Hotspots in LA ?

[JaXx]

i'm going to LA this summer with 5 friends and i'm wondering what i just HAVE to see when i'm there. Wich are the really musts ?
we're going for 2 weeks and we have a rental car so we can go a bit further than just LA.

grtz

[AndyBG]

Las Vegas, my friend was twice in LA last year and every time he spent 2-3 days in Las Vegas, he says its ''must see/go'' place.

I think the distance between LA and LV is not big, he was going with rental, also.

ANDY

[Benman]

Not to bag on LA or anything, but spend more time in San Diego (Balboa Park, Sea Port Village, Horton Plaza, Gas Lamp District) if possible. Much more "scenic" if you know what I mean.

That is, unless you like hookers and homeless people walking around everywhere!:D

Also, Orange County (aka "OC") has lots of nice places along the cost, especially Newport, and Laguna Beach (Fashion Island [Newport] is a must shopping center along with South Coast Plaza in South Santa Ana).

Ben:addict:

[Vegasguy]

LA can be a blast depending on what your into. The beach and some of the citys up and down the coast are very cool. The drive up Highway 1 to SanFransisco is pretty nice with the Big Sur area, maybe a trip to the Hearst Castle. Monteray, Laguna Seca... Very nice area.
South of LA a must see is San Diego and Sea World. Possibly a trip to Tijauna, (leave the car on the US side, walk or shuttle across the border.
Sea World is a fantastic park, if you go you have to have lunch with Shamu. Amazing having lunch 10 feet from a killer whale. Make sure you reserve table 17.

Palm Springs can be fun if you like to golf but Hot in the summer.

Las Vegas is an adult disneyland and has some good golfing also. DO NOT go on a friday afternoon. Its a straight shot up I-15, be careful it's a dangerous drive lasting about 4 1/2 hours from downtown if you have good traffic. DO NOT go on a friday afternoon and be careful as it is a dangerous drive because everyone is trying to haul ass.
If you plan ahead you can get some good deals on the Big Casino hotels.

Come to Vegas and you get a beer, on me. :thumb:

Pete

[Benman]

Originally posted by Vegasguy
LA can be a blast depending on what your into. The beach and some of the citys up and down the coast are very cool. The drive up Highway 1 to SanFransisco is pretty nice with the Big Sur area, maybe a trip to the Hearst Castle. Monteray, Laguna Seca... Very nice area.


South of LA a must see is San Diego and Sea World.

Las Vegas is an adult disneyland and has some good golfing also.

Pete

LA, no. Cities along the coast, yes. Highway 1 to San Fran is excellent if you have the time. So a great suggestion there. Monterey, Laguna Seca, again, great suggestion.

Las Vega, the adult playground.:thumb:

Ben:addict:

[Vegasguy]

The CIty core? No need to be there. I agree.

The area? Fontana (raceway), OC, Beaches....etc. Lots of stuff to do.

Professional Baseball, Disney, The Tonight show tapeing, (fun afternoon). Universal Studio's, the La Brea Tar Pits, Graumans CHinese, Griffith Observatory, Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood wax museam, LA Zoo, Malibu Pier, Santa Monica Pier, Palm Springs Arial Tram, Six Flags,

Lots of fun to be had.

That better? :thumb:

Pete

More info here,
http://www.lacvb.com/index.jsp

[SoCal]

Totally depends what you're into. LA is great, but it can be a little overwhelming for people who don't know it (like tourists and many suburbanites).

First, some comments on the other suggestions. Las Vegas is unique in the world and offers either the best or the worst of experiences in a stunning neon oasis in the middle of nowhere: you'll either love it or hate it. Either way, you'll remember it for sure. Vegas is an easy, short flight or a dull 4-5 hour drive northeast of LA. San Diego is a pretty, fun, laid back town and excellent for families, about two hours south of LA. Neither one is Los Angeles, though they are geographically and economically linked to it more than they care to admit.

If you really want to explore LA, the city, then here's what you should choose from:

1. Museums and art galleries (see http://artscenecal.com/ and focus on Westside, West Hollywood and Downtown galleries and museums like the LACMA, Norton Simon (in Pasadena), Getty Center and Getty Villa/Malibu, and UCLA/Hammer and UCLA Fowler museums; see also http://www.calendarlive.com/galleriesandmuseums/; if you like cars, see the Peterson Auto Museum (near LACMA); if you have kids traveling with you, go to the Exposition Park museums downtown (Natural History and Aerospace museums and the California Science Center), the Autry National Center, LA Kidspace and the LA Zoo).

2. Night clubs (see Live Music listings (rock, acoustic, hip hop, jazz, punk, gothic, whatever) at http://www.laweekly.com/music/, or see club listings under "Hollywood/Downtown" and "Sunset" at http://la.mixliving.com/clubs/index.asp, or check out bigger touring acts at the Wiltern, El Rey, Mayan, Conga Room, Universal Amphitheater, Greek Theater, others).

3. Shopping (Melrose Ave, Robertson Blvd south of Beverly Blvd -- with good "star sitings" if you are into that-- Beverly Hills, Silver Lake, Pasadena, Santa Monica, others -- all of which are walking districts best seen after you've parked your rental car).

4. Eating ("Original" Farmers Market at Third & Fairfax, and see restaurant listings at zagat.com (for high-end wine/foodie places in the 12 mile strip of the city between Downtown and Santa Monica) or calendarlive.com (broader listings), or try some of the Chinese/Asian restaurants in the San Gabriel Valley, Mexican in East LA and elsewhere and -- touristy but fun -- at Grand Central market and Olvera Street both downtown, or buy Jonathan Gold's book "Counter Intelligence" with highlights from LA's vast range of "ethnic" restaurants at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0312267231/marketplaceradio/002-3934465-5649600).

5. Performing arts (Music Center downtown, L A Opera, Walt Disney Concert Hall with LA Philharmonic and LA Master Chorale, LA Chamber Orchestra, other visiting orchestras and chamber groups, UCLA performing arts series, Orange County Performing Arts Center-- too many venues to count)

6. Plays (Taper, Ahmanson, Geffen, Pantages, smaller theaters near Hollywood are best bets).

7. People watching (Venice Beach boardwalk on weekends, Main Street in Santa Monica, cafes in Silver Lake, or along Third Street or Beverly Boulevard between La Cienega and La Brea).

8. Scenic views (Griffith Park Observatory and hiking trails above Hollywood, Santa Monica Mountains hiking/mountain biking, Sunset Ranch horseback trail rides, walk along Ocean Avenue park in Santa Monica above the pier with a stop for a beer at the Kings Head pub or Fathers Office bar)

9. Beaches (check out the beaches north of LA from Malibu up to Leo Carillo on the Ventura County line, or go south to Orange County (especially Laguna Beach and nearby coves and the excellent beaches in Northern San Diego County).

10. Great drives (local loop up PCH to Mulholland and winding through the Santa Monica Mountains back toward LA cutting back down to the coast on any canyon between Malibu and Topanga, or get out of town for a long day or overnight side trip north on backroads to Ojai and Santa Barbara).

San Diego is great for tourists, too, though it's really a separate trip. If you have more time, drive north on Hwy 1 (PCH) to 101 through Santa Barbara and (back on Hwy 1) through Big Sur (Hearst Castle on the way) to Monterey/Carmel and Pebble Beach. Total driving time from LA depending on route, stops and driving conditions from 5 to 8 hours. Consider wine tasting on the way in Santa Inez Valley (take SR 154 San Marcos Pass Road from Santa Barbara to Los Olivos) if you have time. It's about 45 minutes north of Santa Barbara and a beautiful drive.

Skip the amusement parks, though if you have to see one, Disneyland is best. For hotels, stay as close to the beach as you can get in the nicest place you can afford, depending on your taste and budget.

Happy travels.:bye:

[JaXx]

thanks guys for al the replies
are there also any racetracks for karts ? is it dangerous at night ? how much money do you reckon i will need ? 500 ? thanks again !

Mitch

[SoCal]

Originally posted by JaXx
thanks guys for al the replies
are there also any racetracks for karts ? is it dangerous at night ? how much money do you reckon i will need ? 500 ? thanks again !

Mitch
Racetracks for Karts? Of course. Check out http://www.lakc.org/ (California Speedway is about an hour east of LA), http://www.adamskarttrack.com/ (Riverside is over an hour east of LA), or http://www.jhrkartracing.com/ (Ventura is about 1 hour north of LA).

Safety: LA is like any other big city for safety, day or night: most neighborhoods are pretty safe and a few are very dangerous. Not a lot in the middle. On the whole, European cities are safer than American ones, but US cities are safer than Latin American ones. LA's crime is real and can be violent, of course, but it is largely concentrated in poorer parts of town where you are unlikely to be going anyway. The wild news reports tend to miss that key fact.

If you want the stats, LA ranked as the 52nd safest big city on Forbes Magazine's 2005 list of the 150 largest metropolitan areas in the US, measured by per capita crime rates. Way safer than Miami or New Orleans and on a par with New York. Locally, San Diego is slightly safer, Orange County is much safer, and Riverside is more dangerous. The US cities with the highest crime rates per 100,000 population were, according to the FBI:

1. St Louis
2. Detroit
3. Atlanta
4. Springfield
5. Miami

So, what does that mean for you? If you are in crowded, fashionable parts of LA (which includes almost all of the Westside), you're unlikely to be a crime victim. Like anywhere in the world, if you don't stick out as a tourist or an obviously clueless "target" and pay attention to where you are and who else is around, you should not have any problems. Do lock your rental car, though, with valuables and luggage out of sight, since the parked car may be a bigger target than you are. And don't flash jewelry or a lot of cash. With common sense and ordinary awareness, no worries. Cruise "bad" neighborhoods late looking for trouble, though, and you can certainly find it.

Budget: As for how much money to bring, I really couldn't say. Totally depends on your budget and resources. LA is cheaper than NY or London for food and hotels, and you have a rental car so won't have to pay for taxis (which are really expensive). Don't bring too much cash, because credit cards are accepted almost everywhere but for tipping and some parking. If you do need cash, just use your foreign bank account debit card at any of the plentiful bank ATMs; much better exchange rate than physically buying currency and safer than carrying lots of money through airports and such.

Have a fun trip.

[JaXx]

thank's a lot dude , you're my personal guide :D
if you see some noisy belgians at the kart track , that's us :race:
Thanks again , you've been very helpfull !


Mitch :thumb:

[AndyBG]

Have a nice time!

[Benman]

Originally posted by SoCal
On the whole, European cities are safer than American ones, but US cities are safer than Latin American ones.

Pretty darn accurate statement.

As much as I'm not hip on LA, those are some of the best "To Do" posts ever. Nice job So Cal.:thumb:

Ben:addict:

[SoCal]

My pleasure. Enjoy!
:cheers: