We all know we’re counting down the days until school ends (only 8 more days). Soooo what better way to spend it than hitting up these sweet spots in our hometown!
Melrose trading post: 7850 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles CA 90046
This one you may have already seen but they have some pretty cool clothes tagged along with live music. It’s located in Fairfax High School every Sunday from 9-5.
o Here’s their website for more information http://melrosetradingpost.org/plan-your-visit/

May 26 see Denzel Curry perform for 20 bucks at the Glasshouse!
IF you’re a fan of Denzel Curry or if you’re up for a fun concert, hit up this venue and I promise you’ll have fun. I saw him last year at FYF, not knowing any idea who he was, and I had the best time.  He performs at the Glasshouse May 26th if you’re around. It’s a bit far away but here is the ticket link:
o https://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/1432454?q=e77e93aa-ebe1-4b99-9da1-a3c1488f35f5&p=ecc92019-9993-4820-b9b6-1292d89ee9ff&ts=1494192430&c=ticketfly&e=0067a&rt=Safetynet&h=112be1b1ad2ec39407ab8acd0984142d

The Smell: 247 S Main St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
The Smell is an all ages music hub and a great place to discover new artists or just have a fun girl’s night out! Also, if you have nothing to do this summer it’s open every night along with its vegan snack bar. It’s super cheap (usually $5) and it’s right next to huge downtown buildings and unique and yummy food places like Phillipe’s or Katsuya.
o Website: http://www.thesmell.org/home/

Nick Metropolis Junk Yard: Nick Metropolis Collectible, 100 South La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036
This is one of my favorite places to just admire all the weird and random contraptions they hoard. There are lots of vintage things to play with ranging from huge lights and mirror and telephones to rows of old mannequins and Coca Cola signs c. 1950. They do get mad if you take too many pictures though… apparently, you have to “pay” but just don’t let them catch you.
o Website: https://nickmetropolis.com/

Little Tokyo Village + “the light up hall”: 123 Astronaut E S Onizuka st. Los Angeles
Again, it might be a little far depending on where you live, but Little Tokyo has some of the cutest stuffed animals and shops in general. They also have lots of good grub and mochi along with a Rif across the street for more shopping. In addition to their cool shops and mini ancient/not working arcade, there’s a light up hall under the Weller court shopping center that’s pretty cool to look at. There’s also the infamous MOCA art museum to check out right next to the tunnel if you’re running out of things to do.  

Venice Antiques and Collectibles flea market: 13000 Venice Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90066 and for the south bay ish area: Torrance antique street fair 317 Sartori Ave, Torrance, CA 90501-2720
o For the Venice flea market: they’re open every Saturday 8am-4pm located next to Venice High School. This is a great place to pick up some summer outfits or even get a head start on fall fashion.
o For the Torrance antique street fair: They boast their 180 vendors full with antiques and cool knick knacks. Even if you’re not into that it’s a great place to look at a blast from the past. The dates for the rest of the year are May 28 – Jun 25 – Jul 23 – Aug 27 – Sep 24 – Oct 22 – Nov 26 – Dec 24. Oddly enough I couldn’t find the hours on their website, but from the reviews on it, I’d say it’s probably in the morning, around 10, and last 2-3 hours. But if you end up missing it there are great restaurants in walking distance!
o The Website: http://www.torranceantiquefaire.com/index.html

Venice skate park: 1800 Ocean Front Walk, Venice, CA 90291
The special thing about this skate park, besides the cute boys who pretend to be younger than they actually are, are the pretty shops and spontaneous street performances that will pop up out of nowhere. Plus, gorgeous sunsets, random tents that offer to predict your future, and the best fruit carts with the rainbow umbrellas.

If you’re up for a mini-road trip head to the sunken city in San Pedro: 500 W Paseo Del Mar San Pedro, CA 90731. I might be wrong but I believe they reopened this to the public but it’s still unclear. I’d check on their website just to make sure it’s open to the public. Even if it’s not and it’s still fenced off, there’s still a really pretty view and interesting art forms. Nonetheless, some people go anyway. There are also some claims that it’s “haunted” but I guess it’s up to you to find out.

Abandoned Zoo in Griffith park: Griffith Park, 4801 Griffith Park Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90027
Pretend to be a caged animal! Probably a nice place for a photography project if you’re behind on that.

Drive-In Movies
Warning, the five drive-in movie theaters in LA are all super far away, I think the closest is in Los Feliz. However, this would be a fun way to do another mini summer road trip with a group of people that will all chip in for gas to visit these drive-in movie theaters! These theaters have movies ranging from the early 70’s to the early 2000’s. Not only are their rustic styles appealing, but experiencing a movie in a different way than what we’re used to is also fun too. It’s nice not being in a stuffy movie theater and experiencing fresh air while still watching a movie. So if you have time check them out!
o Paramount drive-in theater  http://www.paramountdrivein.com/
o Electric Dusk Drive in https://www.electricduskdrivein.com/location
o Vineland Drive-in theater http://vinelanddriveintheater.com/
o Van Buren Drive-in theater http://vanburendriveintheatre.com/about/
o Rubidoux Drive-inhttps://rubidouxdrivein.com/

The Metro Rail
This one’s not really a place but I kind of wanted to mention this one because I think it’s not given enough credit. For one thing, it can take you to several different spots in LA under 10 dollars (compared to Uber and Lyft’s massive charge or gas for your own car), it’s also faster than sitting in the boring LA traffic, and even though it’s very dirty, it kind of gives you the feeling like you’re in Paris or New York. Plus, it’s electrically run meaning it saves gas and the planet! Yay! So, if you’re staying home this summer, get lost on the metro and discover more places you didn’t know existed.
o Website: https://www.metro.net/riding/maps/

Have a memorable summer!