L.A. help please

[yellman]

I am off the LA for the 1st time with my wife and my 2 young kids (boy and girl under 10)

I am there for 10 days and would like to hear peoples idea on what to do.

I am looking for the following.

Places to eat (we are picky eaters, I am thinking in and out burger and so on)

Places to shop (really good outlet malls with nmlc and such)

Places to go (is universal studios worthwhile, what about disney)

Is it worth it to drive to another place and then drive back (like San Francisco)

thank you for your help in advance.

 

[Butter]

Not sure staying in which county would make more sense to you as there is stuff to do on both ends. There is considerable traffic when traveling between the two counties.

LA County:
- Universal Studios
- Beverly Hills
- Melrose
- Manhattan, Redondo, Hermosa beach

Orange County:
- Disney
- South Coast Plaza
- Fashion Island
- Huntington, Newport beach

 

[foodguy]

i think there's a thread that could help over in social life or maybe several.
suffice to say that it is a huge area and depending on what kind of tourist you are, you will either be excited by butter's list, or frightened by it.

 

[yellman]

Butter, when you say traffic how bad is it. I have heard awful stories and live in a city with very bad traffic as well. How long would it take to go from disney to universal on a weekday afternoon, just as an example.

How would you rate these places

i.e. universal 7/10 or 1/10 etc.

thanks

 

[yellman]

Originally Posted by foodguy

i think there's a thread that could help over in social life or maybe several.
suffice to say that it is a huge area and depending on what kind of tourist you are, you will either be excited by butter's list, or frightened by it.

found the ny thread and washington, did not find la.

As for what type we are, we are the busy type. We usually do a lot of stuff in 1 day.

 

[teddieriley]

Originally Posted by yellman

Butter, when you say traffic how bad is it. I have heard awful stories and live in a city with very bad traffic as well. How long would it take to go from disney to universal on a weekday afternoon, just as an example.

How would you rate these places

i.e. universal 7/10 or 1/10 etc.

thanks

Depends what time on a weekday and what freeway you take and whether the freeway gods desire there to be traffic. LA traffic can be unpredicatable, unlike the bay area where traffic is usually at defined commuting times. But from disney to universal, you're looking at least an hour with no traffic.

If i were to rank the amusement parks in SoCal I would say:

Disneyland
Universal
Six Flags
Knotts
I haven't been to LegoLand, but I hear it is actually pretty good for little kids.

I only rate Six Flags over Knotts because of the roller coasters, but in terms of overall feel, they are both pretty ghetto.

If you're in town for 10 days, an excursion to San Diego and/or San Francisco is a must. 5 days in L.A. is plenty as it is. You might want to consider San Barbara if SF is too far north for you, but I don't know of any kid-friendly things to do there.

 

[Butter]

Originally Posted by yellman

Butter, when you say traffic how bad is it. I have heard awful stories and live in a city with very bad traffic as well. How long would it take to go from disney to universal on a weekday afternoon, just as an example.

How would you rate these places

i.e. universal 7/10 or 1/10 etc.

thanks

It's as bad as you can get here but since you're on vacation, you need to time your drives in between rush hour, 9:00 am - 3:30 pm. The rush hour on weekend is usually around 4-6 pm, not much in the mornings.

I would say it can take 45 mins drive if it's not rush hour.

I would recommend you take your kids to Universal and Disney on separate days and perhaps a weekday to avoid the lines. It's worth taking your kids because before you know it, they'll grow out of that phase.

 

[yellman]

thank you for the prompt responses.

how long of a drive is it to san francisco?

any hotel recommendations for la or san f.

 

[teddieriley]

Originally Posted by yellman

thank you for the prompt responses.

how long of a drive is it to san francisco?

any hotel recommendations for la or san f.

If you take the 5 and drive through cow country, about 5.5-6 hours. If you take the 101 (not the 1, which is literally along the coast), which is more scenic and a nicer drive IMO, about 7 or 7 1/2.

No clue about hotels since I lived in both areas and didn't have a need to stay in a hotel.

 

[Butter]

Originally Posted by yellman

thank you for the prompt responses. how long of a drive is it to san francisco? any hotel recommendations for la or san f.
Driving to Vegas or San F. will take you about 5 hours one way. As for hotels, I'd recommend somewhere near Santa Monica area but it might be over your budget.

 

[teddieriley]

Originally Posted by Butter

Driving to Vegas or San F. will take you about 5 hours one way.

Not to be argumentative, but no. LA is about 380 miles from SF. Vegas is only about 265 miles from LA. SF will take at least an hour and a half longer to get to.

 

[acecow]

I've never been to Disneyland still, but of all people who went both to DL and Universal, about 95% of adults preferred Universal. Therefore, I would suggest going there.

As far as eats go... you say you're a picky eater, but you talk about burgers?

Anyway, In-n-Out is great. Also, make sure you go to Father's Office in Culver City and have their burger with sweet potato fries. Paired with their amazing collection of beers the burgers are easily the best in California.

Also, make sure you get to The Edison in Downtown LA. A little pricey, but their cocktails are amazing and they also have shows and live music. The atmosphere is something out of the ordinary and it's the best bar in L.A. if you ask me.

If you love whiskey, try 7 Grand, which is also a place in Downtown LA. There is nothing spectacular about it, except that they have around 400 different types of whiskey. They have live music on Wednesdays. There is no food served, but you can bring in your own.

I strongly suggest going to see the Toledo show every Sunday night after 10pm at a bar in Santa Monica. The name escapes me, but you can find it easily if you do a search for the Toledo Show on the internet. Be warned: the place is kinda trashy, it's hard to find a place to sit, but the music and the performance make up for it.

Other places to consider: The Bazaar at the SLS Hotel (very expensive), Nanbankan Japanese Grill, Umami burger

For a lazy breakfast, try Olive and Cheese on Washington Blvd near the ocean. As far as I'm concerned, they have the best Chianti in town.

If you are interested in art, I'd suggest going to the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, instead of LACMA. While LACMA is bigger, NS has a better collection. And it's near Pasadena downtown, so you can have a stroll there and maybe even catch the happy hour at some of the cafes.

Basically, there are so many places, that it's hard to mention even half. So, explore!

If you want to travel, try Yosemite or Big Bear. Camping there is always fun.

Good Luck and try not to travel from 4 to 7 pm on weekdays.

 

[GoldenTribe]

No snark here, but if you want touristy advice more than wardrobe shopping why post this in Men's Clothing?

 

[comrade]

La Brea Tar Pits
Petersen Auto Museum

If the kids like Art Museums:

La County Museum( near La Brea Tar Pits)
The Getty - Malibu( great views) Roman Villa Replicate
Tha Main Getty- Los Angeles

For Dad:

Shop the Finest
( Call Ian Daniels for an Appointment)

shopthefinest.com

 

[yellman]

Originally Posted by GoldenTribe

No snark here, but if you want touristy advice more than wardrobe shopping why post this in Men's Clothing?

this is where I hang and I get the best answers