El Segundo (Los Angeles, Long Beach, Anaheim: rental car, apartments, rental)

[traveler36]

I booked a trip and will be staying in El Segundo not far from the airport.

Whats the area like?

I have a rental car and want to see as much of the city as possible, is this a good area to centralize my trip from.

[BRinSM]

it's close to the airport and some nice beaches, but that is about it. the closest tourist destinations to el segundo are probably venice beach and santa monica (20-30 minutes away).

[traveler36]

Originally Posted by BRinSM

it's close to the airport and some nice beaches, but that is about it. the closest tourist destinations to el segundo are probably venice beach and santa monica (20-30 minutes away).

I wanted to check out hollywood downtown LA and some other northern LA area. How far are these places from El Segundo if I take the highways.

[BRinSM]

without traffic you should be able to get anywhere of interest in the city in 45 minutes or less, but that isn't likely. downtown can be reached easily by taking the 105 east to 110 north. from there, you can get to hollywood by jumping on the 101 north. downtown can be easily reached in 30 minutes from el segundo without traffic, but i would budget closer to 45 minutes. hollywood is another 15-30+ minutes from downtown depending on traffic as well. make sure to check out the griffith park observatory while you're up that way.

[Charles]

Probably a pretty central area but it really depends on what you want to see. Many of the common tourist things are sort of lined up with the 405 (Getty/Venice/Queen Mary) so you would be sort of centered.

Some or more inland (Hollywood, Fairfax, downtown, Disneyland) but can be reached from the other freeways or major streets.

But overall, probably OK, especially if you have an early flight home and need to be close to the airport.

[JTGJR]

El Segundo is about 12 miles southwest of downtown LA. Depending on the types of things you want to do/see you're close Manhattan/Hermosa/Redondo Beaches. You'll have easy access to the major freeways (405, 105, 110) to get you to downtown, Getty, Hollywood, Long Beach aquarium, etc. within 30-45 minutes during off peak drive time.

[LizzyNola]

Originally Posted by traveler36

I booked a trip and will be staying in El Segundo not far from the airport.

Whats the area like?

I have a rental car and want to see as much of the city as possible, is this a good area to centralize my trip from.

If you want to see Los Angeles, and have the time, do not take the freeways.Drive to the places you want to see via the streets. Venice Beach, Santa Monica, Malibu, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, and even the valley (take Laurel Canyon) is not that far. Start off at about 9AM each day, and you will see many things/locations and get a feel for the city.

Hope you have a nice stay!

[LASam]

El Segundo is primarily a sleepy, suburban community with a nice commercial strip with restaurants along Main St. I recommend eating at the Farm Stand, or Havana... both are terrific. You'll have excellent access to the coastal tourists areas. The Getty Center, Santa Monica, Venice, Marina Del Rey, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, and Palos Verdes will all be nearby. The interior areas like Hollywood, downtown, Pasadena, Long Beach, Anaheim, will all be within an hour away so long as you travel out of rush hour times.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Originally Posted by LizzyNola

If you want to see Los Angeles, and have the time, do not take the freeways.Drive to the places you want to see via the streets. Venice Beach, Santa Monica, Malibu, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, and even the valley (take Laurel Canyon) is not that far. Start off at about 9AM each day, and you will see many things/locations and get a feel for the city.

Hope you have a nice stay!

Excellent advise. I concur.

[traveler36]

Originally Posted by BayAreaHillbilly

Excellent advise. I concur.

I concur also I will be also looking for apartments while Im there and I think that this will be the best way. Craigslist and the other rental sites arent too helpful so I have to do it the old fashioned way.