A British travel content creator has shared her thoughts after visiting Los Angeles, admitting she should have listened to a warning she received when exchanging her currency.
Post Office warning
Travel content creator Jasmine admitted she had been warned about Los Angeles by her local Post Office's staff when she changed her pounds to dollars. "A lady on the counter asked if I was going anywhere nice and I told her was going to LA and she looked at me a bit gone out," she began in a TikTok video. "I was a bit confused at this point and she asked if I had ever been before and that it would not be what I thought it'd be."
And as Jasmine's clip continued in California, it appeared the Post Office clerk clearly wasn't wrong. "As soon as I got there I understood exactly what she meant," she said.
Reality check in Hollywood
On a dreary looking day, Jasmine headed to Mel's Drive-In Celebrity Bar to order French toast. There, she continued: "It was exactly what she said it'd be and absolutely nothing like I had imagined."
While Jasmine acknowledging Hollywood does boast some "fantastic places to go", she couldn't help but highlight other "really run-down places" as she strolled the Walk of Fame. "There's definitely a misconception of what LA actually is, especially when you are from the UK," she mused. "If I had known what it was really like, I probably would have planned my trip a whole lot differently and missed Hollywood completely."
Walk of Fame disappointment
Jasmine added that on her return to the UK she was regularly asked if she visited the Hollywood Walk of Fame. "It actually makes zero sense because it's probably the worst place in LA to go," she said as she ate a hot dog. "Just be mindful if you are going there from the UK, it's not going to be how you imagine."
In a follow-up video, Jasmine headed out for an early morning walk where she showcased little more than "all the cleaning crew out" and areas that were "dealing with homelessness". "There was rubbish and human waste on the floor, which can be a real issue," she slammed. "It definitely gave me a bit of a reality check."
Praise for Santa Monica and Beverly Hills
Jasmine did offer praise for Santa Monica and Beverly Hills, however. "We tried so much amazing food there and experienced so many different sides of the city," she enthused. "I guess what surprised me the most about LA is that every area feels so different. You can go from Hollywood to beaches to food spots all in one trip."
Writing in response, a frustrated local asked: "No one in LA cares for Hollywood. Why do you guys always come to Hollywood? That’s like the last place we ever go to!"
A second person agreed with Jasmine: "I went to the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was absolutely shocked." A third fumed: "Totally agree, I was massively disappointed, especially Hollywood, that was like a crack den."
However, a fourth TikTok user exclaimed: "Los Angeles is gorgeous. You just need to have realistic expectations and stay slightly off the beaten track to see the real LA Hollywood and Downtown are must avoids."
