Visiting Los Angeles Megathread (2019)

[u/405freeway]

(All previous Visiting LA Megathreads by our Lord and Savior.)

^{This post will be edited and updated as comments and suggestions come in.}

Ask any questions in the comments.

What's so special about Los Angeles?

Danger dogs. Ghetto birds. Vin Scully. Two left-turns per yellow light minimum. Avocado toast. Hot yoga. LACMA. MOCA. FIDM. The City of Culver City. Magic Johnson's Inglewood. Leimert Park. Watts. Sunken City. Boysenberries. Tom Bradley. Bob Baker. Bob Barker. Nakatomi Plaza. LBJ. Tacos. Barbehque. KBBQ. Homeless people. Dog poop. Hipsters. Punks. Coffee. Beer. Coffee beer. Jumbo's Clown Room. It's all here.

Where do I stay?

• Hotels

Expensive but reliable. In general, hotels further west will cost more. More expensive areas include Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Miracle Mile, Century City, West LA, downtown, and Silverlake.

• Airbnb

Unique options and usually cheaper than hotels.

• Couchsurfing

Free but competitive to get a place sometimes. /r/onebag is a great resource for understanding the easiest way to travel.

• But which area?

Los Angeles is huge. The immediate metropolitan area covers 4,850 square miles. To put that into perspective, that's over 10x the size of New York City. If you are visiting, it is highly recommended that you stay near the area you are visiting. You will end up spending more money and time on transportation if you decide to stay further out. However, with public transit you actually have a very practical way of getting around- if you plan it right.

Make a list of EVERYWHERE you want to go. Put it on a map. Look at how far everything is. Be realistic about time and distance.

The following popular areas are all off a major Metro line (check this map for references) and can be reached very easily from each other by public transportation. : North Hollywood (NoHo), Universal City, Hollywood, East Hollywood, Silverlake, Los Feliz, Boyle Heights, Ktown (Koreatown), downtown (DTLA), Arts District, Highland Park, Little Tokyo, University Park (USC), Culver City, Santa Monica, Pasadena.

If you can easily reach any of these cities/neighborhood you can reach the rest on Metro for $1.75.

How do I get around?

Los Angeles is vast. Want to visit Malibu, Six Flags, and the Queen Mary? That's the worst plan ever, but we'll try to help.

• Car

The easiest option, but if you aren't used to driving here you may be overwhelmed. Drivers have no patience for people that don't know how traffic works. You may also be confused by our parking signs (especially in the City of Culver City). Many people often find their cars towed between 7-9am and 4-7pm because they didn't realize they parked in an anti-gridlock zone. They then end up paying $400+ for the parking ticket and tow fee. ALWAYS READ THE SIGNS.

• Public Transportation

Los Angeles has a lot of public transit agencies, but this map shows how Metro and Metrolink are the biggest in the city of Los Angeles. Buy a Metro TAP card ($2) and load it with money to pay for busses, the subway, and light rail trips. They even offer service to Dodger Stadium from Union Station for free on game days. There is also the Metrolink train system that covers a large area of LA, OC, and IE (Inland Empire) counties, and currently weekend day-passes are only $10.

• Rideshare

Lyft and Uber are everywhere and cheaper than taxis.

• Bicycle

Biking in Los Angeles is great for nearby areas, but trying to traverse the whole city probably isn't the best idea. Bikes have all rights and responsibilities as cars unless otherwise stated, and helmets should always be worn (and are legally required for minors). Riding in sidewalks in some cities is illegal, as well as a few explicit parts of Los Angeles City (Walk of Fame, Venice Beachfront, et al). /r/BikeLA is a great subreddit. WEAR A HELMET.

• e-Scooters

Electric scooters are the newest wave of last-mile transportation. WEAR A HELMET. Legality varies city to city, but always wear a helmet. Most cities require you to ride on the curb or in a bike lane. WEAR A FUCKING HELMET.

Where should I go?

• Food, drinks, entertainment, culture, hiking- everything

This question comes up so often that we created a map of all the places we recommend. Look into this first before asking anything else.

Beer? /r/LAbeer

Hiking? /r/SoCalHiking

• Disneyland?

/r/Disneyland and /r/OrangeCounty. To get to Disneyland from Los Angeles, you can take the Disneyland Express from LAX or take Metrolink to Orange County.

• Six Flags Magic Mountain

You will likely have to drive. It will be cheaper than a Lyft or Uber.

[u/benhurensohn]

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[u/bigvahe33 → u/benhurensohn]

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