The City of Angels takes its place on the art-fair map this fall, welcoming Art Platform and Pulse as well as Art L.A. and Fountain. At the same time the Getty Research Institute's citywide event Pacific Standard Time kicks off, making this the perfect season for culture buffs to visit L.A.                                                               

GO

ART PLATFORM LOS ANGELES
WHEN: October 1–3
WHERE: L.A. Mart
HIGHLIGHTS: With this event, MMPI — producer of New York's Armory Show, Art Chicago, and Art Toronto — establishes a West Coast presence.  The fair will host about 75 galleries, including New York's Bryce Wolkowitz; Santa Monica's Rosamund Felsen; and Max Wigram of London; along with discussions, film screenings, and performances.
1933 SOUTH BROADWAY
LOS ANGELES
213-763-5890
artplatform-losangeles.com

PULSE LOS ANGELES
WHEN: September 30–October 3
WHERE: The Event Deck at L.A. Live
HIGHLIGHTS: Pulse, already going strong in Miami and New York, has attracted some 65 galleries from around the globe to its Los Angeles edition, including Luis de Jesus Los Angeles; Cuba's Factoria; Nicholas Metivier Gallery, of Toronto; and New York's P.P.O.W. and Black & White Gallery.
1005 WEST CHICK HEARN COURT
LOS ANGELES
212-255-2327
pulse-art.com

STAY

AMBROSE HOTEL
Everything is ecofriendly at this boutique hotel, from the on-site car-rental service to the organic breakfast. Experience total tranquility in the garden or sip green tea in the lobby.
1255 20TH STREET
SANTA MONICA
310-315-1555
RATES: FROM $235
ambrosehotel.com

AVALON BEVERLY HILLS
Evoking Southern California's relaxed patio lifestyle of the 1950s, the Avalon is furnished with custom designs and classics by the likes of Charles Eames, George Nelson, and Isamu Noguchi. The hotel is located close to such prime destinations as the Getty Center and the Robertson Boulevard shopping district.
9400 WEST OLYMPIC BOULEVARD
BEVERLY HILLS
310-277-5221
RATES: FROM $250
avalonbeverlyhills.com

VICEROY SANTA MONICA
This sophisticated hotel welcomes guests into a lobby outfitted in retro green and white decor before ushering them to rooms with ocean views. You can lounge at a poolside cabana during the day and in the evening sip a strawberry vice or mandarin gimlet with the fashionable crowd at the Cameo Bar.
1819 OCEAN AVENUE
SANTA MONICA
310-260-7500
RATES: FROM $315
viceroyhotelsandresorts.com

SLS HOTEL
As far as its guests are concerned, the initials in this trendy Beverly Hills hotel's name stand for style, luxury, and service. After checking into one of the 297 rooms furnished with designs by Philippe Starck, guests can unwind at the Ciel Spa or take in the city views on the sixth-floor Altitude pool deck, then head down to the Bazaar by José Andrés for tapas.
465 SOUTH LA
CIENEGA BOULEVARD
LOS ANGELES
310-247-0400
RATES: FROM $315
slshotels.com

EAT

THE BAZAAR
A protégé of El Bulli chef Ferran Adrià, José Andrés takes patrons on a flavor-filled tour of innovative cuisines, each served in a unique dining space. At Rojo Y Blanca, for instance, you can sample tapas like cotton-candy foie gras and tortilla de patatas with potato foam. Over at Bar Centro you can eat caviar while sipping a caipirinha.
465 SOUTH LA CIENEGA BOULEVARD
LOS ANGELES
310-246-5555
thebazaar.com

LAZY OX CANTEEN
Chef Josef Centeno creates a changing menu that includes dishes like seared Fijian albacore with lentils, pickled apple, oregano, and bacon; crispy rabbit livers with radicchio, apple, hearts of palm, and anchovy vinaigrette; and braised lamb cheeks on a bed of creamy semolina with collard greens.
241 SOUTH SAN PEDRO
LOS ANGELES
213-626-5299
lazyoxcanteen.com

WATER GRILL
At this classic seafood house, long known as the city’s finest, diners can down oysters with their martinis, then follow up with swordfish or crabs cakes.
544 SOUTH GRAND AVENUE
LOS ANGELES
213-891-0900
watergrill.com

SEE

LOS ANGELES COUNTY MUSEUM OF ART (LACMA)
Visitors to lacma will get a feel for midcentury West Coast living at "California Design, 1930–1965: 'Living in a Modern Way,' " on view October 1 through March 25, 2012. Around 300 pieces of furniture, ceramics, metalwork, fashion, and textiles, along with industrial and graphic design, fill the exhibition, which examines how the state influenced the rest of the country.
5905 WILSHIRE BOULEVARD
LOS ANGELES
323-857-6000
lacma.org

GEFFEN CONTEMPORARY AT THE MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART (MOCA)
"Under the Big Black Sun: California Art 1974–1981," from October 2 to February 13, 2012, surveys the tumultuous period from Nixon’s resignation to Reagan’s inauguration. More than 125 California artists explore race, gender, politics, and war in various styles and media, from Conceptual to video and photography.
152 NORTH CENTRAL AVENUE
LOS ANGELES
213-626-6222
moca.org

THE GETTY CENTER
"Pacific Standard Time: Crosscurrents in L.A. Paintings and Sculpture 1950–1970" traces the city's postwar artistic development through hard-edge painting, assemblage sculpture, West Coast Pop, and the Light and Space movements. Among the insights gleaned: how surf and car cultures informed the period's artists and the techniques that followed.
1200 GETTY CENTER DRIVE
LOS ANGELES
310-440-7300
getty.edu

SHOP

CONFEDERACY
This Los Feliz store carries menswear from hip nouveau-Americana brands like Band of Outsiders and Rag & Bone. Handbag maven Rebecca Minkoff has taken over the front of the shop with a complete women's clothing line along with her much-loved accessories.
4661 HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD
LOS ANGELES
323-913-3040
shopconfederacy.com

REVOLVE CLOTHING
The L.A. incarnation of the popular e-commerce site offers clothes from Acne, Tsumori Chisato, Viktor & Rolf, and Edun, among other chic designer brands.
8452 MELROSE AVENUE
WEST HOLLYWOOD
323-944-0311
revolveclothing.com

A+R
This Venice store has everything from kitchen-ware to toys, with an emphasis on design objects like Pantone coffee mugs, Bauhaus nesting tables, and ENO & Maison Martin Margiela feather pens.
1121 ABBOT KINNEY BOULEVARD
VENICE
800-913-0071
aplusrstore.com