Beverly Hills 9021 Oh-yeah!
Stroll Beverly Gardens Park
Beverly Hills has its famous palm trees, but take a stroll through Beverly Gardens Park and get a little more cultured … horticultured, that is. This surprisingly verdant strip stretches along Santa Monica Boulevard for 1.9 miles from Doheny to Wilshire, dividing commercial Beverly Hills from residential neighborhoods. Stroll the park's dirt path, passing colorful rose gardens, whimsical sculptures, an elderly fig tree, and a cactus garden. The walk culminates at the famous Beverly Hills sign, one of LA's most popular tourist stops (try not to get hit by a selfie-stick). Though the park is naturally beautiful, it's not averse to a little nip/tuck now and again. A Friends of Beverly Gardens Park restoration project is currently underway on the Electric Fountain Garden at the Wilshire end. You know, appearances!
BONUS PATIO: After this nearly 4-mile out and back, head to WeHo's Gracias Madre, just two blocks away. This plant-based Mexican restaurant features a farm-to-table food menu (with vegetables grown at their own farm), a killer mezcal selection, and one of the most gorgeous outdoor patio spaces in LA. Kick back under the olive trees on one of their comfy banquettes with an order of the flash-fried cauliflower smothered in nacho cashew cheese and a "Boozy Popsicle" margarita (made with roasted pineapple and jalapeno), and you'll be rolling like a celebrity.
Beverly Gardens Park is open daily from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Park near the Doheny side if you want your out-and- back walk to end at Gracias Madre (which you do). Both Beverly Gardens Park and the Gracias Madre patio are dog-friendly!
