The Best Places for Screenwriters to Hang Out in Los Angeles

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Known as the entertainment capital of the world, Los Angeles is where the drama, performance, and success happen, and as a screenwriter, this is the place to be. Whether you’re trying to get that big break or just enjoying a latte, another place is New York where the entertainment places are quite a tourist attraction.

They say that Los Angeles is a paradise for screenwriters. To be more precise, it becomes almost necessary for a screenwriter to move to Los Angeles for fame and fortune, and perhaps enjoy a glass of wine at the end of a productive day writing screenplays. 

While chasing the dreams of making it big one day, if you too have landed in this beautiful city, you would need much more than the skill of operating a screenwriting software or engaging yourself in screenwriting courses from UdemyandCoursera.

Hence, to take the edge off your struggle, allow me to share some of the best places to hang out in Los Angeles for a screenwriter, whether you need inspiration or just a hipster vibe.

Table of Contents

1. Los Angeles Central Library

This library is quite a famous one, especially due to the events of the massive fire outbreak in 1986. Los Angeles Central Library opened up to the public in the year 1993 after the fire. This is a space that is a powerful amalgamation of history, architecture, mystery, and stacks of knowledge. 

Don’t let the fact that once it was destroyed by the fire, prevent you from visiting it. Let it lure and inspire you as to how the library has returned to life, much like a deus ex machina moment. 

Lots of writers come here to write, you can be one of them. In a library like this, you can also expect to find a lot of screenwriting books to hone your skills, or just grab a quiet corner with your laptop.

2. Blue Ribbon Garden

‘Garden’- the sound of the name itself is so pleasing that it makes me think about childhood memories. Blue Ribbon Garden is a rooftop garden at Walt Disney Concert Hall and one of the greatest attractions of Los Angeles.

With beautiful landscapes including fountains and mosaics, Blue Ribbon Garden can be interestingly quiet and creatively rich in good vibes. It’s a perfect spot to grab a scone and enjoy the outdoors.

People come here for lunch hours, escaping the busy city, but you can come here to practice your creativity, perhaps with a notebook or your laptop on the patio.

I believe this can be a place for you to get lost in thoughts and come back with dialogues and words, maybe even draft your next screenplay.

Also Read : Is the Screenwriting MasterClass Really Worth it?

3. Griffith Park

When I wrote about Los Angeles being the beating heart, perhaps Griffith Park contributed to it the most. Who would have known that within the modern and busy City of Los Angeles, lies a wilderness of mountains and caves? It’s a place where you can grab your laptop and write outdoors, surrounded by nature.

Griffith Park is a treat on its own. A small tour of the place will make you want to read your favorite books or perhaps plan your next best screenplay.

The Griffith Observatory facility in Griffith Park is perhaps one of the luckiest spots to have appeared in films like Rebel Without a Cause (1955), La La Land (2016), The Terminator (1984), and a few more.

Also Read: 36 of the World’s Best Screenwriting Academic Programs

4. Writers Guild Foundation Shavelson-Webb Library

‘Somewhere public but as intimate as home’, that’s how I would describe the Writers Guild Foundation Shavelson-Webb Library to be. This library is open to the public and the only library in the world that aims to house every piece of the craft and history of screenwriting.

Apart from having television and radio scripts in their database, they also have video gaming scripts. While all writers have full access to the databases, they are not allowed to borrow or access the same from outside of the library. The library’s staff is incredibly helpful in navigating these resources.

Screenwriter Joe Ballarini visits this place when he needs to take a break from his work, and believes that Webb Library holds a certain energy that you don’t get in coffee shops, even those like Starbucks. 

To be surrounded by critically acclaimed as well as blockbuster movie scripts and plays, isn’t this the greatest place a screenwriter can be?

Also Read: 18 Best Screenwriting & Filmmaking YouTube Channels

5. The Original Farmers Market

Generally, when we talk about a market, it’s vegetables, fruits, and other kinds of products that come to our mind. But with the Original Farmers Market of Los Angeles, it’s the sheer case of ‘more than it meets the eyes’.

It is not just a place to shop, but a place to sit down, and appreciate the vibrant and multi-cultural vibe the place provides, with outlets for your laptop and perhaps a cold beer to unwind. Producer and writer, Jon Robin Baitz says that he wrote most of the Brothers & Sisters pilot and even interviewed the writers they hired.

Apart from providing a territory to grow your creativity, this place also has good food and plenty of designated spots that offer free wifi for your convenience during a writing session.

Also Read : Screenwriting: Top 8 Script Coverage Services in the World

6. West Hollywood Library

Libraries, whether on the bustling main street or tucked away, will always be the places where you can get your work done. Whether you want to reserve a private room for yourself or take up a random spot facing the grand view of the Pacific Design Center, it’s up to you. 

West Hollywood Library is clean and organized, with modern and innovative systems. Resources including books, music, computers, the internet, and even cable TV are open to the public for free.

It is also a great place to appreciate some art by well-known artists like Retna, Kenny Scharf, and Shepard Fairey. The brick walls provide a rustic backdrop, making it an aesthetically pleasing environment.

Also Read: Screenwriter’s Salary: Do Screenwriters Really Earn Millions?

7. Insomnia

Insomnia is a cake/bakery at Beverly Groove. This place knows how to develop a frame of mind for the people that come here. Whether you’re sitting at the counter with a coffee or enjoying the loud chatter during the weekend, they mean to do it by playing soft classical musical numbers in the background while allowing natural light within their place.

Buy some coffee and take a seat, and pretty sure not even your writer’s block can stop you from writing on. Especially with people around you so engrossed in setting the mood of serious work.

Also Read : 15 Best Screenwriting Podcasts for Writers

8. Restoration Hardware

Unlike their super expensive furniture, the beautiful roof of Restoration Hardware with sophisticated couches and wi-fi, is free of cost for the public. With plants and canopies, the views of the West Hollywood Design District from above are breathtaking. It’s a spot that attracts the creator in you, encouraging inspiration.

The scenic view and the tranquility of the place draw creative people to this place. In case you get hungry, you can bring food with you or grab a quick bite from a nearby Starbucks.

Also, did I mention that although it is open to the public, not everyone knows about this place? This makes Restoration Hardware rooftop a must on a writer’s preference list, and the upside is you can explore it without the usual crowd.

Conclusion

A lot of people wonder, is moving to Los Angeles worth it? Or is it that necessary? Depending on various factors, the answer will always be more or less a ‘YES’. 

Of course, you might or might not get a job as soon as you land in the beautiful City of Los Angeles. But this is where the action goes on, where Warner Bros often scouts for talent. This is where you meet your peers, your friends, your connections, and start networking professionally. 

Sometimes while hanging out in the coffee shops, libraries, or even rooftops if you’re lucky, you’ll meet a producer and hit it off while chatting with him. A small break is all you need to get inside Hollywood.

Make sure you are looking out for screenwriting contests or events or planned gatherings of writers. They are sure to sharpen your chances of being the next big visual storytelling sensation.