Three-day tripping it to LA this summer (Los Angeles, Santa Monica: rent, safest area)
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Chowhounding is an entirely separate endeavor, and I'd be putting you on a bus to everywhere in the LA basin. So I'll just say there ain't nothin' wrong with the 99 cent menu at a fast food joint. You're from Phoenix so you know that Mexican food'll give you the best bang for the buck, and there's plenty here. Don't dismiss the ugly, charmless strip malls for any sort of ethnic food. That's where the life is, and the cuisine. You'll find them everywhere. But make the food incidental; I don't want to direct you to any specific place since it's only 3 days on a college budget.
Otherwise, my only specific recommendation might be Knitting Factory, close to Virgin, where you're going anyway. It's a music venue that serves food. General admission (all ages) is $10, more or less depending on who's playing. You can check their website. Their menu is less than $10 and is about TGIF quality. So that's dinner and a show for one night. Go to Pink's since it's on TV a lot and you can say you've been there. But fuel up cheap at the hotel with, like, a roasted chicken from the grocery store, and just have coffee and dessert at a sidewalk cafe for your luncheon/dining/people watching experience.
Awesome! But unfortunately, I only live in Phoenix, I'm not from here. I've never been to an authentic Hispanic restaurant before. So maybe I'll have another LA first lol.
Speaking of grocery stores.. What's the price of food in California/ LA? Is it crazy high?
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Originally Posted by uptown_urbanist
Hollywood has lots of cheap, interesting places to eat. I echo the advice to go to Amoeba. Also, when in Hollywood, go beyond just Hollywood and Highland; better yet, walk up Hollywood Blvd the whole way between Highland and Vine. Hollywood and Highland (where the Virgin store is) is kind of over-touristy, so do venture out beyond there. Downtown to Hollywood via red line metro is only about 15 minutes or so.
Closer to Hollywood and Normandie (you can take the bus up and down Hollywood Blvd easily enough, or Sunset) or Hollywood and Western there are tons and tons of good Armenian and Thai places to eat. Otherwise there are plenty of little hole-in-the-wall spots all up and down Hollywood Blvd along the Walk of Fame part. You'll have plenty of options beyond the standard fast food chains.
If your trip is over a Sunday I highly recommend the Hollywood Farmer's Market (Hollywood Blvd and Ivar) - besides the obvious produce there's lots of prepared food options, live music, crafts, and just tons of good people watching.
Thanks! My friend is a total music junkie. She'll be so happy she'll pee her pants with excitement from all of the music recommendations and shows!
2) Our hotel is less than two miles away, and we won't have any real "luggage", is walking through that neighborhood an option? My friend walks like the wind's beneath her feet so we'd get their in no time.
Yes, of course. Take that notion about LA being "Gang and crime" infested out of your head. L.A. is actually one of the safest mega cities in the world, but of course it wasnt always like this and L.A. has really improved in the past decade.
3) Our first stop will most likely be the Virgin Megastore in Hollywood. How would we get there from downtown LA? I've been looking at the schedule and everything on the transit website, but I'm mildly confused.
Theres several red line metro stations in downtown that would take you directly to Hollywood and Highland where the store is located.
4) That's all we have planned so far. I know there is SO much more to do in LA than go to a music store lol. Do buses go to the beaches in LA?
And would it be possible, or reasonable to visit some other part of California while we're there? Maybe spend a few hours in a different hot-spot? This may be difficult because it's only a three-day, two-night trip.
I would take the puple line to where it ends on Wilshire and Western and then catch a "rapid" metro bus to the beach or bus. I would also take the blue line to Long Beach, the red line to North Hollywood, Universal Studios, Hollywood, and Korea town then the Gold line to Pasadena, but definately visit Santa Monica and Venice by bus.
5) One of us is still under the legal drinking age, though neither of us are really drinkers. What is the minimum age to get into bars and "fun" clubs in California? Will age severely affect our abilities to have a good time (at least during the day)?
L.A. is the entertainment capitol and it stands by its name. Theres several clubs in the city that are 18+ and some that are even 16+. Like I mentioned before, visit Univeral Studios theme park! its in the middle of the city and easily accesible by the red line. Melrose Ave. and the Sunset strip are really cool as well. OH! and Farmers Market on Fairfax.
Alright! I'm glad *someone* says it's okay to walk through the "dangerous" streets of LA alone. We'll mostly be walking during the day and bus-ing it at night. But that doesn't mean we shan't keep our guards up anyway.
Is there an interactive trip planner on the Los Angeles transit website? I've been looking but couldn't find it :/ I think our chances of getting lost would be greatly reduced if there was one.
Thanks everyone!
Alright! I'm glad *someone* says it's okay to walk through the "dangerous" streets of LA alone. We'll mostly be walking during the day and bus-ing it at night. But that doesn't mean we shan't keep our guards up anyway.
Is there an interactive trip planner on the Los Angeles transit website? I've been looking but couldn't find it :/ I think our chances of getting lost would be greatly reduced if there was one.
Thanks everyone!
You definitely will be okay walking the streets of Los Angeles/Hollywood. Obviously you should be aware of your surroundings and unless you're planning on side trips solo through dark alleyways in the middle of the night half naked, I think your biggest worry will be some idiot driver not paying attention to pedestrians. The Metro is safe, easy to figure out, and cheap - cleanliness is, eh, debatable on the Red Line but the Gold Line is very clean.
You definitely will be okay walking the streets of Los Angeles/Hollywood. Obviously you should be aware of your surroundings and unless you're planning on side trips solo through dark alleyways in the middle of the night half naked, I think your biggest worry will be some idiot driver not paying attention to pedestrians. The Metro is safe, easy to figure out, and cheap - cleanliness is, eh, debatable on the Red Line but the Gold Line is very clean.
I think you'll have a good time.
Thanks!! I hope LA drivers aren't as bad as Phoenix drivers. Crossing the street here is like walking into a death-trap.
Oh! And how much should we expect to spend on a three day trip? I'm thinking roughly $600-$700 dollars..
That includes the round-trip greyhound bus ride and the two nights in the h/motel. Which leaves us with roughly $300-$400 each to spend... Is that too low?
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Originally Posted by Death Nickel
Is there an interactive trip planner on the Los Angeles transit website? I've been looking but couldn't find it :/ I think our chances of getting lost would be greatly reduced if there was one.
Thanks everyone!
Oh! And how much should we expect to spend on a three day trip? I'm thinking roughly $600-$700 dollars..
That includes the round-trip greyhound bus ride and the two nights in the h/motel. Which leaves us with roughly $300-$400 each to spend... Is that too low?
I was thinking your budget was lower. It's generous, actually. No, the Average Joe grocery stores are no higher, which came as a disappointment to me when I moved out of state. Why don't you consider flying instead of Greyhound, then? And staying at, say, the Quality Inn in Hollywood? With proper planning your cost will probably be the same as bus/downtown lodging. And even if it's maybe $75 or less per head it's well worth it.
After all, if you're traveling late August you can go to the Sunset Junction street fair. That's free. At least half a day of big crowds, diverse bands, food booths for nosh. Virgin/Amoeba visits with possible bands playing--free. Hollywood Forever film screening--I think $10, but you bring your own picnic. Relatively cheap eats hoofing it through Hollywood and Venice. Anyway, think about it.
I can't be much help with you for other entertainment/cost since my musical tastes are pretty much arrested at mid-90s indie and earlier.
I was thinking maybe you should plan one sit-down meal on the Santa Monica pier. For food it's not the most highly recommended, but you can sit with an ocean view, which is, after all, the point of visiting. Mariasol's is a Mexican place (again, not the best that cuisine has to offer and costing about 1/2 more than its worth, IMO, but under $25 total per head--check their website). There are cheaper sandwich places on the pier too. And Bubba Gump's and another seafood place. Could be a nice lunch or dinner at night. There are other relatively cheap eats, but most sit-down places with big views are costly, in the $50-$75+ per head range.
Here in California you are not allowed to have sex until you have a drivers license. I'm so sorry for you.
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