20 Secret Bargains of Los Angeles

What a mixed-up town is my L.A.! It's frustrating but delightful, traffic-clogged but blessed with beautiful beaches, polluted but enjoying 329 days of sunshine a year. And amidst its affluence-the awesome shops of Rodeo Drive, the palm-lined boulevards of Beverly Hills-are bargains, remarkable bargains. Here are the money-saving tactics, programs, and products known to struggling young actors, students, and other price-conscious Angelenos:

1. Pass it

The valuable Hollywood CityPass ($69, citypass.com) grants admission to five big attractions (including Universal Studios and a guided driving tour of stars' homes) for a savings of almost $50. For other free information, maps, and recommendations, contact the visitors bureaus (L.A.: 800/228-2452, lacvb.com; Santa Monica: 800/544-5319, santamonica.com).

2. Freeway of love

You don't always have to drive. Although limited, the new Red Line subway (fares starting at $1.35) is great for shuttling to Hollywood or Universal City. You can ride free on the subway by joining the two-hour guided art tours of select stations (213/922-4278, mta.net). Or take a regular MTA bus for as little as $1.35, or the famous Big Blue Bus in Santa Monica for 75> (310/451-5444, bigbluebus.com).

3. My city has fleas

For $7 spend the second Sunday of the month at the budget emporium to top all others-the mind-blowing Rose Bowl Flea Market (1001 Rose Bowl Dr., Pasadena, 323/560-7469, rgcshows.com). Scour miles of jewels and junk in search of anything from a velvet Elvis painting to antique Victrolas.

4. Summer jazz makes me feel fine

Free musical offerings abound in summer, including jazz on Fridays and chamber music on Sundays at the L.A. County Museum of Art (5905 Wilshire Blvd., 323/857-6000, lacma.org); jazz Friday evenings at UCLA's Hammer Museum (10899 Wilshire Blvd., 310/443-7000, hammer.ucla.edu); concerts on Fridays and karaoke on Saturdays at the Farmer's Market (6333 W. Third St., 323/933-9211, farmersmarketla.com); and the Twilight Dance Series every Thursday night in summer on the Santa Monica Pier (Ocean Ave. and Colorado Blvd., 310/458-8900, twilightdance.org).

5. Getty-up

The new, not-to-be-missed Getty Museum (1200 Getty Center Dr., 310/440-7300, getty.edu) is a multimillion-dollar, ultramodern museum complex overlooking the 405 freeway and admission is absolutely free (except for a $5 parking fee, for which you'll need a reservation). The Getty has become one of America's premier museums. UCLA's Hammer Museum (see above), filled with works by Van Gogh, Chagall, and Monet, is free every Thursday. Pasadena's Norton Simon Museum (411 W. Colorado Blvd., 626/449-6840, nortonsimon.org) will run you only $6. The Museum of Tolerance (9786 W. Pico Blvd., 310/553-8403, museumoftolerance.com), which explores the inhumanity of the Holocaust, charges $10, but the fee is well worth such a stirring experience.

6. Shopper's paradise