It's a cemetery, but the view from up here is stunning and you can see one of the most large scale epic paintings ever made by a human: The Crucifixion painting, by Polish artist Jan Styka. It's a must see. 

Built on Carroll Avenue in the late 1880s, this is a short walk to look at these old houses. There is the Thriller house from Michael Jackson clip on the 1345 Carroll Av

Leo's is an institution. I thought there was only one truck on Venice and La Brea but turns out they have eight across LA. Watching them slice pork and pineapple in one fell swoop is both drool-inducing and an art form. Open til 3am most nights I think.

The best ramen I had in LA, maybe anywhere. Even my food-critical son loved it.

place to chill