hemingway. As for the song selection, the campy MIDI versions and painfully less than accurate lyric translations can suddenly turn your favorite tunes into high-wire acts (i.e. "Leaving On A Jet Plane" magically transforms into "Libyan on A Jet Plane"). Hell, they even have a song called "Schindler's List" on the menu! Even if you don't sing, Willie or his wife will gleefully take the stage. Special tip: for a true Chinatown boner, request Willie sing Enrique Iglesias' "Bailamos."

I hang around on the rooftop to relax. Los Angeles traffic is crazy so this is a good place to calm down and try to find my zen. The view is great and I love the rooftop Neon signs you can see from here.

If you make it to the top, you can get an incredible 360 degree view of practically all of Los Angeles. Below you to the South is Hollywood, and beyond that, on a clear day, you can see over a hundred miles of mini malls all the way to Mexico. To the West on your right go the hills until they turn into mountains and meet the Pacific Ocean. Behind you to the North stretches the entire San Fernando Valley, above which stand the gorgeous San Gabriel mountains. To the East the mountains eventually disappear above hundreds of miles of urban sprawl, and beyond that is the dessert.

The Bob Baker Marionette Theater, founded by Bob Baker and Alton Wood in 1963, is the oldest children's theater company in Los Angeles and the longest-running puppet theater in the United States. As soon as you step through the doors you are transported into a magical realm frozen in time. Be prepared to be swept off your feet and surrender your age as soon as the artfully designed marionettes come to life. At the end of every show, the theater offers free ice cream and coffee in the birthday party room opposite the main theater where Bob Baker is available to chat and show you how to operate a marionette.