L.A

[Trevor Morley's Tache]

We stayed at Universal (Sheraton hotel) and never went to the theme park. It was perfect because it's next to 101 and Burbank airport is 20 minutes up the road. You can fly in from Vegas, hire a car (or Uber) and be in your hotel almost within the hour whereas with LAX you can at least treble that.

Another thing worth mentioning and one downside to having a car is the parking is CRAZY expensive and it will likely be $20-$40 per night at most decentish hotels.

The one place I'd avoid on most peoples list is the Hollywood Walk, it's one of those supposed glamorous places that actually is a bit of a sh*thole. If you like watching people muck about whilst trying to sell you shite then it's the place to go.

Watch for earthquakes as well (not that you can lol), we were there for the 6.4 and 7.1 last year, very weird!

Was out there just after the earthquakes. The local Walmart were still cleaning up all the spilled paint in the DIY section. Amazing just how much booze and electrical's was shipped out the back door, undamaged destroyed in the quake and claimed back on the insurance.

 

[Bill Walker]

I have to translate for the metric simpletons

Moose fanciers north of the border ?

 

[idahoblues]

Moose fanciers north of the border ?

We have to translate everything to those fuckers

 

[mancityscot]

a lot of chat about the public transport being bad. i dont think its that bad at all, given how huge the city is.

7 day metro pass for $25. subway goes from downtown to hollywood/north hollywood, pasadena, santa monica, long beach. Buses go all over too albeit take a while.

 

[inbetween]

Was out there just after the earthquakes. The local Walmart were still cleaning up all the spilled paint in the DIY section. Amazing just how much booze and electrical's was shipped out the back door, undamaged destroyed in the quake and claimed back on the insurance.

It was the weirdest thing ever, it didn't shake but was more like the floor was moving in waves under your feet, very weird. I thought they were a regular occurrence in LA and didn't think too much of it until we saw it on the news.

The LA folk are very nervous about a big one under the city though that's for sure.

 

[Trevor Morley's Tache]

It was the weirdest thing ever, it didn't shake but was more like the floor was moving in waves under your feet, very weird. I thought they were a regular occurrence in LA and didn't think too much of it until we saw it on the news.

The LA folk are very nervous about a big one under the city though that's for sure.

A few people I work with were out there at the time, fairly close to the epicentre. I only really saw the aftermath, and felt the odd aftershock.

 

[OB1]

I suspect the travel ban will still be on next year and no one will be visiting the US.

I hope you are wrong.

 

[OB1]

a lot of chat about the public transport being bad. i dont think its that bad at all, given how huge the city is.

7 day metro pass for $25. subway goes from downtown to hollywood/north hollywood, pasadena, santa monica, long beach. Buses go all over too albeit take a while.

Along time ago when I was a student a friend and I went to L.A. and traveled around most of the time on the buses. It was very cheap. No idea if it was any safer then or not but we had no hassle, a local even gave us a street map when they heard us talking on the bus. IIRC all the routes went in straight lines.

 

[bugsyblue]

Hoping to travel to L.A next year and was wondering if anyone can recommend the best places to go and stay looking for a bit of

If you’re a high roller stay at Shutters or The Four Season. Also LA has some fantastic restaurants but they cost you!

Visit Venice beach and Santa Monica. Drive up to Malibu and there’s some lovely beaches around there - one where you can actually drink on the beach (when I was there it was illegal to drink on the beach, don’t know if that’s still the case)

Hollywood is pretty grim to be honest though there’s some cool haunts in West Hollywood. If you like the old Hollywood fame-history then visit the Chateau malmont and the viper room for trashy druggy vibes, they are really nothing special though.

The observatory is cool and the Getty. Downtown doesn’t attract many tourists but it’s a totally different vibe to Hollywood and Venice (which are equally different) and it was the only time I felt like I was in a normal working city. Some good sky scraper bars. It’s eerily quiet though at the weekend!

And most important, like everyone has said, rent a car!

 

[Mad Eyed Screamer]

Griffith Observatory is pretty cool, the views are brilliant. There were loads of amateur (more like semi-professional) astronomers on the green out front when we went and they let you look through their telescopes at all sorts of stuff. I was hoping for Megan Fox's bedroom window, but alas ...)

Deffo Griffith Park Observatory. Go twice. In day time and again at night (or stay long enough for it to be dark) well worth it.