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The best way to get around if you can't drive is to hire a car and driver. If you rely on public transportation you will lose too much time that could be spent in sightseeing. Few American cities are amenable to the individual without a car, certainly not Los Angeles. Another problem is that public transportation will put you on the street in unknown and potentially dangerous locations. When you don't know a city it's not a matter of if, but when.
Just a note about Pasadena - you can easily get to Pasadena (and the Hungtton Library and Gardens, which is definitely worth a visit) by public transportation. Norton Simon is within walking distance of the Gold Line, or even easier, has a stop on the 780 Rapid Bus route. (and Gable House is just two blocks north of there) Most museums, although not all, have public transportation directions available on their websites.
I still think you will actually get a BETTER experience of the city if you take public transportation. It will get you out of the traditional tourist zone and give you a feeling for the real city.
LA also has train connections if you want to visit other cities such as Santa Barbara; it's a very easy trip via amtrak (the train system) from Union Station, and makes a great day trip (Santa Barbara's station is just blocks from the beach, and an easy walk from the center of downtown). The trip down the other direction from LA, towards San Diego, is also very nice, and runs along the water for part of it.
As for the car and driver suggestion, go for it if you have unlimited funds, but I've got to wonder if some of the people posting these warnings have actually ever been on public transportation in LA? I lived in LA for three years without driving, visited many of the locations you're talking about, worked and lived in several different areas of the city, and had NO PROBLEMS. Public transportation does expose you to the world, but in my eyes that's a good thing. LA is far easier to get around by public transportation (safely and easily) than people give it credit for; I think people are simply too quick to buy into an outdated stereotype. Seriously, you will be fine, and getting around by bus and train will be interesting, certainly more interesting than sitting in gridlock on a freeway.
Cannot understand culture, economy, and quality of daily life of any major US region without facing fact US is a decentralized, car-centric place
Most major companies (and studios) are based in various suburban office corridors (Disney in Burbank, Amgen in 1000 Oaks, Occidental Petroleum in CenturyCity, etc); many middle-income residents live in various suburbs, near their offices, not near tourist areas (or mass transit)
Many of LA's most scenic attributes are the mountains and coastal areas on Westside/Malibu, w/far different weather/topography/quiet vs inland LA, yet close (via driving) to office corridors in Santa Monica/CenturyCity/BevHills...and distant from any mass transit or usual tourist sites
Esp if trying to understand LA as a place to live/work, visiting and using mass transit is a huge waste of time and money; would want to understand where are major job centers, where middle-income people live/work/dine/shop/play, and understand commute modalities of most residents of region....and LA's many micro-climates of weather and air quality....and socio-economics
I'm probably posting too much, but this is a major pet peeve of mine. Public transportation does not work for everyone, but it does work for many. I am a middle class person who chooses to use public transportation. I used it to get to and from work, to go shopping, to explore different neighborhoods, to go to tourist sites, to visit places like Burbank, etc. I wasn't the only person doing so, either. I did select my neighborhoods based on decent public transportation options, but I had plenty of fabulous places to choose from.
Yes, you could see more of the LA area if you drove around all day, but the OP doesn't drive, and it certainly won't be a waste of time to get to know the city using public transportation. The places he wants to go ARE accessible by public transportation, so what's the problem?
I strongly believe that most of the people knocking public transit in LA have rarely, if ever, actually used it themselves. It doesn't work for everyone, but to constantly repeat the refrain of "you have to drive in LA" only reinforces that, and it becomes one big echo chamber that doesn't reflect reality. Some people have to drive in LA, many people don't. Tourists can certainly get by fine without it, and their quality of visit will not be negatively impacted.
Santa Monica, Century City, Beverly Hills, Burbank, etc. are all easily accessible by public transportation. Some may question why a tourist would bother taking public transportation; I question why they would not want to take it for at least a little of their trip. No wonder so many people come visit LA then leave thinking they've seen the "real" LA when all they do is drive from Pink's to the Santa Monica Pier to Disneyland to Rodeo Drive. Then they all go home and tell everyone that "everyone" drives in LA, and then the stereotype lives on, and people continue to believe that there's no public transportation in LA, or that it's really dangerous, or that only poor people ride it (which also bugs me - what's wrong with sitting next to poor people? I could be a billionaire and I'd still be fine taking the bus).
That said, to the OP, those in the film industry do need to drive more so than those of us with more stationary jobs, so long-term if you're thinking of relocating to LA you probably will need to drive. You don't need to for your initial trip, though.
Happy in Wyoming - I'm a student, I can't afford a chauffeur driven car! I am concerned about the safety issues you raised, though. The fact that I don't know anyone in LA doesn't help either. Are people in LA violent, aggressive? Now that I think about it, I do remember reading about dangerous gangs in Los Angeles. Do they target peaceful tourists though? I might be traveling with a friend (if I manage to convince her LA has a lot to offer everyone and not just film enthusiasts). We are both females.
Uptown Urbanist, I like your attitude. I too am an avid user of the underground and I don't mind traveling on the train for an hour or so, but London is a small city compared to LA, and I can't help but think that if it takes an hour in London, it will probably take a lot longer in LA.
Could I cycle my way round LA or is it too ridiculous a thought? Perhaps I should learn to drive before I get there? But I really couldn't be arsed
Universal, Warner & Disney studios are in Burbank. I was thinking of staying somewhere in (West) Hollywood where I wouldn't be too far away from the studios. UCLA wouldn't be unbearably far away, as wouldn't Fox. Beverly Hills, Hollywood Blvd etc would all be at relatively short distance as well (should I trust Google Map in this?).
Google map is good, my wife uses it. I use mapquest.com . You might want to inquire if the studios or where ever have their own buses for pickup, many do.
The gangs keep mostly to themselves, they do not seek out tourists.
However there are reports of assaults on tourists in Hawaii, they count on the tourist not returning for court appearances. But those are not gang involved.
I'd be wary about bicycling, but I'm not a biker, and maybe it's not as bad as I think. It doesn't seem like an overly bike-friendly city, though, although you do sometimes see people with bikes. I used to see bikes on the train and on the bus (they have racks on the front), so I know at least some people are managing to get around.
Yes, there are gangs, and there is crime, but overall it's highly unlikely that you'll be impacted by any of it. The gangs tend to keep to themselves and are concentrated in certain neighborhoods, and it's unlikely that you'll be in those areas. Even if you are it's still unlikely that you'll be a target. Simply being on a bus going through those areas shouldn't pose any risk, especially since you're not planning on being out at two in the morning. Basic common sense (don't flash cash, be aware of your belongings, etc.) is really all you need, and it will be even easier (and more fun) if you're with a friend. (and you can tell her that LA definitely offers plenty for the non-film enthusiast - there's really something for everyone!).
Google maps is useful, but be warned that what appear to be short distances can translate into longer times due to traffic. West Hollywood doesn't have a subway, so you'll be taking the bus. The bus sits in traffic along with everyone else. Still, the bus service through West Hollywood is good, and it won't take you long at all to get to both Hollywood and Beverly Hills. (and UCLA, etc.) You can also easily take a bus and transfer to the Red Line (subway) if you need it.
Try to get a good transportation map if you can; I managed to get one at the visitor office downtown once. Maybe it's changed, but they don't (or didn't) sell them, which just meant that the workers kept them behind the desk and were reluctant to give them out unless deemed "necessary". They direct you to the website, which only works if you have access to the internet while out and about. Still, they do exist, and they'll make life easier if you can get one.
Happy in Wyoming - I'm a student, I can't afford a chauffeur driven car! I am concerned about the safety issues you raised, though. The fact that I don't know anyone in LA doesn't help either. Are people in LA violent, aggressive? Now that I think about it, I do remember reading about dangerous gangs in Los Angeles. Do they target peaceful tourists though? I might be traveling with a friend (if I manage to convince her LA has a lot to offer everyone and not just film enthusiasts). We are both females.
Only a small minority of people in LA are violent and aggressive. But that's still a lot of people. They do target tourists, and the reason is simple. Tourists don't come back to testify, particulary when those tourists are from another continent. I suspect that you don't quite sound like a Californian and often a mugger starts talking to a potential victim to get a feel of whether to proceed. It hardly matters whether they're in gangs or work by themselves. It's not as if one must join a union.
You may be traveling from one very safe location to another. But what about transfer points between? You won't know. The people suggesting that public transportation is OK either live there and know whwhere not to be or they don't like cars, Probably because they can't afford them. Some may be hoping you're atacked, either because of some pathological taint or because they're jealous of your having the funds for international travel.
If you take public transportation at any time but rush hour half of your fellow passengers will be the dregs of society. The rest will be the old, the young, and in general not the people who will be able or willing to fight off three bully boys who are assaulting you.
I hate to say it, but it's a bad idea. If you had friends there, it would be different. My advice would be to pick a different film center. Remember, you're not going to be talking to anyone who actually deals with film making when you visit a studio.
There is one option. Take some driving lessons, get a license, the take a trip to the Continent to practice right hand drive. You can't believe how different the world of the driver is from that of the non-driver.
As a whole, Americans are nice people. But we have our scum and we don't wish innocent people to be victimized by them.
OK, I think the above post is both paranoid and rather unfair. To the OP, of course people aren't trying to get you attacked! Who in the world even thinks like that? For the record, I could afford a car, and certainly have done my share of international travel.
The other thing about LA is that there is no typical "California" look or accent, it's a very international place, and for that matter, plenty of English people live and work in LA, and yes, take public transportation. I started taking public transportation the week we arrived in LA, and I knew next to nothing about the city. There was no problem. I got to know the city better over time, and continued to have no problems. And "dregs of society?" How ridiculous. Gotta ask again - has the above poster ever even set foot on an LA bus or train? I've run into a few annoying or unpleasant people, but by far most riders - even poor people who choose to ride PT because they can't afford to drive (and there is NOTHING wrong with that. That does not make someone a bad person!) are very friendly. In fact I have had better luck on LA public transportation than in most cities - people are generally very polite. There's a bit of a gender thing at work, too - as a woman I've often had people wave me to enter first, and while pregnant I NEVER had to stand. That's not true in many American cities.
To the OP, you probably know enough from your own experiences elsewhere to put these comments into a more realistic perspective. But I'm going to say it anyway: the stereotype of LA as one big den of crime, and of its buses and trains as pits of evil-minded criminals just ready to target innocent visitors from abroad, is simply not true. I don't think I'm the one with the "pathological taint" here, I just think you should know what the reality is, and also know that it would be more dangerous to learn how to drive then have the dubious fun as a new driver driving on the other side of the road in a city like LA, where the traffic is heavy, you wouldn't know your way around (far more difficult to figure out where you're going when you're trying to drive than if you're sitting on a bus with someone else in the driver's seat), and you'd be in more danger of a car accident than you would be of getting mugged on a bus from West Hollywood to Burbank.
I'd be wary about bicycling, but I'm not a biker, and maybe it's not as bad as I think. It doesn't seem like an overly bike-friendly city, though, although you do sometimes see people with bikes. I used to see bikes on the train and on the bus (they have racks on the front), so I know at least some people are managing to get around.
Yes, there are gangs, and there is crime, but overall it's highly unlikely that you'll be impacted by any of it. The gangs tend to keep to themselves and are concentrated in certain neighborhoods, and it's unlikely that you'll be in those areas. Even if you are it's still unlikely that you'll be a target. Simply being on a bus going through those areas shouldn't pose any risk, especially since you're not planning on being out at two in the morning. Basic common sense (don't flash cash, be aware of your belongings, etc.) is really all you need, and it will be even easier (and more fun) if you're with a friend. (and you can tell her that LA definitely offers plenty for the non-film enthusiast - there's really something for everyone!).
Google maps is useful, but be warned that what appear to be short distances can translate into longer times due to traffic. West Hollywood doesn't have a subway, so you'll be taking the bus. The bus sits in traffic along with everyone else. Still, the bus service through West Hollywood is good, and it won't take you long at all to get to both Hollywood and Beverly Hills. (and UCLA, etc.) You can also easily take a bus and transfer to the Red Line (subway) if you need it.
Try to get a good transportation map if you can; I managed to get one at the visitor office downtown once. Maybe it's changed, but they don't (or didn't) sell them, which just meant that the workers kept them behind the desk and were reluctant to give them out unless deemed "necessary". They direct you to the website, which only works if you have access to the internet while out and about. Still, they do exist, and they'll make life easier if you can get one.
Biking around LA is doable. Been there, done that.
In combination with trains and busses, it is actually highly effective.
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