I recall a work trip to a conference in Anaheim (California, US, right outside of LA but still in the metro area). It was my first real work trip and I was disappointed because I wasn't seeing very much of Anaheim outside of the more tourist-y stuff, as the area around the conference center/hotel was one giant tourist trap. So, I ended up at the local Target at around 9am, and I'm really glad I did, because I felt like I was seeing a more real part of the city than the rest of the time combined.