The 10 best city views in L.A. for when you’re feeling lazy

As the name implies, this overlook perched above the Hollywood Bowl offers fantastic views of the Downtown skyline all the way to the ocean (on clear days, at least). You can drive right up to it, but be advised that its pint-sized parking lot is a popular destination for Hollywood tours.

7036 Mulholland Dr, Hollywood Hills

The vista from this Art Deco icon is stunning, particularly at night when Los Angeles twinkles below. Whether on its basin-facing rooftop or hill-adjacent patio, you’ll find a viewing spot here that suits your needs (the observatory itself is closed on Mondays, but you can still walk the grounds and take in that view). Show up on a weekday not too long before the 10pm closing and you’ll be much more likely to snag a spot in the parking lot ($10 per hour). Otherwise, opt for the DASH bus, lest you face a notoriously difficult parking challenge.

2800 E Observatory Rd, Griffith Park

This one takes commitment. Drive about 40 minutes up Angeles Crest Highway and onto the narrow, winding Mount Wilson Red Box Road and you’ll reach the summit. Then take a short walk from the parking lot to the shaded Skyline Park pavilion and the attached Cosmic Cafe (open seasonally from April through November, 10am–5pm). If that all sounds like a bit much, you can also simply pull over at one of the handful of turnouts along Angeles Crest Highway between the forest entrance and Angeles Forest Highway. On clear days, you can spot the Downtown skyline and even out to the ocean. On cloudy days, you’ll be high above the marine layer. It’s a win-win either way. Just note that if you drive all the way to the summit late at night, you’ll likely have some speed demons riding your bumper on the way back down.

Mt Wilson Rd, Angeles National Forest

This Westside lookout is best known for its 282 steep, concrete stairs to the top. But if you’d rather not beat up your knees, take a shortcut and drive up to the top of the hill and park in the parking spaces ($2 per hour, $6 per day), which are often empty on weekdays. Once you reach the summit, sit at the long park bench and take in the 360-degree city views.

6300 Hetzler Rd, Culver City

If you aren’t afraid to get your car dusty, stay on Mulholland Drive past the 405 and then bear left at Encino Hills Drive, at which point the road will turn into a cracked, gravelly mess. Wind up the dirt road and eventually you’ll reach the entrance to San Vicente Mountain Park, a decommissioned radar tower with one of the best 360-degree views in the entire county.

17500 Mulholland Dr, Encino

Aside from the Hollywood Bowl Overlook, mentioned above, the rest of the scenic viewpoints along Mulholland Drive all face the Valley. What these north-facing views lack in skyscrapers, they make up for with mountain ranges (which are sometimes dusted with snow in the winter).

We’re particularly fond of this one toward the eastern edge of Mulholland, where the roadside lookout affords a top-down view of Universal Studios. Though it’s a popular spot for tour vans to pull over, the small, paved seating area tends to stay relatively quiet.

7701 Mulholland Dr, Hollywood Hills

Perched 73 floors above DTLA atop the Wilshire Grand, rooftop bar Spire 73 lays claim to the title of tallest open-air bar in the Western Hemisphere. The vantage point here is almost outlandishly high, but so too is the $40 to $60 minimum spend per person. Consider the 70th-floor Lobby Lounge instead, which is open to the public and offers just as wild of a view.

These certainly aren’t the only rooftop bars or sky-high restaurants in town; we’d actually recommend a spot like Perch or Mama Shelter if you’re after a pretty view with vibes to match, or Merois, 71Above or Sant’olina for a proper meal. But the Wilshire Grand Center’s height alone certainly earns it a spot in this list.

900 Wilshire Blvd, Downtown L.A.

It may seem puny compared to the Wilshire Grand, but the observation deck atop City Hall still offers one of the best views in Downtown L.A. Whether you’re begrudgingly in the area to stop at a government building or just rolling by on a clear day, you owe yourself a visit—public hours are generally weekdays from 8am to 5pm; walk into the Main Street entrance.

200 N Spring St, Downtown L.A.

Reservations required.

You could hike up Temescal Canyon for views of the ocean and the Westside, but at the Getty, such vistas are only a monorail ride away. The hilltop art museum’s travertine and white metal-clad pavilions are as conducive to 19th-century paintings as they are panoramic views, particularly from the cactus garden.

1200 Getty Center Dr, Brentwood

The next time you navigate the organized chaos of the Grove’s parking garage, spiral up past a half-dozen levels and onto the rooftop. You’ll be rewarded with an unobstructed view of the Hollywood Hills, Century Century and the Downtown skyline off in the distance. And hey, the top-down view of the Grove’s Art Deco-inspired village isn’t bad, either.

189 The Grove Dr, Fairfax District