Getty Center

The Best view of greater Los Angeles. The best moment to go there is late afternoon, Just before sunset, you can enjoy a great view of all LA area, and admire the beautiful color of a Californian sunset. Breathtaking ....
By the way the Getty center of LA offer a collection of western Art those who like that, here is your double treat.
The center is free, but the parking cost 1o$ but it worth it. ( parking should be free beginning July 1, parking will be FREE after 5:00 p.m. This will apply to the Getty Center's evening hours on Saturdays )

http://www.getty.edu/visit/

When planning my visit to the LA area, a trip to the Getty was at the top of my list. Perhaps that is why I was a bit disappointed at what I found.

While the art and decorative objects on display are truly beautiful, I found the layout to be a somewhat disruptive. The artwork is divided up into several rooms across multiple buildings. I felt like I was in a maze trying to figure out what time period I was looking at from what country and wasn't I just in this room?

I overheard someone comment that many people come to look at the architecture of the museum itself over the artistic works, and I have to agree that the architecture is stunning and the views are amazing. For my next trip to LA, I would seriously consider heading back to the Getty for an outdoor lunch.

In addition to the great views, I would also recommned a tour of the sculpture garden at the base of the hill next to the tram. The flowers and landscaping are a compliment to the sculpture, and the Getty offers a tour you can access from your cell phone to learn more about each individual piece in case you miss the guided tour like I did.

Visitors and locals alike should take some time to experience the Getty Center (a collection of buildings, including the art museum, the Getty Research Institute, the Getty Conservation Institution, etc., owned and funded by the J. Paul Getty Trust).

First of all, the views of LA and the surrounding (perfectly manicured) gardens are just spectacular.

Second of all, the art collection (although not immense in size) is wonderfully curated. Here you can stand in awe in front of Van Gogh’s “Irises” and see a variety of artworks ranging from Monet, Manet, Gaugin, Degas, Redon, etc. Currently there is an exhibit on Bernini and other Baroque artists – the exquisite way in which these sculptors breathed life into marble is absolutely unbelievable. The Getty Center is also known for its photography collection, but I find I tend to prefer paintings so I didn’t spend much time studying the photos.

Third, the architecture (designed by Richard Meier) is like a piece of artwork in itself. Very bold and modern, yet also compatible with the natural surroundings.

Fourth, admission is free! The only thing you have to pay for is parking ($8 per vehicle) and food/drinks if you wish to enjoy a meal or snack while enjoying the views or cool breezes in the hills. The tram ride up to the Getty Center from the parking lot is also a cool bonus. I think you can forego the tram and walk up the hill, but I have never felt compelled to do such a silly thing. :) The Getty Center also offers garden, art and museum tours for free.

It’s a lovely way to enjoy a quiet day with family and friends, or even by yourself.

Going up the steps and into the greeting area after the tram ride, you’re immediately struck by the architecture. For the most part it looks like concrete blocks, but suddenly there’ll appear a beautiful curved balcony or a wall of black glass that’ll look so fascinating. Plenty of fountains in the central area too, as well as umbrella-covered chairs to rest your weary feet, especially on burning days. I would have expected a little more coolness with the altitude, possibly some marine layer, but no, it was hotter here than in Westwood.

Right now the main guest exhibition is busts, which I find boring and hard to tell one from the other. The biggest permanent collection is French works--paintings, sculpture, even decorative--and that is not at all my style, preferring the Flemish and German schools. But that’s not to say there weren’t interesting exhibits, just not as many as I would have expected.

The one thing the Getty has going for it that most, if not all, others don’t is the skylights, at least on the second floor. The lighting is so much more beautiful than any other place I’ve seen, with the exception of the lattice holding the skylights in place casting shadows.

In between all the buildings are lookouts, with more views of the hills across the 405 and more importantly the entire El Lay basin. Westward I could see Santa Monica and even caught some sailboats in my camera. To the east, amazingly visible even through the haze, were the buildings of downtown El Lay. The skyline of Century City looked amazingly close, as did UCLA--which I guess really is close, I could actually make out Royce and Bunche Halls easily without the camera--and the Veterans’ grounds. And then you go to the next viewpoint and everything looks closer and better, especially on the southernmost point, just above the cacti display.

But in my opinion the best feature is the garden, which has the added benefit of being small, at least compared to the foot-wearying up and down of the Huntington, for example. Though you might be tired from walking past all the paintings here as well, so we’ll call it a wash. I’ve been photographing flowers for a good 20 years and there are some specimens here that I’d never seen before. There’s a lovely little hedge maze, but since it’s in the water it’s a complete waste of time. There’s even a lawn, but I don’t know if they let you picnic.

So yes, in my subjective viewpoint, I was disappointed with the artwork on display. LACMA, Huntington, and Norton Simon all have better collections for viewing. I don’t know what the Getty has in reserve, but I would hope there’s something in the bowels of these beautiful buildings that would spark my interest more than the current crop does. Perhaps there’s better stuff at the old Getty Villa in Malibu, which I haven’t been to since high school.

However, the architecture, gardens, and views of the El Lay basin merit more than a five star-rank. So I can certainly picture myself coming up here just for that, especially since it’s free. And I would imagine at night--Fridays open till nine--checking out the garden and/or the views would be very romantic.

So I’ll split the difference and give it a four.

If you are in to art, then visiting The Getty is a must. It was intersting, I'm really not all that into artwork and all, but I did enjoy it. The place was so big that we didnt even get to see it all. The museum is free and all you have to pay for is parking. Then you get to ride a tram up to the center, which I admit, was my favorite part. The musuem is definatly worth visiting, it was very educational and the story beside the center is pretty cool too. The Getty Center is also listed in the 1000 things to see before you die books. They have a food court there, the food is about averagely priced for a tourist area, but still it was very good. I actually really enjoyed the chicken soup I had. The bathrooms were clean. There were alot of people there. You are able to explore the area on your own, so you can take as much or as little time as you want checking out everything.

The Getty Museum is worth visiting for the architecture of the space itself. There are sweeping courtyards, impressive buildings, beautiful gardens, and a breathtaking view of Los Angeles at sunset. There are countless open spaces to sit at and enjoy they view around you. I could visit the museum, not step foot inside any of the buildings or galleries, and still enjoy myself.

The artwork itself is not bad, either. The impressionist collection is small but impressive. And, while the 15th-18th century Italian painting collection does not feature any superstar artists of the Renaissance, the works are still pleasing to look at and quite impressive.

Everything but the drive there was wonderful. We saw the Impressionist gallery, including Van Gogh's Irises and several wonderful Monets. The Renaissance art was also outstanding, as were the gardens. The openess of the compound and the gardens and its spectacular view all made the experience quite refreshing (especially when compared to the traffic we descended into to return to Orange County).
 Although the museum is free, parking is not.

The most obvious draw at the Getty is the impressive art. The Getty's collection is world-class and includes one of my very favorite pieces, Van Gogh's Irises. Along with the LACMA, Norton Simon, and Huntington Garden, the Getty proudly displays the wealth of fine art that can be found in Southern California.

Others come to the Getty to admire the architecture. The billion dollar sprawling campus includes several white marble buildings and surrounds a beautifully landscaped group of gardens. It's so massive that the museum can be easily viewed from many miles away. To say that the Getty Center is impressive is an understatement.

Finally, my favorite part is the view. Los Angeles geography includes rolling hills, alpine mountains, and pristine coastline. From the Getty's perch, one can view much of the LA Basin and appreciate both the natural beauty of the region as well as the sheer size of the city. London has it's Eye, Toronto has its CN Tower, we have our Santa Monica Mountains - so enjoy the view!