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OT: Los Angeles travel

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RUfanSinceAnderson

All-Conference
Jan 31, 2006
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Thinking of taking my family to the LA area over the first week of July. Kids are in their 20s with varying ideas of a vacation.

Question:
- is it “safe” to stay at the JW Marriott near LA Live? Or is it too close to skid row, etc ?
- is it better to stay in Santa Monica and just “commute” back to dodgers stadium or movie studio tours
-other suggestions for things to do
 
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Rutgers Chris

All-Conference
Nov 29, 2005
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RUfanSinceAnderson said:
Thinking of taking my family to the LA area over the first week of July. Kids are in their 20s with varying ideas of a vacation.

Question:
- is it “safe” to stay at the JW Marriott near LA Live? Or is it too close to skid row, etc ?
- is it better to stay in Santa Monica and just “commute” back to dodgers stadium or movie studio tours
-other suggestions for things to do
Click to expand...
I’m sure the LA locals will give a more detailed response, but as I’ve been living here during the week for the last month, I’ll give you my perspective. I’d suggest staying in Santa Monica. Great downtown area, closest to the beach, easy drive up to Malibu and close enough to Dodger Stadium, Universal, etc. I haven’t stayed downtown, but we did stay in West Hollywood for a weekend and I’d much prefer Santa Monica.

Depending on how much time you have, I’d suggest a day trip out to Catalina. Catching a show at The Comedy Store so far has been the highlight of my time here.
 
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GORU2014

All-Conference
Sep 4, 2013
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Rutgers Chris said:
I’m sure the LA locals will give a more detailed response, but as I’ve been living here during the week for the last month, I’ll give you my perspective. I’d suggest staying in Santa Monica. Great downtown area, closest to the beach, easy drive up to Malibu and close enough to Dodger Stadium, Universal, etc. I haven’t stayed downtown, but we did stay in West Hollywood for a weekend and I’d much prefer Santa Monica.

Depending on how much time you have, I’d suggest a day trip out to Catalina. Catching a show at The Comedy Store so far has been the highlight of my time here.
Click to expand...
Second
 
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AdventureHasAName

AdventureHasAName

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Mar 1, 2022
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That Marriott is about 5 blocks west of anything you'd need to even begin worrying about. As long as you're west of Main Street or north of 3rd Street, you're not going to run into the mass homelessness and drug use.

That said, if it were me, I'd stay in Santa Monica. As hard as it is to believe, you're not really saving any travel time (to Dodger Stadium or Hollywood) by staying at that Marriott over Santa Monica. You're gonna be fighting traffic in either instance and you're just gonna have to deal with it. There's really no way to escape it. However, Santa Monica is much nicer area to walk around in than downtown.
 
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BLewis1968

Senior
Feb 3, 2004
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RUfanSinceAnderson said:
Thinking of taking my family to the LA area over the first week of July. Kids are in their 20s with varying ideas of a vacation.

Question:
- is it “safe” to stay at the JW Marriott near LA Live? Or is it too close to skid row, etc ?
- is it better to stay in Santa Monica and just “commute” back to dodgers stadium or movie studio tours
-other suggestions for things to do
Click to expand...

Have stayed at the JW (there is a Ritz there, too) and it is perfectly safe. Exponentially moreso than back in whatever day you may be recalling. Decent food options (Sol Agave, a Flemings steakhouse etc).
That said, I'm in LA a couple times every year and I generally stay in Santa Monica. Yes, it's far more walkable, an easy ride up the PCH to Malibu (you'll pass a great Mastro's right on the water). Since you mentioned studio tours, that's where we stayed when we took our then-tween daughter on a couple studio tours. Plethora of beaches to pick from, great sunsets. (Venice is one town over, then Playa del Rey). Don't know what your 20-somethings are into, but if you run up the PCH to Pepperdine and bang a right going inland there are the Santa Monica Mountains, if hiking is your bag. So, all around, I'd stay out in Santa Monica.
It's an easy ride north from LAX to Santa Monica. Manhattan Beach is also damn nice going in the other direction, but only stayed there once as opposed to many for Santa Monica, so my knowledge of that area is lesser.
 
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tomatocan

Junior
Jan 26, 2005
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I've lived in Santa Monica since 1982. The city is no longer a "quaint beach town" for a number of reasons, but it's still a great place to stay. Plenty to see and do within a relatively short distance. I couldn't begin to list all the places to see and visit, but I'm available to comment on things or places you may be interested in. Maybe stay long enough to make the RU-USC game next fall.
 
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guguta

Redshirt
Oct 9, 2020
16
6
0
I think the JW Marriott near LA Live is generally safe. It's a busy area with lots of people around, but it’s good to be aware of your surroundings. Santa Monica is also a great option. It's a bit farther from places like Dodger Stadium and movie studio tours, but the beach and atmosphere are wonderful. When I visited LA, I enjoyed both areas. For safety info, you can check out a website that covers the safety levels of different countries and regions. Click on the name of the country to see more information and that's it, very simple to use! For fun, consider checking out Universal Studios and Griffith Observatory. Enjoy your trip!
 
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R

RRosenwald

Freshman
Dec 5, 2008
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Anyone have any experience with rental cars out of LAX? I hear horror stories and looking to get a car for the USC game. I want to pick the best company to avoid issues...
 
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BLewis1968

Senior
Feb 3, 2004
696
443
63
RRosenwald said:
Anyone have any experience with rental cars out of LAX? I hear horror stories and looking to get a car for the USC game. I want to pick the best company to avoid issues...
Click to expand...
I almost always rent there. I usually go with Hertz. Bake in at least an extra 45 minutes on the return. It’s offsite and you’ll have to take a bus back to LAX.
 
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guguta

Redshirt
Oct 9, 2020
16
6
0
Hey! I’ve been to LA with my family, and it was a great trip. The JW Marriott near LA Live is generally safe, but it's a good idea to stay aware of your surroundings. Staying in Santa Monica is also a great option—it's beautiful, and you can easily commute to Dodger Stadium and movie studio tours. For more info on safety, you can check out https://www.travelsafe-abroad.com/. It's really useful for travelers. Enjoy your trip!
 
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