As much as we love living in the big city of Los Angeles it can be stressful. Traffic, parking, pollution and more modern day big city pressures can have you looking for a break.
Sometimes you just want to escape from it all and luckily we have little urban oases all over the city where you can. These hidden little gems are an amazing way to catch some peace and quiet before you get back into the madness we love so much.
Here are some of our favorite escapes right inside the city.
1 – Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine
Description:
The Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine is a breathtaking 10-acre space full of beauty all around and is just a few blocks from the Pacific Ocean.
It is also right off crazy busy Sunset Boulevard in Pacific Palisades but you would never know that when inside the confines of the tranquil grounds.
Every inch of this local masterpiece is beautiful and it includes a lake, a windmill, gardens, walking paths, a meditation center and much more!
Location:
17190 Sunset Blvd, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272
Pic Credit:@camiladallerup
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Lake Shrine is a temple and retreat center founded by Paramahansa Yogananda but it is non-denominational. Whether you have a different religion or no religion at all, everyone is free to roam and explore in peace.
2 – The West Hollywood Library
Description:
Libraries can be a great place to catch some quiet study time or just a mental break.
And the West Hollywood Library has that with an amazing extra bonus. On the second floor you will find a spectacular view of the media center across the street, and you can even see the Hollywood hills.
A very nice view to go with your study and quiet time.
The kid’s section is downstairs so that way you don’t have to hear little tykes screaming and running around while on the second-floor study.
Private rooms: They also have private meeting rooms, but you have to reserve them at the counter
Location:
625 N San Vicente Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069
PIC Credit:@buckwinthrop
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West Hollywood is one of the hardest places in Los Angeles to park. But no worries about that if you are visiting their Library. They validate parking!
3 – Vista Hermosa Park
Description:
Vista Hermosa means ‘beautiful view’ and that describes this amazing park and its famous bench perfectly.
You may recognize this bench from the great LA based flick, ‘500 Days of Summer’ starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Its since become even more famous with hundreds of Instagrammers posting pics with it.
This beautiful spot is in Echo Park and serves as an amazing respite from the LA traffic and noise.
Location:
100 N Toluca St Los Angeles, CA 90026
PIC Credit:@lamag
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The famous bench with direct views of the DTLA skyline is by far the most popular part of this park. But there is a lot more to it! There is a large grassy area, shaded walking trails, kids play area and even a pond! After taking you bench pics makes sure to explore the rest of the park.
4 – White Point Park – San Pedro
Description:
White Point Park all the way in San Pedro features a beautiful view and park on top, with benches and picnic tables. It even has a couple of swings with an Ocean view!
The top of the park is perfect for a relaxing outdoor lunch or snack with friends or by your self.
After that, you can make your way down a very steep hill with cliff and Ocean views all along the way.
At the bottom of the park turn left at the stop sign and park. There you will find crashing waves on the rocks and amazing little tide pools.
This makes a great place to have some serene quiet time and just enjoy the small sea creatures.
Location:
1801 W Paseo Del Mar, San Pedro, CA 90732
PIC Credit@joeypphotos
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Next to the Tide Pools is Royal Palms State Beach. You just go right at the Stop sign on the bottom of the hill instead of left.
Royal Palms are the ruins of a former luxury hot springs resort from the 1930s that has now been converted into a public park.
Resting right next to the Ocean, cliffs and some remains from the resort it’s an amazing place to capture some breathtaking pics.
5 – Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels
Description:
The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels (or COLA its nickname) is a 58,000-square-foot complex designed by Spanish architect, Rafael Moneo.
Also known as the Los Angeles Cathedral, it first opened in 2002 in order to replace the Cathedral of Saint Vibiana. The Vibiana was unfortunately severely damaged during the 1994 Northridge Earthquake.
Although this is a Catholic church you don’t need to be of that faith to appreciate the miraculous beauty of the architecture. There is an amazing level of detail and craftsmanship and its estimated the cost of the entire project was about $250 million dollars!
Location:
555 W Temple St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
PIC Credit:@surfnturf3104
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If you want to learn the fascinating history of COLA there is a docent-led tour that is free. This interesting tour will teach you a lot about the interesting facts about the architecture and furnishing of the building during the tour.
Call to verify the time of the tours.
Do you agree with our list or did we miss an obvious one? Let us know by commenting below!