|
|
Post by theallseeingeye on Mar 26, 2024 10:21:10 GMT
Looking for advise, things to do? Places to eat etc..
Thanks
|
|
|
|
Post by channonite on Mar 26, 2024 12:36:56 GMT
We were there for a couple of days before Christmas. We stayed in Hollywood itself, in Loews Hollywood Hotel that looked out onto the Chinese Theatre and around the corner from the Walk of Fame.
First thing is that LA is absolutely huge. Don't underestimate the amount of time it takes to get around. Also, most of the city is not designed for walking. There are three linked tourist bus tours that are really useful to get your bearings and probably worth the money if you are spending any length of time in the place. The Griffith Observatory, The Hollywood Bowl and Universal Studios are all to the North of where we were. To the South is probably the worst large international airport in the world, it is always in a state of utter chaos, although the customs/immigration set-up has improved no end since we were last there. Venice Beach/Santa Monica Pier are just to the North of the airport and is somewhere you can actually walk. Directly north from the beach is the Getty Museum, which is well worth a visit.
Hope that helps.
|
|
|
|
Post by THE BEAST on Mar 26, 2024 12:44:39 GMT
Looking for advise, things to do? Places to eat etc.. Thanks yeah, let me reiterate the "don't walk anywhere" thing, a friend of mine was in LA a couple of years ago and was held up at gunpoint TWICE while walking around. DO NOT walk around… Basically from the moment you land you have a "rob me, I'm a foreign cashpoint" sign flashing above your head and there's very little you can do to get rid of it other than leave apart from that, it is really worth visiting. Venice Beach is great if a little crowded Don't bother with any of the "famous" clubs, they are shit these days |
|
|
|
Post by lorenzo on Mar 26, 2024 13:18:37 GMT
Looking for advise, things to do? Places to eat etc.. Thanks yeah, let me reiterate the "don't walk anywhere" thing, a friend of mine was in LA a couple of years ago and was held up at gunpoint TWICE while walking around. DO NOT walk around… Basically from the moment you land you have a "rob me, I'm a foreign cashpoint" sign flashing above your head and there's very little you can do to get rid of it other than leave apart from that, it is really worth visiting. Venice Beach is great if a little crowded Don't bother with any of the "famous" clubs, they are shit these days |
|
|
|
Post by lorenzo on Mar 26, 2024 13:28:05 GMT
I can deffo endorse the "take care" theme above. We were only there for a short while as a stop over so we used the tour bus system to see as much as we could and my lasting memory is the tour guide's voice at almost every stop warning us not to visit this or that place alone.
|
|
|
|
Post by channonite on Mar 26, 2024 13:39:49 GMT
I can deffo endorse the "take care" theme above. We were only there for a short while as a stop over so we used the tour bus system to see as much as we could and my lasting memory is the tour guide's voice at almost every stop warning us not to visit this or that place alone. With Beverley Hills sticking in my mind as somewhere where the tour guide stressed how dangerous the area was. "They have security fences and gates for a reason!". |
|
|
|
Post by theallseeingeye on Mar 26, 2024 16:09:30 GMT
We were there for a couple of days before Christmas. We stayed in Hollywood itself, in Loews Hollywood Hotel that looked out onto the Chinese Theatre and around the corner from the Walk of Fame. First thing is that LA is absolutely huge. Don't underestimate the amount of time it takes to get around. Also, most of the city is not designed for walking. There are three linked tourist bus tours that are really useful to get your bearings and probably worth the money if you are spending any length of time in the place. The Griffith Observatory, The Hollywood Bowl and Universal Studios are all to the North of where we were. To the South is probably the worst large international airport in the world, it is always in a state of utter chaos, although the customs/immigration set-up has improved no end since we were last there. Venice Beach/Santa Monica Pier are just to the North of the airport and is somewhere you can actually walk. Directly north from the beach is the Getty Museum, which is well worth a visit. Hope that helps. Amazing, thank you.... We are in North Hollywood, hired a car 2nd week, so i can drive to Las Vegas but truth be told I'm a bit nervous of driving out there, the whole turning right on red seems madness! Booked ticket to a Lakers and Doddgers game, really looking forward to that and will defo check out Santa Monica beach... Wasn;t aware of the bus tour things.... think I'll explore that and give that a go too. Thanks again |
|
|
|
Post by theallseeingeye on Mar 26, 2024 16:11:59 GMT
Looking for advise, things to do? Places to eat etc.. Thanks yeah, let me reiterate the "don't walk anywhere" thing, a friend of mine was in LA a couple of years ago and was held up at gunpoint TWICE while walking around. DO NOT walk around… Basically from the moment you land you have a "rob me, I'm a foreign cashpoint" sign flashing above your head and there's very little you can do to get rid of it other than leave apart from that, it is really worth visiting. Venice Beach is great if a little crowded Don't bother with any of the "famous" clubs, they are shit these days Eeck.... I kind of feared this and was aware, but good (kind of) to know |
|
|
|
Post by saintsfan73 on Mar 26, 2024 16:45:15 GMT
Go and watch a baseball game at Dodgers Stadium. (or the Angels at Angel stadium if that's easier)...
|
|
|
|
Post by theallseeingeye on Mar 26, 2024 17:54:05 GMT
Go and watch a baseball game at Dodgers Stadium. (or the Angels at Angel stadium if that's easier)... First thing I did was book Dodgers tickets… always been a bit of a dream to go there.. Got to say the set up there is incredible! They contacted me (a few times) to check I’d bought the tickets I wanted (which I hadn’t) and they switched! And then a different department emailed asked where I was sitting so they could give me a dodgers welcome…. Not sure what this is! |
|
|
|
Post by Mandochris on Mar 26, 2024 18:57:11 GMT
Never been into LA. Only the airport en route to San Diego in about 1990, so can't help.
You don't HAVE to turn right on red. Only if no-one is coming. It's quite a good idea actually.
The overtaking on the inside is more stressful until you get used to it.
|
|
|
|
Post by channonite on Mar 26, 2024 19:06:41 GMT
Go and watch a baseball game at Dodgers Stadium. (or the Angels at Angel stadium if that's easier)... First thing I did was book Dodgers tickets… always been a bit of a dream to go there.. Got to say the set up there is incredible! They contacted me (a few times) to check I’d bought the tickets I wanted (which I hadn’t) and they switched! And then a different department emailed asked where I was sitting so they could give me a dodgers welcome…. Not sure what this is! Around the back of Loews Hollywood is an official Dodgers shop. I had to be dragged out... Twice! But there is some pretty interesting and sad history to the stadium itself: Ry Cooder released an album of songs about it. "Chávez Ravine" The photos are from a fans visit to the stadium in 2009 This is a very good half-hour documentary about it |
|
|
|
Post by spot51 on Mar 27, 2024 18:05:50 GMT
Never been to the West Coast but done some of the East.
Believe we went over that bridge now lying in the harbour in Baltimore on that trip. Pity the poor feckers who insured that lot...
|
|
|
|
Post by yateleysaint on Mar 28, 2024 13:03:01 GMT
I went to LA once, hated it and vowed never to go back but I was backpacking and didn’t have a car so it was the worst place in the world to be when you don’t have any money and can’t get around. Also, I was on the comedown after visiting NZ and would have been disappointed with anywhere after that.
|
|
|
|
Post by Sir B3na1i on Mar 28, 2024 13:42:33 GMT
Never been into LA. Only the airport en route to San Diego in about 1990, so can't help. You don't HAVE to turn right on red. Only if no-one is coming. It's quite a good idea actually. The overtaking on the inside is more stressful until you get used to it. Same exact thing for me. Flew to LA to go to San Diego. Driving in US is generally easy. Big roads, outside of the cities its quiet and pretty dull driving. |
|
