What's a los Angeles "life hack" everybody living there should know?

Hi everyone,

I’m an Asian tourist visiting the US for the first time, and I’m planning to travel from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. I’ve heard this drive is a classic American road trip experience, but I’m wondering if it’s actually enjoyable or if I should just fly instead.

Some context: • I’ll be the only driver (my travel companion doesn’t drive), so I’ll have to do all the driving myself. • I’d love to experience the American “road trip vibe” if it’s worth it. • We’re not in a huge rush, but we’re not planning a lot of stops along the way either—just enjoying the scenery and maybe grabbing food somewhere.

Would you recommend driving for the experience, or is it not worth the effort (or the desert heat)? Is the scenery interesting enough, or is it mostly empty highways?

Also, we’re staying near Hollywood during our time in LA. I’ve heard mixed opinions about safety in that area. Is it generally safe to go out at night, or should we avoid wandering around after dark? Any specific tips for tourists would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance for sharing your insights!

Ok Reddit, I'm hoping for a miracle. My spouse and I are visiting LA next week and we're both 80's kids and I NEED THIS TO HAPPEN! Where can we go in LA to live out a line from Sheryl Crow's "All I Wanna Do"? Doesn't need to be fancy, just open by noon! Yes I'm serious.

I just got to downtown, staying here for a couple nights, and I took the metro to Pershing Square station and walked to my hotel. I am a large man and while I figure I am safe, it was very uncomfortable dodging people sprawled across sidewalks. Not just that, but the amount of shuttered storefronts makes everything feel very bare. I have lived in downtown DC and spent plenty of time in downtown Detroit, NY, etc. and haven’t ever experienced anything like this. Does it get better during the daytime?

I was planning to explore some areas nearby tomorrow (there’s a number of stores and restaurants I love to visit) but I am wondering if the vibes change during the daytime. I’m considering heading to other neighborhoods and skipping out on downtown if it’s similar during the day tomorrow and would be open to suggestions for bookstores/cafes.

We won't have a lot of time and I tried to do a lot of research before spamming this sub, but this is what I've come up with for a short tourist trip to LA. Family of four: mom, dad, 6 year old, 3 year old. Critiques?

Day 1:

• Beverly Hills (Walk Two Rodeo Drive) - 1.5 hours

• La Brea Tar Pits and George Page Museum- 1.5 hours

• LACMA (LA County Museum of Arts) - Mostly closed, don't bother.

• Academy Museum of Motion Pictures - 1 hours

• Petersen Automotive Museum - 2 to 3 hours

Day 2:

• Hollywood Boulevard - 3 hours - might not do all these, just possibilities

  • Walk of Fame
  • Medieval Torture Museum
  • Chinese Theater
  • Some Wax Museum
  • Hollywood Museum

• Griffith Park and Observatory (try to get sunset) - 3 hours

• Mulholland Drive - 1 hour

• Warner Bros. Studio Tour - 3 hours

Day 3:

• Scenic Drive - 6 hours

  • Angeles National Forest Sign to Mt. Wilson Observatory
  • Malibu Creek State Park to Malibu to Neptune's Net (PCH drive)
  • King Gillette Ranch
  • drive through Pepperdine University
  • Paramount Ranch on the way back
  • Mulholholland Drive on the way back
  • If time:
  • Paramount Studio Tour (2 hours).
  • Sony Pictures Walking Tour (2 hours).
  • Griffith Park and Observatory (try to get sunset) - 3 hours - in case we missed sunset

Day 4:

• Santa Monica Pier
• 3rd Street Promenade
• Venice Beach
• Torrance (to Palos Verdes drive to Korean Bell of Friendship) (I was born in Torrance, so drive by hospital and where my parents lived in 19-fucking-71).

Day 5:

• Disney

We'll be staying near Hollywood most of the time, but drive to and stay in Anaheim after the Sta. Monica bits.

Food suggestions near any of these would be most welcome. Plan is hotel breakfast, then trying to find something unique and local for the other meal times. I might have to do McDonald's here and there for the kiddos.

I'm sorry we can't stay a month to try everything! Hoping to get a taste for the family, though, as well as explore my natal roots.

WOW! Thank you everyone! You guys are really generous with your time and knowledge!

I should have pointed out that a lot of the items on the list are "optional" - they're kind of padding so that we don't run out of things to do. Especially the Holly Blvd. stuff, and the extra two studio visits (only WB is a must-do).

As for traffic and parking, I think I have everything planned so that I only have to park once per day, except for getting to the observatory at sunset one night and the Rodeo Drive visit on the first day. Of course, the car trips will involve multiple stops along the PCH, for example.

I’m from the northeast & this will be my first time traveling to LA, West Coast overall. Our hotel is located on Wilshire Blvd and we don’t plan to rent a car. We’ll be there for about 3 full days.

With that being said, is LA nightlife lively? Looking at Santa Monica, West Hollywood & Beverly Hills. Related to this: is it safe to walk back to Wilshire Blvd from any of these locations at night?

I really want to check out Malibu beach but not even sure if it’s possible with heavy traffic & no car rental. Is it worth spending the day in Malibu by the beach?

Apologies if this has been asked before, any help/advice is greatly appreciated!

visiting LA next month (we're from vancouver, canada, have travelled a bit in europe, etc.) for a week and a bit with our 16 year old son. he's interested in the visit, has expressed interest in street culture, basketball (professional and street, I'd guess), cool things he can tell his friends about like, maybe, graffiti spots? street wear? vintage sneakers? he might be impressed by the lifestyles of the rich and famous, likely some beach scenes, specifically those feature younger females.... he's not into the disney/movie lots, etc. oh, and loves early hip hop / la music scene

so, trying to plan an itinerary for him - help me blow this young man's mind with your cool-l.a-non-lame-dad list!

edit: oh, and recommendations for neighbourhoods to stay in so we're kinda close to all the amazeballs things you're gonna suggest ;)

edit: wow, this is spectacular, there are some total gems here, thanks to you all for your wisdom, and for saving me the deep pain of sifting through 'top 10 cool things to do in L.A with your teenager' lists

excluding a place to stay ofc.

for some context: • ill be staying for 5days, 5 nights • i plan to stay around venice • ill be driving so ill have have my own car • i just turned 20 in september, so ig no drinking for me lol • ill be going sometime january • taking a friend who’s bringing an extra $500

places/things to do: • hollywood blvd/sign, observatory, rodeo dr, beverly hills sign, getty museum, peterson automotive museum • malibu, palisades park, santa monica beach/pier, venice beach/boardwalk/canals • DTLA, the broad, grand central market, the last bookstore, go to any high spot for a view of the city • hotel cecil (js for photos) • other food spots (non expensive, $30 per person max) • idk what else there is to do, walk around venice beach since id be staying there, suggestions?

if i have enough money left over i would love to go to a theme park or take a helicopter tour!

hi all, we're traveling to LA soon for 2 days and would like to hit known brands in LA (local / bigger brands). for context, we are from Asia. female and male brands both works! we are looking for female brands - dainty / feminine / corporate attire. men - streetwear / hoodies. what are some of your recommendations?

I'm staying in LA for 2 nights and have a flight out around 2 pm. I'm considering trying to save on paying for an extra night at the hotel and just heading to LAX around 9 pm on the second night, meaning around 14 hours at the airport. I wouldn't be doing anything on that last day before the flight anyways. Can anyone speak as to how doable this is?

Hello from NYC! I go to LA about once a year and each time I have an absolute blast. I’m proud to say that on this last trip I was able to help my parents navigate parts of the city without GPS.

It got me wondering though—it’s pretty clear who the tourists are in NYC (poor subway etiquette, gawking at tall buildings, trying to engage in small talk). With so much more time spent in cars on the West Coast, there just isn’t as much time for people watching. How can you tell who is a tourist in Los Angeles?

Hello everyone! 😊

I’m super excited because I’m visiting LA from Germany in a week! 🎉 I just have a quick question: How much money should I budget for each day? I won’t have a car and plan on doing some touristy activities with GetYourGuide tours. Is 300$ a day enough?

Here’s what I have planned so far:

• One day touring Los Angeles
• An afternoon exploring Hollywood and Beverly Hills
• A day at Universal Studios
• Another day downtown with lunch
• A drive through Malibu (an organized tour)

The rest of my trip will be more spontaneous. I do though want days where i can just chill at the beach.

Also, any suggestions for things I shouldn’t miss would be amazing because I haven’t fully planned everything yet! 😅😭

Thank you for your help!

I'm visiting my friend, who is studying at Berkeley this fall. I am travelling alone for 3 weeks and wanted to go through LA. Both to see the city (visited briefly w my family when I was 8-9 yo). But also to rent a car and drive up the coast to San Francisco and stop by some of the cities on the way.

My mother however is very uneasy about me travelling alone to LA and is almost forcing me to travel directly to San Fran. LA doesn't have the best rep, but it is also the center of so much pop culture, I would love to see some of it.

Would you say it is dangerous for me to travel to LA alone? I would stay at hostels etc and meet up with other travellers.

I am 27 y old and from Denmark

We are visiting LA this weekend are wanting to visit the zoo and the aquarium but we only have one day to do so. Is it feasible to visit the zoo in the morning/mid-afternoon and the aquarium later in the day? They seem quite far apart and we’ve heard that LA traffic can be a treat so we want to see if it is even doable based on local opinions.

TIA!

Solved - overall consensus seems to be that it is not doable but it’s not a huge deal anyways because the Griffith Zoo is not overly unique. The aquarium is where it’s at!

Going to LA and Malibu for the first time at the end of the month—What are some must do's/see and must eats in the area? and what are some things to skip? Looking for places you wouldn't necessarily see on a "travel guide".. Thanks!!

So, my lifelong dream of visiting California and surrounding states is about to come true next year in May. First stop will be Los Angeles and we’ll be there for either 5 or 6 days - and since we’re looking to shave off a few days of the total stay, we’re unsure how many days in LA are actually enough for what we want to do. I’ve visited so many blogs and websites that I’m frankly unable to separate the wood from the trees anymore.

I know LA is huge and we’ll obviously need a car (we’ll rent a normal sized car out of LAX before changing into our RV), so that’ll be taken care of. The thing is, I know LA distances aren’t measured in miles but in minutes driving (or hours). And this varies a lot by when you’re actually on the move. So I’m basically just looking to hear from people with experience: is what we’re trying to do doable in 5 full days, or do I might need 6 full days to be on the safe side? I don’t want to rush everything and my fear is that the locations of what we want to see is too much time driving around and losing time in traffic.

What we want to see Griffith Observatory, Beverly Hills, Universal Studios Tour, Warner Bros Tour, Paramount Pictures Tour, Santa Monica Pier/Venice Beach/Venice Canals Walkway, Hollywood (Walk of Fame, the sign obviously etc), Sunset Boulevard and Downtown LA. Maybe also Runyon Canyon Park and/or Kenneth Hahn Park, I dunno.

Any recommendations are welcome btw!

Now (if you hadn't noticed), I’m also a huge movie enthousiast, so I’m also looking to dedicate some time to just drive around LA to see some locations where famous movies were filmed, like in the San Fernando Valley (Van Nuys Highschool comes to mind, or where Sherman Oaks Mall was once), or the house that was used in Back to the Future. No worries, I’ll just drive by and have a look at it. Not looking to invade on the privacy of people living there.

Also, before people say LA isn’t worth it for so many days. Many people told me this. But I’ve been looking forward to see LA since I was like 5 years old and seeing all those locations where movies were filmed, I’m really looking forward to it. Just walking around and taking it all in will be awesome and I know I’ll really enjoy myself.

So basic question: 5 full days enough? Or maybe 6?

Thanks!

EDIT: THANK YOU so much for all your suggestions, I will respond to each of them individually. Thanks again! Really appreciate it.

EDIT2: We chose 6 full days btw

Hello all-- I will be travelling to LA soon and will be going from LA to SF.

I am considering my options of getting there, i.e. fly, bus, rental car. I have heard how amazing the pacific coast drive is, and I would love to experience that at some point in my life, but for this trip I will be alone. My concern is that after living in Japan car free for a couple years, my tolerance for long drives is totally shot. I get really sick of driving after like 1.5 - 2 hours.

Do you think it will still be a good experience to drive even with this limitation, or should I save this drive for another time when I can do it with a friend?

Thanks!

I’m visiting LA for literally two days from Canada and my wallet got stolen at the grove. Someone swiped it from my purse inside of a busy brandy Melville. Security wasn’t helpful and the staff refused to either show me the security footage or review it themselves. My student ID, and Ontario health card were in there which would be no help to a theif. All they got was like $60 in cash. And I’m annoyed about my credit card which I quickly cancelled before it was used.

Is this normal for LA? I’m absolutely baffled I’ve never had anything stolen before much less so brazenly in broad day light.

Hi, I'm a tourist w rental car and not to sound like I'm cribbing but driving here feels crazy. Got cut twice wo any indicator and close overtakings. Having driven in NJ and now in Las Vegas, LA driving feels like a challenge. Is this a common phenomenon or its just my patience being tested here today?

Hello! I was wanting hike the Hollywood sign during the daytime but by myself. Is it a safe spot to do so?

Everything comes with risks of course but I’m assuming this is a generally safer area since it’s tourist attraction and in residential area. Please lmk if I’m wrong.

Edit: super happy with the response, thank you guys (:

Hello, I’ll be visiting Los Angeles in August and am wondering if a budget of $2000 is enough. Accommodation and transportation for 3 days is already covered. This budget would mainly be for transportation (Ubers/taxis) for 4 days, food and shopping.

Would this be enough to have a comfortable visit money-wise? Thanks in advance for your help!!

Hi all!

My partner and I are visiting LA from London, UK, and have narrowed down our options for where to stay to Silver Lake, Culver City and West Hollywood. I’ve seen variations of this question in the sub, but none compare these three areas in a way that helps with our decision (although I may have missed it of course). So hope it’s ok to ask again.

We’re looking for a neighborhood with walkable access to food, drinks, and cafes, as we love stepping out for breakfast and dinner. We’re foodies who enjoy local vibes and nice options, plus good bars to unwind in the evenings. We’ll be renting a car for day time exploring.

We’ve found some nice hotels in our price range, like The Shay and Silver Lake Pool & Inn, but still exploring options.

Which area do you think offers the best mix of walkability, nice vibes and good food options? Any local advice would be much appreciated!

Thanks!

—-

Edit: Just wanted to say thank you all for the helpful and insightful responses! It’s been great to hear different perspectives on the neighborhoods and food options. We’ve decided to rule out Culver City and will focus on West Hollywood or Silver Lake (maybe leaning more toward West Hollywood). We’re really excited about our trip and can’t wait to explore these areas and try all the amazing food.

Others told me that staying near beverly hills and west hollywood is the safest, but the hotels there are really pricey. I'm currently looking at Courtyard by Marriott Los Angeles Sherman Oaks. It seems a bit farther away from the tourist areas, so I suppose I also need to take transit time and cost into consideration.

Overall, do you think it's a good option? thanks

Is 3 weeks enough time to appreciate California? I'm from the UK and will be doing a solo road trip in May 2024, here's my route:

I'll be heading to LA from London, hiring a car for a month and doing this route. I fly into LA on May 1st 2024:

LA > Joshua Tree > Death Valley > Lake Tahoe > Yosemite > San Francisco > Monterey/Carmel/Big Sur > Santa Barbara > LA.

Here's a map to show exactly the route for each leg of the trip: Link

I thought this is a good mix of sights as you get to explore the natural beauty of California (Pacific Coast Highway, Big Sur, Carmel, Yosemite, Lake Tahoe, The Deserts, Eastern Sierras, etc.) but then you also get good exposure to the cities and towns like LA, SF, Santa Barbara, etc.

Here's how much time I plan on spending in each place total:

LA - 2 nights - (1 day at beginning of trip and 1 day at end when leaving) (airbnb)

Joshua Tree - 3 nights - (airbnb)

Death Valley - 1 night - (The Inn Hotel)

Lake Tahoe - 3 nights - (airbnb)

Yosemite - 3 nights - (Tent Cabin onsite Curry Village)

San Francisco - 1 night - (hotel with secure car parking/airbnb with parking)

Carmel - 3 nights - (airbnb)

Big Sur - 1 night - (The Madonna Inn)

Santa Barbara - 2 nights - (airbnb)

Here's a rough itinerary for the 21 days, including 1 buffer day: Link

Is this enough time to appreciate each place, or do I need to remove some places because I'm trying to do too much in the time-frame? Anything you would cut or add? Thank you

I have a solo trip planned for the US and I’ll be in LA for 2-3 days.

Is there anything I should avoid while I’m there?

I’m from Australia, 24 F. Complete newbie to the states but I have been researching a ton.

I want to feel as safe as possible, considering I’m a female. I’m always well aware of my surroundings but I’d always want to know more to be cautious.

Do you recommend any places to stay too?

Edit: Thank you all for your comments! While I’m in LA, I’ll be renting a car so I’ll be able to drive around and see all the touristy spots. I heard to not leave any valuables in the car which is something I don’t do at home either.

I heard the public transport in LA is slow, dirty and unreliable and it’s easier to get by in a car!

With driving, is it true that to turn right, you turn when the light turns red?

For my travels, I’m not planning on couch surfing, hostels, or any shared accommodation. I’m not the type of girl that would dabble into that. I’m purely more of a comfort person and prefer my own space.

From all my research, I heard to avoid DTLA. Especially at night. I heard it can get quite dangerous? Correct me if I am wrong.

I heard to avoid Hollywood as it’s not as good as it seems. Too much people, scammers, dirty, etc.

My places to visit at the moment are Santa Monica pier, Beverly Hills, Rodeo drive, Melrose Avenue, The Grove, Pacific Park and Universal studios.

Is there anything you think it’s worth seeing?