Los Angeles - Fun Stuff

		Star Central Each beach that makes up Malibu boasts distinctive physical characteristics and personality. Leo Carrillo State Beach offers caves, scuba coves, and striking rock formations, while Topanga Canyon Beach — directly across Pacific Coast Highway from the Getty Villa — is for swimming and fishing. The aptly named Surfrider Beach, near the Malibu Pier, is a haven for Gidgets and Moondoggies, while the largest of all, five-mile-long Zuma Beach, is great for divers. Fans of The O.C. needn't head to Orange County, either; the show's beach scenes were filmed at Malibu's Paradise Cove Beach, as were those for Baywatch, American Pie 2, and even Beach Blanket Bingo. Visitor Connection/City of Malibu 23815 Stuart Ranch Rd. (310) 456-2489, ext. 0 www.ci.malibu.ca.us —J.L.

		Ride Away Santa Monica's sunny shore also offers a new, solar-powered Ferris wheel, dual sets of bumper cars and a vintage 1922 Looff Hippodrome Carousel that used to attract Marilyn Monroe and where a scene was shot for The Sting. The Pier celebrates its centenary in 2009, though the real draw may well be the Santa Monica Mountains visible in the misty distance and the dolphins at play in the early morning. 1920 Main St., Ste. B (310) 319-6263 www.santamonica.com —J.L.

		The Big Show There's more to Muscle Beach in Venice than girls in bikinis and boys showing off six packs. This little patch of asphalt with gym weights on Ocean Front Walk also offers daredevils and other circus sideshow-like entertainers. Rollerblades and bike rentals are readily available. What isn't is street parking. So, head to Rose Ave. or Bay St., for plenty of parking lots. (310) 822-5425 www.venicechamber.net —J.L.

		California Girls Manhattan Beach was the Beach Boys' hangout before making it big, though MB, as it's called, also lays claim to where beach volleyball debuted and is still being played, south of Dockweiler State Beach and north of Hermosa Beach. The pier is really action-central. Sign up here for fishing or drop into Roundhouse Marine Studies Lab and Aquarium. One snag: Parking is a perennial problem. 425 15th St. (310) 545-5313 www.manhattanbeachchamber.net —J.L.

		Hang Ten Surfing was introduced to the mainland in Redondo Beach early in the last century, when George Freeth arrived from Hawaii complete with his 8-foot long, 200-pound board. The tradition, with major refinements, continues today at the Redondo Beach Marina, as do diving and sports-fishing. There are boutiques here, too, and restaurants. But nothing can top the sunset. 200 N. Pacific Coast Hwy. (800) 282-0333 www.visitredondo.com —J.L.

		A Big Hole The Donut Hole is in La Puente, about half an hour from downtown L.A. As its name implies, dessert is on the menu 24 hours a day. And just to make it easy to find, there's a great big donut on top of the structure. And by big, we mean big. 15300 Amar Rd. (626) 968-2912 —J.L.

		Open Mic Night Tuesday nights in the Fairfax section, the Da Poetry Lounge at the Greenway Court Theatre attracts diverse, electric crowds to witness comedy, poetry, acting, dance and song. Remarkably, it's the only regular open-mic show of its type in L.A., so the talent level is high — which goes far to explain why it's been running for 10 straight years. 544 N. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles 323-655-7679 www.dapoetrylounge.com -JP Hoornstra

		Guerilla Storefare Once upon a time, anyone could walk Rodeo Drive and feel on the cutting edge of L.A. fashion. Now it requires a bit more effort and a spirit of adventure, thanks to the advent of the “guerilla store” — an isolated, temporary, brand-name retail outlet. Comme des Garçons, a shabby-chic clothing label based in Japan, opened its first stateside guerilla store in downtown L.A. in February. Finding the place is like being on a scavenger hunt: You walk through a steel black gate, into an alley and through a door across from a standard-issue dumpster. Inside, a white-tiled warehouse is teeming with brand new pieces from the company’s many lines. CDG’s clothes and accessories will revolve seasonally, but only for a year: That’s when the guerillas pack up and move on to a new, semi-secret location. 125 W. 4th Street, Suite 106, Los Angeles 213-626-6606 www.guerrilla-store.com/plus1213

		A Very Open House Like most architectural titans, the Vienna-born Richard Neutra (1892-1970) built himself a fancy glass house to live in. Unlike the rest of them, he situated his just a stone's throw from Downtown L.A. The house had been locked up from public inspection until February 16, when its trustees at Cal Poly Pomona University opened it for weekly tours, every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. ($10 a person). Walk through airy hallways with scenic views of Silver Lake Reservoir, accented by an interior rich with modernist furniture, and you'll receive a very welcome blast from the past - 1966, to be precise. 2300 Silver Lake Blvd., Los Angeles www.neutra-vdl.org

		High-End Vintage The Way We Wore pulls its classy novelties off yesterday’s cutting-room floor. Charlize Theron's outfit, worn in The Legend of Bagger Vance, was found here, as are flapper dresses, flower-power T-shirts and disco spangles. Owner Doris Raymond has opened her personal closet, and out has poured such treasures as mint-condition 1940s silk floral print dresses and '70s bell-bottoms. Hats and jewelry available, too, and merchandise prices run from $20 to $100,000 — which may require a movie contract. 333 S. La Brea Ave. 323-937-0878 www.thewaywewore.com

		Ahoy, Matey Most nights, the Redwood Bar & Grill is the watering hole for the Los Angeles Times staff, whose headquarters are right down the street. (Legend holds that John F. Kennedy also drank here.) But come Thursdays, the seafaring theme of the joint kicks into high gear and the pirates come out to play — literally. The Pirate Charles Band is jamming, light-headed crowds are sporting eye patches and bandannas and partying like it's 1799. For grub, swashbucklers can light into such brigand favorites as fish and chips. Yo ho. 316 W. 2nd Street 213-680-2600 www.theredwoodbar.com