Saturdays Off the 405

I've posted on both The Getty Villa and The Getty Center.  This is a place that just keeps on giving.  Saturday's Off the 405 is an event hosted by the Getty Center in Brentwood that brings together food, drinks, music, and art...oh, and a lot of people.  We went a few Saturday's ago. After reading up on the event online, we decided to try to get there fairly early but park a bit away from the Getty and walk.  Parking, which is usually $15 at the museum is free after 5pm.  The event starts at 6 however cars start lining up very early, clogging the road, the free way exit, and making it plain uncomfortable for all.  On top of that, once parking fills up they stop letting people in.  So we parked in Bel Air, about a mile away, walked, and were stress free.  Technically you're not supposed to park in Bel Air for this event and there are cops around blocking streets so do it at your own risk.

We arrived at the museum and waited in line for the monorail for about 10 minutes, the line moves fairly fast.  Once we got to the actual museum it was still early, about 6:30, but there were people everywhere, sitting down, eating and drinking.  This is yet another event where picnics are welcome, however outside alcohol is not.  They do have a cash bar where they serve wine and Getty-tini's.  We ordered some drinks and found a table to have dinner while the DJ was playing music in the background.  The band, which for the night was Best Coast, was supposed to start at 7, but in true LA fashion they were very late.  We walked around the museum for a bit and came out just as they were starting.

The sound was good, and people were really into the music.  Having walked around we really didn't have a great view of the band so we stood in the background listening to the music.  We left after a few songs, but enjoyed them while we were there.

As we were leaving there was still a long line trying to get in.  At this point, they were turning every car away and traffic was backed up.  They were even turning away people who had walked so if you do plan on walking, get there early.  Once parking fills up, no one gets in, even if people are leaving.

This is just another great event where you can go, watch the sunset, eat, drink, and enjoy the city.  Just keep in mind the logistics, it can be a pain to get there.  The next show is this Saturday, July 30th.

The Getty Center

The Getty Center is in Brentwood, not to be confused with the Getty Villa in Malibu (see previous post.) It was founded by the same guy, J.P Getty.  The $1.3 billion center, which opened on December 16, 1997, is known for its architecture, gardens, and views overlooking Los Angeles. The center sits atop a hill connected to a visitor's parking garage at the bottom of the hill by a three-car, cable-pulled tram. The museum draws 1.3 million visitors annually. This branch of the museum specializes in "pre-20th-century European paintings, drawings, illuminated manuscripts, sculpture, and decorative arts; and 19th- and 20th-century American and European photographs". Among the works on display is the painting Irises by Vincent van Gogh.  The Getty Center's estimated 1.3 million visitors annually make it one of the most visited museums in the United States.

We visited the museum on a Saturday night for a special event, Saturdays off the 405.  It was crowded but still was able to see some of the exhibits.  The highlight of the visit was seeing van Gogh's Irises and seeing the sun set on LA.  You can see a near 180-degree panoramic view of Los Angeles looking south from the Getty on an exceptionally clear day. It's a great museum that is free so I don't see why everyone wouldn't try to go while in town. Parking will run $15 but is free after 5pm.  Otherwise try street parking in Bel Air for free and walk.