Now that spring is officially here, the rest of the country is thawing out and our age-old claim to the best weather in the nation isn’t as enviable. What are we to do when our Instagram beach photos are no longer making East Coast friends question their decision to live in a blizzard-prone region? Some of you might be thinking, “Maybe we should just put our differences behind us and celebrate great weather for all!” You would be wrong. The correct answer is to reach into LA’s deep treasure chest of envy-inducing assets and start reminding the rest of the world why Los Angeles is the best city, on the Best Coast, amen.
1. The California Double
There aren’t many places in the world where you can surf in the morning and snowboard that same night, or vice versa, but here in LA the classic "California Double” is absolutely achievable. Wake up early to ride the waves at Manhattan Beach's El Porto before making the 2-3 hour drive to Big Bear for some seriously sick snow shredding.
Photograph: Shawn Parkin
2. Medical marijuana
You may not be aware, but weed isn’t really just for stoners anymore. Serious businesses and startups have created a plethora of cannabis-derived products that are revolutionizing the industry and giving it some legitimacy. While our friends in New York are paranoid about having a joint on the subway, we’re eating marijuana-infused chocolate covered blueberries and "smoking" from refined vape pens.
Photograph: Courtesy Kiva Confections
3. JPL
JPL’s annual open house is one of the coolest things we can wrap our non-rocket-scientist minds around—but did you know they offer regular tours throughout the year? Not only is NASA our next door neighbor, but they also are totally cool with us coming over to play with all their sweet toys.
Photograph: Courtesy CC/Wikimedia Commons/NASA/JPL
4. The food
Whether or not you want to take credit for the farm-to-table movement is one thing, but we can all agree that LA has one of the most diverse food-scapes in the entire country. The many ethnic communities that make up Los Angeles have put their best feet forward, which means any night of the week we can eat delicious Thai, Mexican, Chinese, Ethiopian, Iranian, El Salvadorin, Japanese, Armenian, Filipino, Taiwanese, Lebanese, Israeli, Korean, Indian or Vietnamese food. And that’s just to name a few.
5. The LA Kings
The LA Kings have proven themselves a jewel in an already shimmering crown of Los Angeles achievement. Having won two Stanley Cups in the last four years, our home town hockey team is poised to do great things this season.
6. LACMA
We have a pretty sweet (and growing) collection of amazing museums in LA, but LACMA is a real gem. This wonderful Mid-City contemporary museum boasts Instagram-friendly architecture and exhibits, as well as great events like Friday night jazz on the lawn. That's all without even mentioning that their permanent collection is impressive in both size and scope.
Photograph: Courtesy CC/Flickr/FilippoD