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Suggest a Feature →Los Angeles & Long Beach
The world's entertainment capital. Beaches, mountains, and the busiest port in North America.
Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles–Long Beach oversees the largest port complex in the Western Hemisphere — the combined ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach handle 40% of all US imports. The operational environment is one of the most complex in the country: massive commercial vessel traffic, offshore environmental response, and SAR across the Southern California coast.
Los Angeles is the second-largest city in the US and the entertainment capital of the world. But it is also a city of extraordinary diversity — Korean Town, Little Tokyo, Thai Town, Boyle Heights, East LA, and Watts each have distinct cultural identities. The beaches run continuously from Santa Monica to Long Beach. The San Gabriel Mountains rise immediately behind the city to 10,000 feet.
Cost of living is high — among the top five in the nation. Traffic is legendary. The weather is exceptional: 300+ days of sunshine, Mediterranean climate, and temperatures that rarely dip below 50°F. The city's sheer scale means the experience of LA depends entirely on which neighborhood you inhabit.
Must Eat
The spots worth eating at before you PCS out.
Grand Central Market
"A 1917 public market in downtown LA. The most democratic food hall in America."
A century-old public market in downtown LA with over 30 vendors — Eggslut for breakfast sandwiches, Tacos Tumbras a Tomas for DF-style tacos, McConnell's Ice Cream, Belcampo for California-raised beef, and more. The market is a cross-section of everything that makes LA food extraordinary.
Go on a weekday. Weekend crowds make navigation difficult.
Chengdu Taste (Alhambra)
"The best Sichuan restaurant in the US. No argument."
In the San Gabriel Valley (30 minutes east), Alhambra and Monterey Park have the most authentic Chinese regional food outside China itself. Chengdu Taste is the pinnacle — mouth-numbing mala spice, dan dan noodles, and pork in chili oil that recalibrates what you thought Chinese food could be.
Get the smashed cucumber salad and the pork in chili oil before you look at the mains.
Langer's Deli
"The best pastrami sandwich in America. The New York Times said so."
Langer's has been slicing pastrami on the corner of Alvarado and 7th since 1947. The Nora Ephron-approved #19 (hot pastrami, Swiss, coleslaw, Russian dressing on rye) is a legitimate contender for best sandwich in America. The deli is in MacArthur Park — go for lunch.
Outdoor
Get outside. The land around military installations is usually the best reason to be there.
Angeles National Forest
"A million acres of mountain wilderness directly above the LA basin."
Immediately north of the city, the San Gabriel Mountains and Angeles National Forest offer 500+ miles of trail, Mount Wilson Observatory, the Crystal Lake Recreation Area, and ski resorts (Mountain High) in winter. At 9,399-foot Mount San Antonio (Mount Baldy), you can see the ocean from the summit.
Malibu Creek State Park
"The MASH filming location. A Malibu canyon with streams and rock pools."
A canyon park in the Santa Monica Mountains with the famous MASH filming location (the helicopter set), swimming holes, and access to the 67-mile Backbone Trail. The Malibu Creek canyon is surprisingly wild just 35 miles from downtown.
Santa Monica Mountains Trail Network
"The only mountain range in the US running east-west into the ocean."
The Santa Monica Mountains separate the LA basin from the San Fernando Valley and terminate at the ocean at Point Mugu. The Backbone Trail runs 67 miles east-west through NPS, state, and local parks. Zuma Beach at the ocean end of the mountains is one of the best surfing beaches in Southern California.
Culture & History
Places with stories. Most military towns sit on deep history — dig in.
The Getty Center
"The most spectacular museum setting in America. Free admission."
Richard Meier's hilltop Getty complex has a world-class European art collection, a stunning garden designed by Robert Irwin, and views from Malibu to downtown LA from the terrace. Free admission always. The tram ride up is part of the experience. A legitimate once-a-month destination.
Olvera Street & El Pueblo de Los Angeles
"Where LA was founded in 1781. The oldest section of the city."
The original settlement of the City of Los Angeles — a Mexican marketplace, the 1818 Avila Adobe (oldest house in LA), and the original 1822 Chinese settlement. Olvera Street is touristy but standing on the exact site where the pueblo was founded in 1781 gives rare historical grounding in a city that pretends to have no history.
Family
Stuff to do with the kids. Rated by people who have brought actual children.
Griffith Observatory
"The Hollywood sign next door. Planetarium, telescope, and LA skyline views."
The 1935 Art Deco observatory on the south slope of Mount Hollywood — planetarium shows, a rooftop telescope open to the public Friday and Saturday evenings, and the best view of the LA basin available. Free admission to the grounds and exhibits. The Rebel Without a Cause filming location.
Aquarium of the Pacific
"Long Beach's excellent aquarium. Shark Lagoon and the Southern California focus."
On Long Beach's Rainbow Harbor, the Aquarium focuses on Pacific Ocean ecosystems — Southern California/Baja, the Tropical Pacific, and the Northern Pacific. The outdoor Shark Lagoon where you can touch bamboo sharks and the penguin habitat are kid favorites. Military discount available.
Day Trips
When you need to remember there's a world outside the gate.
"The Mojave and Colorado desert meeting point. World-class bouldering."
Two hours east, Joshua Tree has some of the best bouldering in the world, iconic Joshua tree forests, and some of the darkest night skies accessible to most Angelenos. Camp at Jumbo Rocks in fall or spring. The park is too hot for summer camping.
"The American Riviera. Spanish architecture and excellent wine country."
An hour and a half north, Santa Barbara has the best Spanish Colonial Revival architecture in California, a beautiful beachfront, and proximity to the Santa Ynez Valley wine country (Sideways territory). The Channel Islands National Park accessible by ferry is extraordinary.
"A Mediterranean island 26 miles off the coast. Daily ferry service."
A 45-minute Catalina Express ferry from Long Beach reaches Avalon — a small Mediterranean-style city on the California island. Snorkeling, kayaking, hiking in the interior, and the famous Art Deco Casino ballroom. A full day or overnight trip.
Traffic is not exaggerated. The LA basin is 500+ square miles of continuous urban development. Driving 20 miles during rush hour can take 90 minutes. Live as close to your commute endpoint as BAH allows.
The Metro is better than its reputation. The K Line (Crenshaw), the A Line (to Long Beach), and the B Line (to North Hollywood) cover significant ground. The Metro Bike Share supplements the system well.
San Pedro — the neighborhood adjacent to the port complex — is where many USCG families live. It's an actual neighborhood (not a tourist area), with a fishing village character, a growing arts scene, and substantially more affordable housing than the Westside.
The LA County beach system (run by LA County Parks) gives free beach access from Malibu to Redondo Beach. The parking fee is the main cost. Get there early on weekends or park at a parking structure and bike.
Los Angeles is enormous, expensive, and deeply car-dependent. Traffic is a genuine quality-of-life factor that most new arrivals underestimate. Homeless encampments are visible throughout the city and are a source of tension. Housing costs are high enough that BAH frequently requires supplementing or accepting a significant commute. But the weather, the cultural diversity, the food, the outdoor access, and the sheer dynamism of the place make it one of the more stimulating assignments available.
This guide is built by people who've been stationed here. If there's a spot we got wrong or a gem we missed, tell us.