Need some help from the locals (Los Angeles, Pasadena: sale, rent, crime rate)
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Hello!
My husband and I are moving out to Los Angeles. He will be working at the Los Angeles medical center, off of Sunset Blvd. We're not sure we're we will be placed with housing. We will only be out here for 3 months.
He and I are coming from a small town in ky with a population of 10,000. This is a HUGE change for us and i am a little overwhelmed. I've purchased an amazing travel book, but i want a local's input. Anytime I travel, I want to appear not as a common tourist, but.. as someone with a little knowledge about places to go and how to get there. I like to go to shops, restaurants, and places of interests aka "hidden treasures" only residents know about.
The majority of the time spent out there will be him working and me out on my own, i would prefer these places be safe. Any help?
ALSO, any help with the bus system/metro system.. would be AMAZING. Our town is so small you can drive through it in 5 minutes. Public transportation is something i really want to use as much as possible. The website is a little confusing and I need some pointers on how to get to where i need without coming across as a tourist. Again, I'm not sure where we will be living so, I'm basing all the directions from the hospital. Hopefully we will be placed 10-15 minutes from his work.
well, los angeles isn't like alot of other cities- imagine a bunch of busy suburbs strung together, with centers and attractions all their own, and you got a fair idea of los angeles.
if he is working on sunset (and i am typing this about a five minute drive from that very medical center!) then you are sort of in the middle of the great tourist areas.
some spots to visit-
go up beachwood canyon. its right off sunset. you get a great, perfectly framed view of the hollywood sign right in the middle of your windshield. and it leads to a cool little trail and some horse stables where a scene from lynch's "mullholland drive" was filmed. you can take a walk and take some pics of the hollywood sign.
sunset boulevard and hollywood boulevard run parallel to each other, so you can hop and skip down the side streets and wind back down either one. go west on sunset and you will go through beverly hills, as well as passing places like the chateau marmont, the comedy store, whisky ago ago, and other famed spots. when sunset ends you will be right on pacific coast highway, Highway 1, or the PCH as locals call it. when sunset ends the pacific ocean will be right in your face.
if you make a left where sunset ends you will wind up in santa monica and venice beach. the venice boardwalk is a fantastic carnival of weirdness, with multiple vendors selling everything under the sun, street performers, and general layabouts. might be a bit of a mind blower, but i lived there for two years, it isn't as sketchy as it seems.
as far as public transport, be advised in a place as large as LA that it can be a bit tricky. if you wanna be like a local, you'll rent a car. that being said there is a fantastic new station at hollywood and vine, so you can hop on that and just roam about for a giggle.
i am a female, and i have never felt menaced in this city. you probably don't want to drive down through skid row on your own, but don't worry, los angeles is having a downswing in its crime rate (lowest in 40 years) so you would probably be more in peril in atlanta right now than in los angeles.
if you guys are living right off sunset, you will have a wealth of options as far as walking. there are so many people at all hours on that street and i wouldn't worry overmuch about walking anywhere. take a camera tho.
griffith park is a place you will want to check out. the griffith observatory is lovely and where they filmed part of "rebel without a cause".
and here is a fun tip that i always throw to people who are newbies- if you have a car, and like yard sales, check out craigslist. write down some that look good, line some up for a saturday afternoon, mapquest the addresses, and just string together a little itinerary for yourself. mapquest will let you build a route and you just print it out, or write it down and off you go! i did that for many weekends and it really gave me a crash course in los angeles. hell, i even stopped at one yard sale in hollywood and wound up buying a cool scarf from the chick who played dottie in "pee wee's big adventure"! if you get lost, you are never far from a freeway.
sunset turns into cesar chavez boulevard once it crosses downtown and into east LA, but don't be spooked by east LA. i lived there for a year and while it ain't the prettiest place, it is far, far far underrated and unfairly villified. i would, however, stay away from compton, and as long as you don't get lost round long beach the likelihood of you accidently winding up there is nil.
there are so many hidden treasures, mostly in the form of cool buildings, and downtown LA has the largest unbroken blocks of early twentieth century buildings in the united states, believe it or not. its worth it to drive down broadway and the old theatre district. be advised that skid row is between fifth and seventh and i believe los angeles street but it is actually quite difficult to wind up there on accident as well- me and a friend wanted to check it out and we had to actually make an effort to get there, as they have routed the streets one way in so many places. i am sure they did that on purpose.
i hope this helps! and good luck on your upcoming adventure!!
not an LA resident here, but have been there a few times over the last several months and the locals have clued me in on a few "hidden treasures".....
check out a food place called Joan's on 3rd - on 3rd St E of La Cienega (I think) - black awning on S side of the street....lots of food choices to go or eat there inside or out...order at any cashier after looking at the cases...friendly, busy...I had a maple chicken breast and a bean salad that was great.....Joan may stop by to say "hi"...she is friendly and unpretentious.....walk around as there is a lot (of food) to explore there.....
on the S side of Sunset about a half-mile E of the PCH is the Self-Realization Shrine Garden....free parking and admission....started in 1950 by a Krishna "prophet"?, it's a very relaxing garden with a very short path that winds around a small lake...meditation, yoga, and all that, but not in your face and nobody will accost you to convert....gift shop and museum.....I'm not religious and the religious-ness of the place is easy to avoid, if you want....
much, much more to see and not feel like a tourist....I hope other true locals chime in
oh, that reminds me, the barnsdale art park is another good spot, its right off hollywood boulevard on a hill. there is a great house there designed by frank lloyd wright, an art gallery, and a nice little view of the city where you can sit on some green grass and chill.
if you like thai and you like it cheap torung on hollywood boulevard is open til something like four in the morning.
and i am partial to wilcox, right off hollywood. driving up that street one would be forgiven for thinking it was still the 1940s, in this one little stretch where the gilbert hotel, the mark twain hotel, and the citizen times building is, with the "lido" sign floating above it all. love that little stretch.
He'll be working in a great location for public transportation, which will be a real plus. Don't let people scare you into thinking you need to drive (as I'm sure some people will try to do): you absolutely don't. It's nice to have access to one from time to time (especially if you have some time for day trips), but it's certainly not necessary for daily life. I'd try to find a place within walking distance of the Red Line (subway), but the bus system is also worth getting to know; familiarize yourself with the "Rapid" buses, which are the express ones that will really cut a lot of time off if going long distances. Don't worry about looking like a local; you'll figure it out. I actually think that taking public transportation is one of the best ways to get to know the city. You get to see it in a different way than you do if only in a car.
Nighthouse66's suggestions are all good ones. In general just don't be afraid to check out all sorts of things. Downtown LA was definitely one of my favorite areas to explore. Fascinating buildings, a fabulous downtown library, interesting neighborhoods and a vibrant street scene (kind of gritty at times, but always interesting). Wander around Hollywood, and make sure to check out the farmer's market at Ivar and Hollywood Blvd every Sunday morning. Check out Old Pasadena for a totally different feel, and try to get to Huntington Museum and Gardens. It's expensive, but worth it. The San Gabriel Mission is worth a visit, too. They're both a bit of a hike from where you are, but it's not too bad, especially if you're making a day out of it. And head the other way towards Santa Monica and Venice for a different feel. Downtown LA (in and near) highlights for me, anyway, include Union Station, Olvera Street, and Chinatown; the Fashion District; the downtown library; the Toy District (borders Skid Row, but safe during the day); Little Tokyo; and Broadway. I've spent many a good day just wandering around downtown.
I haven't lived in LA for a few years and the public transportation options have only expanded since then, but last I checked there wasn't a printed public transportation map available in stores; I did discover, though, that the downtown tourist office had them. They had all the bus and train lines printed on them (not times, but at least route and map); the staff was reluctant to hand them out (they kept them behind the counter), but gave me one when I said that I didn't HAVE internet access for their website when I was actually out and about using the system, and wanted something I could take with me. It's worth trying to track one down. Don't be afraid to ask bus drivers for help, too, if you need it. People are generally pretty helpful.
If you want a day trip that doesn't involve driving, taking the train to Santa Barbara is definitely doable in a day; the station is right between downtown and the beach.
For days when you do have car access (doable without, but would take a lot longer) would be San Pedro and Wilmington; the LA harbor is there, and you can take tours (haven't done that, but always wanted to). There are some interesting museums around there, a nice park with great water views and a marine rescue place (Angels Gate Park), and a little downtown that's a bit down-trodden but still sort of interesting. It's not on the main tourism path, but it's worth a visit just to get a sense of LA's more industrial water connections. Going to Catalina Island would also be really fun, but that's a longer trip -- might want to make a day out of that.
oh, that reminds me, the barnsdale art park is another good spot, its right off hollywood boulevard on a hill. there is a great house there designed by frank lloyd wright, an art gallery, and a nice little view of the city where you can sit on some green grass and chill.
if you like thai and you like it cheap torung on hollywood boulevard is open til something like four in the morning.
and i am partial to wilcox, right off hollywood. driving up that street one would be forgiven for thinking it was still the 1940s, in this one little stretch where the gilbert hotel, the mark twain hotel, and the citizen times building is, with the "lido" sign floating above it all. love that little stretch.
And Pla-Boy Liquor! Never went in there, but always thought the sign was funny. Definitely wander around that part of Hollywood; there are a ton of interesting older buildings just oozing with old Hollywood glamor and stories.
And Pla-Boy Liquor! Never went in there, but always thought the sign was funny. Definitely wander around that part of Hollywood; there are a ton of interesting older buildings just oozing with old Hollywood glamor and stories.
YEAH! it used to be playboy but ol hef got uptight about it and they had to change it!
wilcox back in the day (40's and 50's) used to be a real cesspool. barbara payton (if you don't know who she is, look her up, the uber-tragic downfall story of a hollywood starlet) used to live on that street, and there was so much crime that LAPD put a division there. it was rife with murders and junkies and other assorted darkness. it feels so haunted there. but i love that stuff!
I also LOVE to shop but have a small wallet. A friend suggested I try consignment stores in nice areas? is this something to think about ? I also don't want to keep on going to the malls that all have the same stores in this area (american eagle, abercrombie..etc etc) Could anyone suggest a mall/shopping area (other than rodeo drive) that would be amazing to go to in the LA area?
Los Feliz Village is not too far from the medical center, you could even walk if you were up to it. Larchmont Village is also not too far away. Have you decided where you'll be living. you'll want to live near red line stations if you want to use public transit.
it's not up to us where we are living, his agency is going to provide housing, we haven't been told where yet.
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