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Treasure
Member
06-26-2002
| Tuesday, November 25, 2008 - 2:02 pm
I am hoping that some of you that live in and around LA can help a friend. I have gotten to know her a little over the internet. She is a citizen of the UK, but she lives in Spain. She is coming from Spain to LA for a convention and will be staying for about four days past the convention. The convention will be at the Marriott at LAX and she has her room reservation there for those three days. She would like to stay in a less expensive hotel for the four days following the convention before she returns to Spain. My friend is looking for a hotel that is in the $60 to $75 range with a clean room and television, located near some sort of local transportation. She won't have a car. I think it would be nice to have her stay somewhere that would give her some good choices for eating and some places of interest to visit during the day. What are your suggestions?
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Costacat
Member
07-15-2000
| Tuesday, November 25, 2008 - 3:48 pm
If I were her, I'd move closer to the coast and away from LAX. 
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Supergranny
Member
02-03-2005
| Tuesday, November 25, 2008 - 4:12 pm
We liked that Super 8 right across from Knottsberry Farm. It was cheap and clean and an IHOP right next door. Disney is near and you can go back roads. It's been about 5 years since we last stayed there so who knows what has happened in that time but I liked the staff and how they kept track of who came in and out. There were lots of different foreigners staying there, interesting conversations, so I guess the travel agents put them there. Funny story...one time we were there and noticed those little sugar ants on the tub. They are a constant battle in So. Calif so we never thought any more about it. Later on we were in the lobby and here comes a foreigner hollering that there were litte cockroaches in his room. The look of total horror on the desk clerks face was a sight to see. He was talking about the sugar ants cause they were in the room directly below us. But he sure caught the staff's attention.
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Supergranny
Member
02-03-2005
| Tuesday, November 25, 2008 - 4:15 pm
Here is the website http://www.trails.com/all-hotels/hotel-info.asp?hotelid=110254
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Scooterrific
Member
07-08-2005
| Tuesday, November 25, 2008 - 4:15 pm
Avoid Yorba Linda
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Yankee_in_ca
Member
08-01-2000
| Tuesday, November 25, 2008 - 4:25 pm
LA is very large and diverse, and not having a car will be difficult. So perhaps if your friend can let us know (through you) what she would most like to do while in LA, we can recommend an area where she can stay that would be quite self-contained.
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Costacat
Member
07-15-2000
| Tuesday, November 25, 2008 - 6:04 pm
Was just gonna say that, Yankee. Without knowing what the friend likes to do or would like to do, it's really hard to recommend anyplace.
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Supergranny
Member
02-03-2005
| Tuesday, November 25, 2008 - 6:33 pm
You mean not everybody wants to go to Disneyland and Knotts Berry Farm? LOL When we would go to Universal we would stay at the Beverly Garland, it is higher cost but then they have the shuttle.
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Treasure
Member
06-26-2002
| Tuesday, November 25, 2008 - 7:08 pm
Thanks for all your suggestions. Costacat, I do know she wants to be somewhere away from the airport. She had thought about finding a place in downtown LA, but was talked out of that by someone else because of not much special to see. They told her to look in Hollywood because they are really into the Hollywood stars thing. I am not so sure she is all that interested in maybe seeing someone famous, or all the Hollywood hype. I will ask her about looking closer to the coast. Yankee, I was thinking along the same lines of some place has a number of places to visit and explore in a self contained area. But she did specify that she would want some form of local transportation nearby. Scoot, you bet! No where near Yorba Linda! Best of luck with the coming rains, by the way. Super G, I don't think she wants Disneyland but I will ask her about Knotts Berry Farm and also the Universal tours. Now I will check out the address for hotels you gave me. I will ask her to be more specific about what would be of interest to her. I will check back to see if anyone has more suggestions.
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Costacat
Member
07-15-2000
| Tuesday, November 25, 2008 - 8:31 pm
There's a lot of sightseeing in Hollywood... the walk of stars, Graumanns, the Kodak Theater (which you can tour), the Hollywood sign (which you can see from Hollywood and Vine and the shopping center there has a cement couch that's cool to pose on with the sign behind it). There are buses, too, so the La Brea Tarpits aren't that far and the museum there is pretty cool even if you aren't into that stuff (I'm not but I enjoyed it).
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Pamplemousse
Member
09-28-2003
| Tuesday, November 25, 2008 - 8:38 pm
Farmers Market is supposed to be fun...shame on me a native of So Cal and never been. but people who do go speak highly of it
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Christy358
Member
07-10-2007
| Tuesday, November 25, 2008 - 10:46 pm
Ok, not an LA native...but what else is near the Getty? I could spend days and days there.....maybe an idea.
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Tishala
Member
08-01-2000
| Tuesday, November 25, 2008 - 11:05 pm
The Farmer's Market is fun, but really there's not TOO much to do there. Visit the Grove and do shopping and see movies? Although it is someplace you are almost guaranteed to see some celeb or another. And it's close to Beverly Center, which is fun I suppose. It's hard to say where to stay in LA because each area has drawbacks and benefits. I would be tempted to say that she should stay on Sunset near San Vicente, where I know there are hotels but I don't know the names of them. That gets you close to the Sunset Strip and landmarks like Whiskey a Go Go, Viper Room (Johnny Depp's place, where River Phoenix died), and lots of nice boutique shopping. And it's close to West Hollywood and Beverly Center, etc. I just don't know that one can get rooms in that price range there. And if you stay near there, it's easy to get around, relatively, and it's only one bus ride from there to many places.
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Christy358
Member
07-10-2007
| Wednesday, November 26, 2008 - 1:34 am
I think the real answer here has to come from someone who actually takes a bus in LA. Public transportation in Europe is so much different than we might think of in LA
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Tishala
Member
08-01-2000
| Wednesday, November 26, 2008 - 8:01 am
Well, I do take the bus in LA--not everyday, mind you, and less now than when gas was $4/gallon, but it and my Prius are my modes of transport. And since I live downtown, I am really close to the bus lines. They're a pain in the ass, but they get the job done on the two days/week I use them.
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Mocha
Member
08-12-2001
| Wednesday, November 26, 2008 - 8:09 am
Granny and I stayed in Long Beach an had a blast but it is a ways away from the airport.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Wednesday, November 26, 2008 - 7:46 pm
That was a nice place, but not in the price range. Not sure of transportation to and from LB but of course it has to exist.. Where TNT stayed near LAX would be within the range and she and I were fascinated by it, but it is quite eccentric. It actually was clean but some rooms (my first one, for instance) probably have mold/mildew and slso some rooms are quite noisy if the outside bar area is active. It isn't in a great area but the security is good and they have bus trips that take people to various places of interest. Still hard to recommend unless one is sort of adventurous.. hmm but being from Spain.. this place does attract mostly people from other countries.. it is part motel, part hostel for backpackers and part long term motel. Seems like many of the employees also live there. Again it depends also on what type of places she wants to visit. Disneyland resort area isn't that close but they have really reasonable shuttle service to and from LAX and then there are also shuttles going to other areas from that area. When my friends came from New Zealand their big wishes for LA were three days at Disney and one at Universal. So they found a place across from Disney that was pretty reasonable, included a pretty nice breakfast and was an easy walk to the park. It was between IHOP and Denny's but plenty of other places to eat up and down that street, plus Downtown Disney, etc. (Interestingly they were thrilled to have Denny's there.. they eat there quite often in Christchurch and thought this one was better than theirs. Go figure.. I couldn't even get them to try IHOP for a breakfast. From their motel they got shuttled from the airport (I did the return trip) and there were shuttles or package deals from there to Universal and back, but I had already gotten them a great deal through autoclub and I drove back and forth to Universal, so they didn't use that service. But of course there would be no reason to stay near Disney unless one wanted to GO to Disney. I'm thinking there probably are packages or shuttles from the Universal area to other places of interest in LA. Again, hard to say about that price range for the lodging. Treasure, what time of year is she coming?
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Treasure
Member
06-26-2002
| Thursday, November 27, 2008 - 8:00 am
Sea, she will be visiting in January. She doesn't care to visit Disneyland or Knotts Berry Farm. She said that she mostly would just like to get a taste of life in America, since this is her first time here. She thought that maybe the Farmers Market and a visit to Chinatown would be interesting and she has been told that a visit to Universal is a must. ehehe I spent all day yesterday trying to find something that would get her within walking distance of either Chinatown or the Market, the few hotels within her price range were questionable for safety and cleanliness (according to the reviews). Even the ones that were $100 plus a night were questionable! I checked out the Mayfair hotel because it said the Metro was within walking distance for local transportation and it was close to the Market. But the reviews on it left some doubt for me and I am sure she doesn't want to spent $125 or more. If she has to stay in a place that is further out, like in Burbank or Pasadena, then she has to travel to far to see the Market and surrounding area. If she stays in Burbank or Hollywood, there are a lot of things to see in that area, but that really isn't real life in California. I am sure you know what I talking about. I did mention to her about maybe staying closer to the coast and that Long Beach had an interesting Aquarium, but she didn't say anything about that in her reply. Hmmm Maybe I should have mentioned the Queen Mary. LOL I wish I could be there to see the areas for myself. I know there must be smaller places in her price range in these areas, they just aren't easy to find on the Internet.
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Tishala
Member
08-01-2000
| Thursday, November 27, 2008 - 9:59 am
There are lots of hotels at OK rates near Sunset and La Brea that can make most of those visits quite possible by bus. I see that you don't think that area--Hollywood--isn't real life in CA, but I can assure you that I lived in Hollywood for ~7 years and it it quintessentially CA--lots of working class and middle class people, a more diverse population than most of LA, etc. Some of it is pretty ghetto and some of it is pretty wealthy, but most of it is quite normal, even if lots of it happens in Spanish. And the public transportation is pretty easy, too. To get to Chinatown and Downtown, she just has to take the 2 bus on Sunset (to get to Chinatown, she will have to transfer to, I think, the 45, which goes right through the heart of Chinatown). If she wants to go to Universal, she can catch the Red Line at Hollywood and Highland. If she wants to go to the Farmer's market, she can just take the La Brea bus to 3rd Street. And she can get to the Getty pretty easily--take the 2 to UCLA and transfer to the 761. The MOCA is a quick ride on the 2 or the 4; LACMA is a quick trip down La Brea to Wilshire. etc etc She will also be within walking distance to the Chinese Theatre and all that touristy stuff. Here are some listings if you're interested, but I suspect that since they are in Hollywood, they won't be "real life" in California. Cheap Hotels
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Treasure
Member
06-26-2002
| Thursday, November 27, 2008 - 10:47 am
LOL Tishala, I am sorry if I insulted you or any other Californians here. I guess I could have worded that differently. I was thinking about my visit to Hollywood and how most of what I saw was a lot of other tourists, all of us walking the same several blocks from Hollywood and Vine to the Chinese Theatre. It was a quick trip of a couple hours between events at a convention I attended. Anyway, I see your point about the transportation. That wasn't indicated by the hotels and motels I checked for the Hollywood area. Where would you recommend she stay? Oh, what is MOCA and LACMA? I am off to check the hotel listings you gave.
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Tishala
Member
08-01-2000
| Thursday, November 27, 2008 - 12:04 pm
I think if you spend your time on Hollywood Blvd, you will undoubtedly be disappointed. I go there now and then to see the LA I never see otherwise, but it's not a place many Angelinos hang out. I haven't stayed in any of those hotels, but I'm thinking the best bet is the Comfort Inn at Sunset and La Brea, mostly because of its location. MOCA and LACMA are art museums. And MOCA is conveniently located three blocks from me! It's also really close to the beautiful Disney Performing Arts Center:
and a really great new Catholic Church, Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, that is so aesthetically pleasing it even makes a nice Jewish girl happy to go inside:
Really, there's so much to do....
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Pamy
Member
01-02-2002
| Thursday, November 27, 2008 - 12:27 pm
It is really hard to stay in LA without a car, esp if she wants to do Universal and Farmers.
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Treasure
Member
06-26-2002
| Thursday, November 27, 2008 - 1:01 pm
Tishala, I checked out that Comfort Inn and even googled some reviews on it. I would stay there, so I emailed the url to her and suggested she might like it. I think it is about the best we can hope for that is close to her price range. I also told her that the hotel should be able to tell her how to get to the public transportation location so that she could get out to the Farmers Market and any of the other places she might enjoy. Actually, I kinda wish that I could meet her and drive her around. I would enjoy seeing the sights with her. But I will be just getting back from a trip and short on money when she gets done with the convention in LA. Now I will wait to see what she says about the Comfort Inn and the suggestions you all have made. The problem is there is just way to much to see in all of LA for such a short stay. But if we can give her just a taste of California, maybe she will come back to see more. ehehe
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Yankee_in_ca
Member
08-01-2000
| Thursday, November 27, 2008 - 1:26 pm
I'm assuming you mean the Bev Hills Farmers Market. It's nice and I do like it, but honestly I wouldn't plan my only trip around it. It's sorta in a parking lot area of The Grove, which is a big new shopping mall. For anyone who hasn't been here, it's really difficult to adequately explain how VAST Los Angeles is. Getting from the Farmers Market to Universal (which is over the hill) can take more than an hour in a car. Though if she likes theme parks, it's worth it, I think. There are also studio tours at Warner & Fox & Paramount, I believe. Doing Chinatown (which IMO I wouldn't go out of my way to do in LA -- San Fran yes, LA no) also downtown and not an easy trip from. If she's into the beach, I'd recommend Santa Monica -- you can get to the Getty easily there and Santa Monica is really walkable. If not, I second Tishala's recommendation. Her location and bus routes are as central as she's going to get. She just needs to be prepared to travel to get from thing to thing, and be prepared for congestion and traffic. And unfortunately $65/night for a hotel in LA is going to get you "sorta sketchy" in most instances, I think.
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Treasure
Member
06-26-2002
| Thursday, November 27, 2008 - 2:23 pm
Yankee, I was referring to the Farmers Market in LA, by The Groves. On the map it looks like it is between Little Korea and Chinatown. I agree that Chinatown in SF offers a lot more to see. But the LA Farmers Market, and Chinatown were her ideas and several of her friends have suggest Universal. That was why I was trying so hard to get her a place more central to downtown. I would have suggested a visit to Olvera St., too. I think I might be misspelling the street name. She has lived in Spain for many years, but she still might have enjoyed the Mexican flavor. She has not indicated anything about the beaches. Personally, I think she would enjoy them, but she has so little time to see what she wants. I totally agree with you that $65 is not going to get a very good place at all. The Comfort Inn at Sunset and La Brea is just a little more than what she gave for her budget, but I do think it is a great price for a clean place that is reasonably close to public transportation to places she has said she wanted to visit. I do understand what everyone is saying about traveling from one area to another. I have driven in LA a few times. I have been to Long Beach, I have been to Pasadena, Hollywood, and Burbank. I have been to Santa Anita race track and Huntington, with the art museum and the rose gardens and the Japanese Gardens. I have spent the night in Anaheim and had dinner at that restaurant with the knights doing battle as I ate. ehehe Can't remember the name of the place at the moment. I haven't made it to the Farmers Market, or Olvera St., yet. But I will be back in a couple of years. I also acknowledge that my few trips to LA barely touches on what it is like to get around LA. My friend has told me a little about what it is like to live in Spain. I get the impression that there is a lot of congestion there, too. ehe Maybe that is why she doesn't drive. Still, it doesn't make it easy to sightsee here.
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