This Ugly Beautiful City

03/10/2026

A couple of weeks ago, some newsletter subscribers, and I did my Los Angeles on a budget itinerary in Westwood. We went to Espresso Profeta, the Hammer museum and Danny Boy pizza all in all the day itinerary cost $12.50. I do meet ups from time to time with newsletter subscribers. I only announce them in my newsletter, please subscribe. Link in profile

06/27/2025

01/04/2025

In 2025, I hope to be here more often sharing things to do, see, and eat in .

10/09/2024

This year, I added being a travel agent to my bag of tricks.
I would love to help you design your next trip, whether a weekend away or a multi-city bucket list trip.
If you are thinking of taking a trip anywhere let me know. It doesn’t cost anything to chat with me. Who knows, I could save you lots of money and time.
DM or contact me here: https://linktr.ee/OOOCurated
I have a newsletter with travel deals, tips, and an occasional itinerary that comes out very three weeks or so.
https://kristenfungtravels.ck.page/profile

09/27/2024

I have some news
I am splitting my travel knowledge in two.

This Ugly Beautiful City will always be Los Angeles-focused
Kristen Fung Travels will feature cities I love around the world. I quietly started a newsletter for my world travels filled with tips, places to stay, travel deals, and more.
The next issue has a free Los Angeles itinerary.

Subscribe and read the first issue.

Kristen Fung is a travel curator who merges her love of art, food, and hidden gems around the world. Subscribe to Out of Office Curated, a newsletter with travel inspiration, itineraries, tips, and deals.

08/23/2024

If you haven't had the chance to read my most recent newsletter...
I talk about some Los Angeles-themed Olympic games, talk about restaurant closures, and other updates.

SOME NEWS: I am branching out this fall to talk about other cities I love around the world.

Read the most recent issue:

A silver medal in following through with plans

06/27/2024

Sometime around now the 5th anniversary of relaunching This Ugly Beautiful City. If you have found me and I have helped you enjoy Los Angeles more--find that great sake bar, turn you on to alternatives to chain restaurants in Hollywood, find free and budget-friendly events, let you know what bulky pick-up is, if you have joined me on a tour.... it has been 5 years well spent.
Thank you!

A local's guide to Los Angeles

06/24/2024

I try to share this at the end of the month, aka moving time,in hopes that people don't dump their broken ikea furniture in the small patch of grass in front of apartment buildings where it sits for weeks until a neighbor makes a 311 request.

https://thisuglybeautifulcity.com/helpful-websites-and-apps-for-angelenos/

06/13/2024

Post-WWII the magazine Architectural Digest tasked leading architects with building homes out of materials that were readily available at the time. This was the birth of the Case Study program. See one of these homes in the Pacific Palisades--a true wonder of Mid-Century Architecture, the Eames House/Case Study no. 8

https://thisuglybeautifulcity.com/2020/09/03/the-eames-house-or-case-study-house-8/

🤞 That the interior tour comes back soon!

06/06/2024