Lonely Planet Los Angeles Encounter [Paperback]

Amy C. Balfour (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2007

What Will Your Los Angeles Encounter Be?

...hunting for handbags and dodging the paparazzi on Robertson Blvd (p62)
...an ocean view and pumpkin-spice pancakes on the sunny patio at Uncle Bill's (p22, p122)
...marveling at Judy Garland's tiny foot next to yours at Grauman's Chinese Theatre (p12, p39)
...escaping from Disneyland's manic energy on the Haunted Mansion Ride (p154)
...a Venice Beach stroll through sun-loving palms, oiled chests, bongo drummers and jewelry vendors (p20, p108)
...shooting Chinese herb whiskey with the regulars at a Los Feliz opium den-style bar (p61)

Discover Twice the City in Half the Time...

...full-color pull-out map and detailed neighborhood maps for easy navigation
...our fabulous resident author recommends the very best sights, restaurants, shops and entertainment
...unique itineraries and highlights help you make the most of a short trip
...local voices: Charlie Sheen's stand-in, a veteran surfer and the owner of Star Maps share the LA love

Editorial Reviews

Review

Sherman's Travel, April 2007
'...Encounter guides...discreet in size, but generous enough on page count to provide a fuller city experience minus the hefty guidebook load.'

From the Publisher

Who We Are
At Lonely Planet, we see our job as inspiring and enabling travelers to connect with the world for their own benefit and for the benefit of the world at large.

What We Do
* We offer travelers the world's richest travel advice, informed by the collective wisdom of over 350 Lonely Planet authors living in 37 countries and fluent in 70 languages.
* We are relentless in finding the special, the unique and the different for travellers wherever they are.
* When we update our guidebooks, we check every listing, in person, every time.
* We always offer the trusted filter for those who are curious, open minded and independent.
* We challenge our growing community of travelers; leading debate and discussion about travel and the world.
* We tell it like it is without fear or favor in service of the travelers; not clouded by any other motive.

What We Believe
We believe that travel leads to a deeper cultural understanding and compassion and therefore a better world.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Lonely Planet; 1 Pap/Map edition (September 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1741047900
• ISBN-13: 978-1741047905
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 4.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,748,723 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Amy practiced law in Virginia before moving to Los Angeles to try to break in as a screenwriter. If you listen carefully, you can still hear the horrified screams of her parents echoing through the space-time continuum. After a stint as a writer's assistant on Law & Order, she jumped into freelance writing, focusing on travel, food, and the outdoors.

She has hiked, biked, and paddled across Southern California and the Southwest. She recently criss-crossed the Great Plains in search of the region's best burgers and barbecue. Her top picks for U.S. adventure include the cables of Half Dome, the South Kaibab Trail to Phantom Ranch, the road to the Racetrack Playa in Death Valley, the Gauley River during dam release, and the doorbell at the Museum of Jurassic Technology.

Books authored or co-authored include Lonely Planet's Los Angeles Encounter, Los Angeles & Southern California, Caribbean Islands, California, California Trips, USA, USA's Best Trips, Arizona, and the upcoming Maui guide. She has also written for Backpacker, Every Day with Rachael Ray, Lonely Planet Magazine, Redbook, Vegetarian Times, and Women's Health. Amy's essays have appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Southern Living, and the travel anthologies Go Your Own Way and The Thong Also Rises.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book, October 9, 2007

By 

Mark K. Cathey (Roanoke, Virginia USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Lonely Planet Los Angeles Encounter (Paperback)

This is an excellent and useful book. I'm a little rusty on LA, but I'm looking to go back soon and this will be the book I take with me. The author is remarkably perceptive and intelligent; I almost feel like I know her. Her judgment is impeccable and discerning and her writing is skillful and wise. This book is highly recommended.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Helpful, interesting and easy to use :-0, September 22, 2007

By 

Little Miss Cutey (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Lonely Planet Los Angeles Encounter (Paperback)

In this great pocket size guide, there is stacks of information. It covers so much to help the tourist out, and for people like me who already know LA so well, it covers lots of little extras such as new restaurants and stores etc in all kinds of different neighborhoods. It covers, Hollywood, Griffith Park, Los Feliz, Silver Lake, Mid City, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Westside, Santa Monica, Venice, South Bay, Downtown, Burbank and Universal Cit and Pasadena. There is info on Orange County too, so almost nothing is left out. It has a great pull out map at the back of the book and with topics about transport and where to eat and what to do, you almost don't need any other guide. I love how they also do mini interviews with locals about their favourite places (even Charlie Sheen's stand in is interviewed about where people hang out).

Any restaurant, hotel or store etc mentioned that has a website has their website listed alongside so you can do further research for yourself, and there are a lot of places mentioned in here that I haven't seen in other guides. With each neighborhood listed in their own color sections, this is really easy to use and it's small enough to take with you on your vacation without weighing you down or taking up space.

I highly recommend this guide. It covers so much in enough detail to give you ideas on where you want to go and what you want to do (and where you want to shop). Both Time Out guides and Lonely Planet are truly the best guides out there and so pick up a copy of this if you want to have a great vacation or try new places when you go back to LA again.

4.0 out of 5 stars Loved it!, February 2, 2011

By 

mh123 - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Lonely Planet Los Angeles Encounter (Paperback)

I brought this book with me to LA... it was very handy. It is small enough to carry in my purse. I would def recommend it. Check out some of the restaurants!