Los Angeles: Spring 2014

Keeping up with the latest trends is a feat in Los Angeles, where tans can always get more bronzed, diet fads float in and (waft) out and shopping and dining out are not luxuries, but rather part of each day. While the classics are revered for a reason, notable newcomers are enticing visitors to forgo the traditional. Always two steps ahead, Los Angeles is once again the place to go for the ultimate vacation.

This summer, the dining scene is the city's hottest feature. For those who need a middle ground between gourmet and casual, LA’s latest French bistro, Republique, serves upscale but accessible dishes.

Several eateries also celebrate simpler dining. Los Angelenos head to the latest outposts of Urth Caffé, a casual lunchtime staple, and Stella Barra Pizzeria, which offers 30 different types of gourmet pies. For more down-home goodness, Milo and Olive is welcoming with communal tables, a take-away bakery and superb dishes, and Manhattan Beach Post is a favorite for brunch thanks to their scrumptious bacon cheddar biscuits and honey-drizzled fried chicken.

From a new boutique in the Brentwood Country Mart to an eye-catching concept store, LA’s favorite pastime, shopping, is as impressive as ever. The art district has welcomed Apolis, a globally-inspired men’s boutique and further afield in Venice, a slew of new Abbott Kinney stores have caught locals’ attention. In the know Venetians are heading to Firefly for unique, one-of-a-kind gifts and All Things Fabulous, which offers cozy, cool knitwear in a dizzying array of patterns and colors. For the home, Bountiful is an interior decorator’s paradise, stocking vintage and current housewares in soft, candy-hued tones.