Do you know LA?!
Do you know LA?
I am travelling to LA in August for a conference and plan to add some additional days for joyful purposeless hanging out .
I am unsure where to to book a hotel for those extra days These are the neighborhoods i am looking at:
Beverly Hills (West Hollywood)
Brentwood (Westwood)
Culver City
Downtown Los Angeles
Hollywood
Redondo (Manhattan Beaches)
Santa Monica & Marina Del Rey
Any suggestions which area listed is classic LA, but safe, alive, fun, close to cool restaraunts, preferably w/ cafe's to sit and write in?
Answers:
Hollywood is your best bet.
Beverly Hills and Westwood are ridiculously expensive and not typical of true Angelino life. The only thing you can do is windowshop, unless you've got millions.
Culver City is clear over by LAX Airport and, well, that's airport life.
The beaches are great but significantly over crowded and the hotels are not the greatest. You'll also have that element of the beach bum thing -- there are people who live under the lifeguard towers at night -- and unless you plan on doing nothing but going sitting on the beach, you are hell and gone from anywhere else.
Santa Monica is great, but there's basically the 3rd Street Prominade, a movie theater and the beach. You can make a day out of Santa Monica, but not three or four. And it's crazy expensive and filled with homeless people.
Downtown L.A. is expensive because you are downtown. It's got more posh stuff to do, finer restaurants, that sort of thing, but you also have a rougher element in downtown, and it's more dangerous. You've got the criminal courts and Federal Court, where I used to work, and the government buildings, and then Olvera Street, which is great for Mexican food and to see the oldest street in Los Angeles, but just four blocks west is really hard core dangerous during the day, forget it at night. But you can find cheap deals for clothes and whatnot, because that's also where the garment district is.
I think your best bet is Hollywood. Right at the Sunset exit of the 101 Freeway is a little cafe called "Last Stop Before the 101." It's got regular cafe food, but it is a neat place. You're also right in the heart of Hollywood, where the old historic buildings are -- I used to live right there on Argyle Avenue. The Hollywood walk of fame is there, plus lots of shops and lots of regular Angelino life, so it's a really great place to hang out. The subway is right there. 75 cents and 15 minutes later, you're right in the heart of downtown L.A. I didn't find Hollywood to be dangerous at all; rather, there was so much to see and do, I lived their for years, and frankly, I wish I had never left.
Hope this helps.
no, i have never been there.
I don't think Hollywood is suppose to be safe.
dont make it hard for me to answer this, JUST GOOGLE.happy trips!
huh???
RA ME FA SOP LA
.Sorry I've never been there
Depends on where you conference is. Santa Monica has some excellent restarurants and shopping, a pier and beach. Culver City has movie studios, and a restaurant that has been getting fabulous reviews called "The Filling Station" the chef/owner is Harrison Ford's son (it isn't swankey and would probably fit what you are looking for). Redond/Manhattan Beach have great bike paths on the beach and some nice restaurants. You should also check out Mulholland Drive...