Echo Park
Los Angeles, United States
LA's music mecca has played host to modern-day guitar heroes including Thom Yorke, the Rolling Stones and LCD Soundsystem, thanks to the tip-top scheduling at beloved venue The Echo and its thumping subterranean sister, Echoplex. Often overlooked for sultry Silver Lake, this eastern district, hemmed in by the Dodger Stadium and Route 101, is your ticket to the city's freshest sounds. Catching some live music is a no-brainer: try the mural-embellished Bedrock.LA, where young musos rehearse future LPs by day and run block parties by night. Post-gig, take care of the morning hangover with a Dirty Chai and deli bagel down at Stories Books & Café. In need of some fresh air? Jump on a swan-shaped pedalo and glide across Echo Park Lake, then pick up a bundle of head-clearing sage from the metaphysical market House of Intuition. Once you've got the headache under control, fuel up on tender chicharron and salsa verde tacos at Sunset Boulevard's Guisados, in preparation for round two (it's what Ronnie would want).The red velvet bar stools at mezcaleria Bar Caló are the most coveted seats in the neighbourhood right now.
Where we're staying: Noon on Sunset Hill is a great place to collapse, post-gig
Make it a trip: Fly into LAX, from where Echo Park is a 22-minute drive