Anybody in West LA?

[tollbaby]

My SO and I are flying down to Phoenix for a week, and we'll be driving to LA for a couple of days to meet some cousins of his. Can anybody recommend a decent (read: reasonably priced and clean) hotel or motel in West LA, or give me any recommendations on neighborhoods to avoid?

R's from Chicago and he's a bit more savvy than me, but I'm Canadian, and I grew up on a farm LOL LA's about as far out of my stratosphere as I can get, and I've already had my pocket picked in NYC. Any advice would be appreciated.

[tollbaby]

Anybody at all?

[Jester]

When you say "West LA," can you be a bit more specific? LA's a huge place.

[tollbaby]

That's just the thing, I have no idea. I was told that R's cousin lives in "West LA"... he couldn't be more specific than that, because that's all HE knows at this point.

Really, I just want a hotel in a decent neighborhood that isn't going to bankrupt me. I don't mind driving up to an hour between the hotel and the cousin's house.

Keep in mind, I'm from Ottawa. To me, huge is Montreal.

[Whiskey]

Hotels in a decent area in LA will bankrupt you. Like Jester said, LA is a huge place. LA is as expensive as expensive gets, barring New York. And when you say "drive an hour" do you mean an hour by google maps or an hour in LA traffic? Cause an hour in LA is like three blocks. Thats a bit of hyperbole, but not by much.


Edit: LA LA LA LA LALA I don't think I said LA enough in this post.

LA.

[Jester]

That's just the thing, I have no idea. I was told that R's cousin lives in "West LA"... he couldn't be more specific than that, because that's all HE knows at this point.

Really, I just want a hotel in a decent neighborhood that isn't going to bankrupt me. I don't mind driving up to an hour between the hotel and the cousin's house.

Keep in mind, I'm from Ottawa. To me, huge is Montreal.

First of all, LA is far bigger than Montreal. Both in population and just the sheer size of it. It is spread the fuck out.

Second of all, it would help a lot if you could have R ask his cousin just where the fuck he is. Specifically. Hell, have R ask his cousin to recommend a hotel or neighborhood for y'all.

Thirdly, despite what some people say, not all hotels in all parts of LA will bankrupt you, thank you very much.

[Solumina]

Cause an hour in LA is like three blocks. Thats a bit of hyperbole, but not by much.

Quoted for truth. I'm from northern Virginia and the traffic there is the 2nd worst in the whole US, the only area that beats us is LA and we aren't even close. I know what it is like to take and hour to go less than 5 miles. Not kidding at all. 5 miles in one hour. At that point you may as well walk, except there are no sidewalks and only a few places are safe to ride a bike. One of the guys in my office lived about 30 miles away from work and would ride his bike in just about every day (as long as the weather allowed) because it was so much faster than taking a car, even though he had to get a little creative with his route (thanks to the lack of bike paths and such) and had to go an extra 10 miles.

[Jester]

I'm from northern Virginia and the traffic there is the 2nd worst in the whole US, the only area that beats us is LA and we aren't even close.

In my travels and conversations, I have heard people from around the U.S. claim to have "the worst traffic." And I always tell these people that if they are not from Los Angeles, they are just wrong.

Now, several areas may have a valid claim on #2, but no one tops LA. Not in this country.

Northern VA? Sorry, but in my experience, not even close. Contenders for 2nd worst after LA, in my not-so-humble-opinion, in no particular order: NYC tri-state area; Miami; Houston; Chicago; Boston. While Phoenix traffic sucks, it pales next to the aforementioned areas. (And I should also point out that I have not driven everywhere in the U.S., so cannot comment on varous areas, including Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Cleveland, and Dallas, among others.)

[tollbaby]

alright, I get the point LOL Rob will facebook his cousin to ask her where she suggests staying, and the 2nd night, we'll stay somewhere along route 66 on the way back to Phoenix (he wants to wing-it, à la Route 66... I have misgivings, but I'll trust him. I know I can sleep in the car while he drives through the night to get back - he's a night driver).

[Solumina]

Now, several areas may have a valid claim on #2, but no one tops LA. Not in this country.

Ah this is true but few have official studies agree. Hoenstly even driving in it I wouldn't have guessed it was that bad, then again I rarely had to enter the worst bits, but back when I worked for the county government I saw the traffic studies and they sure are scary


Back on topic I've only ever been to LA once and um...yeah it was an interesting experience. Not really my kind of place but it was fun to do once. We did pay quite a bit for our rooms but it ended up not being too bad because I was sharing my room with three friends, I still have no clue where we actually were in LA, as I did none of the planning.

[AdminAssistant]

I'm going to a conference in LA in August, and thankfully I found somebody to split a room in the hotel with. Even at the discounted rate, a double was $180/night. If I hadn't found someone to split a room with, it would have been $80/night to stay in un-airconditioned dorms at UCLA and take a bus to the conference. Ummm...Los Angeles? August? NO A/C????? No thank you.

[Jester]

the 2nd night, we'll stay somewhere along route 66 on the way back to Phoenix (he wants to wing-it, à la Route 66...

As long as he knows that Route 66 does not go from L.A. to Phoenix. It goes to Flagstaff, which is about two and a half hours north of Phoenix. Not that there's anything wrong with taking the long scenic route. Just didn't know if he knew this rather important fact.

Now, if y'all do go to Phoenix via Flagstaff, you really should stop in Sedona, which will be a bit south of Flag off of I-17 on your way to Phoenix. And if you go to Sedona, you really do need to go to the Church in the Rock. I don't care if you aren't religious and aren't into churches. I am neither. This thing is spectacular. It's a church built right into the red rocks. Simply astounding. (It's official name is the Chapel of the Holy Cross, but I can never remember that, and you'll get further with everyone but Directory Assistance if you call it the Church in the Rock.)

Now, if you're looking for suggestions for your time in Phoenix, you DO know I am from there, right?

Off the top of my head, I suggest avoiding the Phoenix Zoo (lame), but two great sites are the Desert Botanical Gardens (located next to the aforementioned lame Zoo), and Taliesin West, Frank Lloyd Wright's winter retreat, located east of Scottsdale. Very funky, very cool, both of them.

If you want more suggestions, just let me know....and let me know where you will be staying in Phoenix, i.e., what area. After all, the Phoenix Metro Area is HUGE. The City of Phoenix itself is over 400 square miles, and that doesn't include all the suburbs, like Tempe (home!), Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Scottsdale, Glendale, etc.

Damn, I miss Phoenix.

[tollbaby]

If our trip was going to be longer, I'd be pumping you for information. As it is, we'll be spending three days in Gilbert (and surrounding areas), since that's where our friend lives (that's where we're staying) and we have another friend to visit, and the Canyon to see (since I've never been)

Don't worry about Rob and Route 66. He knows the entire run of that road like the back of his hand (He's a 66 junkie) He did mention Sedona, so maybe we'll leave LA late Monday night and visit there Tuesday.

So in a six-day trip, I'll be arriving in Phoenix on Thursday and driving out to Gilbert, Friday is Grand Canyon day, and Saturday is our friend Beth's 40th birthday party (which is the main reason for the trip), Sunday we drive out to LA (so the day's mostly a wash)... he told me I was allowed to drive up to Kingman, but then he's taking over the wheel. He's shown me why on the map. I do not object.

We arrive in LA around dinnertime, by his reckoning, and then we meet with a friend (J) to spend the evening with. Monday morning we're going to the Pier, and then the afternoon is spent with his cousin, whom he's never met (should be interesting). The evening will either be spent with J again and then we'll leave late to hit a hotel possibly in Flagstaff (thank you for mentioning that, I had no idea what was around). so Tuesday we're goofing off on the way back to Gilbert, and then we fly home on Wednesday.

Nowhere near enough time to spend down there, but you did warn me about Arizona in July (I'm not a "hot" person... I am going to die LOL). However, I can't wait This is the first time Rob and I have traveled together (well, for more than a few hours). Normally one or the other of us is visiting the other at their house It's slow, but it's progress LOL