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12 Reasons To Love LA

Our New Year’s resolution? Get out, get inspired and get to know this epic metropolis we call home.

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JANUARY

Last Call for Pacific Standard Time One of the greatest art events to hit Los Angeles—about Los Angeles—will soon depart for good. But you still have time to catch this multi-venue exhibit before it becomes the stuff of coffee table literature. Pacific Standard Time marks the largest collaboration of the city’s cultural institutions (more than 60) and encompasses every major LA arts movement from 1945 to 1980. Highlights for the sunset months of the exhibit include a curator’s gallery talk on Pacific Standard Time: Crosscurrents in LA Painting and Sculpture, 1950-1970 at the Getty Center on January 25, a closing celebration at the Watts Towers Arts Center on February 12 and a discussion with acclaimed Santa Monica portrait artist Don Bachardy and writer Susan Morgan at USC Doheny Memorial Library. For a complete calendar of events, visit pacificstandardtime.org.

FEBRUARY

Romance Revisited at Hotel Bel-Air A beloved hideaway of glitterati and locals alike, the Hotel Bel-Air recently underwent a massive renovation and restoration that closed the property for more than two years. Only within the last few months, the hotel grounds reopened to the public, and a collective sigh of relief echoed through discerning Hollywood circles. Beautiful, brilliant and more luxurious than ever, this carefully tucked away retreat has lost none of its charms and gained a few new ones during its absence. Aside from the elegantly redesigned guest rooms, suites and lofts, expect a new dining experience by LA’s favorite chef de cuisine, Wolfgang Puck, and a spa experience courtesy of Swiss skin care experts La Prairie. Reserve your Valentine’s rendezvous here and guarantee love insurance for a full year. hotelbelair.com

MARCH

Explore The Hidden Bars of Hollywood Boulevard Prohibition-style, with none of those pesky police raids. Hollywood Boulevard is no stranger to vice, but none captures our imagination more than what’s going on behind the bar. Forget about those nightclubs filled with reality stars soaking up their last few seconds of fame. We’re talking about real watering holes with class and culture to spare. Start your crawl down at former dive Harvard & Stone, then cruise west toward Wood & Vine, a gorgeous venue housed in the historic Taft Building. Last but not least, order something old school from one of the red-jacket bartenders at Musso and Frank. With 90-plus years experience in the booze biz, it doesn’t get more intoxicating than this.