As someone from tranquil South Jersey, Los Angeles is a really big city. The city sprawl stretches all the way to the foothills of the mountains on the horizon. Downtown LA seems like a glass skyscraper island in a sea of concrete city blocks that stretches for miles.
The easiest thing to do is to start around the university itself. Just south of campus is Exposition Park, with the Natural History Museum, the California Science Center, and – coming soon – the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art! With such easy access, why not check out dinosaur fossils for a spell? Going just north of campus there are student residences and places to eat, notably Fig’s Corner. I’ve gone there with friends for boba, hot pot, and sushi, and many students go for Spudnuts Donuts, which is open at all hours.
With friends, it’s fun to explore the food scene all over LA. The majority of exploration that I’ve done in the city has been in the name of a good meal. Little Tokyo is a really nice spot with several restaurants to try out. The much larger Koreatown is a slew of authentic and delicious restaurants. I’m not even through my freshman year, and yet I’ve already lost count of the number of times that I’ve gone out for Korean BBQ with a group of friends. It’s amazing every time! Farther north, in Hollywood, there are plenty of places to get a fun rooftop meal. Even when I went to the downtown Music Center it was for a professional dinner! It’s not hard to find an excellent meal, and it’s a great way to get out and visit new places in the city.
That being said, my favorite place in LA… is still USC! In my experience, it’s okay to stick around campus. This university is a dense concentration of amazing people and incredible opportunities. As an out of state freshman, a significant part of my exploration is meeting people here, finding nice places on campus to study, experimenting with new clubs, and (yes, regrettably) working through hours of engineering curricular work.
Have fun exploring LA, have fun exploring USC, (stay away from UCLA,) and remember – you’ve got four years. Take it at your own pace.
