So LA kind of has this thing with walls. (And no, I’m not talking about the kind that you’re hearing so much about in the news these days). To the point where there are lists on lists on LISTS on the interweb called “LA’s Most Instagrammable Walls” & other titles of that nature. The other weekend, Alex and I spent the day up in Hollywood with our friend Olivia, who just happens to live pretty close to the infamous “pink wall on Melrose.” So obviously, we made our way over there 😉 It was a pretty popular wall, with people taking turns photographing one another for fashion spreads and Instagram pages. And so it got me to thinking, what are some of my favorite LA Instagrammable Walls?? I’ve put together a little list of just a few of the walls that I’ve come across throughout my LA life, and where you can find them!
The Pink Wall on Melrose Ave:
You can find this GIANT and bright pink wall at Paul Smith on Melrose Ave (the address is 8221 if you want to plug it into your GPS). This wall is so good, you won’t even need a filter. Trust me 😉
The Walls on Abbot Kinney:
Abbott Kinney Blvd is located in Venice Beach, which is known for celebrating the arts, so it’s no surprise that you can find lots of fun walls on this little stretch of shopping & eating. Two of my very favorites are The Heart Wall (where we took some of our engagement photos last fall!) and The Buddha Wall!
The Love Wall in Culver City:
This wall may be a little trickier to find, as it sits hidden on Hayden Ave in Culver. Alex introduced me to this wall as it was on the same street as the gig he was working when I first moved out here! I had a good time exploring Culver City during my first few weeks out here. You can hit the wall first thing for a photo opp, and then take a short drive to the Culver City Stairs for a fun hike afterwards! (Update: I’ve heard rumors that they’ve revamped this wall a bit just in time for Valentines Day…so maybe it’s time to head back!)
Museum Walls: The Getty & The Broad:
Museums are a fun place in general to take lots of cool pictures. The Broad Museum, located on S Grand Street in DTLA, is a pretty recent addition to Los Angeles. It features lots of fun modern art and they are regularly changing out the exhibits to feature new and fresh pieces, so you can go multiple times a year and it will always be different! The exterior of the museum has a really neat texture to it, and there’s lot of grass to sit on outside if you want to just chill out with some coffee or lunch with a great wall backdrop 😉 The Getty Center, located off of the 405 is also a really fun place to go and hang out and check out some really awesome artwork. It’s totally free to go too, which makes it even better 😉 You can bring some wine and snacks with you if you’re interested in walking through the gorgeous gardens they have on-site and having a picnic. That’s how Kaylie and I found this fun vine-covered wall during her summer in LA! The views of the city are pretty incredible too. (There’s also the Getty Villa, in Malibu, that would also be worth your time!)
The Murals of Venice Beach:
Like I mentioned before, Venice loves the arts. And they totally embrace the concept of street art. Which is why they have these big concrete slabs set up on the beach where you’ll find new graffiti art with each visit. This is a fun place to take friends because there’s always lots of characters out and about 😉 One of our favorite past times is riding our bikes up the coast to Venice, grabbing a sandwich, and checking out the scene. You’ll also see lots of WrdSmth artwork throughout this part of the city too. And murals. LOTS of awesome murals (including one of Alex’s favorites: a giant Arnold Schwarzenegger)!
WrdSmth Street Art: Various Locations:
Like I mentioned before, you can find lots of WrdSmth (a popular street artist found in cities all over the US) photo opps all around Venice. But we’ve also seen a good many in Hollywood (especially near Runyon Canyon) and Downtown LA too. He’s pretty awesome, and I recommend checking out his Instagram page if you get a chance! He also just so happens to be Biff’s favorite street artist 😉
Colette Miller Angel Wings: Various Locations:
Last — but certainly not least — we come to perhaps my favorite LA Street Art finds: The Angel Wings of the City of Angels! Colette Miller is a talented artist who has painted these beautiful rainbow angel wings all over the city to “remind humanity that we are the angels of the earth.” At first, I thought you could only find them in the Arts District in DTLA, but now I’ve been finding them in other parts of the city as well! Some easy ones to get to: Angel City Brewery in DTLA Arts District. The Arts District Co-Op (I love love love! this place). 17th Street in Hermosa Beach. And most recently we found one on Melrose Ave in Hollywood!
And that’s where my list ends (for now)! What I find to be extra fun about finding these walls throughout this gigantic, crazy, fun city, is also finding cute little coffee shops or restaurants nearby! I think that’s the best thing about this “wall art phenomenon”… it gets people out into places they’ve never been before and brings some new life into businesses throughout the city. Happy wall-hunting!
LAUREN LIVES 