Enviably positioned on the brink of downtown, the Los Angeles Convention & Exhibition Center is easily accessible from all areas of the city as well as LAX and Burbank. Its recognizable sleek and shiny facilities boast efficient and seamless design alongside modern technological advancements (evidenced by its choice as home to the Wired NextFest and the E3 gaming convention).

In 2008, the Center was recognized for its commitment to sustainable and “green” practices as it works hard to reduce the waste generated by conference goers and has even played host to an International Wind Power conference.

LAX is admittedly not the most fun airport. But more often than not, it’s fairly efficient and painless. It’s also a great place to spot celebrities, so keep your eyes peeled.

The Burbank airport is smaller and frequently cheaper, but there aren’t as many choices for flights or ground transportation.

Towards the north side of downtown towers the Westin Bonaventure Hotel. Not only does this landmark offer 4 star accommodations and a ride on the elevators that starred alongside Governator Schwarzenegger in True Lies, it’s all topped off with a rotating bar and restaurant.

You don’t have to be a guest of the Bonaventure to enjoy the views dining at Top of Five—but it’s always nice to know your bed is close by after a martini or 3 and a few rotations.

A high end boutique hotel with guest rooms designed by celebrities, the Standard is all about style.

Find your way up to the rooftop bar any given night for a real Hollywood scene, or relax in the Lobby Lounge with live jazz and comfort food.

Though New Yorkers might balk at the limited scope of the MOCA, it is conveniently located downtown and hosts some the more popular traveling contemporary exhibitions. The permananet collection on Grand is low-key, but find your way over to the Geffen Contemporary on 1st Street for their traveling exhibitions and if you want high ceilings with your high culture.

During the day, you can take a guided tour of this Frank Gehry designed marvel of a concert hall. You won’t be allowed inside the actualy performance space, but the modern ballroom (recently host to a Tony Stark fundraiser in Iron Man) and the gardens that wind around the exterior are reason enough to visit.

Of course, if you do have a free evening and some spare change, try to catch a show there, too and experience the unparalleled acoustics that state of the art architecture can create.

In the same complex as the Disney Concert Hall, you can catch many stars treading the boards at this theatre downtown.

Not the cheapest or the friendliest, FedEx Kinko’s does have the most convenient hours—all of them.

A local copy center may suit you if it’s nearby like this one. Be prepared, they may give you an odd look when they realize you don’t want to copy a screenplay.

Just north of downtown is Chinatown. Not as well-organized as the eponymous movie, it has a number of vast, indoor stall-style malls where you can buy a “Prada” bag or “Gucci” sunglasses for only a fraction of the price. There are also delicious Dim Sum restaurants and some really unique sights to see in this neighborhood.

For kids and collectors, this toy store is a great place to find an answer to “What did you bring me?”

With more time, Paseo Colorado in Pasadena (about 15 minutes up the 110, or 20 minutes on the Gold Line) is a far superior open air mall. With hundreds of shops, restaurants and amenities like a multiplex, this is one classy place.

And when you get overwhelmed by consumption, you can take a stroll around Old Town Pasadena and try to figure out why it’s so much cleaner than any other place you’ve been in L.A.

If you still want sushi, but without as much fuss, you might try Sushi Go 55 which has been a downtown staple for years. No Frank Gehry in sight, just fresh and tasty fish served by a cheerful staff who have been doing it for years.

For a dining experience that’s a little classy and a tiny bit kitschy, try a steak at Engine Company 28. In a building that used to be – you guessed it – a firehouse, you can enjoy flavorful comfort food “inspired by traditional fire house cooking.” But you can’t slide down the pole.

The restaurant also offers complimentary shuttle service to the Staples center for Laker’s home games and to the Downtown Music Center (which houses the Walt Disney Concert Hall and other theatres).

Got some hungry co-workers or grumbling clients? Pop in to Big Mama’s and order one of their 36” pizzas. That’s THIRTY SIX INCHES of greasy goodness.

The pantry is a downtown staple for anyone brave enough to venture out at night – either after the sunsets, or right before it rises. They have cheap breakfast specials including pancakes and omelets, but don’t expect any feta crumbled over those eggs…The Pantry is strictly “no-frills.”

The Pantry is great, but if you want something familiarly greasy (or if there’s a line and you just can’t wait), you can head to Denny’s across the street. Open all night!

As downtown has been built up around it over the last 10 years, Little Tokyo has still retained a lot of its authentic charm. It’s a few dense blocks of t-shirt shops replete with Hello Kitty, delicious ramen joints and fresh sushi.

The Japanese Village on 1st Street is especially fun to explore as it seems a world away from the corporate hustle of downtown when it’s really only a few blocks away.

Home to the L.A. Lakers, the L.A. Clippers, the L.A. Kings, the L.A. Sparks and the L.A. Avengers, the Staples Center never wants for events. Surely there’s at least one to check out while you’re in town and it’s right next door to the convention center. How convenient!

Just across the way from Union Station is El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument and Park, locally known as Olvera Street . During the day, you can explore the 27 local shops and cafes while enjoying strolling bolero musicians and authentic mariachi.

Olvera Street is the cradle of Angeleno civilization: it’s where 44 settlers built the first pueblo in 1781. After undergoing many transformations since then, today it is a bustling marketplace that pays tribute to the colorful, delicious and diverse cultures that makes Los Angeles great.

Though it may not hold the lustre that it once did with starlets being discovered at malt shops and young toughs loitering on street corners like so many wannabe Brandos, Hollywood is still worth seeing if you’re coming all the way here anyway. Just a quick jaunt (ahem – depending on traffic) up the 101, a historic landmark in its own right, you can wander Hollywood Boulevard between Vine and La Brea if you’ve got time to kill. Stop at the Mann Chinese, see the walk of fame, go into at least one of hundreds of T-shirt/tattoo/exotic dancer clothing stores and be sure to wash your hands when you get home.

Just south of the Convention Center, down the Figueroa Corridor, lay the University of Southern California. USC is one of the country’s premiere research universities and its dense campus is home to world class scholars and athletes alike.

If the timing is right, you may be able to catch a Trojan football game at the historic Coliseum or a few periods of hoops at the new state of the art Galen Center. And if it’s a Thursday, why not have a blast from the past and check out a kegger? Or, maybe not…

What is a trip to L.A. if you don’t get to see all those celebrity handprints in cement? Pretty much worthless. So head to Hollywood, marvel over Mel Gibson’s tiny shoes and have your picture taken with a guy dressed as Spiderman. Now your trip is complete.

This darkly paneled whiskey bar has been the harbinger of all things classy downtown. With live jazz throughout the week and a perfect Old Fashioned anytime, Seven Grand attracts a young and well appointed crowd. Get there early and grab a corner booth to talk business or a pool table to unwind.

Now owned by the same people who brought us Seven Grand, the Golden Gopher has been classed up a lot lately. Dim and hip, one of the best features is that they can sell you alcohol To Go (due to an ancient liquor license). Good to know…

In the building that housed L.A.’s first private power plant, there is now a bar. Just don’t spend all night checking out the old generators or you’ll be pegged as a nerd.

Feel like loosening up a little more than just your tie? Bar 107 is a lot more divey than the other bars mentioned here. But cheap booze flows freely until everyone is on the same level. Almost like communism, but a lot more fun.