Anyone been? Any recommendations on where to stay? Always wanted to go and now have 10 days put aside in early April...taking the family down. Yes i know its a huge sprawling city, but after months of end of nothing but coyotes and bears as neighbours, need some city living :)
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So many nicer places to go in California. San Diego my pick of them.
Went and saw all sorts of places. Loved it but helped that our pal was living there so knew where to go. Not sure about for children.
As has been said already San Fran is good, maybe chilly in April. Great drive up coast road from LA to San Fran. Also San diago we liked (South of LA) If you must stay in LA area try somewhere like Santa barbara or going up the coast Carmel or Monteray.
If you go San Fran go to Yosemite national park its fantastic.
I would take a car and see as much as you can.
Santa Monica is nice and relatively quiet - likewise Venice and Marina del Rey down the road. Worth a drive/tour around Beverly Hills and Bel Air to gawk at the homes - likewise Malibu if you can get there. Hollywood is a dump but guess you have to go there as a tourist. Manhattan Beach is a nice and hip neighbourhood close to the airport.
If you hire a car (recommended), it can literally take two hours to drive 10-15 miles around the city so don't be too ambitious about how much you want to see.
As I already said, we have been to all the fantastic places that the West Coast has to offer - I agree San Francisco & surrounds is beautiful, especially enjoyed Monterey, Carmel & the section of the Big Sur we drove. The catch for us is wanting some sun & heat, its been a very mild Canadian winter but still....we did San Diego last year, loved it but fancy something different this year.
You can get your tourist feel as well as see some nice beachy neighbourhoods, although personally I was disappointed by Santa Monica and would visit the places that @DamoNorthStand mentioned instead.
If you are interested, I wrote this at the time:
http://chicagoaddick.blogspot.com/2006/09/los-angeles.html
Venice and small places along the coast the other way (Abbott Kinney) are very nice too.
The traffic is murder - AVOID cross town journeys at peak/rush hours at all costs.
Sunshine, exercise, the beach and a car with the roof down and LA is very nice.
Have friends in Long Beach where the Queen Mary is now a hotel . Nice , upmarket area & worth a visit.
Then on to San Francisco for a few days
Santa Monica and Venice Beach (camden town in its prime but with a beach) are must visits. If you're feeling touristy head to Hollywood and walk up and down the strip, meeting a few Michael Jacksons etc. Remember to tip the performers as they're mostly failing actors carving out a living.
San Fransisco is my favourite city in the world though. The people there are absurdly friendly and non threatening. The city seems to have its own microclimate and the weather there is very similair to a sunny/mild day at brighton most of the time.
California is one of the best states i've been to, it has everything. Wildlife at Yosemite, sun and large, almost untouched beaches around Monterey and route 1 and beautiful people and beautiful cities. If you go to San Fran, take the sunset cruise round the bay. it's beautiful.
Couldn't speak highly enough of nearly all the united states. The only state i'd steer well clear of is New Mexico - makes hackney look like Richmond to New mexicans.
Route 1 is a gorgeous road to go down, you'll drive past the occasional ferraris and porches of the millionaires that live along the californian costline. There's also wildlife such as Elephant Seals to spot.
Really want to go again now!
one of my abiding memories of our first trip down Route 1 was stopping to overlook some seals flopping about on the beach - while taking photos wondered what that funny itching, burning sensation was around my ankle, only to realize I was standing on the mother of all (extremly angry, bitey) ant's nests!!!
Also saw dolphins swimming behind my husband and daughter on the beach at Santa Monica....... where is that travel agents number :)
We got a cab to Universal Studios with some mad Russian driver who just slagged everything and everyone off and when he found out we were English came out with "That Lady Diana deserved to die". Memorable journey that was.
Another cab driver said he'd been to Scotland when he was in the Air Force. "That's where all the guys wear green and have Shamrocks, right?" Thick as shit.
LA is still on my list though :)
I lived for over a decade in San Diego and have an abiding dislike for Los Angeles, but, of late, we've found hotels in Laguna Beach (Orange County) that we enjoy -- with a walk down to a pristine and quiet beach and incredible tide pools for the kids. From there, it is relatively easy to drive into the city, to Anaheim, down to San Diego, or to a ferry out to Catalina Island.
If you are putting off the trip to L.A. but retain an interest in the city and how it became an urban dystopia (but nowhere near as horrid as Houston), you might pick up a copy of one of Mike Davis's books on Los Angeles: "Ecology of Fear" or "City of Quartz."