Vacationing in LA (Los Angeles, San Diego, Long Beach: rental car, best neighborhoods, rental)

[thefunkyone]

Hello,


I was recently laid off from work and now I finally have time to take a vacation! lol


Next month I plan on spending a week or two in LA and i've been researching hotels on expedia, travelocity and orbitz. The one problem they all have is aside from some user reviews they don't get into which hotels are in safe neighborhoods and which are not. So what are some of the best neighborhoods in LA and which are areas to avoid?

I was thinking of staying somewhere around Universal Studios.

I'm also open to suggestions of cool touristy things to do in LA.

[KnoxTown]

Universal is probably one of the better places to stay. There is alot to do around there, and its right on the subway stop to get to Downtown and Hollywood.

[Mardala]

You can't go wrong with the beach areas .. like Santa Monica, Manhattan Beach (but Venice Beach isn't too exciting at night). In and around Culver City is nice. My folks usually stay at this comfort inn on Sunset in Silverlake, a bit east of the junction, and its not bad. Kind of depends on what you are looking for. I don't venture into North Hollywood / Burbank or areas up north of Hollywood much. Too far
How much are you willing for spend per night? A cheap hotel can run $100 a night easily.

[thefunkyone]

Originally Posted by Mardala

You can't go wrong with the beach areas .. like Santa Monica, Manhattan Beach (but Venice Beach isn't too exciting at night). In and around Culver City is nice. My folks usually stay at this comfort inn on Sunset in Silverlake, a bit east of the junction, and its not bad. Kind of depends on what you are looking for. I don't venture into North Hollywood / Burbank or areas up north of Hollywood much. Too far
How much are you willing for spend per night? A cheap hotel can run $100 a night easily.

Well i've been looking at packages on the travel websites and I think the whole trip will come in under 1k not counting food/gas/etc... Thats airfare and rental car and hotel for 7 nights. Lots of great travel deals going on right now.

Basically I want to be not too far from a lot of touristy stuff but I don't want to be in the ghetto and I don't mind driving for a little while to get places. I think you see a lot of cool stuff just driving.

I went to NYC a few years ago for vacation and walked most of the time. I know LA is more of a car city than a walking city though.

I also want to check out some movie filming locations.

[BRinSM]

the easiest way to see a movie set is to go to universal or warner studios. if you want to see an actual filming, your best bet is to see a tv show filming. if you walk around the hollywood/highland area long enough then you're bound to see someone offering free tickets to this kind of stuff.

as for renting a car, it will be necessary for part, if not most of your trip. however, remember that you will not need a car everyday especially if you will be staying in/around hollywood (because of the subway, spending a whole day at universal studios, taking a tour, etc.). also remember that hotels charge a pretty penny to use their garages. it would be a shame to spend $25 a day on parking a rental car that you only use a few times. you might be better renting a car only on the days that you'll actually need it, like when you want to go to beverly hills or the beach cities.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by thefunkyone

I'm also open to suggestions of cool touristy things to do in LA.

Santa Anita or Hollywood Park
Dodger game
Mount Wilson Tour Mount Wilson Observatory (http://www.mtwilson.edu/vis/index.php - broken link)
Queen Mary
Disneyland if during an off week otherwise too crowded
The Grove and Farmers Market
Old Pasadena for dinner, walking around, and people watching
Hollywood Walk of Fame (and check out Chick Hearn's star) The ASA Remembers Chick Hearn
Peterson Automotive Museum
Welcome to the World Famous Whisky A Go Go
Melrose Avenue
The Bukowski tour - Los Angeles Times
Venice
Santa Monica Pier (rent or get a bike and ride around Venice and Santa Monica on the bikeway)
See a TV show being filmed at one of the TV studios (NBC in Burbank?)
Griffith Park Observatory
Universal Studios Tour
Palm Springs Aerial Tram (if adventurous, do the 11 mile hike to San Jacinto Peak from the top of the tram) LocalHikes - San Jacinto Peak via Palm Springs Tram
Tours in Los Angeles - Things To Do In Los Angeles (http://www.laokay.com/tours.htm - broken link)
La Brea Tar Pits
Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL)
Take a mountain drive through the San Gabriel or San Bernardino Mountains
Getty Museum
Graveline Tour Official Website of Dearly Departed Tours! (http://www.dearlydepartedtours.com/DDT/index.html - broken link)

[UNIONDALE-IAN]

if you ski, you can go to big bear and ski or snow board in the morning and go surfing in the afternoon, although devoting a day to each would be better.
Also, if you want to see some things you see on TV you might want to include a couple hours down to San Diego & couple hours back one day... SeaWorld , Mission Beach, Old San Diego (gaslight district) ...
Also when you drive around LA , you see these weird little signs that say "Earl" or "Grace" and they have an error pointing one way or the other, if you follow these u end up at a movie shoot. (the signs are usually bright colors too & they dont always take them down- so you might miss it, its hit and miss)

[UNIONDALE-IAN]

also schedule things in NorthLA together and South LA or Long Beach or San Diego together, if its 60miles on a map, it takes 60-90minutes in the middle of the day, in the morning or afternoon that trip there or back could take 2-3 hours. Grouping trips together is the key to not wasting your time here.

[thefunkyone]

Thanks for the suggestions guys! Keep em coming!

[thefunkyone]

Any other suggestions?