First time roadtripping to California (Los Angeles, San Diego: hotels, safe area, camping)

[paulinasjobergwashere]

Hey y'all! I am currently in Houston TX, and next year I plan on roadtripping with my bestfriend and a guy to California! I have LOTS of trustworthy (older) reliable friends in CA, so we are going to be sharing the rest of our trip with them. It'll be lasting about a week and a half or two. As for location, I want to go to Los Angeles, but I'm not sure where in LA! I am a singer/songwriter, and so I plan on doing ton's of open mics, and probably getting hired for paid gigs, as well as go to (a) great beach(es), good shopping, nice safe area's (I'll be 18 by the time I go to CA, safety is a must) with night life entertainment (other then me being the entertainment, ha) somewhere that I can feel lots of soul and heart of CA! I can only figure this out if I find a good location though. Also, somewhere that won't cost me too much on hotel.

I was thinking Long Beach or central LA, but y'all live in LA, so please help me out!! Any comments, suggestions are completely welcome. I'll be updating my post with new questions.

Thanks (:

[jaypee]

Start with disclosing your hotel/lodging budget.

[TheGreatUnwashed]

If it were me and I was young and poor, I'd do as much car-camping as possible while here. There are plenty of affordable camp sites to drop a tent and stay the night.

[paulinasjobergwashere]

My best friend suggested to camp, we have a budget already set up, for hotel we are planning to spend under $1,500, we have some deals for hotel rooms available to us.

I just need help with location! What part of Los Angeles should I primarily be at? Read my post and help me out! Thanks

[buzzkillb]

Check out the Echoplex on Sunset near Downtown LA. That is sort of in the middle where all the trendy stuff is going on. A lot of art galleries are around there. Same as Downtown. But there isn't as much to do in these areas if you are under 21. Hermosa Beach is a great place to check out the beach besides the obvious Venice or Santa Monica.

For shopping check out Melrose. That's a bit difficult as that depends on what you like, but at least you sort of get a feel for many different styles in that area.

Like I mentioned in another thread, find a King Taco and order at least a carne asada taco.

I am curious what places you have found to play at. And it's relatively safe wherever you go in the City, don't let that discourage you from going into some dicey looking places.

[paulinasjobergwashere]

I hear there are many unsafe places in LA, so I'm being extra careful about location. I have allot of connections in LA and so I am gonna be booked before I actually get to LA, but I plan to move to CA a while after this visit, I was thinking San Diego would work best for me because of my music and the life there, it seems like it fits me. LA seems like a big place, it's kinda intimidating...

[rb29335i]

I stayed at the stayonbeverly hostel when i was scouting out moving to LA, it's cheap, small, but had free parking & felt safe and in the middle of everything. San Diego you can get cheap hotels by Sea World.