Ditch your car in California's most walkable city (really!)

SEE WHY WALK SCORE CALLS WEST HOLLYWOOD A 'WALKER'S PARADISE'

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WITH AVERAGE GAS PRICES topping $6 in Los Angeles, it can be painful to watch your fuel gauge creep toward "E" during a day out around town. It's time to stop the car and walk.

And where better to do that than in the most walkable city in California? For more than a decade, West Hollywood has been designated a "Walker's Paradise" by Walk Score, earning a 91 out of 100 on the popular walkability index that looks at distance to amenities, pedestrian friendliness, population density and road metrics. The small city within a city scores two points above the state's second most walkable city, San Francisco. It's also a full 22 points above Los Angeles, which has a middling score of 69. But you don't need a formula to know that West Hollywood's well-maintained sidewalks dotted with cafes, shops and historic sites is a great place for walking. Take a stroll around the city and you can find out for yourself. That's what I did on a recent Friday afternoon, where I met locals like Kimberly Beauchaine out in the neighborhood-yes-walking. "We really don't use our car here," Beauchaine said, pushing her 18-month old in a stroller past the Pacific Design Center on Melrose Avenue. "It's very walkable and very central."

While West Hollywood is easy to navigate on foot, getting there without a car can be a challenge. The closest Metro stop is along the just-opened D-line on Wilshire Boulevard, a two-mile hike from the West Hollywood border. Fortunately, West Hollywood has ample public parking. I found a spot in a public lot on North San Vicente Boulevard, where I paid $12 for the whole day.

The hardest part about planning a fun day in West Hollywood might be choosing a place to start. According to Walk Score, there are about 339 restaurants, bars and coffee shops in the city and you can walk to an average of 13 of them in five minutes.