“Welcome to Hollywood! What’s your dream?” 

After attending “Generation Blue” from Oct. 6-8, your dream should be hitting the City of Angels in high style! Stay a few extra days longer to truly experience the magic of Hollywood beyond the Blue. After all, it is the perfect excuse to enjoy sunny, beautiful Southern California—which is in the midst of an Indian Summer right now. Without further adieu, we’ve put together a list of the latest exhibits, events and luxe L.A. hot spots to hit up during your extended vacay (er, we mean business trip). If there’s one thing you can be certain of, you will not be bored in the city of entertainment.

SEE & DO

Blue Moon Diamond 
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County 
Sept. 13-Jan. 6, 2015 
Admission for adults, $12

Lucky you. The Blue Moon Diamond, “one of the world’s rarest gems,” as claimed by Robb Report, will be on exhibit at the Natural History Museum during your stay in Los Angeles. The fancy vivid blue diamond—a 12-carat cushion-cut gem that is categorized as internally flawless—is worth $26 million and not to be missed. This is “Generation Blue,” after all…

The Getty Villa, Malibu
Admission is free.
An advance timed-entry ticket is required.

There are almost no words to describe the enduring beauty of the remodeled Getty Villa. Set on a dramatic cliff above Malibu, the megamansion rests on some of the most valuable coastal property in the world—so you’ll experience the ancient cultures of ancient Rome, Greece, and Etruria all while taking in the ocean breezes and views of the Pacific. The Getty Villa  is modeled after an Italian country home (the Villa dei Papiri in Herculaneum), and has beautifully manicured gardens, reflecting pools and statuary.

Andy Warhol: Shadows Museum of Contemporary Art 
Sept. 20- Feb. 2, 2015
General Admission: $12

If you’re an East Coaster, then this exhibit may be less thrilling—but MOCA will be presenting the first West Coast presentation of Warhol’s Shadows (1978-79), a monumental painting in 102 parts. The series features variously silkscreened and hand painted canvases culled from photographs of shadows taken in The Factory, the artist’s New York City Studio.  When you’re finished, walk over to Patina for a five-star French dinner. 

Beethoven Cycle Finale with Dudamel & Andsnes
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Oct. 9-10, 2014
Tickets: $83-$212

Music lovers must see at least one concert at the Frank Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall downtown in their lifetime. Dudamel and Andsnes will be bringing their Beethoven cycle “to a climactic conclusion with the ‘Emperor’ Concerto and the Choral Fantasy, with its early hints of the ‘Ode to Joy.’  It is one performance not to be missed.

Virginia Robinson Gardens
Tuesday-Friday 10:00 a.m. or 1:00 p.m.
Reservations two weeks in advance
Tickets: $11 for adaults
(310) 550-2087

As the first luxury estate built in Beverly Hills, the Virginia Robinson Gardens has been hailed as a “cultural jewel.” It’s no wonder. Built in 1911, the beautiful six-acre property contains a breathtaking display garden, mansion and pool pavilion and an iconic location behind the Beverly Hills Hotel. It was also once the residence of retail giants Virginia and Harry Robinson (of the Robinson department stores).

SHOP

Barney’s New York 
9570 Wilshire Blvd
Beverly Hills, CA
(310) 276-4400

Shop for fall’s latest fashions and must-haves—like this army green Fendi 2Jours tote—at Barney’s, but don’t forget to stop off at its new signature restaurant, Fred’s, opening in October. Favorites like Estelle’s chicken soup, Mark’s Madison Avenue chopped salad and Fred’s belgium french fries will be amply showcased on the menu, with a few fresh California additions thrown into the mix, like a tasty Beverly Hills Club with shrimp and crab in place of turkey. This is California living at its best…sipping a mid-afternoon cocktail on the open terrace with views of the Hollywood Hills.

Maxfield
8825 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90069
(310) 274-8800

Maxfield delivers the quintessential L.A. personal shopping experience—mixed with a little rock n’roll edge. Dedicated stylists will help you dress in high-end stalwarts Chanel, Balmain, Celine and Dries Van Noten…or encourage you to try a niche brand like Comme des Garçons or Roland Mouret. You’ll also find men’s clothing, accessories and fine jewelry, along with vintage Hermes bags, books and objets. And of course, you’ll do all of this while sipping champagne and/or espresso to hit the perfect shopping buzz.

Elyse Walker
15306 Antioch St
Pacific Palisades, CA 90272
(310) 230-8882

Stylist Elyse Walker’s namesake shop has long been a personal shopping staple on L.A.’s breezy Westside. Her Pacific Palisades boutique offers wine, a special salad from Beech Street Cafe upon request and a VIP dressing room. Try on anything from Christian Louboutin to Lanvin and Yves St. Laurent, and your stylist will even photograph you to see how you look on camera—a prerequisite if you plan on making any red carpet appearances during your stay.

EAT 

Oliverio
9400 W Olympic Blvd
Beverly Hills, CA
(310) 277-5221

Searching for the ultimate in haute cuisine? Then you must try the new surf and turf plate at Oliverio at the Avalon Hotel Beverly Hills. The decadent $360 Golden Surf & Turf dish, envisioned by executive chef Mirko Paderno, arrives to your table with seven ounces of gilded Kogashima A5 Wagyu beef and half an ounce of Golden Russian Osetra caviar resting on a bed of steaming saffron risotto. It’s literally as good as gold.

Providence 
5955 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90038
(323) 460-4170

If you can only choose one restaurant to dine in your entire trip, make sure Providence is on your list—and make sure you reserve a table far in advance. Not far from Paramount Studios on Melrose Avenue, Providence is headed by Chef Michael Cimarusti and is one posh coursed dining experience you will never forget. L.A. Times called it “a seafood heaven,” and that description is not too far off for its fancy French-meets-American cuisine.

a.o.c.
8700 W 3rd St
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(310) 859-9859

We would be remiss if we did not suggest a lunch or dinner at a.o.c.  The West Hollywood eatery has made just about every “Best Restaurant” list in L.A., not to mention restaurateurs Suzanne Goin and Caroline Styne were just featured in our latest Homes & Estates issue. Dine on buratta and spanish fried chicken, and make sure to sample a vintage from Styne’s divine wine list (but beware—their menus are seasonal and change often). 

Polo Lounge at The Beverly Hills Hotel 
9641 Sunset Blvd
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 887-2777 

You cannot get anymore iconic L.A. than the world famous Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel. The Polo Lounge has been a favorite brunch spot and watering hole for generations of stars and Hollywood deal-makers. If you stay for Sunday brunch, you’ll enjoy jazz music while you eat your eggs benedict and sip bellinis. And who knows who you’ll run into? There’s usually always a celebrity sighting to be had.

The Ivy
113 N Robertson Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(310) 274-8303

Another see-and-be-seen restaurant, The Ivy on Robertson is best known for being both a papparazzi hangout and a celebrity hotspot. Enjoy the California weather on the flowery outdoor terrace, or take your meal inside one of the sweetly decorated country-cottage rooms while doing your best Kim Kardashian impression. The food—nouvelle American cuisine—will almost seem secondary to the scene happening on the sidewalk outside.  

Which one of these haute spots will be sure to hit up during your stay in Los Angeles?  Let us know in the comments below, or add your own.