What are the best places to sit and write?

It depends where you live. Terrenea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes on the Palos Verdes Peninsula offers some stunning ocean views, and lots of peace and quiet. You can sit on their terrace and write away. Bring a lunch and a jacket. It can be a bit breezy. You could even sit on their private beach.

Point Dume is breathtaking for an ocean view. Any hiking trail top point of the foothills on the East side of Los Angeles would be great for a city scape and not too busy.

Try Self Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine in Pacific Palisades -- it is open to the public except on Mondays and has beautiful meditation gardens, a lake with swans, a shrine with Gandhi's ashes, waterfalls, rose gardens, and all kinds of wonderful little nooks and crannies with benches where you can be quiet and contemplative.

My place to "sit and think" is Chase Park in Marina Del Rey. The park reaches out into the Marina with wonderful views of the Channels. There is always a breeze and it is rarely crowed. The park is open from sun-up to sun-down and has a small metered parking lot. Dog friendly.

Starbucks at the bottom of Hawthorne and PVDW. I see authors there all the time discussing ideas... You can sit and write while enjoying panoramic ocean views and gorgeous sunsets and of course enjoying coffee, a snack and pick up something from Trader Joes on the way home.

I thought of one more. Ryan Park in Rancho Palos Verdes is one of the most beautiful parks I have ever been to. It offers stunning ocean views, lots of big trees for shade, and beautiful green grass. It's so calming and relaxing.

It Depends on where you live and how far you want to drive. The famous Huntington Gardens In San Marino is a haven for writers. As well as the cliffs of Palos Verdes. It all depends on where you live.

I personally enjoy the picnic tables along the cliffs by the Lighthouse at the Point Vicente Interpretive Center.

Some of the areas above the cliffs of Palos Verdes provide incredible vistas to sit and enjoy while you write. The area right at the junction of Palos Verdes Drive West and Paseo del Mar in Palos Verdes Estates has incredible views of Santa Monica Bay, the LA basin and the cliffs of Palos Verdes. Going further along Paseo del Mar, there are several public look out areas. Del Cerro park in Rancho Palos Verdes also offers incredible views of Catalina.

The beach or the mountains would be my top recommendations:
Will Rogers Park in Pacific Palisades
Malibu or Santa Monica beaches
Point Dume area of Malibu
Park with nice views in Pacific Palisades or the Hollywood Hills

For safe places to sit and read. You can find safe public space to read here.
http://www.crimeteller.com/crimetel/crime/us-ca-los_angeles-la.html
It shows the crime free places.

Hope this help you.

Every book has its own special place. http://www.frankholderauthor.com/

My recent favorite place to sit and write is Douglas Park in Santa Monica. Enough going on to keep things interesting, yet inspiring.

Sorry about that typo. That was supposed to read South Coast Botanic Garden.
Address
26300 Crenshaw Boulevard
Palos Verdes Peninsula, California 90274
Phone: (310) 544-1948

This is the best time of year to be there.

South Bay Botanical Gardens is by far I think the best place to be inspired by nature. Lovely, quiet, with benches where to sit, or bring your own chair. This time of year there are areas like meadows with lots of green grass and flowers, more formal garden areas, and so many other smaller hidden areas to just sit, relax and write at your heart's content. And you might want to stop by Williams Book Store in Downtown San Pedro. They sell self published books, even ones with just a few copies available. Just go in and talk to the owner.

Here were three of my favorites when I used to live in LA:

The LA County Museum of Art--lots of good spots around there.

The CSUN library (there is rarely anyone in there).

The Getty Museum or the Griffith Observatory. (All very inspirational and conducive to thought.)

Live at the Beach and sit and write at home looking out toward the ocean. Actually anyplace with a view, a vista is tops but writing is so important it can be in your garden early in the morning. I suggest reading "Writing down the Bones" to add to your inspiration. People who have a home with a view say they can never never go back to not having one. Something to think about.

Hands down, the end of the Venice pier at Sunset !