You want to step back into a louder, brighter era. Los Angeles in the 1980s offers exactly that. The decade gave us bright neon lights, loud rock music, and the very first video arcades. We take a tour of the city to find the best pop culture spots from that era. You pack your bag and prepare for a trip back in time. You grab your aviator sunglasses and hit the streets. The weather feels warm. The sky looks perfectly clear. You start the car engine and drive into the past.
Let’s get started on our 80’s pop culture tour of LA…
Section 1: The Sunset Strip and Neon Nights
You drive your rental car down Sunset Boulevard. Imagine the year is 1984. Huge, hand-painted billboards look down on you from the rooftops. Bright neon lights buzz in the warm night air. You hear loud, distorted guitars spilling out from open doors onto the sidewalk. The Sunset Strip birthed the biggest rock bands of the entire decade. You stand outside the Whisky a Go Go. Fans line up completely around the block. They wear heavy leather jackets, ripped denim jeans, and thick hairspray. The fashion is wild and untamed.
Here is why. The 1980s completely rewired the music industry. Los Angeles became the undisputed center of the rock and roll universe. Young bands played small, dark clubs and hoped for a massive record deal. You walk inside one of these historic venues. The floor feels sticky under your shoes. The music makes your chest vibrate with every single drum beat. You feel the raw, unfiltered energy of the era. You see vintage guitars hanging on the walls. You close your eyes and picture the crowds screaming for their favorite local bands.
Next steps. Visit the Rainbow Bar and Grill just down the street. It still looks exactly like it did forty years ago. You walk through the dark dining room. You slide into a circular red leather booth. You order a hot meal and stare at the silver and gold records framed on the walls. You drink a cold soda and soak up the history of the room.
Section 2: Arcades and the Dawn of Digital Gaming
You leave the rock clubs behind and look for a classic arcade. The 1980s introduced video games to the entire world. You find a dark, loud room filled with glowing glass screens. The carpet features wild geometric shapes in neon pink and green. Kids pump quarters into tall wooden machines. You hear the electronic beeps and boops of early computer code.
Here is why. Programmers wrote brilliant, tight code to make these games work. They built entire digital worlds using simple, blocky pixels. The math behind the games was pure genius. You grab a red plastic joystick. You press the bright plastic buttons as fast as you can. You try to beat the high score on Donkey Kong or Centipede. The glowing screen lights up your face in the dark room. You lose your last life and watch the “Game Over” text flash on the glass.
Next steps. Find a retro arcade bar in modern Los Angeles. Many business owners restore these old cabinets to perfect working order. You buy a handful of brass tokens. You play the exact same games people played back in 1985. You appreciate the perfect design of those early software programs. You spend hours trying to master the simple patterns.
Section 3: Mall Culture and the San Fernando Valley
You drive north over the hills and down into the San Fernando Valley. In the 1980s, the shopping mall became the center of teenage life. Teenagers spent their entire weekends walking past retail stores. They hung out in massive food courts. The Sherman Oaks Galleria served as the absolute peak of this culture. Directors filmed classic teen movies in these exact hallways.
Here is why. The mall represented total freedom. You bought a huge slice of greasy pizza on a paper plate. You drank a massive cup of sugary soda. You shopped for cassette tapes at the record store. You bought bright, oversized clothing at the department store. The air smelled like cheap perfume and baked pretzels. You want to capture this feeling today.
Next steps. You visit an older, indoor shopping center in the Valley. You walk past the indoor fountains. You sit on a tiled bench and watch the shoppers walk by. You bring a disposable film camera. You take photos of the neon signs hanging above the food court stalls. The physical photos look exactly like the memories you hold in your head.
Section 4: The California Food Revolution
You get hungry after all that walking. The 1980s changed how people eat in Los Angeles. Young chefs started breaking all the old culinary rules. They created a new style called California cuisine. They mixed classic French cooking techniques with fresh, local farm ingredients. They famously invented the gourmet pizza.
Here is why. Before the 1980s, American pizza meant red tomato sauce and thick mozzarella cheese. Los Angeles chefs completely rewrote that script. They fired up hot wood-burning ovens in open kitchens. They topped fresh dough with barbecue sauce, smoked gouda cheese, and red onions. They created the original barbecue chicken pizza. It became an absolute sensation across the country. The happy home chef inside you wants to make this recipe immediately.
You can easily recreate this 1980s classic in your own kitchen. You stretch out a ball of fresh pizza dough on a floured surface. You spread a thick, even layer of sweet barbecue sauce over the top. You add shredded, cooked chicken breast. You sprinkle a heavy handful of grated smoked gouda and mozzarella cheese. You bake it on a hot pizza stone until the crust blisters and turns dark brown. You pull it from the oven and top it with fresh chopped cilantro right before you eat it. The flavors snap you right back to 1986. You cut it into triangles and eat it hot.
Next steps. Book a table at a classic Los Angeles restaurant that originally opened its doors in the 1980s. You look for places with glass block walls and pastel neon accents. You order a flashy, colorful drink with a paper umbrella. You watch the servers walk by carrying large trays of food.
Section 5: Venice Beach and Neon Spandex
You drive west until you hit the sandy beach. You park your car and walk onto the Venice Beach boardwalk. The hot sun beats down on the gray concrete path. The 1980s physical fitness craze took over this entire neighborhood. People wanted to be outside in the sun.
Here is why. Fitness became a massive trend. People bought quad roller skates with bright pink and yellow wheels. They laced them up tight and skated for miles down the paved path. You see people wearing tight neon spandex and thick sweatbands. You hear a silver boombox blasting heavy dance music. You smell sweet coconut suntan lotion in the ocean breeze. You stop and watch the massive bodybuilders lift heavy iron weights at Muscle Beach. The energy of the crowd feels completely electric and alive. Breakdancers spin on flat pieces of cardboard right on the grass.
Next steps. Rent a pair of classic quad roller skates from a small shop on the boardwalk. You strap them onto your feet and find your balance. You skate past the tall palm trees. You feel the cool ocean breeze on your face. You stop and watch the sun set slowly over the blue Pacific Ocean. The sky turns bright pink and deep purple. You sit on the sand and listen to the waves crash against the shore. You feel like you lived an entire colorful decade in just one single day. You take off your skates and walk barefoot back to your car.