LA Trip (Santa Monica, Culver City, West Hollywood: where to stay, how much, hotels) - Los Angeles - California (CA) - City-Data Forum

kappo · 03-12-2011, 10:12 AM

Hi, so i'll be visiting LA on holiday and i'm not sure of what area to stay.

I want to stay in a suite or hotel with maybe self catering, it'll be more than two of us lodging, i'm not sure of exactly how many at the moment.

I want to go to clubs/lounges etc at night and I was told all of these are in Hollywood and downtown.
I want to go to beaches e.g. Venice beach and I think Santa Monica beach.
I want to eat at places like Roscoes Chicken and Waffles lol.

Can anyone provide me with some suggestions of where to stay so that it'll be easy and not so long in duration for me to travel to these areas please?

I was told I could stay in Hollywood but also was told:

1. Staying in Hollywood was too expensive
2. I shouldn't really stay in Hollywood as it is quite dangerous/seedy at night

I was told that I could stay in Culver City but I keep hearing conflicting things about this area i.e. some say it's alright some say it's dangerous.

Thanks

PalmTreeLife · 03-12-2011, 11:58 AM

Hollywood is what it is. I spend most of my time on the eastern side of Hollywood near Hollywood Blvd and the 101 freeway and I walk at night a lot and although it's not great I don't really feel weird about it. Hollywood is mainly divided among 3 streets, from south to north, Santa Monica Blvd, Sunset Blvd, and Hollywood Blvd. The farther north you get, the "better" it gets, in most ways. However a lot of the nightlife in Hollywood is to the west on or near the Sunset Strip near the West Hollywood/Western Hollywood area (confusing but West Hollywood is it's own seperate city).

The thing I will always loathe about LA is that a simple request of yours like wanting to go the the beaches/Hollywood/eat at certain places, etc, while remaining convenient is a near-impossible request. All the traffic and clutter will make commutes really long and it's annoying, but, you can try. As you can tell, Culver City/West LA is closer to freeways and beaches but it is a really spotty place for nice/not so nice.

If you did want to stay in Hollywood you probably could. You can just get to Santa Monica by taking (you guessed it) Santa Monica Blvd west until you get near the beach. You can also head south a few miles and get to Venice from there, and go to some other beaches like Manhattan, Hermosa, and Redondo if you wanted.

Downtown has changed a lot recently but I wouldn't really stay there. Mainly because although it's convenient to freeways and easily accessible, it's not directly related to any attractions you'll probably want to see.

kappo · 03-12-2011, 12:44 PM

Ok, thanks for your reply. So where would you actually suggest I stay that is a good, safe location and that I'll find interesting.

Also, how much are cabs?

PalmTreeLife · 03-12-2011, 01:18 PM

Well depending on your budget you could do anything from looking on hotels.com in Hollywood or West Hollywood, to trying to stay in Santa Monica, although in the summer the prices near the beach will be higher.

I'm honestly not too sure about cabs, I don't take them, but they are easy to find. Although it can be kind of intimidating, the bus system isn't the worst thing in the world for the price. You can get from Hollywood to the Santa Monica Pier for example for 3 dollars each way. Any route on a bus is $1.50 per bus. If you have to connect to a seperate bus it's another $1.50 but it's still pretty cheap. It can be confusing but the website metro.net does their best to simplify it for people. I rely on that site all the time.

I'm not sure what your budget is so I can't really say one way or the other what your "best option" is, but I suggest staying near Santa Monica or Hollywood because it sounds like those are the places you want to see most. So, that way at least you'll already be right next door to half of what you want to see, even if you have to commute to the other things you'd like to see.

Also some things you might find interesting is to go to tapings of a show like Jay Leno, The Price Is Right, Conan O'Brien, etc. Some people care, some people don't.

kappo · 03-13-2011, 03:48 PM

Ok thanks.

My budget would be from about 40 - 70 dollars a night for two weeks.
So I take it you're suggesting the best areas for me to stay are Hollywood, West Hollywood and Santa Monica?

So Culver City is too much of a lottery to suggest staying there?
And how about staying Downtown?

Liker is there any places that I haven't mentioned that would actually be good places to stay?

lalagonegaga · 03-13-2011, 06:27 PM

Your budget isn't much for something decent/nice in West Hollywood. The area is central for all you want to do, but it would just be too pricey. Culver city would just be too much of a hassle. I'm guessing you're pretty young and want to have fun in the more "hip" and "trendy" parts of town. That's not Culver City. It's a little out of the way for wanting to do things in Hollywood. You'd be closer to the beach, but that's about it. Nothing bad about it, but you'd probably spend more time getting from place to place if that's your basecamp.

Downtown is great, it's just out of your budget for something nice. And you'll want to be in something "nice" downtown.

There are a couple of weekly places near CBS, off Fairfax and the surrounding area. They should have some good prices and you'd be very centrally located to Hollywood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, etc. Try the Beverly Motor Lodge (the place that has Swingers at the bottom, I think that's the hotel's name). They have rooms with kitchenettes and such and are priced well for location.

kappo · 03-14-2011, 05:28 AM

lol I made a mistake, thats my budget not converted lol. I meant 70 - 120 dollars.

Yes, I guess your assumption is true, I am young and want to have fun in the more 'hip' and 'trendy' parts of town.

Also, why did you put nice in inverted commas, is downtown a sketchy area in parts?

kappo · 03-14-2011, 07:19 AM

The 70 - 120 dollars is per person btw. it'll be three Males as of now.

Also, could anyone post of some activities and places to go that only locals can provide me info with and not travel agencies?

drunk on kool aid · 03-14-2011, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kappo

Also, could anyone post of some activities and places to go that only locals can provide me info with and not travel agencies?

Here are some older threads that list numerous things to do in L.A., including many of the less obvious destinations:

What to do while visiting LA?

Suggested Things to do for a 16/21 year old in LA- can they have soft drinks in bars?

I'm not familiar with cabs but I think most people call the company to pick them up. Until recently, it was illegal to flag/hail a cab, New York style. L.A. cabs have a reputation for being more expensive than in other cities but maybe it's due to the longer distances.

If you feel up to it, most of us on this forum would be interested in hearing honest feedback about your L.A. trip (the good and bad).

Have a nice, safe holiday.

ChrissyKK · 08-28-2013, 01:32 PM

I'm looking for a nice hotel that is not so expensive (no more than $125/night) in the Santa Monica or Hollywood area for staying only 2 nights. Is it better to stay in Hollywood or Santa Monica? We want to go to the Walk of Fame, and do other Hollywood things, but we also want to go on the Santa Monica Pier and visit the beach. I've never been to LA so any advice you can give will be appreciated. We are 2 physically active 60 yr old women so we want a place that is safe and clean. We don't mind walking.