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Old 08-14-2010, 08:15 AM
 
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Hello! I'm Italian, and need good advices! I shoud go to L.A in the fall, need to visit some good acting schools, no, I'm not a wannabe actress , I'm a member of a cultural and art association here in Italy and we've got different projects with art in general and theatre etc. I'm going to go by myself and I've never been there, so I'd need a safe place, I think near west hollywood or west LA, easy to reach with public transportation or walking, since most of the places I should visit are in that area, and I do not intend to drive (I've been told that it's easy to get lost if you don't know the city) where it's possible to find cafés, restaurants and some nice shops in a near walking distance. Since I cannot spend a fortune and I'd like to live the "real LA experience" and not as a tourist, I thought it would be good for me to rent a room somewhere for a short-time period. I was thinking about Silverlake or Los Feliz since I read that there are some places where it's possible to walk and find nice cafés and restaurants, it would be a plus for me if I could do some networking with some artists too. I was wondering how's the public transportation in those areas, is it easy and safe to go to west L.A from there? I've been travelling a lot and lived in big cities such as Paris and London, but I know that L.A is a totally different story from big European cities!! Thanks for your help!

Last edited by giorgia; 08-14-2010 at 08:30 AM..
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Old 08-14-2010, 12:16 PM
 
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I don't want to burst your balloon, but there really is no quintessential "real LA experience." Much of the glamorous hip lifestyle you see on TV is fiction made to hook viewers into believing everyone here drives around in Mercedes, parties with agents, artists & celebs and drops $$$$ at trendy boutiques. Real Angeleno's live very mundane lives juggling career, family, child-care/elder-care & long commutes. That's side of life you never see on MTV.

But back to your question: I like the Andaz Hyatt over in W. Hollywood on Sunset. Great convenient location, trendy decor & service without the condescending attitude. I've also had friends stay at the Miramar Fairmont in Santa Monica, which is very convenient to shopping & people watching on the Third St. Promenade & Montana Avenues.

If i recall, there's an Italian Cultural Institute in Westwood and you might want to hit them up to see if they can help you network with other artists since your time in LA is so limited. Check here: Italian Cultural Institute of Los Angeles
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Old 08-14-2010, 01:07 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by smokingGun View Post
I don't want to burst your balloon, but there really is no quintessential "real LA experience." Much of the glamorous hip lifestyle you see on TV is fiction made to hook viewers into believing everyone here drives around in Mercedes, parties with agents, artists & celebs and drops $$$$ at trendy boutiques. Real Angeleno's live very mundane lives juggling career, family, child-care/elder-care & long commutes. That's side of life you never see on MTV.

But back to your question: I like the Andaz Hyatt over in W. Hollywood on Sunset. Great convenient location, trendy decor & service without the condescending attitude. I've also had friends stay at the Miramar Fairmont in Santa Monica, which is very convenient to shopping & people watching on the Third St. Promenade & Montana Avenues.

If i recall, there's an Italian Cultural Institute in Westwood and you might want to hit them up to see if they can help you network with other artists since your time in LA is so limited. Check here: Italian Cultural Institute of Los Angeles

Thanks for the reply!! I guess the names you gave me are hotels? I'll check their websites but,s ince I'll be alone,I think I'd rather rent a room in a house or apt, so that maybe (if I can find some nice and friendly roommates) I could even make some friends and experience some nightlife? But I think it will be quite difficult to find a room for rent for a so short-term period? And, you know, I'm not that naive , I know that what we see on TV is real for maybe the 10-15% of people living there. What I was saying about living the real life is that I've been quite spoiled actually, I've got many friends around the world (but nobody in L.A ) and I always had the chance to stay with them and live as a "native" and not as a tourist, and it's the best way to really know the place you're visiting. I'll have a look at the Italian Cultural Institute of Los Angeles. What about SilverLake or Los Feliz? Are they too far to west LA by public transportation?
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Old 08-15-2010, 09:22 AM
 
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OH GOD! From Los Feliz and SilverLake to West Hollywood by public transportation is more than an hour during the day. You have to take bus line 2 or 3 on Sunset Blvd. They take long and are crowded on rush hour during the night these buses pass every hour. It’s not a good commute by public transportation.
[SIZE=3]Check here for schedules. LA Metro Home[/SIZE]
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Old 08-15-2010, 02:12 PM
 
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Originally Posted by Alex999 View Post
OH GOD! From Los Feliz and SilverLake to West Hollywood by public transportation is more than an hour during the day. You have to take bus line 2 or 3 on Sunset Blvd. They take long and are crowded on rush hour during the night these buses pass every hour. It’s not a good commute by public transportation.
[SIZE=3]Check here for schedules. LA Metro Home[/SIZE]
Is it that far? It looks closer looking at the map! Well, anyway it wouldn't be too bad for me, since I just have to spend 2 weeks there and I won't have to go to work, but just look around and visit the best acting schools, I think that they're all in the West Hollywood and West L.A area, I only need to know if it's safe to use the public transportation (are those lines safe for a young woman?) I was thinking to look for a place to stay in SilverLake or Los Feliz 'cause it seems that they have walkable places and lots of nice cafés, bars and restaurants. I know that the big cities from the States are different from the European ones, we have the big centre where we can find everything and walk for km and km (or miles and miles ). I'm a bit concerned about the "safety issue", I travelled (or traveled, in the american way? ) and lived in big European cities and there are some dangerous and bad areas, but you know that is that area and you avoid it, while, as far as I understood, in L.A there are safe and unsafe places in the same area, like just turning few blocks, am I right? And thanks for your help!
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Old 08-15-2010, 02:46 PM
 
Location: SCW, AZ
8,317 posts, read 13,447,487 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by giorgia View Post
Is it that far? It looks closer looking at the map! Well, anyway it wouldn't be too bad for me,
People in CA do not refer to commute times in distance as it vastly varries depends on location. In LA a single mile could take longer with a car than on foot during rush hour depending on the street and direction of travel.
There are boat lod of people in LA metro area and if I am not mistaken cars outnumber people 3 to 1 so traffic is one of the most wellknown issues in LA metro.
A bicycle or scooter might be a good option but you will not be staying long, you might want to find someone local and have her/him be the host and do the driving even. If I lived in those areas I would not mind helping out but I I don't (people say I am a bit crazy but also trustable and kind )
Check out www.meetup.com where you could make friends with people who share the same interests. Do this tpye of a connection way before you actually come down here. It could be well worth the time invested so you can say "veni vidi vici".

Ciao!
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Old 08-15-2010, 02:59 PM
 
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The Standard in WeHo is pretty cool. It's expensive, but you should treat yourself to a night there.
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Old 08-15-2010, 04:04 PM
 
1,542 posts, read 6,040,566 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by giorgia View Post
I'd need a safe place, I think near west hollywood or west LA, easy to reach with public transportation or walking, since most of the places I should visit are in that area, and I do not intend to drive (I've been told that it's easy to get lost if you don't know the city) where it's possible to find cafés, restaurants and some nice shops in a near walking distance. Since I cannot spend a fortune and I'd like to live the "real LA experience" and not as a tourist, I thought it would be good for me to rent a room somewhere for a short-time period. I was thinking about Silverlake or Los Feliz since I read that there are some places where it's possible to walk and find nice cafés and restaurants, it would be a plus for me if I could do some networking with some artists too. I was wondering how's the public transportation in those areas, is it easy and safe to go to west L.A from there?
check out this site, which might be just what you're looking for:
Accommodations on Airbnb: Vacation rentals, private rooms, sublets by the night
About Airbnb

"Airbnb is an online marketplace allowing anyone from private residents to commercial properties to rent out their extra space. The reputation-based site allows for user reviews, verification, and secure online transactions. Listings include vacation rentals, private rooms, entire apartments, bed and breakfasts, boutique hotels, castles, treehouses, and many other traditional and non-traditional accommodations."

i've never tried this site, but it appears to be a great resource for finding short-term rentals in los angeles and other cities worldwide. i'm sure you can locate a small apartment or room to sublet for your short stay in the city.

while i agree with you that los feliz and silver lake would offer the type of neighborhood you're seeking - walkable in the downtown area, lots of shops and cafes, and plenty of artists (especially in silver lake; los feliz has more yuppies by comparison) - the others are correct that public transit from these neighborhoods to west hollywood is not exactly quick. i'd strongly recommend that you rent a car or consider staying in west hollywood or the westside to be closer to your acting schools, but if you absolutely refuse to do either, you can still get from place to place via mass transit.

it appears that it would take approximately 31 minutes via the 704 bus from silver lake to west hollywood during the late morning hours. note that it could easily take longer during rush hour.

similarly, it would take about 36 minutes via the 780 bus from los feliz to west hollywood during the late morning, and longer during rush hour.

if you need to get to the westside via bus, expect to add even more time to your commute. there are a number of express buses that crisscross the city from east to west, but i'm not sure of the exact routes or commute times. check out the MTA's site for specific timetables and routes.
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Old 08-15-2010, 04:48 PM
 
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you may want to check out Roomorama — Short Term Rentals, Short Term Apartments & Furnished Apartments they have some awesome apartment deals nightly weekly and monthly
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Old 08-16-2010, 10:52 AM
 
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First of all I thank you all for your help and tips, you'll been really helpful, I know how to spend some time checking all the links that you suggested now!!! In case you come in Europe and need some suggestions just let me know it and I'll be happy to help you back, I've been in almost all the European Countries and got friends everywhere, from England to Spain, France, Germany etc. A special thanks to Turcoloco (funny nickname you have ) for the offer of helping me if you wouldn't be too far. And you're right about meeting people and possibly making friends, I'd like to check some nice clubs too where I could listen to some good music (rock, blues, indie rock etc) and I wouldn't want to go by myself!Anyway, I'm still welcoming any other tip or suggestion you or some other people might have for me! Sorry for my not so proper English sometimes, I'm writing in Italian, English and French at the same time so.......
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