LA County native Bill Hoffman has prided himself for decades on his extensive knowledge of California. With a background in urban planning, he helped designate South Carthay as Los Angeles’s first residential historic district — a title 28 districts now boast. With a love for architecture and learning, he started giving walking tours in 1981 after he earned his master’s degree in urban planning from UCLA.
In June 2012, after retiring from teaching high school, Hoffman decided to expand upon his love for California, launching “Hoffy Tours.” There, he takes people on journeys through communities in Southern California, from Newport Beach and Laguna Beach to Downtown Los Angeles and the Westside.
“The focus is on appreciation of the built environment — great architecture, interesting urban design, fun restaurants, engaging museums,” his website states. “Hoffy Tours strives to find urban treasures that many people pass up in their daily lives.”
This year, Hoffman decided to take his mission one step further. He has written “Exploring Southern California: 80 Outings for the Urban Traveler,” a travel guide focusing less on well-known tourist spots and instead on historic places for the local to explore. The official release is on April 7, but the book is available for purchase online.
Inside the book, there are 80 daylong itineraries planned with additional background and insights for the urban traveler. Every outing is in a concise, two-page format, making it perfect for a quick read. The book is available for $24.95 at Mascot Books.
Hoffman’s “LA – Ocean to Downtown” tour starts in Venice, where participants will stroll and rent bikes along Ocean Front Walk before heading to Downtown. This tour ends in DTLA with stops at Disney Hall on Bunker Hill, Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral and Chinatown.
In the heart of Los Angeles, Hoffman leads “I Love LA Classic: Downtown, Hollywood, Beverly Hills,” taking people from LA’s birthplace at Olvera Street to Disney Hall and the skyscrapers of Bunker Hill. Visitors also check out Broadway Street’s landmark theaters and the cultural districts of Little Tokyo and Chinatown before heading to Hollywood.
Another Los Angeles-focused tour is “LA – Downtown Jewels,” one of Hoffman’s first.
“This popular tour dates from 1981 and is about discovering the hidden jewels of downtown LA. The tour starts at Union Station and ends in the city’s birthplace — Olvera Street and the Pueblo de Los Angeles,” its description reads. “In between, we tour the famous 1920s theatres of historic Broadway Street, savor tasty morsels of the Grand Central Market, ride LA’s only funicular — Angels Flight — on Bunker Hill, tour LA Live!, and visit Little Tokyo and Chinatown. Lunch is at the beautiful San Antonio Winery in East Los Angeles.”
The final Downtown-LA focused tour offered by Hoffman, “LA Skyscraper Tour by Train” looks at the 100-year evolution of the city’s skyscrapers. In this tour, participants ride four different types of rail transport: by train to Union Station, by Metro subway to Pershing Square, by LA’s only funicular, Angels Flight, down from Bunker Hill and by light-rail on the Gold Line to Chinatown.
Hoffman has a dedicated Pasadena tour. The “Pasadena Craftsman Classic” includes a visit to the Gamble House, a cruise along Arroyo Seco and lunch in Old Pasadena before checking out either the Norton Simon Museum or the Huntington Library and Gardens.
“Pasadena has the most beautiful concentration of residential historic architecture in Southern California,” Hoffman writes on his website.
Hoffman also specifically offers tours for exploration of Laguna Beach, his current home. The “Laguna Beach Highlights Tour – History, Architecture and Culture” is a 90-minute walking tour of downtown Laguna Beach. The tour starts at Hotel Laguna, traveling through the downtown core before moving up to Heisler Park. The tour finishes at Main Beach Board Walk. All guests will receive the 4-color book, “The Best of Laguna Beach: The Insider’s Guide,” compliments of LagunaBeachBest.com.
The tours are $99 per person, or $39 for people ages 13 to 20.
“Laguna Beach’s Best: Exploring Laguna Beach’s Spectacular Coast” is a two-and-a-half-hour tour by van or private car to see the most beautiful spots along the coast. Highlights include stops at Treasure Island Park, Montage Resort, Crystal Cove State Park and Heisler Park. The tours are $139 per person, or $69 for people ages 13 to 20.
The “Laguna Beach’s Best: Nature & The Environment – The Laguna Beach Sustainability Tour” is a three-hour tour that “will acquaint guests with the challenges and successes Laguna Beach experiences as it works to preserve its beautiful coastline and surrounding greenbelt.” It includes a guided nature walk through the Laguna Canyon, a visit to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center and a tide pool walk. All guests receive the 4-color book, “The Best of Laguna Beach: The Insider’s Guide,” compliments of LagunaBeachBest.com, as well as maps and guides. Tickets are $139 per person, or $69 for people ages 13 to 20.
For all tours, children age 12 and under can attend for free.
Looking to explore neighboring communities? Hoffman hosts the “Orange County Coastal Highlights: Newport, Laguna Beach and Dana Point” tour which, as the name suggests, caters to locals and tourists alike wanting to learn more about the South OC coastal communities.
“This tour showcases the most beautiful spots along Orange County’s coast,” its description online reads. “We’ll start at quaint Balboa Island and its specialty retail and cottage architecture. Next is Crystal Cove State Park with its historic district bungalows right on the beach. We’ll then stroll Laguna Beach’s Heisler Park for its stunning views and public art. There’ll be time for shopping and browsing the art galleries of Laguna’s downtown village before we head south to the Montage Resort’s Treasure Island Park for the coast at its finest. We’ll end the tour at the Dana Point Marina with its historic overlook or extend our time to see historic San Juan Capistrano and its classic Mission.”
Learn
more about Hoffman at hoffytours.