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Only one day in L.A.? Head for the Getty Center.

Posted October 26th, 2009 by Liz Lewis

For as long as I can remember, any trip to Los Angeles always involved spending the day at Disneyland, visiting with Micky, Minnie, and the rest of the gang. But on my last stopover in Los Angeles,  I was talked into visiting the Getty Center instead. Enticed by the promise of  blue skies, amazing views, and a free ‘grownup’ Disneyland experience, how could I resist.

Perched on a hilltop just above the 405 Freeway in the Los Angeles suburb of Brentwood, the Getty Center is a collection of low rise, interconnected buildings surrounded by a variety of landscaped gardens.

Just like Disneyland, the Getty Center thrives on being big, bold, and magical. Once you arrive, it’s difficult to decide what to do first. Go inside and wander around the enormous collection of paintings, antiquities, and photography.  Perhaps meander through the eighty-six acres of landscaped gardens and terraces. Or focus on the architectural splendor of the Richard Meier designed buildings.

 

To be honest, I spent more time outside than in, wandering around admiring the architecture, the gardens, the panoramic views,  and enjoying the sunshine. Next time, I’ll have to spend more time inside the buildings viewing the impressive collections of paintings -  Van Gough, Monet, Renoit, etc – as well as Greek, European and Roman antiquities and decorative art, and American and European photography.

If you had only one day in Los Angeles, where would you go?

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This entry was posted on Monday, October 26th, 2009 at 4:53 am and is filed under Art and Art Museums, Liz projects, US travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

2 Responses to “Only one day in L.A.? Head for the Getty Center.”

  1. Mara Says:
    October 26th, 2009 at 7:22 am

    The Getty is a pretty good choice – and like you I’ve always spent more time outside than in when I’ve visited.

    It’s hard to pick, but if I had one day in Los Angeles, I think I would go to the Huntington Library in San Marino (http://www.huntington.org/). The gardens there are amazing – the Japanese Garden alone is worth a visit, and if you’re there with kids they have one of the more inventive children’s gardens I’ve ever seen. And in the museum you can see the famous Blue Boy by Gainsborough. They offer afternoon tea in the restaurant, or you can make a quick drive into Pasadena, which is lovely to walk around in and has lots of shops and restaurants. And also the Norton Simon Museum, another lovely collection…do I really just have one day?

  2. liz Says:
    November 1st, 2009 at 5:22 pm

    Mara, the problem with Los Angeles is that you’re spoilt for choice. One day is nowhere near long enough.

    thanks for tip re Huntington Library. Will have to put it on list for next visit to Los Angeles. Have read about it but never been.

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