Need Recommended Anime Stores & Sights In LA/Hollywood

[Leo_Otaku]

I am going there next week to the Zelda concert. I have never been to the Hollywood area of LA. I thought this would be the best place to find out and ask. As long as the places are within reasonable travel distance. I have heard of Japan town and heard of Anime Jungle and Kinokuniya Books. Biggest interest would be figures, artbooks, CDs maybe even some import games. Also any cool comic shops or just anything really worth checking out.

Over in my city it is mostly bootleg or overpriced, official merchandise or any is hard to come by. There is really nothing here for sights of Japan or sights in general.

[flying ^]

if you're gonna be around Hollywood check out Amoeba...

http://www.yelp.com/biz/amoeba-music-los-angeles
http://www.amoeba.com/faq.html

beyond that i'm sure you know where to go...

[Vexx]

There are several stores of interest in the Little Tokyo area of Los Angeles on several streets. Collectibles, anime, manga, shirts, etc. There's also a Kinokuniya bookstore there. Everything is within 2 or 3 blocks -very walkable. Get a map of the district to help out. The Japanese-American Cultural Museum is also in the district.

http://www.visitlittletokyo.com/

There's main drag but there's also a couple of courtyard shopping atriums, an underground walkway (where one anime shop is), and a surrounding set of traditional shops and eateries. I recommend this very traditional ramen shop there -
http://www.yelp.com/biz/daikokuya-los-angeles [Daikokuya]
They're traditional enough that when the broth runs out, they close for the day - period. Wait time is about an hour but worth it.

Take a taxi there or a bus that runs straight over from the Hollywood district (warning... buses vanish after dark - just assume a taxi). If you don't have a hotel reserved --- we've usually had good luck with the Miyako Inn in Little Tokyo (reasonable prices).

If you want to roam the Chinatown area as well, the Best Western Dragon Gate Inn is quite amusing to stay at if your comfort zone is flexible (complete with old Chinese retirees down at breakfast reading the paper, smoking, and playing mah jong).

[Endless Soul]

Originally Posted by Vexx

There's also a Kinokuniya bookstore there.

I've been to that store many times. The Mrs. and I have been there many times. It's great.

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by Endless Soul

I've been to that store many times. The Mrs. and I have been there many times. It's great.

Out of all the West Coast Kinokuniya stores, I like the Los Angeles one the best. The San Francisco one in the Japantown mall is okay... and the one near me in Portland is really just too small for me to find much other than the occasional item.

[Endless Soul]

Originally Posted by Vexx

Out of all the West Coast Kinokuniya stores, I like the Los Angeles one the best. The San Francisco one in the Japantown mall is okay... and the one near me in Portland is really just too small for me to find much other than the occasional item.

That's true. The one in L.A. is a much larger stand-alone store whereas the ones in Beaverton/Portland and Seattle are inside Uwajimaya food markets. We've been to both of those as well.

[Kudryavka]

Originally Posted by Leo_Otaku

I am going there next week to the Zelda concert. I have never been to the Hollywood area of LA. I thought this would be the best place to find out and ask. As long as the places are within reasonable travel distance. I have heard of Japan town and heard of Anime Jungle and Kinokuniya Books. Biggest interest would be figures, artbooks, CDs maybe even some import games. Also any cool comic shops or just anything really worth checking out.

Over in my city it is mostly bootleg or overpriced, official merchandise or any is hard to come by. There is really nothing here for sights of Japan or sights in general.

Hey, you're going to the concert too? Awesome, I'm going too.

Another shout out to Kinokuniya if you're in L.A. Of course, if you don't mind seeing some non-anime stuff, I highly suggest visiting the Chinese Theater and the Walk of Fame (I've heard that they're really well-known outside of SoCal). Be sure to hit up Little Tokyo when here, it's a quick bus ride from the Pantages.

[subwaygyal]

this is great im heading there in a couple weeks to see my friends and was looking for places like that