LA
“People cut themselves off from their ties of the old life when they come to LA. They are looking for a place where they can be free, where they can do things they couldn’t do anywhere else.”
– Tom Bradley, 38th Mayor of LA
Ok, we’ll admit it: we’ve fallen for LA. Fallen hard. We’re daydreaming about this surreal town and we have its name scrawled across our notebooks. We think it might be love.
The West Coast is widely thought to be the quintessential wellness mecca of the world. And while LA, a sprawling city made up of lots of smaller towns, isn’t famed for its rich culture, we’d argue that hotspots like Santa Monica, Silver Lake or Venice are bursting with character, charm and liberal thinking.
Anything goes in the City of Angels: the weirder, the better. Hollywood attracts performers, entertainers, preeners, hustlers and adventurers from all over the world and there is immense competition to harness the most energy and be the brightest spark in the box every day. This means that the place is bursting with people who need to look and feel their best and will spend good money and energy on their fitness and inner wellness.
Endless sunshine and long stretches of beach means that the ‘body beautiful’ mantra reigns supreme in this town. But we didn’t find it as plastic as Andy Warhol seemed to. ‘Angelenos’ are big on inner beauty too, believing that wellness brings out their very best selves and that ambition is best released and realised through Kombucha, not tequila.
California has always been a breeding ground for alternative ideas and there’s a sense of openness that really permeates the LA bubble. With OM-ing ringing through the air, juice bars on every corner and healers for every spin junkie, this place prides itself on being supremely well-adjusted. We found more health food restaurants in LA per square mile than any other city we know, which was something of a revelation. It’s a culture that’s constantly evolving and never behind the times.
LA is actually much like Hong Kong in that, even though it a bustling city of cities, it’s surrounded by breath-taking natural beauty and this in itself inspires fantastic outdoor workouts. The canyons, the beaches, the mountains and the desert all vie for your attention and, better yet, they’re all free. So go to LA, skip the gym and hit the trail.
“I love Los Angeles. It reinvents itself every two days.” – Billy Connolly
Download our app and experience LA, a city that’s so much more than it seems. If you know someone planning a visit to LA or has just moved here, then please let them know about us. We’ll point them in the best direction for ultimate wellness.
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