Skating through Los Angeles
Skateboarder and photographer Sierra Prescott shares her love of L.A. and explains why Venice Beach is the best spot to people-watch
Plan your trip to LA
Where to stay
Overview
“I often recommend people stay in Silver Lake, where I lived for over a decade,” says Prescott. “There are a lot of hills, but you will see some crazy people bombing down them or [the pro skater] Nyjah Huston doing a crazy gap to hill bomb.” The Silver Lake Pool & Inn is right in the heart of the action, and popular for its rooftop pool.
“Nearby Echo Park or Los Feliz are also great places to stay, or if you want to be right by the beach, Santa Monica.” Also consider The Venice V Hotel, where decor is inspired by skate culture, and boards can be rented at the front desk.
What’s Nearby
Where to eat & drink
Overview
“One of my favorite breakfast and lunch cafés in Venice is called Flake. It’s a short skate from the beach and the coffee, burritos and acai bowls are super good,” says Prescott. “Across the street, vegan spot Café Gratitude is a bit more high-end—go there for black rice and curry bowls, wraps, salads, pizzas, and mezze. Superba is a great bakehouse and breakfast place, there’s one in Venice and Pasadena, where I live now.”
It’s not a trip to L.A. without a visit to a burger or hotdog joint, and Prescott’s favorite city-wide chains include Burgerlords, Monty’s Good Burger, Wurstküche and Pink’s. She also recommends Grand Central Market Downtown, which has a multitude of street-food vendors under one roof.
When it comes to bars, she likes to drink in Silver Lake, and neighboring Echo Park. “The Black Cat and Mohawk Bend are my go-tos. And if you keep going Eastside, you’ve got cool spots like Lowboy and Bar Flores, which is known for its cocktails.”
What’s Nearby
What to do
Overview
“The music culture in LA is rad,” says Prescott. “Because of the dry weather, which is also great for skating, we have amazing outdoor venues like The Greek or the Hollywood Bowl. And in mid-city, we have The Wiltern or the Orpheum Theatre.”
She also recommends visitors explore the city’s contemporary art scene. “There are lots of cool museums now. One of the newest is The Broad, which is definitely worth checking out Downtown. They have an epic Keith Haring exhibition there at the moment.” Bonus? It’s free to enter, but you can book ahead to avoid queues.
What’s Nearby
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