scrapaddie
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,090 
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Post by scrapaddie on Sept 21, 2017 16:30:08 GMT
LA peas... I am going to have one day to visit LA before a cruise.... I know... not enough time, but one of the people on the cruise is really
Limited. I think they will want to see Rodeo Drive, etc and maybe. The La Brea tar pits. There are some nice hotels, but I do t want to spend 600-700 per night for two rooms when we probably will t even get to the hotel until after midnight. Can you suggest an area that would be a little more reasonable, but still nice. We can Uber where ever we need to go, including the ship port
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Post by bc2ca on Sept 21, 2017 16:49:28 GMT
What time of day do you arrive in LA and what time does your cruise leave? The cruise ship terminal is about an hour south of the areas of Los Angeles you've mentioned, with LAX about half way between the two. Depending on your arrival/departure times I would look at hotels near LAX. Some might even offer shuttle service to the cruise ship terminal.
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Post by katlady on Sept 21, 2017 17:02:42 GMT
So, are you basically sleeping two nights in L.A. before your cruise? bc2ca suggestion is good. The cruise terminals are far from Beverly Hills/West L.A. where you want to sightsee. And depending on the time of day you need to get to your cruise, traffic can be terrible. Staying near LAX is a good halfway point. During your one day you can go around Beverly Hills and the tar pits area. Or, one area to look into hotels is near Farmer's Market. That is like halfway between Beverly Hills and the tar pits. But then it would be a good hour to get to the cruise terminals from there. |
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Post by papersilly on Sept 21, 2017 17:06:42 GMT
Yeah, your ship port is in Long Beach and getting to Rodeo/Mid-Wilshire will be tough on a weekday with traffic. IMO, Rodeo and the Tar Pits are not worth a decent hotel night's stay. DH worked on Rodeo for over 20 years and really, there are better places to sight see. Now he works near the Tar Pits. Near there is the Petersen Car Museum, Art Museum, The Grove/LA Farmer's Market. I'd choose that over Rodeo.
With limited time, I would stay in Long Beach. Downtown, near the port, has lots of wonderful shop, restaurants and hotels. with Uber, you can go down to Huntington Beach and if you want the same shops you see on Rodeo, you can go to South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa.
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Post by colleen on Sept 21, 2017 17:24:40 GMT
I agree with Papersilly. Imho, you'd be better off staying down near the port in Long Beach. There is a lot to do there -- the aquarium, Ballast Point Brewery, etc.
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Post by katlady on Sept 21, 2017 17:38:25 GMT
Also, if you stay in Long Beach, there is a metro line that goes up to the downtown area of L.A. If you want to still go up that way.
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oh yvonne
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,003
Jun 26, 2014 0:45:23 GMT
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Post by oh yvonne on Sept 21, 2017 17:47:19 GMT
Co-sign with what's already been posted.
Personally I find the Tar Pits more of a school field trip thing, and you'll probably encounter tons of kids/schools during the week.
The Grove is always fun (IMO) I love to eat and shop there and you usually can catch a celebrity or two, if that's your thing. And famous YouTubers OMG. They love being seen there.
The Peterson and LACMA are wonderful.
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mlana
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,523
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Post by mlana on Sept 21, 2017 17:58:28 GMT
Not from LA, but we recently visited and stayed at a La Quinta near LAX that was reasonably priced and nice. They provided a shuttle back and forth to LAX. I don't know about to the Port, though.
We used Air BNB a lot on our recent trip because we got enough space for all 4 of us without DH and my mom having to stay in the same room. Every single one was significantly less expensive than getting 2 hotel rooms.
Marcy
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Post by bc2ca on Sept 21, 2017 18:02:07 GMT
scrapaddie, I understand coming to LA and wanting to see Rodeo Drive even though the shops there are widely available in high end malls all over the place. Half the fun is seeing the paparrazi and trying to figure out who they are stalking. Or seeing Bijan's iconic yellow Bugatti parked along with other high end cars. For any friends or family we have taken, it is about Rodeo Drive, not about shopping. If you do want to shop and don't have a Prada budget, buy a lipstick or nail polish at Chanel. They will treat you royally and wrap up your purchase beautifully. I have a cousin coming from England next month and we will be making the trek to see Rodeo Drive along with the Walk of Fame, Grauman's Chinese Theater (yes, I know it's not called that anymore), the Hollywood sign, possibly a star homes tour and I just booked a Paramount Studio tour. You can get a lot done in LA in a day if you plan a bit.
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Post by papersilly on Sept 21, 2017 18:29:13 GMT
The Grove is always fun (IMO) I love to eat and shop there and you usually can catch a celebrity or two, if that's your thing. And famous YouTubers OMG. They love being seen there. LOL that's funny about the YouTubers. if i actually followed any, i might actually recognize them since we are at the Grove a lot to watch movies. celebs are not my thing and the only ones we've seen are definitely not the A-list ones. maybe B and a lot more D-list. LOL. we did see Heidi Klum a few years ago waiting to take a pic at the Gingerbread house with some of her kids. we've seen Lisa Rinna dining at one of the outdoor restaurants. Janice Dickenson shopping and some character actors at the movie theatre. like i said, mostly D-list. |
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oh yvonne
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,003
Jun 26, 2014 0:45:23 GMT
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Post by oh yvonne on Sept 21, 2017 18:49:20 GMT
LOl for sure the D listers, they are the ones that want the paparazzi pics. I don't follow YTers but my nieces and generally anyone under 21ish have made celebs out of them, even more so than actors.
They are always fangirling over someone. My older daughter is besties with one girl who is really big, and even my niece is getting bikinis to model on IG. Its nuts!
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Post by holly on Sept 21, 2017 20:30:41 GMT
Oh yes, the Grove. We went on a cruise and stayed a few days in CA after and we hit up Hollywood and the Grove because my DD HAD to go. She was bummed she didn't see any celebrities but had to go because that's where all the Viners and YouTuber's go. The Grove was fun though. I grew up in So Cal and it was fun to take her to Hollywood and show her around. It's not as glamorous as on tv. And she never seems to get that when they say they are from "LA" they could be talking about anywhere "around" LA. lol. I think you have to live there to get that.
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Post by Clair on Sept 21, 2017 20:44:17 GMT
Rodeo drive to the port s about 35 miles. Those 35 miles can easily take you 2 or more hours - I'm often sitting on the 405 so trust me on this! Time your drive accordingly.
Skip the blue line - it's not for the faint of heart or anyone unfamiliar with the area - stick with uber.
You've already received great advice. If you stay in Long Beach check out the Hotel Maya. Its right next to the queen Mary - terrific views of Long Beach. I've never stayed there but been there for events.
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melissa
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,912
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Post by melissa on Sept 21, 2017 21:07:00 GMT
I haven't been in many years, but the Queen Mary was fun to visit and is right there in Long Beach. You can even stay in the hotel that is in the Queen Mary which might be a fun experience before a modern cruise (sort of a now and then comparison)
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Post by crittsmom on Sept 21, 2017 22:52:40 GMT
You may be leaving from San Pedro instead of Long Beach which they are right next to each other. We're leaving out of San Pedro in a couple of weeks. Its a little closer to LA and there are a few hotels right around the port. It would still be fun to see the Hollywood sign, The Grove/Farmers Market and the walk of Fame.
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LeaP
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,939
Location: Los Angeles, CA where 405 meets 101
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Post by LeaP on Sept 21, 2017 23:33:08 GMT
You have gotten excellent advice. Rodeo Drive and the La Brea tar pits are not worth a $600-700 hotel expenditure. It is somewhat cool to see bubbling tar in the middle of LA and around 283 sabre tooth tiger skulls, but it is not worth a trip on its own. Try to combine it with a trip to LACMA and or the Grove. Rodeo Drive is kind of a let down. You have seen is in so many movies and TV shows that when you see the real thing it looks like a set piece. Last time I took the kids we were super excited to try the crunut store (croissant/donuts) down the street. Most of the stores can be found elsewhere. If you are flying in late, do stay at a LAX hotel. They are super close to the airport and most have shuttles.
Try Lyft instead of Uber. My neighbor uses it and Lyft is slightly cheaper more often than not.
As others have said, it you are sailing from Long Beach, the Queen Mary is worth a visit.
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scrapaddie
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,090
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Post by scrapaddie on Sept 22, 2017 14:01:40 GMT
Thank you, all. You have been really helpful and I appreciate your advice!
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Post by gorgeouskid on Sept 22, 2017 15:06:41 GMT
If you decide to stay at a hotel near LAX, please do not walk down Century Blvd. It's not a great neighborhood. I worked just off Century for decades and would see obvious tourists strolling around. I always wanted to pull over and tell them to get back to their hotel.
There's nothing to see within walking distance of airport hotels, truly.
Traffic is really a crap shoot. From West LA/Beverly Hills it could be 35 minutes to Long Beach, or 1.5 hours. (Right now, 90210 to Port of LA is 54 minutes of rush hour traffic.)
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