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Everyone has an image of Los Angeles in their mind, unless they were raised in a remote hamlet on Mars.

The Californian city, perched on the Pacific Ocean under year-round sun and just above the Mexican border, is home to the silver screen's finest.

For many, that image will likely tick some of these boxes: bright, sunny, full of beautiful (probably famous) people, shiny white Range Rovers, a substantial amount of bling, avocado toast, and yoga pants.

Derby days: Just one of the weird and wonderful things you can do in Los Angeles is watch the Derby Dolls tear around their circuit to the sound of music and screams from the crowds

True, you have an above-average chance of spotting the star of your favorite 90s TV show. Indeed, those in search of a kale salad and green juice will not be disappointed. And yes, your beach-side sun-soaked coffee will be Instagrammable.

But that glossy snapshot does not do justice to the eclectic character that makes LA so unique - and addictive.

From food spots to adventures further afield, here is our run-down of the unexpected things Angelenos get up to, but tourists may not come across at first glance.

1. Explore unusual architecture

Storybook houses

In the early 1900s, there was an architectural trend for so-called 'storybook houses' - magical structures that looked like something straight out of a Disney movie.

In fact, some of these homes are said to have inspired Walt himself, who of course lived in the city. While the trend took hold across America, nowhere was as captured by it as Los Angeles.

Magical: The Hobbit House took 24 years to build, and now has protected status

Today, the majority have faded, replaced with newer builds. However, there remains a smattering of these dainty and peculiar creations dotted across the city.

One of these which is sure to capture your imagination is the Spadena House, which earned its nickname of the Witch's House thanks to its sloped rooftop that is reminiscent of a witch's pointed hat.

Another particularly unusual structure is the Hobbit House at 3819 Dunn Drive in Culver City. Deliberately, the house has no right-angles. It also has a toad-filled pond.

In 1996, the LA Conservancy granted the house historical status, acknowledging that its 'sweeping shingled roofs, diamond-paned windows, and clinker-brick chimneys exemplify the fanciful Storybook style, which took inspiration from idealized interpretations of European cottages'. 

Frank Lloyd Wright's hilltop glass house

As you head up towards the Hollywood Hills, take a detour to Barnsdall Art Park. There, you will find a hill overlooking Hollywood to your west and Silver Lake to your east. It is home to sculptures dotted around the grass, and a big art

Artistic landmark: Hollyhock House was designed by revered architect Frank Lloyd Wright

One of the most intriguing structures up there is Hollyhock House, by revered architect Frank Lloyd Wright. It was his first project in LA, designed for oil heiress Aline Barnsdall to live in with her daughter.

For two years from 1919 to 1921, Lloyd Wright designed a space unlike any other, melding the outdoors with the indoors using sprawling windows, Japanese-style gardens, and a winding structure.

Ultimately, Barnsdall decided she didn't want it, cut plans to commission Lloyd Wright for more, and left his building to the city.

Now, it's ready and waiting for you to visit.

2. Tingle your tastebuds

EAT WILD MEAT  

After you tire of the everyone-here-lives-on-kale-smoothies jokes, let yourself cross over to the other side: LA's fantastic selection of meat.

If you're flying in from the East Coast, a post-airport stop at In-And-Out is obviously obligatory. Once that's done, feast on drool-inducing burgers at Father's Office and Belcampo Meat Co.

Adventure: The Vasquez Rocks located in the Sierra Pelona Mountains make for a fun out-of-town trip if you feel like being active

Now step it up: how about a rattlesnake and rabbit bratwurst? 

Head to Wurstkuche (German for 'sausage cooking') in Downtown LA (or, 'DTLA', as they say here) for their unrivaled selection of every kind of hot dog you never knew you craved.

DO TACOS THE LA WAY 

In honor of its southern neighbor, LA does Mexican food, and it does it well.

As you travel around the city, you will never be far from a good taqueria. Most Angelenos will tell you to go to a truck for your tacos, or simply don't bother. 

Try Mariscos Jaliscos on Olympic Boulevard, touted by food critics as one of the best taco trucks in LA. (Their tacos dorados de camaron - vegetables, shrimp, and salsas crammed into a corn tortilla, fried, topped with a dorado sauce and some avocado - are the stuff of legend). 

Theatrical: A masked 'lucha libre' fight at Lucha VaVoom makes for a night out with a difference

El Chato and Tacos El Korita have also made a name for themselves in the fiercely competitive taco truck scene. 

For something a little bit different, try blending Mexican with Korean fare at one of the Kogi BBQ trucks that have been drawing crowds on the streets of LA for years.

Then walk of your meal with a visit to the Bronson Caves, nestled in the Hollywood Hills. Or if you're feeling particularly adventurous, head out to the Vasquez Rocks located in the Sierra Pelona Mountains, where episodes of Star Trek were filmed in the 1960s.

3. Get your culture fix

If you're craving the silver screen, skip the standard Universal Studios tour and head instead to Dapper Cadaver, a revered but under-appreciated Hollywood prop store.

They've stocked them all - from X-Men and American Horror Story to Scandal, Modern Family, and Stranger Things. Make sure you get a good breakfast down you before you go; there is an entire section dedicated to dismembered body parts. 

Quirky: The Museum of Jurassic Technology is filled to the rafters with relics from 1900s' astronomers, animal parts, pin needle sculptures, and short films, among other things

If you're into the weird and wonderful, few places will serve you better than the Museum of Jurassic Technology.

No description will really do justice to this bizarre darkly-lit institution, a cult must-see since the early 1990s. It has relics from 1900s' astronomers, animal parts hanging from the walls, a figurine of Noah's Ark, pin needle sculptures, and short films about medieval trends.

Make it to the roof and you will find a tranquil patio to stretch out and let all the weirdness soak in.

4. Spice up your evenings

Roller derby

The Derby Dolls are far from delicate. 

Clad in cut-offs, fishnets, and essential knee padding, the fierce players tear around the circuit in DTLA to the booming sound of music and screams from the crowds. Grab a beer, grab a seat, and buckle up.

Movie night: Sit among the interred residents at Hollywood Forever Cemetery to watch a film

Latina drag

The New Jalisco Bar in DTLA is one of the original Latina gay bars. It is far from the fancy hotel rooftops you will catch in Beverly Hills. Grab a cheap drink, catch a drag act. Once you're sauced and 'Gasolina' hits the speakers, hit the floor.

Lucha libre

Catch a masked 'lucha libre' fight, some burlesque, and some acrobatics at dive spot Lucha VaVoom, which has become something of an LA institution for those in the know.

Outdoor movies - among the dead

Yes, the Hollywood Forever Cemetery is a real cemetery, the resting place of Judy Garland, Jimmy Stewart, Humphry Bogart and more. But it is one of the most beautiful creepy places you will ever come across. 

Road trip: Ladder Canyon is a windy little haven just to the south of the city that is littered with ladders, which you are free to climb up and down

In the daytime, you can gander about the graves in the sunlight, ending up at the pond and benches. At night, you can sit among the famous interred residents to watch a movie projected on a big screen. It takes the 'out of this world' cinema experience to a whole new level. 

6. Go on an adventure

You're in LA, so obviously you have a car (if not, get a car). What better excuse, then, to throw yourself behind the wheel and venture further afield.

Now, you know Joshua Tree is right there. But you may not have known about Ladder Canyon, a windy little haven just to the south. You guessed it: it's littered with ladders, which you are free to climb up and down.

Another exciting trip is to the Vanalden Caves tucked inside Santa Monica Mountains. It's just a 15-minute climb to get in there, but it feels like another world, thanks to the carvings and wild plants.