Culver City

Akasha Restaurant

Opened in 2008, Akasha features New American food, meaning that everything is delicious, organic, seasonal and local. You'll never feel trendier but welcomed. Good for dates and business meetings. There is also a well-stocked bar. Happy hour is daily from 2:30-7PM and features significant discounts on drinks and appetizers. Bonus trivia: the owner, Akasha Richmond, has been the personal chef to pop star Michael Jackson and actors Barbara Streisand and Billy Bob Thorton.

$15-35

Annapurna Cuisine

This Indian vegetarian restaurant serves up tasty South Indian dishes including a large selection of masala dosas. It's usually full of Indian families.

Sun-Thu 11AM-9PM, Fri-Sat 11AM-10PM, closed Mon·Mains $8-16

Backstage

Proudly advertising itself as "the best dive bar in the world" Backstage offers a high-energy atmosphere with a really fun crowd. Expect a packed house on weekends and call ahead to reserve a table if you don't want to be standing. Drinks are reasonably priced ($4 for a draft beer), the staff is extraordinarily friendly, and there is karaoke (Thursday - Saturday), pool, darts, and decent bar food to help keep the evening entertaining.

Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook

Over three hundred feet above the surrounding neighborhoods, this overlook provides tremendous views of the LA basin, as well as some short nature trails for those interested in native plants and animals. A self-pay parking lot is available at the top of the hill, but hearty souls can park for free along Jefferson Blvd and then walk up 315 vertical feet of switchbacks and steps (note: no dogs allowed on the trails). There's also a shuttle that operates on weekends and holidays from the La Cienga/Jefferson Metro Expo Line station. The visitor center features exhibits on area history and nature. Special events including twilight walks, junior ranger programs, and bird-watching are scheduled regularly.

overlook open 8AM-sunset daily, visitor center open weekdays 10AM-6PM, weekends 8AM-7PM, closed Tue·$6 for self-parking

Blind Barber

If you didn't know it was here, you'd never find this great hangout. The front is a working barbershop with a nondescript door in the middle of the back wall. Walk through that door and you're in a bar with a roaring-twenties theme. The cigarette dispenser by the bathroom sells hair product, the fans are operated on pulley systems, and a free drink is offered with every barber service. Cocktails are fancy and made by bar tenders who double as waitstaff. Snacks include numerous varieties of grilled cheese and upscale bar munchies like sloppy joe sliders or imported olives.

Bar: Mon-Sat 6PM-2AM, Sun closed; Barbershop: Mon-Sat noon-9PM, Sun noon-6PM·Cocktails $10+, Beers $5+

Center for Land Use Interpretation

A unique organization, the CLUI is devoted to researching and illustrating how land is used and perceived. The exhibits hosted in their minuscule gallery space are small, but are usually very intriguing and often draw attention to features of the landscape you would normally overlook. The tiny bookstore (more of a bookshelf, really) is a real treat, selling some excellent texts as well as humorous postcards.

Fri-Sun noon-5PM·Free

Choco Vivo

Choco Vivo is a unique chocolate shop that makes chocolate from scratch, starting with beans imported from a grower in Mexico and using a stone grinding technique dating back to the Mayans and Aztecs. Their chocolate contains no dairy, so the end result is a dark chocolate that is very different from what most people are used to. Bars are sold at $6 each that include different amounts of cacao and flavorings such as sea salt or almond. A "tasting" option is also available in the store, as well as flavored chocolate drinks, pastries, and chocolate-inspired gifts. Events are held frequently that range from chocolate & tequila pairings to speed dating.

Mon-Thu 11AM-9PM, Fri Sat 9AM-11PM, Sun 9AM-9PM

Conservatory for Coffee, Tea and Cocoa

Family-run coffee shop that roasts their own beans daily and makes one of the best macchiato's this side of the Big Pond. They are known for their "latte art" - you have to order one in a china cup to appreciate it. A local favorite, they also have a huge variety of teas from around the world and make a wonderful Mexican hot chocolate.

Copenhagen Pastry

Don't be fooled by the relatively small selection - if you show up to a party with a box of flaky Danish pastries from this bakery, you're going home a hero. The pastries are made fresh throughout the day using traditional Danish recipes, and samples are available if you are unsure of what to buy. The Kringle lines and Copenhagen lines - flaky pastries made with almond paste or custard - are the specialties. They also have wholegrain rye bread, small cakes, and other items that are worth the visit to the gym that it will take to burn off the extra calories.

Tue-Fri 7AM-5PM, Sat Sun 8AM-4PM, closed Mon

Corner Door

When it first opened in 2012 Corner Door made fried brussel sprouts famous, but their other food items are equally well done if a bit on the pricey side. What they are best known for, however, are the upscale cocktails - Beau du Bois, the bartender who has been at Corner Door since its opening, was named "2014 LA Bartender of the Year" by Eater LA and can fashion a drink for any taste. Be warned that the interior gets loud when it fills up, so arrive early or sit on the patio if you want to be able to hear the person next to you. Daily happy hour from 5PM-7PM features $7 cocktails, $3-$5 beers, and $5 wine, as well as $5-$9 snacks. Sunday night is "Burger R&D" night, featuring the weekly burger, fries and beer for $15, and $5 old fashioned cocktails.

Sun-Thu 5PM-midnight, Fri Sat 5PM-2AM

Cruisin' Back to Culver City Car Show

This car show features hundreds of classic cars, food, and entertainment, with proceeds benefiting local charities. The streets of downtown are closed and filled with stalls and classic cars, with owners competing for awards in dozens of categories such as "Best of the 20s", "Best of the 70s", "Best Paint", "Most Different", "Best Hearse", etc. The first car show was held in 2005, and it has since become a yearly event.

Held annually in May

Culver Center

Culver Center was one of Southern California's first shopping centers when it opened in 1950. Today it is anchored by a Best Buy electronics store, a Ralph's Grocery store, and an LA Fitness club. Numerous dining options, several boutiques, an auto parts shop, and numerous smaller stores make this is a useful destination for those that need to pick up basic necessities. Parking can be difficult: spaces that are often overlooked can be found by following the ramp onto the Best Buy roof.

Culver City Farmer's Market

Held every Tuesday, rain or shine. The market offers fresh foods, flowers, crafts, and other fare. Two hours of free parking are available in downtown garages. When you walk across the alley, you are actually moving from Los Angeles to Culver City (or vice versa).

Tue 2PM-7PM

Culver City Historical Society

An archives and resource center preserves local history, and aims to serve everyone from young children to senior citizens.

1PM-3PM on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month, and by appointment

Culver City Plunge

The Culver City Municipal Pool, affectionately known as "The Plunge", is a heated, Olympic-sized swimming pool that was first opened in 1949. It is open to the public (resident and non-resident) for recreation swimming, lap swimming, water aerobics, swimming lessons, and diving (1-m and 3-m springboards). Lockers and showers are available on-site. Schedules vary, so call or check the web site before visiting to ensure that the pool is available for your desired activity.

Open daily, hours and schedules vary·$4 for adults, $2.50 for youths; passes good for fifteen visits provide significant discounts

Culver Studios

Located in downtown Culver City, Culver Studios was founded in 1919. Fans of classic motion pictures will immediately recognize the studio's colonial mansion from the opening credits of the David O. Selznick International productions such as Gone With the Wind and Duel in the Sun. Unfortunately public tours are not available.

Father's Office 2.0

This upscale pub is famous for its burger, just don't try to make any substitutions - they don't allow them, and they really mean it. There are also over 70 beers on tap.

Fiesta La Ballona

This annual festival is held at the end of the summer and generally lasts from Friday through Sunday. The festival features a beer & wine garden, carnival rides, petting zoo, food trucks, a farmers' market, 100 booths selling artisan wares, and live music.

Free admission, rides are generally $1 each

Gaby's Mediterranean Grill

Reasonably priced and very tasty Lebanese restaurant. Seating is in an outdoor patio complete with hookahs, heat lamps, candles, and a bustling crowd that mixes young hipsters with Lebanese locals. Service is friendly and the place stays busy until closing.

11AM-1AM daily·Meals are between $8 and $20

Game Show Building

From the sidewalk, you can see Terry Allen's sculpture "Golden Time", a humorous comment on work after overtime. Michael Hayden's sculpture uses cutting edge materials (holographs) producing a rainbow spectrum on the sidewalk and surrounding areas of the Game Show Building. Hayden collaborated with Game Show Building architect, Steven Ehrlich, AIA, who won a National AIA Design Award for the project.

Govinda's

The unusual vegetarian restaurant operated as part of the hospitable and charitable tradition of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. A buffet luncheon or sandwiches will cost you less than ten bucks. Above the restaurant you will find a boutique filled with fine garments and unusual handicrafts and art objects from India, the spiritual home of the Krishna devotees.

Grand Casino Bakery

This is a simple, quaint little Argentine bakery. The Empanadas are delicious, and you can always find the big screen in the dining area tuned to a soccer match.

6AM-8PM daily

Helms Bakery

The Helms Bakery on the border of Los Angeles and Culver City was a notable industrial bakery of Southern California that operated from 1931 to 1969. The buildings have now been adapted for reuse as retail shops, restaurants and upscale furniture company showrooms.

Hobbit House

The Lawrence and Martha Joseph Residence and Apartments have been aptly called the "Hobbit House," and people live in these unusual apartments. Los Angeles city historic-cultural landmark No. 624.

J R's Bar-B-Que

The industrial location is appropriate for a barbeque place that's "Tender as Mother's Love." Real pit barbecue beef ribs, pork ribs, "rib tips", great sides, and if you have room left, peach cobbler or 7-Up cake! Three choices of sauce - they're serious when they say it's hot. The proprietor, "Robert Johnson", may or may not be the famous bluesman.

Jim Heimann's sculptures

Jim Heimann's sculptures "Studio Pass I", "Studio Pass II", and "King Kong Gone" (1995-6), celebrate the history of Culver Studios and Sony Pictures

K-Zo

Another restaurant born of Culver City's downtown renaissance, K-Zo is a sushi bar and "Japanese tapas" restaurant, offering various hot and cold bites in addition to the more standard Japanese fare. Prices are a bit higher than some other restaurants, but the food is generally excellent, service is friendly, and the atmosphere is great. For those seeking to maximize their eating dollar, happy hour is daily from 5:30-7PM.

Lunch: Mon-Fri 11:45AM-2:30PM; Dinner: Mon-Thu 5:30PM-10:30PM, Fri-Sat 5:30PM-11PM, Sun 5PM-10PM·$6-15 for most sushi rolls and tapas items

Kirk Douglas Theater

This performing arts center was built in 1947 as a movie theater with over 1,000 seats, and today the original marquee and tower are still in place, creating a striking presence in downtown Culver City. It underwent an $8-million renovation in the 1990s that created two playhouse stages, one with 350 seats and the other with 100 seats. The theater is owned by the Center Theatre Group, which also operates the Ahmanson Theatre and the Mark Taper Forum in downtown LA. There are regular performances several nights a week.

Tickets $25-$50 for most performances

Museum of Jurassic Technology

This museum is a truly unique experience, as it is an artistic mixture of fact and fiction, featuring weird and wonderful displays of things that never happened, next to strange but true practices of bygone years; it can be hard to distinguish between the two, and it's best not to try. Exhibits include micro-sculptures that fit within the eye of a needle, portraits of the canine astronauts of the early Soviet space program, and artwork made from the scales of butterfly wings that can be viewed under microscopes. An enjoyable afternoon's visit and a tribute to the weirdness of the world. The Tula Tea Room is located upstairs and serves complimentary tea and cookies, while the Borzoi Kabinet Theater has free movie screenings hourly; both open one hour after the museum, closing one hour before the museum. Photography and cell phone use (including texting and pictures) is not allowed in the museum. This attraction is actually in the Palms district of Los Angeles, although it has a Culver City address.

Thu 2PM-8PM, Fri-Sun noon-6PM·$8 for adults; $5 for students, retired persons, unemployed individuals, or those age 13-21; $1.50 for disabled persons or military personnel in uniform

Pho Show

Founded by three techies who wanted to be able to eat pho at a local restaurant, Pho Show serves the Vietnamese rice noodle soup to a crowded house. The soup that gives the restaurant its name is delicious, with a particularly aromatic broth that is different from other pho restaurants, and portions are generous. For those who chose this restaurant but for some reason decided against the soup, there are numerous rice, noodle and curry dishes on the menu. Beer and wine is available for dine-in customers.

Mon-Sat 11AM–3PM, 5PM-2AM. Sun 11AM-3PM, 5PM-10PM·$7-15