Travel Tips for LA!

[daisyisabella1]

My sister lives in Europe and I'm trying to think of fun things to do with her when she comes to visit. I live in NY, so she's familiar with that and we've gone to Florida and done the Disney/Universal thing/Miami/Beaches etc. I was thinking to maybe plan a trip to L.A. as I've never been there and neither has she. I'm 20 and she's 18, but I was hoping some of you ladies that live in LA or know it well could tell me the best part of town to stay that would be close to tourist attractions, places to eat, things to do etc. I've been watching all the LA you tubers vlogs and I have some cool restaurant ideas but booking a hotel has been a nightmare because I can't figure out where in LA we should stay. Do I need to rent a car? How would we get around otherwise? I want to get a hotel in Hollywood somewhere so it'll be easy but again, I don't know what the must see attractions are (besides the obvious) SO if anyone has any favorite things to do/places to go in LA or hotel and food recs please let me know!!

[Forever Eccentric]

Rent a car and beware of the crazy LA drivers.

* Pink's Hotdogs in Hollywood. (personal favorite) If you go late at night, you might see some celebrities
* griffith observatory.
* TMZ celebrity bus tour
* ellen show
* Warner bros studio tour
* Grammy Museum

[BellaJane]

Well in LA you'll definitely need to either rent a car or take cabs everywhere you want to go. Cabs are insanely expensive, so I'd definitely say try to rent a car (go through an LAX affiliated rental place). But since you're only 20 and she's 18 you're most likely going to have to pay extra...

I definitely recommend checking out the beaches (Venice, Hermosa and Malibu specifically). Santa Monica pier. Disney. Hollywood. Downtown LA is gorgeous at night, especially around the Staples Center / Grammy Museum area. The Griffith Observatory if for nothing more than the views. Rodeo Drive (even if you don't have the money to shop there! lol I love just walking around). The Grove & The Beverly Center if you like shopping. Seriously even just driving around can be a good experience. I'm sure I'm forgetting a TON, too lol

Hotels are also expensive almost everywhere you go, but they get worse the closer you get to either the city or the coast. The first time I went we stayed at some cheap little hotel in Culver City and even that was over $100 per night.

And food...there are only a few places that stick out, simply because we didn't spend much time eating. There's a little place called BLD a few blocks from The Grove that was delicious. And 800 Degrees Pizzeria near UCLA is soo good. The only problem I had with either of these places was the waiting! We went to 800 Degrees on a Friday night and BLD on a Saturday morning and couldn't even get in for over an hour at either place lol And there's a nice little tavern right on Hermosa beach called Hennessey's that was a great lunch place. And if you can sit upstairs, do it haha

[nooeydee]

MEXICAN FOOD- there is a little place on the corner of Fairfax and Beverly by the name of "Benitos" GO THERE. That was my favorite spot when I lived in WeHo/Mid Wilshire.


As far as entertainment, Runyon Canyon/Griffith Observatory make for good hiking, shows are always looking for studio audiences, and there's Universal Studios. Los FeliZ has cute areas to shop/dine and who can forget Melrose Avenue? I would stay in Hollywood or even Santa Monica because that's mainly where everything is. Perhaps you can check if there's a groupon/livingsocial deal happening.


Also, watch out for my crazy Californian driving.

[Diorette]

I would say if you can, stay near Santa Monica

[helloparis]

Hollywood it self is not a very clean or (safe) area to stay at. I would reccomend you stay at a hotel outside of Hollywood. I would highly reccomend Santa Monica as Diorette suggested, because it's much more cleaner and livelier then Hollywood and is also close to lots of tourist-y areas. However, Santa Monica hotels can get pretty pricey though, so it just depends on how much you what to spend for a hotel.

You should definitely look into renting a car. Traffic can get super heavy on the freeway, so keep that in mind.

Here are my personal recs for things to do/see in LA. Most have been said above already though, so here's another person who suggests these!

- Disneyland: I know you said both of you have been to Disney World, but Disneyland is a much different and more relaxed experience. If you're a Disney fanatic and want to experience the very same themepark Walt Disney created and walked in, you should definitely drop by! (Also, CA Adventure just opened Cars Land and it is truly beautiful!) Disney is over in Anaheim in the Orange County, about an hour or so away depending on where you stay.

- Universal Studios: Perfect if you guys love movies, filmmaking and slightly more thrilling rides (Jurassic Park, The Mummy, new Transformers ride). There's ess rides & atmosphere than Disneyland, but I would go to Universal solely for its Studio Tour, where you get to see actual and former movie sets and stages. If you guys splurge and go for the VIP Pass or something like that, you also get to walk onto sets and filming stages. It's way different than the Universal in Orlando because of the Studio Tour!

- Griffith Observatory: Stunning views, and also perfect if you love the film "Rebel Without A Cause" starring James Dean... this is where the observatory shots were filmed at!

- Santa Monica Pier

- Third Street Promenade: Great for strolling around for the ambience. I would avoid shopping here as the prices seem to be unusually high compared to other stores in the area. If you love Brandy Melville, the flagship store is here and it is huge!

- Melrose Avenue - Little boutiques for shopping. Stores seem to offer the same exact items for varying prices.

- Venice Beach - Full of eccentric people and activities, haha. Something interesting is always happening there.

- Hiking to the Hollywood sign

- The Grove

----
Food recs, I reccomend:

- Milk
- Pitfire Pizza
- Umami Burger
- In N Out (yum!)
- Katsuya (for sushi. Ocassional celeb sightings)
- Pink's Hot Dogs (Trust me, the extremely long line is worth it. It is so delicious! Make sure to pick up their cream sodas too!)

I hope you have a great trip!

- Rodeo/Drive

[Diorette]

For those of you who live in L.A did they change the Mummy ride? last time I went (3 months ago) it wasn't as good as it was before.

[nooeydee]

For those of you who live in L.A did they change the Mummy ride? last time I went (3 months ago) it wasn't as good as it was before.

I haven't been on it since last year...

[helloparis]

For those of you who live in L.A did they change the Mummy ride? last time I went (3 months ago) it wasn't as good as it was before.

Last time I was on it in June it felt the same as any other time I've ridden it, but for some reason the ride felt kinda quicker this time.

[pandaaa]

Ohhh i loove LA my crib!

Besides what other people have recommended, I think u should:

1. Try Griddle Cafe on sunset blvd in w hollywood! Go for brunch. It is so freaking delicious. They're known for their giant pancakes but i like their omelets better. If you get pancakes, dont get the whole thing...you can get just one layer and its filling enough. You can get 2hr free validated parking at the back so thats a bonus! (Parking in la is crazy!) the line may be long (ive waited for fourty minutes before) so try to get there as early as you can. I suggest 9am. After this, maybe you can hike to the hollywood sign cuz its close by.

2. Korean BBQ! If you are a meat person, you will love this. There are a lot of all you can eat places in downtown so look them up on yelp!

3. Boiling crab! Theres one in downtown la. If its two people, get 1lb of shrimp with sausages and potato. The whole shabang sauce. With medium spice. If you like spicy stuff, go for hot!

4. Japanese Ramen. Try Santouka Ramen. Its inside a japanese market place. I personally love shio ramen with pork. Im drooling right now......

5. Third street Promenade in Santa Monica - good shopping place. There are a lot of good food places near too. I personally like true food kitchen. Very healthy but pricy. So yummy!!!

6. I would drive fourty minutes from la to go to disneyland in anaheim instead of going to universal studios. You can go to downtown disney as well.

7. If you have time, drive down to sd (2 hour drive). Its so pretty there. Crystal cove, george's at the cove (beatiful restaurant overlooking the ocean), phil's bbq!!!!! So freaking good.

8. I also love novel's cafe in westwood. Maybe u can look around ucla. It has a beautiful campus.

9. Go to roscoe's for chicken and waffles....so good..

10. If you like sushi, try sushi stop on sawtelle. Each dishes are 2-3 bucks so you can try a variety of dishes. Theres two of the same restaurant on sawtelle. Go to the one next to starbucks and marshalls cuz the parking is free and easy. For dessert, you can also try volcano tea on the same street. I usually get almond milk tea (hot or cold). Theres also another restaurant called hurry curry of tokyo on the same street. That place has the best chicken pasta ever. Omg.... Dont drench the pasta with the sauce that they give you. Just use bit by bit.

11.go to the getty museum or the getty villa. Its free but u have to pay for parking. I think for getty villa, u have to reserve before?? Check online. I personally prefer getty villa over the museum.

K...thats it for now.

[pandaaa]

Ooh also, if u r in westwood, i would recommend angelini's cafe. Its a hole in the wall restaurant. I personally live their specials and gnocchi with pink sauce. And go to diddy riese. Their cookies are the bomb! Get the ice cream sandwich for a buck!! Their white chocolate cookies are the best. Theres a theater called regency bruin theater by the cookie place. That place has a lot of movie premieres. Maybe you should check if theres going to be one when youre there. I personally saw johnny depp, emma stone, andrew garfield, justin timberlake, robert pattinson, kristen stewart, taylor lautner at the theater there.

Sprinkles cupcake!!!

Urth cafe!! (Parking is a pain in the ass)

As for the beaches, i prefer laguna beach in orange county over all the la beaches. Its prettier and has a more relaxed vibe.

[Diorette]

For those of you who live in L.A did they change the Mummy ride? last time I went (3 months ago) it wasn't as good as it was before.

Last time I was on it in June it felt the same as any other time I've ridden it, but for some reason the ride felt kinda quicker this time.

Really? I felt it slower haha so I thought that maybe they made it slower.

[daisyisabella1]

ohh so many great recs!!! It seems I definitely have to rent a car, in which case it wouldn't matter really where in town we stayed as long as it was convenient to get around from there. Thanks so much guys, now I'm nervous to driveeeeee but it'll be fine I bet

[FredMalkom]

- Disneyland: I know you said both of you have been to Disney World, but Disneyland is a much different and more relaxed experience. If you're a Disney fanatic and want to experience the very same themepark Walt Disney check here created and walked in, you should definitely drop by! (Also, CA Adventure just opened Cars Land and it is truly beautiful!) Disney is over in Anaheim in the Orange County, about an hour or so away depending on where you stay.

[stephane1256]

Hello there,

So the first Los Angeles travel tip is when to visit LA. LA is best visited in the month of March to May and mid-September and November. During these periods of time, the air is clear and the crowds are also friendly. The average temperatures recorded during these months range from the low 50s to low 80s, thus making strolling around and making a trip outdoors favorable. A trip during winter is also idle but make sure to bring an umbrella as there is some rainfall in January and February. Spring season is a great time to visit Los Angeles as there are lesser crowds and the weather too is nice with an average temperature ranging from low to mid-70s. During summer season one can encounter several fun festivals and autumn too marks another sweet spot for Los Angeles with small crowds and soothing weather.

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