Visiting Los Angeles Jan 24 - Feb 1 (San Diego, Long Beach: city hall, homes, safe area)

[htnguyen504]

Hi all! I am from New Orleans and will be visiting Los Angeles 1/24 - February 1 for vacation and needed some recommendations on what to do. I am also planning to drive to San Diego and Orange County and check out those areas too. I have done googling on what to do, etc. but would like a local's take and not do the tourist trap things that you always see online. I am 30 years old and going all by myself. I have nothing planned or going to be in a certain area I am restricted to so I am open to all ideas near and far. I will be staying one block from USC. I just want to do and see as much as I can. I like to eat (Vietnamese food especially and Korean and Mexican tacos, mediterranean, and SUSHI but open minded to everything, hike, outdoors activities, nice scenery for taking photos, site seeing, parks, tours, museums, window shopping, live music. Not into clubs and bars at all and not into 4-5 star fine dining where you pay $100 and still leave hungry. Any recommendations would be appreciated! Thank you in advance!

[UB50]

Check out this thread: //www.city-data.com/forum/los-a...-visit-la.html

She was here not that long ago and had a nice time. Lots of good suggestions.

[L.A.-Mex]

-do a self guided walking tour of DTLA (US Bank Tower, Central library, 7th street, the Standard rooftop bar, broadway (Ace if you want more views), grand ave to walt disney concert hall and grand park/city hall)

-on car go from Santa Monica (you could spend a couple of hours there) then drive on Wilshire Blvd past westwood, beverly hills, miracle mile, koreatown, macarthur park, and finally to Downtown. this tour gives you a different look on LA.

-Griffith Observatory is a must, as well as Getty Center

-other driving tours include Mullholand drive or drives on PCH to malibu and malibu Canyon.

- the beaches i recommend seeing are Malibu, Santa Monica, Newport Beach, and Laguna Beach. (take the PCH scenic drive from Dana Point to Downtown Long Beach(from PCH take 2nd street, livingston, then ocean blvd toward Downtown long Beach) this is by far the most beautiful coastal stretch in all of CA IMO, if you want to ci=ontinue the coastal scenic drive, you could cross the two port bridges, the vincent thomas and geral desmond, check out san pedro fish market and drive along the palos verdes peninsula, south bay,then up to Santa Monica and malibu)

-also Hollywood/Sunset strip is nice, another great drive is all of sunset blvd from DTLA (Cesar Chavez) to the pacific ocean

other places to go are pasadena (city hall, Huntington gardens, Santa Anita race track, beautiful architecture), Long Beach (Belmont shores, 2nd avenue, Ocean Blvd, Queen Mary, port of LA/LB Bridges to San pedro)

have a good trip

[erin_elise_]

Originally Posted by L.A.-Mex

-do a self guided walking tour of DTLA (US Bank Tower, Central library, 7th street, the Standard rooftop bar, broadway (Ace if you want more views), grand ave to walt disney concert hall and grand park/city hall)

-on car go from Santa Monica (you could spend a couple of hours there) then drive on Wilshire Blvd past westwood, beverly hills, miracle mile, koreatown, macarthur park, and finally to Downtown. this tour gives you a different look on LA.

-Griffith Observatory is a must, as well as Getty Center

-other driving tours include Mullholand drive or drives on PCH to malibu and malibu Canyon.

- the beaches i recommend seeing are Malibu, Santa Monica, Newport Beach, and Laguna Beach. (take the PCH scenic drive from Dana Point to Downtown Long Beach(from PCH take 2nd street, livingston, then ocean blvd toward Downtown long Beach) this is by far the most beautiful coastal stretch in all of CA IMO, if you want to ci=ontinue the coastal scenic drive, you could cross the two port bridges, the vincent thomas and geral desmond, check out san pedro fish market and drive along the palos verdes peninsula, south bay,then up to Santa Monica and malibu)

-also Hollywood/Sunset strip is nice, another great drive is all of sunset blvd from DTLA (Cesar Chavez) to the pacific ocean

other places to go are pasadena (city hall, Huntington gardens, Santa Anita race track, beautiful architecture), Long Beach (Belmont shores, 2nd avenue, Ocean Blvd, Queen Mary, port of LA/LB Bridges to San pedro)

have a good trip

that was a great list!

[erin_elise_]

i would also include the south bay beach areas! as they are imo the more accurate version of so-cal beaches in LA versus Venice and Santa Monica.

they can be pricey tho, especially manhattan beach, as it is the most expensive beach city in USA right now for homes. BUT the beaches are nice and there are nice restaurants and bars right along the beach

[jacktravern]

Originally Posted by htnguyen504

Hi all! I am from New Orleans and will be visiting Los Angeles 1/24 - February 1 for vacation and needed some recommendations on what to do. I am also planning to drive to San Diego and Orange County and check out those areas too.I am 30 years old and going all by myself. I have nothing planned or going to be in a certain area I am restricted to so I am open to all ideas near and far. I will be staying one block from USC. !

A block from USC You're coming to this town and thats where you decide to stay??
I'll just say watch your back. That area is crap to East , west, north and south of that campus.
Just goto the beach and hang out

[htnguyen504]

Originally Posted by jacktravern

A block from USC You're coming to this town and thats where you decide to stay??
I'll just say watch your back. That area is crap to East , west, north and south of that campus.
Just goto the beach and hang out

I got a really good deal on an airbnb listing and the host received good reviews as well. Now you have me reconsidering staying there and cancel my reservation. Am I going to get mugged or killed if I stay in the area near USC? The location is on West Adams street and I am staying with a married couple with two kids.

[erin_elise_]

Originally Posted by htnguyen504

I got a really good deal on an airbnb listing and the host received good reviews as well. Now you have me reconsidering staying there and cancel my reservation. Am I going to get mugged or killed if I stay in the area near USC? The location is on West Adams street and I am staying with a married couple with two kids.

well USC is not in that much of a great, safe area of L.A. to stay overnight imo BUT the tourist attractions close by are safe i.e. California Science Center and the Natural History Museum.

but im sure the people you are staying with can warn you of any specific neighborhood dangers, if they exist.

To the north of USC is DTLA, which the LA live part is safe! go there to eat since you will be close by the grammy museum is also right there in LA live.

its just that the area around USC might be that aesthetically pleasing, BUT remember that is one place in L.A.

[htnguyen504]

Originally Posted by L.A.-Mex

-do a self guided walking tour of DTLA (US Bank Tower, Central library, 7th street, the Standard rooftop bar, broadway (Ace if you want more views), grand ave to walt disney concert hall and grand park/city hall)

-on car go from Santa Monica (you could spend a couple of hours there) then drive on Wilshire Blvd past westwood, beverly hills, miracle mile, koreatown, macarthur park, and finally to Downtown. this tour gives you a different look on LA.

-Griffith Observatory is a must, as well as Getty Center

-other driving tours include Mullholand drive or drives on PCH to malibu and malibu Canyon.

- the beaches i recommend seeing are Malibu, Santa Monica, Newport Beach, and Laguna Beach. (take the PCH scenic drive from Dana Point to Downtown Long Beach(from PCH take 2nd street, livingston, then ocean blvd toward Downtown long Beach) this is by far the most beautiful coastal stretch in all of CA IMO, if you want to ci=ontinue the coastal scenic drive, you could cross the two port bridges, the vincent thomas and geral desmond, check out san pedro fish market and drive along the palos verdes peninsula, south bay,then up to Santa Monica and malibu)

-also Hollywood/Sunset strip is nice, another great drive is all of sunset blvd from DTLA (Cesar Chavez) to the pacific ocean

other places to go are pasadena (city hall, Huntington gardens, Santa Anita race track, beautiful architecture), Long Beach (Belmont shores, 2nd avenue, Ocean Blvd, Queen Mary, port of LA/LB Bridges to San pedro)

have a good trip

That sounds like my kind of adventure in the city. Thanks a bunch!

[L.A.-Mex]

Originally Posted by htnguyen504

I got a really good deal on an airbnb listing and the host received good reviews as well. Now you have me reconsidering staying there and cancel my reservation. Am I going to get mugged or killed if I stay in the area near USC? The location is on West Adams street and I am staying with a married couple with two kids.

you have nothing to worry about, its pretty safe, you wont get robbed or anything, just dont venture out into the southern neighborhoods, other than that its all good.