Overview
Glendale is a suburban city of 205,000 people (2019) in the southeastern corner of the San Fernando Valley of Southern California between Burbank and Downtown Los Angeles. Glendale has one of the largest communities of Armenian descent in the United States. In addition to central Glendale, this article covers the Crescenta Valley communities of La Crescenta, Montrose, Verdugo City, and the part of Glendale in the Crescenta Valley.
4 sights · 1 things to do · 12 places to eat · 7 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Glendale
Museum of Neon Art
A museum devoted exclusively to art in electric media. The collection includes electric and kinetic fine art and outstanding examples of historic neon signs. The museum also arranges neon cruises (neon-themed tours aroun…
Alex Theatre
Historic vaudeville and movie palace that now presents a variety of music, dance, cinema, & comedy.
Brand Library & Art Center
Brand Library & Art Center sponsors many events that are free and open to the public, including art exhibitions, concerts, art and music lectures, dance events, and films.
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Forest Lawn-Glendale is both a cemetery and a tourist destination. It contains the world's largest collection of final resting places of Hollywood stars and other celebrities, many of which are accessible to the public. …
Arcave Room
Retro gaming adult and kids birthday party venue. 1980s music, classic games, Xbox, Nintendo Switch.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Jan–Dec. Summer highs reach about 89°F; winter lows dip to about 44°F. Wettest: Feb and Jan. (climate data from nearby Burbank)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- BUR Hollywood Burbank/Bob Hope Airport, Burbank — 7 mi away (major hub). Directions
- HHR Jack Northrop Field Hawthorne Municipal Airport, Hawthorne — 19 mi away. Directions
Glendale is along Interstate 5 between Downtown Los Angeles and neighboring Burbank. CA-134 passes east-west through Glendale, between Burbank and Pasadena directly to the east. CA-2 offers a fast connection to the neighborhoods of Northwest L.A., particularly Silver Lake and Echo Park. I-210 passes through the extreme north of town.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
- Places to stay listed here: about $90–$209 a night (typical $184), from 6 listed prices.
- Typical meal: about $15 per person at listed restaurants.
- Estimated daily budget per person (room, two meals, local transport and an activity): budget ~$130, mid-range ~$250, comfortable ~$350.
See the Sleep guide ↓ for places to stay.
Sample 1-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Brand Library & Art Center, Alex Theatre, Museum of Neon Art
- Lunch Sevan Chicken
- Afternoon Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Arcave Room
- Dinner Phoenicia
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Being home to a large number of recent immigrants of Armenian, Middle Eastern, and Korean backgrounds, Glendale has some of the finest authentic restaurants.
Paris Bakery a fusion between Korean-French style pastries. They are really beautiful pastries and cheap too. One of the top bakeries in Glendale.
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
Glendale was first platted in 1887 and incorporated in 1906. The city grew rapidly in the 1910s and 1920s, thanks to boosters such as Leslie Brand, and the presence of the Southern Pacific and Pacific Electric railways. Glendale once had a small airport called Grand Central Airport, but now that area is home to animation studios. In the 1980s, Glendale experienced redevelopment and a rise in its immigrant population, especially from Armenia.
- Glendale tourism website
Get in
By car
Glendale is along Interstate 5 between Downtown Los Angeles and neighboring Burbank. CA-134 passes east-west through Glendale, between Burbank and Pasadena directly to the east. CA-2 offers a fast connection to the neighborhoods of Northwest L.A., particularly Silver Lake and Echo Park. I-210 passes through the extreme north of town.
By plane and train
Bob Hope Airport, in neighboring Burbank, is the closest airport to Glendale. Metrolink trains connect Glendale to Bob Hope Airport and Los Angeles Union Station in Downtown L.A. Additionally, Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner train makes a stop in Glendale.
By bus
Metro runs service into Glendale. The 780 rapid bus runs to Hollywood and Pasadena. The 501 runs an express service to North Hollywood and Memorial Park station.
Get around
Glendale's Beeline bus service connects with the Los Angeles Metro line. You can purchase a 31-day pass for $36 or a ten-ride pass for $9. Many of the Beeline lines originate or terminate at the Glendale Amtrak station, in Downtown Glendale, or at Glendale Community College
See
See Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Forest Lawn-Glendale is both a cemetery and a tourist destination. It contains the world's largest collection of final resting places of Hollywood stars and other celebrities, many of which are accessible to the public. Visiting these sites is not encouraged, however, and they can be difficult to locate within the park's more than 300 acres. However, Forest Lawn-Glendale also has many other attractions that make it worth seeing. Among these are its art museum, its collection of approximately 1,500 statues, including reproductions of all of Michelangelo's works, a reproduction of Leonardo da Vinci's "Last Supper" in stained glass, and a mosaic of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. There are also multiple chapels that are exact replicas of famous European churches.
See Museum of Neon Art (MONA)
A museum devoted exclusively to art in electric media. The collection includes electric and kinetic fine art and outstanding examples of historic neon signs. The museum also arranges neon cruises (neon-themed tours around the Los Angeles area) and neon classes.
Do
Buy
Books
Shop Abril Bookstore
Eat
Being home to a large number of recent immigrants of Armenian, Middle Eastern, and Korean backgrounds, Glendale has some of the finest authentic restaurants.
Armenian
Eat Sevan Chicken
Rotisserie chicken, pita, rice, beans, salad.
Eat Zankou Chicken
The classic rotisserie chicken and great shawerma sandwiches.
Chinese
Eat House of Joy
Chinese and Korean food. Try the Mongolian beef here. Great lunch specials.
Cuban
Eat Porto's Bakery
Cuban bakery beloved by locals for its wonderful breads, pastries, and Cuban sandwiches.
Deli
Eat Mario's Italian Deli, Market, and Catering
Wide variety of imported Italian products including salamis, gelatos, olive oil, and burrata cheese. Consistently voted one of the best Italian delis in the Glendale/Los Angeles area.
Filipino
- Original Barrio Fiesta of Manila. Authentic Filipino Cuisine.
Iranian
Eat Raffi's Place
Indoor and outdoor, atrium-style seating. Serves Middle Eastern and Iranian food.
Korean
Paris Bakery a fusion between Korean-French style pastries. They are really beautiful pastries and cheap too. One of the top bakeries in Glendale.
Lebanese
Eat Carousel
Serving Middle Eastern cuisine since 1983.
Eat Phoenicia
Authentic Lebanese cuisine. Serves beef, lamb, chicken and fish.
Mexican
Peruvian
Spanish
Eat Casa Córdoba
Andalusian Spanish cuisine. Serves tapas and Paella. LBGTQ+ friendly.
Sleep
Go next
Burbank, home to Warner Bros. and Disney, is right next to Glendale.
Nearby
La Cañada Flintridge
City / town · 3 listings · 4 mi away
Burbank
City / town · 32 listings · 5 mi away
Pasadena
City / town · 64 listings · 7 mi away
Universal City
City / town · 7 mi away
South Pasadena
City / town · 4 listings · 7 mi away
North Hollywood
City / town · 10 listings · 8 mi away
San Marino
City / town · 2 listings · 9 mi away
Studio City
City / town · 14 listings · 9 mi away
My experience
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